The Varsity Boys Basketball team has had their best season since the 2009-2010 season, finishing with a record of 8-6 while having advanced to the second round of playoffs.
The team won its first playoff game on February 26 against Clara Barton high school, where senior captain Sharief Enany scored 28 points in the 63-50 victory. Sharief said, “the game was at 5, but I started warming up at 2:45. I’ve been in a shooting slump lately and I warmed up extra early to make sure that I was on point. As seniors, it feels good to have a playoff win under our belt for the first time since freshman year.”
Senior captain Alex Boychuk scored 15 points and racked up 8 assists during the game.
He said, “We grew a lot since freshmen year and we were able to demonstrate that growth in the first playoff game. With the playoff game being at home, we wanted to make it a notable performance, knowing that it could potentially be our last game ever.”
“It felt nice to finally win a playoff game after three years,” said senior Antonino Scaturro.
Sharief was the team’s highest scorer this season, averaging twenty points a game, and Alex had the most assists of the season, averaging around four assists a game.
Sophomore Jozef Nikaj secured a position in the starting lineup this season, averaging around ten points and twelve rebounds a game.
“We had a great season, and next year we will be a more competitive team. We were really excited that we won our first playoff game and hopefully next year we will advance further in the playoffs,” said Jozef.
Of the six losses, three were lost by only six points or less. The team lost its first game in double overtime to Robert F. Kennedy, which was the closest loss of the season.
The team also came in first place at the Cathedral Prep Christmas Tournament. Alex said, “The championship game was the most exhilarating game of our lives. We were down by 17 points with four minutes to go in the game and we came back to win in overtime.”
“It’s been a great season; we’ve had our ups and downs but overall we grew as a team and we had a great time playing together,” said senior TJ Ritter.
The team lost to Fannie Lou Hamer High School on Thursday, February 28, ending their playoff run in the second round.
Senior Khalid Abdin said, “Although I wasn’t allowed to play due to certain circumstances, it felt great to witness the boys pull out a good season. The way this team was built, I’m sure they’ll do well next year.”
Junior Nicholas Stamoulis said, “Game after game we fought through struggles and hardships of an entire season. In the end we won our first playoff game in three years and that is something we should all be proud of. I am proud to call my team my brothers.”
“After four years on the team, it made me realize how much of a family we’ve become,” said Alex. Sharief shared his bittersweet departure from the team, saying, “for the past four years, I’ve poured my heart out onto the court for this team, and seeing it come to an end is something that I’ll cherish forever.”
