Posted by By Nora Preston, Staff Writer
Photos by Nora Preston
Beckett Weires
What makes basketball standout from other sports?
“It’s the only sport I really like and enjoy. I like football, but I wouldn’t play it. I like watching it, and watching my friends play it, but basketball is really the sport that touches me— not that way but… you know what I meant.”
What was your favorite moment/highlight of the season?
“Probably Senior Night. It was just Alex, because he’s the only senior, and it’s interesting because every other Senior Night I’ve been to had at least 2 or 3 people getting recognized. After the game we all got to say something about Alex that we really liked. It made it feel really personal for us, and it was really really wonderful to have a captain that cared for us. He will be missed.”
Do you think the team has improved this season?
“Yeah, I do think we’ve improved. Even though our team lost 5 straight games, I feel like we’ve become more developed.”
How have the last few games been without Tony?
“It’s a big difference. He leads us in everything in the game. Having your star player, the guy who’s starting and playing the entire game not on the court with us is such a huge change.”
What has been your favorite personal moment this season?
“Playing Washingtonville was good because I did really well in that game. I had 21 points; it got put on Twitter. It was nice. Mr. (Mike) Lynn and Pierce also did pretty well in that game, so it was good even though we lost. And again, Senior Night. It meant a lot to have a night just for Alex.”
What was it like playing when the spectator limit was put into effect?
“It was so dead. There was no energy in the building. You would go in, play basketball, and that would be it. It was just upsetting.”
Does having a crowd hurt or help your performance?
“Having a crowd definitely affects how I play. Depending on what the energy is like; if there’s a crowd and they’re all rooting against me, and I keep missing shots, it’s horrible for me. In the game against FDR, they didn’t have a spectator limit so they got a whole crowd, and I wasn’t really making any shots. Nobody on my team was. On our home court it’s a lot of fun to make a 3-pointer and everybody roars. Watching it on film it’s not as loud, but still just a big difference.”
What has it been like playing with the same people you grew up playing with?
“It’s been such an amazing time. From 3rd grade to the present; it’s just been so fantastic growing up with my teammates, and being able to experience the ups and downs throughout our lives with 50 percent of those guys.”
What are your hopes for next season?
“I am most definitely playing next year. I am so looking forward to it. Next season, I believe all of our hopes should be winning the MHALS and the section to take our place back on top. I know Coach P (Petruzzelli) believes next year has the most likely chance of us winning. I think we need to make the most of it, and I hope our team continues to grow on and off the court together.”
Pierce Lutz
What makes basketball standout from other sports?
“I really enjoy the play style of the game. You just keep moving the whole time. In football and baseball… there are definitely parts where it just kind of stops and it’s a little bit boring.”
What was your favorite moment/highlight of the season?
“The senior rec night against Wallkill was really fun, even though we lost. I really enjoyed it. It was a good game.”
Do you think the team has improved this season?
“I think so. I mean throughout the year, I think there have been tough stretches for sure with losing Tony (Drewnowski) due to injury. I think we’ve definitely gotten better throughout the year.”
How have the last few games been without Tony?
“They’ve been rough, but I think it’s good for us as a team because we have to work without our best player and ball handler. We just have to be better individually so I think it takes us to the next level.”
What has been your favorite personal moment this season?
“I’d say just being with the team, and when we’re all together as a team, maybe not on the court, but off the court. I think there have been a lot of fun little moments, and I think some of the guys I connected with more than I thought we would.”
What was it like playing when the spectator limit was put into effect?
“It was weird. It was different. There was a lot less energy and it was harder to get motivated to play games.”
Does having a crowd hurt or help your performance?
“It 100% helps, whether it’s for us or against us. I think there’s a noticeable difference in the way I play, and the way we play as a team.”
What has it been like playing with the same people you grew up playing with?
“I think it’s awesome because we all kind of grew up in the same small town. For basketball, and kind of for the other sports we play, we’ve always played together. We have a bond that some other teams might not have because of that camaraderie from when we were younger.”
What are your hopes for next season?
“Next season, the goal is to win the section. I think we have a good shot at it. I’m excited for next year for sure.”
Nick DeGiacomo
What makes basketball standout from other sports?
“Basketball is my favorite sport. It is by far the most fun I have. I really like how fast-paced it is. Football is very stop and start, and Baseball is very slow- incredibly slow- whereas basketball is very go, go, go. I love being able to constantly go. I also love being indoors. It’s not cold– that’s always fun. The team is incredible, and it’s mostly my closest friends, so that really adds to the enjoyment.”
What was your favorite moment/highlight of the season?
“We came through so much adversity which is really cool; two covid outbursts on our team, and just being able to overcome all that, and still being able to be a pretty good team in Section IX. Having a new coach and system of playing that we’re still adjusting to at the end of the season, too. He’s great, though. He’s a role model figure for me, and I think he’s one of the best coaches in the section.”
Do you think the team has improved this season?
“Offensively, we’re not a very gifted team, I would say. We struggle with it a bit sometimes. Stephen Carr, Tony Drewnowski, and Beckett Weires are really good offensive players. Stephen has stepped up in a really big way. Beckett stepped up and became another scorer. He scored 20 points in our last game (February 18th) in Washingtonville. I’m just excited to see how this will benefit Beckett in the long run, and the whole team.”
Do you think he’ll be a captain next year?
“I don’t know what next year holds, but Beckett is an incredible player and a very vocal kid— good leader material.”
How have the last few games been without Tony?
“It’s been a struggle. He’s our ball handler, he’s the best player on the team, he’s a 20-point-per-game-scorer. He’s also an incredible leader. He’s a great teammate and not having him has been really hard. Bringing the ball up the court when we’re under pressure is difficult. With this struggle comes some benefit, though. Tony is a great teammate and not having him has just been really hard.”
What has been your favorite personal moment this season?
“There was a stretch of a couple games where I wasn’t playing and I didn’t know why. I came and sat in this exact spot right outside Mr. Neden’s room. Coach came out to find me and I asked him what he could do to start playing again. Coach told me it was hard to explain that I wasn’t a great offensive player. ‘A great defender, but not a great offensive player,’ and I really took that to heart– I took it really really hard, but then I was determined to prove to him that I could be a strong and versatile player. There was an opportunity against Marlboro when we weren’t playing very well, and we were kinda getting blown out. Coach put me in, I worked really hard, and made a few good offensive plays. After the game, Coach gave me a pat on the back and said ‘Great job out there— that’s how you work. That’s how you persevere.’ I’ve been playing more consistently ever since, and there hasn’t been a game where I haven’t played since Marlboro.”
What was it like playing when the spectator limit was put into effect?
“It really sucked. I hated it, especially because it reminded me of last year in JV. We had no fans— it was the same atmosphere. It was dead, there was no energy in the gym, and, I mean, half the reason I like to play is to see fans screaming and cheering in the stands.”
Does having a crowd hurt or help your performance?
“At home it helps, but away… it hurts. I think that’s something the team needs to work on: dealing with these unkind comments from opposing teams.”
What has it been like playing with the same people you grew up playing with?
“I started playing at a clinic run by Beckett’s dad, Rhett, and then we all played CYO together. Growing up with the team is the best feeling in the world. You’ve been through so much together, just from when you were a kid to now— you get to see everyone’s progression through basketball. I’ve gotten to see the guys grow into specific roles on the team, and on the court.”
What are your hopes for next season?
“The team being fairly small (height-wise) compared to other teams is less of a hurdle and more like a massive wall, but the height aspect isn’t gonna change. Likely, everyone will be back next season, except Alex, unfortunately. There’ll be some new additions from JV, like Caden Dones, who’s a highly skilled player. Feeling belittled and helpless when we have rough losses is something I think we can overcome as a team next year. I really don’t know what the next season holds, but I’m excited to find out.”
Kanye Witted
What makes basketball standout from other sports?
“It’s one of the more unique sports in my mind. It’s more fun, to me, than a lot of other sports. I think basketball really is just that sport for me. I grew up playing it a lot and it just became a passion.”
What was your favorite moment/highlight of the season?
“I did really well in practice before the game against Wallkill (Senior Night). I just went out and did my thing, and got the whole student section hype. Then we (the team) went out and partied afterward which was fun.”
Do you think the team has improved this season?
“Definitely, since the beginning of the year. There are ups and downs. We lost by 40 to Monticello in our first game, but then we went up.”
How have the last few games been without Tony?
“It’s been very frustrating. We haven’t won— well, we’re on a 5 game losing streak without Tony. It’s getting shaky without him.”
What was your favorite team to play against?
“Spackenkill— it’s pretty competitive. My cousin is on the team, so I’ll have a talk with him after.”
What is it like being on the team?
“It’s fun. It has its ups and downs. There are rough practices and good practices. It’s overall a good learning experience, especially for me since I’m a sophomore on varsity.”
Are you thinking of playing again next year?
“Yes. We built a good bond with the team, so I think that’s the plan next year, even with Alex gone.”
Are you going to miss Alex?
“Yeah I’m gonna miss him. He’s a big part of our team. He’s a leader, he does a lot of the talking on the court, and he’s really our best leader. Still, I think we’ll be alright.”
Tony Drewnowski
What makes basketball standout from other sports?
“It’s the one I enjoy the most. It’s more about basketball than other sports. It’s more of a team thing. It’s not just one guy doing all the work, everyone’s gotta contribute.”
What was your favorite moment/highlight of the season?
“When I scored 30 points against Highland, my career high.”
Do you think the team has improved this season?
“Before last year, we won three straight sections, so probably not. We still could win sections this year, but last year, since it was a covid year, we didn’t really have a season for three games. I’d say it’s around the same.”
What was it like playing when the spectator limit was put into effect?
“Oh, it sucked. Playing in front of fans gets you going, what gets the team going.”
How did you get injured?
“I sprained my ankle. I was going in for a layup, stepped on my foot, and it rolled the wrong way.”
How long have you been out of the games for?
“Two Weeks.”
How has not being able to play been?
“It’s miserable. Basketball is one of the things that I like to do, and when I didn’t get to do it, it made me sad.”
Do you think the team was affected in any way?
“Even though we lost three games while I was out, it helped the guys know what to do when I wasn’t there; it helped them get better, and know the game better.”
Does having a crowd hurt or help your performance?
“It’s the home fans that motivate me. If it’s away fans, it makes me nervous.”
How does it feel to be a captain?
It’s cool. It’s just a title though.
Have you been captain before or is it just Juniors and Seniors?
“On Varsity, yeah it’s just Juniors and Seniors. It’s my first year being a captain for basketball, though. I was the captain for Football last year.”
What are your hopes for next season?
“I hope we win sections. That’s the goal.”
The Maroon 