By Zeyad Shariff 

The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team won their first game of the season on November 20, defeating Queens Gateway to Health Sciences with a score of 66-29 and have since gone on to win their next seven games, jumping to an 8-0 start.

Just last season, the team finished with a record of seven wins and nine losses, and failed to qualify for playoffs for the second year in a row. The victory marked the first time the team had won their season opener since the 2016 season. “The fact that our starters are some of the core players from last year made [the high quality of play] easier for the team because we already have chemistry,” said Co-captain Jahdon Jerome. “Communication amongst our players was key [in the victory] because it allowed us to make in-game adjustments during timeouts and halftime based on what was working and what wasn’t, and ultimately allowed us to win the game.”

The players expressed confidence in the talents of the new team, with co-captain Zach Fisher saying “We’re grateful to have a new set of young men with a good skill set to bring to the team. It’s important that we train hard with them and share information with them so that when their time to shine comes, they’ll be confident with the ball.” The team is looking forward to key matchups against Robert F. Kennedy and Cambria Heights. “I believe we have a talented group of players, and I absolutely think we can defeat them this year,” said Jahdon. The team went on to easily defeat RFK, with a score of 77-46. Although the end goal is to make the playoffs and ultimately, the city championships, these wins are an important step to achieving their first winning record since 2016.

Armed with new talent and accomplished veterans, the boys hope to have a successful season. Come support them at their next home game on January 8th against the High School for Law Enforcement & Public Safety. 

Additional reporting done by Jeremy Deacon

Photo Courtesy of Joshua Vieira