As the winter sports season approaches, the boys’ and girls’ basketball tryouts are underway. Here’s a preview of each team:
Boys’ Basketball- After a 10-12 record and an early exit from last year’s playoffs, the boys are back and loaded with young and promising talent. The team lost just three seniors from last year’s roster, and is expected to return 12 players. Senior forward Will Quam was one of the few bright spots in a shaky team his first two years on varsity, and came into his role as a dominant big man this past season, averaging 13 points and nearly 10 rebounds. Look for Quam to have yet another dominant season and emerge as one of the top big men in the county.
The team added another weapon last year in sophomore guard Kevin Ayissi-Etoh. The high-flying, knock down shooter averaged a team high 15.3 points per game as a freshman, and is expected to have an even more explosive season this year. Ayissi-Etoh’s versatility and range opens up the floor for Quam, as well as senior forwards Kwame Frimpong and Paul LeValle, to operate down low.
This season is also coach Erik Graves’ second year as head coach of the program. This season has the potential to be Graves’ first of many winning seasons. The team is geared and ready to make a deep playoff run. “I think the team is going to make a big run in the playoffs this year,” Quam said. “I think a lot of teams in the county look at us as a middle-of-the-pack team like we have been in past years. But not this year. This is our year.”
Girls’ Basketball- The girls, led by senior forward Shannon Welty and junior guard Zoey Goldberg, will try to return to winning ways after an 8-15 record last season. Goldberg led the team in scoring last year as a sophomore with 11 points per game, and will look to increase that average this season. Welty, a three-year varsity starter, averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game last year. She also had a whopping 34 blocks last season, and is a great rim protector.
With scoring machine Goldberg by her side, the duo is ready to make the Patriots the breakout team of the county and get the girls to a record over .500. Other contributors will include senior Kiana Johnson and sophomore Crystal Bridge.
Last season, Johnson led the team in rebounding with just under seven rebounds a game, and Bridge added three more a game.
The combo, along with Welty, will look to dominate the boards this season. “All of our players are dedicated and ready to compete this year,” Welty said. “That will definitely help us get above the .500 mark this year and make a playoff run this year.”
Charlie Eichberg
Editor-in-Chief
