Boys’ Basketball Barely Misses Championship Title in Final Game
The boys’ basketball team had a successful season this past year, finishing with a record of 18-6 and securing the number one seed in the playoffs. Exeter went on to make a long post-season run, defeating several high-skilled teams as they paved their way to the finals. Unfortunately, the team lost in the last minutes to Williston Northampton by three points, coming up short for the title. Despite this disappointing ending, the team overall still performed very well and took many positives away from their season, setting high expectations for next year.
Big Red credits the majority of their success to the team’s unity. Senior Max Kirsch explained the close culture of the team. “Everything we did this year was a testament to our chemistry. People always say their teammates are like brothers and this team really embodied that saying,” he said. “Our time together is what I will miss most and the relationships we made are definitely one of the highlights.”
Post-graduate Tommy Mobley echoed Kirsch’s sentiments in his description of the final game. “Even though we lost the final game by three points, we all came together in the locker room and cried together,” he said. “It was in this moment that I realized how much the season meant to us, and how much we meant to each other.” The players meant a lot to each other this season, sharing a common passion for the sport and thirst for success.
This supportive environment made it easier for players to work collectively and achieve the desired wins. Mobley described the team’s supportive culture, which helped him adjust quickly to Exeter from his old high school. “Coming into the program I assumed that there would be competition [for more game-time], but that wasn’t the case,” he said. “No one wanted me to fail, and my teammates were always supportive of me. We always wanted the best for each other.”
“Coach Tilton is very good at identifying talent, and I am confident that he will be able to field a strong team next year.”
Many of the highlights from Exeter’s season came from their playoff run. After working together for the entire regular season, the team found their stride, claiming many impressive victories. Particularly, the team’s wins in their quarterfinal and semifinal games over Loomis and Tabor served as strong indications of Exeter’s development and ability. “Both were close games against tough teams and we came together as a team and made just enough plays to move on,” senior James Foye said. As the top-seed, having won the class A regular season title, Exeter proved itself at the start of the tournament as the team to beat. Their early victories in the tournament showcased their superior ability.
Throughout the season, the team’s fans also motivated the players and encouraged them to fight through close games. On the other hand, the Big Red players were glad to provide their school with many entertaining home games and a basketball team for which students could be proud. “We had great fan support as both games were at home, so ending our careers in Love Gym with two big wins was a perfect way to go out,” Foyes said.
Senior James Foye leaps over a defender. (Photo Credit: Diana Davidson)
Big Red’s regular season game against Tilton also served as a testament to the team’s overall strength. Mobley explained why this particular game stood out to him and his teammates, describing the depth of Tilton’s roster. “Tilton is very talented class AA team that has George Nyang, Terrence Man and multiple other D1 players this year,” he said. “In this game Exeter played very well collectively, and defensively it was our best game of the year.” Through this game Exeter also claimed first place in the league and the top seed for the playoffs.
Like Tilton, Exeter’s overall depth as a team made them a difficult team to face. This year, Exeter had a talented roster, with several strong seniors. The younger players also proved themselves, filling the roles of their leaders when needed. “Players acted as leaders or filled supporting roles at different times,” Mobley explained. “This balance made it difficult for teams to key in on specific players.”
After a successful season, the team still hopes to improve their composure moving forward. “Sometimes, since we run a very intricate offense which has a lot of moving parts, players were thinking too much,” Mobley said. He stressed the importance of players working as hard as possible without losing sight of the point of the game—to have fun. “Sometimes we got wrapped up and couldn’t loosen up,” Mobley said.
Postgraduate Cooxooeii Black blocks an opponent. (Photo Credit: Diana Davidson)
The team will graduate many seniors this year, and will only have two returning players. Despite these losses, they remained optimistic. “The bullets that are still left in the chamber are ready to fire,” Mobley said. “Coach Tilton is very good at identifying talent, and I am confident that he will be able to field a strong team next year.”
Being one of the many seniors that is graduating this year, Foye commented on the friendships he has made and his development through the program. “My experience over the past few years has been amazing. I've had a lot of great teammates over the past three years and made a lot of great friendships,” he said. “This particular year was probably my favorite year because we had built up the chemistry over three years of playing together with me, Mitch, Max Kirsch, JT Thompson, and Perry DeLorenzo.” Foye said that this existing chemistry, as well as the addition of a great group of new players, contributed to the overall success as a team.
Next season, Exeter hopes to continue their success, and work towards creating a team that is as close as this year’s. Despite only having two returning players, Big Red is destined to be successful due to their strong recruitment and overall strength as a program.