Tested by top competition

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jamie
Sophomore Jayden Chapman, who led the team with 102 rebounds, guards his opponent.

BY LISA TOOLEY

The boys basketball team finished the second half of the season strong, winning five out of eight games in one stretch, to finish with a 9-17 record.

Before the season, the county realigned divisions and put Old Bridge in the most competitive grouping, Red American. “We played the hardest teams in the GMC multiple times,” said junior Cameron Olivencia, who made 43 3-point shots this season. “We just got thrown into the fire.”

The team opened conference play against St. Joe’s, who ultimately finished 8-0 in to win the Division. “My favorite highlight of the season was when we played our home opener against St. Joe’s, the s top team in the state and competing with them,” said Timothy Dashchenko, who scored 113 points as a freshman. “Even though we lost we really saw how good we can play with each other.”

On January 17 against Metuchen, the Knights won 65-58. “When we beat Metuchen, I feel like that’s when we started developing chemistry and building experience as a team,” said Victor Przepiora, a senior with a total of 439 points scored this season.

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Sophomore Maxwell Dashell, who had a total of 66 assists, dribbles past his opponent.

Seven of the teams’ nine wins came in the second half of the season. “I think we started to come together as a team and lock in during practice time,” said Maxwell Dashell, a sophomore who led the team with a total of 66 assists this season.

The team had many close wins, like the 60-57 victory against Monroe on January 31. “I think we just trusted our coaches more and really listened to what they had to say and really just let it all sink in,” said sophomore Brent Dittmar, who scored 13 points in the final win of the season over Edison.

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Junior Cameron Olivencia, who tied for the team lead with 26 steals, goes up for a shot in the lane

Last year, the Knights lost four senior players that heavily contributed to the team, leaving this year’s underclassmen to step up. “It was a big loss in experience, so we had to rebuild the winning mentality,” said Przepiora.

Sophomores and juniors dominated this season, with two juniors as the top scorers and the rest of the sophomores following closely behind. “I think the highlight of the season is building our chemistry as a young team going into next year,” said Olivencia.

  • jamie
    Sophomore Amari Alsbrook, who had 40 assists this season, guards the opposing point guard.
  • zoe
    Victor Przepiora, who led the team with 439 points, drives past a defender.

Posted on March 10, 2026

Photos by Zoe Chin and Jamie Hazel