By Emma Shapiro ’20
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Terren Frank ’20, Aaron Glazer ’17, and Johnny Juzang’20 listen the coaches plays. Credit: Casey Kim’20/SPECTRUM
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Varsity player shoots free throw against Notre Dame. Credit: Casey Kim ’20/SPECTRUM
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All of the boys’ basketball teams had a strong season with many wins. Each squad trained and practiced in hopes of being successful. All in all, each team demonstrated hard work and experienced camaraderie with their squad.
The varsity team looks forward to a strong end to its season. The squad maintained an overall record of 15-10 and league record of 7-3. According to Mason Hooks ’20, the team was able to have a successful season due to their commitment to the sport and the intense training in practice. Their last league game against Notre Dame High School resulted in a close victory of 78-69 on Feb 1. The squad was able to finish their season, second in the Mission League. The team still has to compete in the CIF Playoffs, and is hopeful for winning the title. The squad defeated Martin Luther King HS on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the D-1A CIF Playoffs. The team will play Loyola on Friday in the semifinals of the playoffs.
“We have stepped up our level of play, going to national tournaments and playing tough non-league games. So considering our pre-playoff ranking (top 4 seed in polls) and that we will finish no lower than second in league, I think the season has been a success,” program head and varsity coach David Rebibo said in an email.
The JV team is primarily composed of sophomore players along with three freshmen. With an overall record of 24-1 and league record of 9-1, the squad finished their season strongly. The team practiced six days a week and was coached by Steve Moore and Julian Benarouche. According to guard Brase Dottin ‘20, the practices consisted of lots of competition that lead to the strong record. Dottin said that he enjoys playing high school basketball.
“I get to meet a whole bunch of new people. I get to play with people that I have never seen before, with different talents, different skills. It is really fun,” Dottin said.
The freshman squad also had a strong season finishing with an overall record of 16-10 and league record of 5-7. However, the team lost its final game to Chaminade on Feb. 10. Coaches Dagem Asfaw and Lewis Dix assisted the team with their record by running drills to strengthen the team. The squad practiced six days a week with the JV team. According to Dylan Ross ‘20, his favorite part about the season were the games.
“[The games] were the most exciting and competitive parts of the season, and were the most enjoyable. My favorite game was our game against Notre Dame at Notre Dame, because the environment was awesome,” Ross said.
The eighth grade team had a challenging season with an overall record of 4-5 and league record of 4-5. They were unable to claim the Delphic League Championship title but they did qualify for playoffs initially. Rebibo uses the plays from the high school teams to prepare the players for the next level of play. According to Coach Pierson Williams, the team’s goal was to improve every day.
The seventh grade team had to focus on teamwork since most players had not played together before. However, they pulled through and had a strong season maintaining an overall record of 7-2. The squad lost its final game to Chaminade on Jan. 31. The squad lost in the semifinals of the playoffs on Feb. 7. Forward Oliver Wyman ‘22 talked about what he enjoyed during the season.
“Being on the basketball team has introduced me to a lot of people with a shared interest. I have had a lot of fun meeting new people and getting to play with them. I am new to the school and just met many new friends,” Wyman said.]
