The boys varsity basketball team is undefeated in division 2A so far this winter, having finished the calendar year off with victories in each of its nine in-league games.
After losing two key scorers who graduated last year, the team was forced to “make up for the loss … and adjust,” said senior captain Mohammad Nasrallah. Coach Abid Choudhury said that the team “had to make a lot of confessions and changes” at the beginning of the season, but that he feels it “did a really good job” with making alterations based on those losses. “Midway through the season, I think we’re looking even better than last year and ever before,” said Mohammad.
The team’s toughest competition came on December 22nd against the Academy of American Studies, where the Hawks narrowly won 51-47. Key players of the game included senior captain Edward Johnson, who led offensively with 20 points and 8 assists, and junior Aidan Alleyne, who contributed to the team’s defense with nine defensive rebounds.
Junior Kris Wallace said that the team struggled in the first half, but “started playing better defense and was more organized in the second half.” Down a few points in the final quarter, the Hawks took the lead when Kris “got an offensive rebound and connected on the and-one play.” Aidan and Edward then scored free throws and three-pointers to secure the win.
Outside of its perfect in-league record, the team has had other successes in non-league games, with its only defeat being a one-point loss to Benjamin N. Cardozo High School on December 3rd. Edward said that the game against Cardozo was “the most challenging because [he] was coming off an injury, and [another player] was out for the game,” forcing the team to “play small ball against a team with bigger and taller players.”
Players speculated that this tight finish with Cardozo and other victories against schools with larger basketball programs will help to benefit the team’s seeding in playoffs. Mohammad said that “wins against those schools would wake a lot of people up” and show the team “that [it] could compete with anyone in the city.”
Edward highlighted members of the team who have shown great improvement and effort, including Aidan, senior Ezequiel Alarcon, and sophomore Athan Lin. Edward said, “These players bring a ton of energy to the team whether it’s practice or an actual game. Their impact may not show up in the stat sheets, but they’re very beneficial to the team’s overall success.”
Mr. Choudhury said that from the beginning of the season, “while there is still work to be done this year…there has been a lot of growth on part of our players in the team.” Of his aspirations for the rest of the season, he said he wants the team to “go as far as it can go…We think we’re in a good position to compete for a city championship this year, so that’s the goal, but one step at a time, baby steps.”
