Beat - Boys Varsity Basketball against Choate
By: Lauren Kim, Vir Shrestha, Kendra Wang
On January 15, the boys’ varsity basketball team traveled down to Connecticut for a highly-anticipated game against Choate Rosemary Hall. After reuniting with many players who were in quarantine, the team won the game with a 61-48 score. As one of the first games of the season, players and coaches alike congratulate themselves on a positive team dynamic and a drive to win.
In response to the increased number of quarantined players the team stepped up and pushed themselves harder in preparation for the game. Post-graduate Chandler Pigge reflects on his teammate’s hard work in their preparations for the game ahead. “We had multiple guys out with COVID and close contacts including myself, so the other half of the team that was there pushed themselves to the utmost. All credit to those guys for holding the fort down,” Pigge said. “Then, when we all did get back, we created our energy again to find us again and be ready to go for Choate because despite our challenges here, the game was still happening and we had to be ready.” Senior and teammate Andreas Lorgen describes the team’s consistent energy at practices despite the COVID setbacks. “The highlight of the Choate game was really just being able to go down there and execute on what we had practiced before it. Our practices are always high energy and these were no different, we knew we wouldn't have our own fans down at Choate so we had to create our own energy once we got there,” he said.
Upon their arrival to Choate, Big Red made their presence known on the court early on in the game. Senior and captain Josh Morissette said, “this game in the first half, we moved the ball very well, and got the looks we wanted…We played one of the best first halves I've ever been a part of. Moved the ball well, got to the rim, hit shots, and played very well on the defensive end.” Praising the team’s strong performance in the first half, Pigge added, “the first half we attacked from the start and made our presence known. Even when they went on a run in the second half, we maintained our composure and finished strong. We definitely showed our resiliency in that game.”
In spite of a successful start, the team began to lose their lead upon entering the second half. Morrissette reflects,”The second half, we came out lazy and it showed as a 25-point lead quickly turned to 12 as we played a very bad seven minutes. But we were able to show people what we can do for 25 minutes, and the next step is to be able to play at a high level for all 32 minutes.” On the other hand, describing the lessons learned in the game, Coach Richard Brault says, “as our team tests the waters of intense competitive play, the focus is to realize just how effective we are as a group if we control the tempo both offensively and defensively.”
Along with the exciting gameplay, players describe Choate fans creating a frenzied
atmosphere, elated to cheer on their team. Pigge recalls, “Despite their small gym and crowd, the fans we're going absolutely ballistic. They had great school spirit and had no problem letting us know at the same time.” Morissette comments on how the Choate fans made the game memorable for many. “I would say they had both sides of their bleachers filled with students, with kids also sitting on the track that was right above one of the baskets. And they were loud…They knew our names and had no problem yelling at us when we walked by them, stood by them, or took a shot. They tried to do whatever they could to help their team. It was one of the most fun games I have played in.”
As for the overall mood for the game, senior Fawaz Omidiya calls the atmosphere “electric.” “We were all really hyped up and they had a huge crowd. They probably had 50 to 70 kids in the crowd and they were all yelling,”Omidiya said. “We were all throwing down really cool dunks before the game. It was very, very energetic. And it just felt electric because it was nice to be on the road and also because it was a very personal game.”
The team considers this win to be the first of many in this upcoming season, and take pride in the determined atmosphere they’ve created. Omidiya says, “Choate really set the tone for this year. I'm hoping that we can capitalize on that and continue to get some good wins.”
Coach Brault concludes, “Head coach Jay Tilton and assistant coach Phil Rowe build an atmosphere of growth and development that supports the pursuit of excellence…We produced well from both sides of the ball. Big win, big step forward.”
