Thursday, December 20, 2018

A GREAT START TO A GREAT SEASON


By AMANDA FOWLER

Anyone who appreciates Section 9 sports, or sports in general, most likely knows of the Washingtonville boys' basketball team. This is probably due to the fact that in their first five games of the season, the team has secured an overall record of 5-0, a league record of 2-0, and a state rank of 22.  They are truly off to an admirable start and Wizard Nation can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store.

The boys are off to a great start this season.//AMANDA FOWLER FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY
In the 2017-18 season, the boys were 12-9 overall and 6-2 in their league. According to Dillon Sullivan, a senior on the team, what makes this season different than previous ones is that, “everyone sees the potential we have and doesn’t want it to just remain potential."  Sullivan went on to explain that,  "everyone wants to win more than anything and we all hold each other accountable to make sure that happens. Everyone buys into the common goal of winning and the game just sorts itself out from there.”

Thus far, the team has played New Paltz, Red Hook, Monroe Woodbury, and Valley Central this season. One of the most crucial wins so far was against New Paltz, giving them a boost of confidence.  The reason this was such an impressive win  is the fact that New Paltz is the defending Class A Champion from the 2017-18 season.  

The boys played well the entire game. The final score of the game was 60-55. The top scorers for the Wizards were Kareem Lubin, a senior who had 14 points 8 rebounds, Ryan Graham, a junior with 14 points 4 assists 4 rebounds, and Romeo Aquino, a junior who put up 10 points and had 13 rebounds.  When asked of his mindset going into his first varsity season, Romeo Aquino stated “... my mindset is to do everything I can to help my team win a section 9 chip.”

Most athletes know that the off season is a time to rest, develop, improve and focus on skills that will help in the regular season. For the Wizards, this meant working harder than the competition. “In the off season, we played in the Orange County summer league and fall league, winning the fall league championship,” Dillon Sullivan informed.

Playing together before the regular season not only improved their skill but it also improved their chemistry as well. “The team chemistry is great and getting better everyday; it helps us on the court because we know what everyone will most likely do," Romeo Aquino informed.

What keeps them at their best, as for almost all athletes, is practice. Practicing everyday of the school week is what keeps them in shape both mentally and physically. However, their practices do not only consist of basketball; the team also does yoga at least once a week. When asked about the benefits of yoga Dillon Sullivan responded, “... trying new stretches teaches us to push through adversity. Like Mrs. Cooney says: ‘mind over matter.’”

The 2018-19 boys basketball team is the first team in Washingtonville boys' basketball history to have a start of 5-0. The team shows great promise and hopefully they will continue their success throughout the rest of the season.  For more information on Washingtonville sports, follow @wizardnationwhs on Twitter. 

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