The Boys Varsity Basketball Team finished their regular season on February 6 with a 79-45 senior-night victory over Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College. With a record of 10-4, the boys tied with Academy of American Studies for third place in the AA-Queens division. They went on to play two playoff games, ultimately falling short in the second round game, marking the end of the 2023-24 season.
Going into the playoffs, the boys’ regular season record granted them the 14th seed in the city. Their first playoff game was on February 28 at home against the 19th seeded team Hunter College High School. Led by junior Sebastian Morales, who finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, the boys came out on top with a score of 58-42. Senior Captain Andrew Chen followed with 7 rebounds and then came junior Andrew Leonard and senior Captain Iyad El Bouanani with 19 and 13 points, respectively.
With this win, the boys moved on to the second round, where they played against the 3rd seeded team South Bronx Preparatory. They suffered a loss of 94-46, marking the end of the 2023-24 Boys Varsity Basketball season. While speaking to The Classic, the boys shared their reflections and expressed hopes for next season.
“Last season started off a little rough with a couple early losses to teams we could’ve beaten, but through a lot of hard work and team spirit we ended up accomplishing great feats,” said Iyad. Most of the guys on the team also underwent changes in maturity and skill level which I’m extremely proud of.” Adding to this, Math Teacher & Assistant Coach Abid Choudhury said, “Finishing in the upper half of our division was a definite plus, and making the playoffs is always a positive, so it was a pretty successful season.”
Meanwhile, Freshman Jaden Avila said, “This past season went pretty well, but we still didn’t meet our expectations.”
When discussing the transition into next season, the boys agreed that their cohesiveness must improve to be more successful as a team. “All the players need to learn to gel and build more chemistry. The more people learn to play off each other and exploit each other’s strengths and weaknesses, the stronger we’ll be as a team,”said Mr. Choudhury. Similarly, sophomore Ezekiel Alarcon said, “We need to improve on working together both on and off the court as a family and get closer with each other to build team chemistry.”
Sophomore Dylan Parris said, “Next year, everyone needs to know their role and do their part for our team to get better as a whole.”
When reflecting on their time with the team, graduating seniors expressed gratitude and some bittersweet memories. “I was only on the team for 2 years but I am thankful for the time I got to spend playing alongside and practicing with my brothers and coaches,” said Josiah.
“Being a part of the team for the past four years has been great,” said Iyad. “I’ve made a lot of wonderful memories, formed lasting friendships, and met many different characters. It is bitter to know my time is up on the team but I can say that I have no regrets from freshman year to now.”
