Back on the Berkeley Carroll home court, the JV and Varsity boys basketball team took Staten Island Academy by storm on Friday, January 24th.  It is no surprise that the boys were able to win both games; they have been working hard all season.  The matches were huge nail biters that kept everyone at the edge of their seat until the last second.

The JV boys never fail to impress with their tenacity on the court.  They scored a total of 73 points, never letting the other team up without scoring themselves.  Sophomore Aidan Gilmartin was very proud of their playing Friday. “It took us a while to get things started but once we did we got on a roll. The key for our team is to be aggressive and attack the basket. We can settle for 3’s or rely on them to get us back in the game. We have the talent, and if we play with the heart that we did in that game then we will win it all this year.”  The team also recognizes, however, that there is much room for improvement.  Will Knowlton, a sophomore, notes, “It was a really good game offensively but defensively there are still a lot of things we need to fix.  We need to really put in work to get through the playoffs”.

Later that day, the Varsity boys had one of the most amazing wins all season.  The final score was 56-55, with the winning basket in the final second of the game by Jimmy Council.  The junior, who has played varsity since freshman year, was very excited to win the game for his teammates.  Council told me, “It was a really intense, yet fun game to be in. Both teams played their hardest. So far as the winning basket, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It was a surreal feeling though, it actually didn’t even register in my mind until people started running the court and cheering. It was an important game for the team and for coach so I’m really happy we were able to pull it through.”  Council also scored 17 points throughout the game, and followed up with another 18 points in the next game, against Friends Seminary on Saturday.  However, Council is not the only one who helped the boys in their triumph.  On Friday, Eugene Clark, senior, and Ryan Hubbs, junior, each scored 10 points, creating almost half of the total points Friday.  Chris Harper, a senior, also came out will 11 steals.  Everyone at the game was ecstatic to see it end in victory.

With these great wins on their back, it is no doubt that the JV and Varsity basketball teams will keep their stride going through playoffs.  Best of luck, boys!