Dominant freshman basketball team wins championship

Brent Dittmar gathers a power-dribble and prepares to go up strong over an opposing player.

BY LAILA MOHAMED-ALI
The freshman boys basketball team ended the season with a 17-1 record. They proved their skill by bringing home a trophy for winning their county tournament.

In the finals, the Knights beat Piscataway, a challenging team who handed them their one and only loss throughout the course of the season. “I love winning more than anyone I know, so getting the most important win of the season was special to me,” said Amari Alsbrook.

“Piscataway was a really strong and athletic team so getting rebounds on them was tough,” said Brent Dittmar. The Knights defeated the Chiefs by a score 49-36, earning the title of the most dominant team in the county.

Earlier in the season, the team’s first game against Piscataway resulted in a 56-47 loss. They took note of their weaknesses and beat Piscataway with the score of 49-47 in the second regular season match up before beating them for a third time in the championship game. “Some highlights were beating the two best teams, St. Joes and Piscataway, in the two final games and lots of fans coming to our games to support us,” said Anthony Sicinski.

Laila — Coach D’Amico gathers his players into a huddle to discuss the game plan during a time-out.

“My highlights of the season were us winning the whole thing and our game in the semifinals versus St. Joe’s because of our high energy,” said Dittmar. In the semifinals against St. Joseph’s, the Knights controlled the game throughout and brought home a victory with a score of 42-24.

In preparation for this championship game, the team focused on their skills and tactics. “We worked hard every day in practice,” said Alsbrook. “Coach D’Amico even made a gameplan for every team we played, so we were more prepared than any other team.”

Michael DeSantis defends the opposing point guard in the semifinals against St. Joseph.

After a successful regular season, the tournament gave the boys an opportunity to prove themselves the best in the county. “My goals are for me and my teammates to get better and improve every day, and overall to win the tournament,” said Sicinski.

The players worked together to improve throughout the season. “I help by being confident in both myself and my teammates, lifting them up and staying resilient, which is a big part of our success,” said Aiden Rios. The team’s success gives hope for continued dominance for the basketball program.

Luke Mirinov gets ready to shoot a free-throw.
Amari Alsbrook looks past the defender to find an open teammate.
Aiden Rios, who scored 14 total points in the finals, locks down the opposing ball-handler.
Amari Alsbrook, who scored 12 points in the finals, looks over the defender to find an open teammate.