Lying in a deep deficit during the fourth quarter of the finals, the Hawks Boys Basketball Team saw its hopes of winning the Jim Dilg Christmas Tournament begin to fade. In a dramatic upset, the team, led by senior captain Sharief Enany, came back to win the tournament, ending the year with a bang. Sharief took home the honor of being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, marking a terrific start to both his and the Hawks’ seasons.
Averaging over twenty points a game, Sharief has become the breakout star of the Hawks, improving on a solid junior season in which he helped lead the team to the playoffs. Sharief said, “Being the leader of this team is a tough job. You need to go out and pour your entire heart out onto the court; not just for yourself, but because the team looks at the captain for direction and motivation.”
Sharief scored 35 points against Robert F. Kennedy on Thursday, November 29, his personal high for points scored in a league game this season. The Hawks lost by two points in double-overtime in one of their closest games.
When discussing how he prepares for games, the captain displayed his intense focus. “Before games I don’t really listen to music like other people do. I actually just spend that entire day thinking about what we need to do to win. I don’t need music to get me pumped up, this is my last year of high school basketball and that’s motivation enough.”
He added, “What we need to improve in is knowing how to turn on our level of heart at ends of games. Sometimes it’s been there and sometimes it hasn’t. If we learn to end games with complete passion, then we’ll go very far.”
Senior Antonino Scaturro’s has been grateful for the leadership of the senior captain. He said of Sharief, “[He] is a valuable piece to our team. He shows great leadership, and helps us win close games in the final minutes.”
Senior co-captain Alex Boychuk said, “Sharief is a great captain who understands responsibility. He makes sure everyone is always on the same page, on and off the court. As a good friend and co-captain of his I get to see the emotion that is presented by him on a closer level. His passion for basketball is remarkable, he understands the mistakes that he makes and attempts to fix them. I remember one game he missed a shot terribly and the first words out of his mouth were ‘I am so sorry guys!’ Not every player, let alone captain, would do such a thing. He knows how to be captain of our team and I’m proud to be leading it with him.”
For his value as a player and a leader, senior Sharief Enany is male Student Athlete of the Month.
