An Optimistic Team Gears up for a New Season
A Preview of the Up and Coming Freshman Basketball Team
NEIRAD enilno edition
As the winter sport season begins at Darien High School, there is no team more eager to start the season than the freshman basketball team. “We have a really talented team this year and I’m also looking forward to playing with my friends,” shooting guard Eric Walsh said.
The team’s unexpected victory over Bridgeport on December 17 is a great sign. The Blue Wave freshmen team beat Harding High School's team 43-31.
Although the team lacks in size, they are confident they are ready for the tougher competition of high school sports. Big man James Burgoyne said, “We might be undersized, but we have the experience to beat teams that most people don’t think we can beat.”
It’s true. With the exception of two players, the majority of the team has been playing on travel teams since fourth grade. “We know each other’s games, and we know where each other will be on the court and when. We have a lot of team chemistry and that will help us this year,” point guard Jack Voigt said.
This team may be more formidable than most think. Twelve out of the 15 players were on a fifth grade travel team that went undefeated and won the Fairfield County U-11 League. Although they lost a few players to private schools, the majority of the team has stayed together. Experience is not an issue. They’ve been here before. The only question is if the team can handle the next level of competition, being the likes of Trinity Catholic, Greenwich, and their arch-rival New Canaan.
Another thing that may be accounted for the team’s success is the chemistry built among them in other sports. Six of the players played football together this fall, getting to know each other throughout the season, and four others got acquainted playing soccer. This will help them as they try to build a team that can contend for a league championship, and a most important win against New Canaan.
Although the team members have faith in each other, people outside of the team are less sure. Sophomore Parker Lange said, “The team is undersized and although they are talented, they are going to have a tough time against bigger teams.”
The players aren’t fazed by the negative outlooks. They are striving to go above and beyond all other opinions and change the perception of Darien basketball.
