BY CIARA ALVES-QUINTELA
After a rocky start, the team found its rhythm and closed the season on a dominant 9-2 run, fueled by an 8-game winning streak that carried them to a 15-11 overall record.
The team battled through early struggles, but their relentless work in the gym paid off. “The hard work that we put in as a team and individually [contributed to the team’s success],” said senior Brandon Medel, who finished third on the team with 281 points.
The 8-game winning streak featured an upset win over GMC Tournament and regular season Champions, Colonia. “The most challenging game was against Colonia since they ranked 7th in the state when we played them. But we executed our game plan and came out with the win,” recalled Krish Patel, who led the team in scoring for the second straight year with 386 points.
The player’s hard work also paid off in a late season win over rival East Brunswick. “The key to maintaining our 8-game winning streak was holding each other accountable during practice,” explained sophomore Brady Meyer, who finished the season with 91 points.
As the season progressed, individual moments of brilliance emerged within the team’s collective effort, with players stepping up when it mattered most. “The personal achievement I’m most proud of is when I scored 17 points in the game Krish scored 1,000. It really propelled us to win the game,” Noah Balbuena shared, who scored 189 points this year.
Patel finished his career with a total of 1,266 points scored. “My favorite play to run on the court was Purdue down because I would have to catch the ball on the run to the corner and shoot a three,” said Patel. “I made a lot of those shots in my career, and I would always have fun practicing it.”
With multiple seniors preparing to move on, the emergence of younger players provided hope for continued success in the future. “My main factor of motivation was probably to win for the seniors so their last season could last as long as possible,” said sophomore Victor Przepiora, who earned 2nd Team All Red Division honors and finished second on the team in scoring with 287 points.
In the end, their season represented more than wins and losses-it reflected the bond, effort and belief that carried them through. “It was fun playing with this team,” said Patel. “We were a really special group and shocked a lot of people.”
Posted on 3/21/25
Photos by Harold Denney and Naysha Montano
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