With the school basketball tournament approaching, players are focused on improving their teamwork, effort and overall performance. Led by coaches Daniel Herguth, Andrea Bentoglio, Marco Pompa and Takia Gaynor, teams have been training consistently despite facing a few challenges along the way.
Preparation has not always gone as planned. Ms. Gaynor said morning practices have been limited due to attendance, leaving teams with little time to fully prepare. “Morning practices aren’t enough because kids don’t show up on time, so we’re left with about 20 minutes,” she said.
To adjust, teams began holding longer Saturday practices earlier this month, training for up to two hours to build endurance and improve how they play together.
Confidence remains high among players. Adam Lococo, a senior, said this season feels different.“This is my last year, and our team is the most hungry to win because we haven’t won yet,” he said. He added that playing together over time has helped the team understand each other better on the court.
Alexander Lyons, a junior, shared a similar mindset, describing his team as determined and ready to compete. “The team is filled with people who are hungry and will fight for the ball and the win,” he said. While he acknowledged the need to improve in key moments, he believes the team can fix those issues before game time.
Leadership has also been important, with players stepping into roles where they control the pace, involve teammates and guide the team during key moments. At the same time, players recognize that the tournament is about more than just winning. They say the experience and lessons learned will stay with them beyond the games.
As the tournament approaches, anticipation continues to grow, setting the stage for a competitive series of matchups.
The student rosters are:
Ninth grade: Isaiah Ayala, Deyveion Parks, Tydale Wilkerson, Vincente Quinones, Nayib Disla Pena, Damarion Johnson, Jacob Bautista and Isaiah Little.
Tenth grade: Burhan Ahmed, Wilson Concepcion, Erik Crooks, Ralph Guzman, Kayden Perez, Ryan Jaquez, Oliver Rivera, Carlos Saenz, Judah Johnson, Justin Zhu, Eli Jones and Bryce Carroll.
Eleventh grade: Nicholas Gonzalez, Aaron Rodriguez, Diosbeni Rojas, Ndiaga Seck, Albaraa Sharhan, Kampreet Singh, Jonathan Torres, Johnatan Velez, Avery Kelly, Alex Lyons, Justin Scott, Elias Rodriguez and Dylan Clementi.
Twelfth grade: Adam Lococo, Jeury Mota, Jamal Quinones, Terryl Talley, Kassim Sanogo, Xavier Lyons, Austin Zhu and Mustapha Drammeh,
