The boys JV basketball squad suffered a 15 point loss to Seneca Valley on Tuesday, Dec. 14, following a 1-1 record with a win over Walter Johnson on Dec. 10 and a loss in the home opener versus Northwest on Dec. 7. They looked to bounce back in an away game Friday, Dec. 17, at Damascus. 

Tuesday’s home loss to Seneca Valley came as a surprise to many, as expectations going into the game, and the season overall, were extremely high. The team lacks chemistry as last season was missed due to COVID, however the sophomore and freshman class are loaded with individual talent. “We are all new to each other and high school basketball, but we are figuring out how to play with one another. We have some great players and I think we can win a lot of games this year,” sophomore forward Taj Smith said.

The Patriots came out slow from the tip, ending up down 20 points in only the second quarter. For most of the game this trend continued, however down the stretch the Patriots gave one final push, but it was not enough to overcome the double-digit deficit. “We came out flat and not ready to play. That was a very winnable game and we did not take advantage of it and protect home court,” Smith said.

Although the  team has started the season 1-2, they suffered a four- point loss to Northwest, and a great road win in a packed gym at Walter Johnson. Led by sophomore point guard Daniel Son, the team went into Friday’s matchup with their heads held high, hungry to get their record back to .500. “We have a skilled team and if we work together on Friday I think we have a great shot at winning on their home court,” Son said.

Looking into Friday’s matchup, the Patriots came in with a 1-2 record but hope to get hot going into winter break as they face Richard Montgomery and Walt Whitman next week. Damascus comes in with an impressive 3-0 record, following a win on Tuesday, Dec. 14, versus Wheaton. “Friday is huge for us because it is a bounce-back game and will give us huge confidence going into next week and into winter break,” head JV coach Andre Gaines said. 

There is a lot of promise for this team going into the rest of the season, and they are not going to let a few early season slip-ups set the tone for the remaining 12 games. “We need the support from the community because we feed off of their positive energy,” Son said.