Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball (2023-2024)

By ROXANE PARK ‘25

As soon as the ball is thrown into the air, the Exeter boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are on their best game. This past winter, both teams had a busy season, with the boys playing 24 games and the girls 23. 

Led by captains Max Albinson, Tyler Bike, and Ryder Frost, as well as coaches Jay Tilton, Rick Brault, and Phil Rowe, the boys’ basketball team tabled a remarkable 19 wins. The season started off with a close 61-60 game against Suffield Academy, but in their next game, Big Red dominated Hebron Academy 83-55 at Exeter High School. With only five narrow losses throughout the season, the team easily beat out nearly every competitor from New England, including Milton Academy twice (91-83 and 61-53), Choate Rosemary Hall (76-45), Northfield Mount Hermon School (71-60), St. Paul’s School (69-60), and Deerfield Academy (55-54). 

On Feb. 24, they faced off against the age-old rivals at Phillips Academy Andover at the opponent’s school and experienced a disappointing 64-58 loss. But less than two weeks later, the Exeter boys played the Andover team once again, and defeated them 60-42, which earned them the title of Class A Champions at Clark University in Worcester, MA for an electrifying end to their season. 

The girls’ team, with only ten players, showed resilience during their season under the leadership of captains Amelia Byerly, Stacy Chen, and Laurie Chung, as well as coaches Katie Brule and Kerry McBrearty. Despite disappointing losses against rival schools, they were able to secure solid victories against Milton Academy (53-40), Taft School (38-35) at the Groton Tournament, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (61-44), Deerfield Academy (60-45), and St. Paul’s School twice (39-25 and 52-38).

Throughout a grueling winter season, both teams showed extraordinary drive, commitment, and teamwork in their games, representing Big Red on the courts both home and away.