Boy's Varsity Basketball Recap with Interviews

Our Boys’ Varsity Basketball team ended their great season with 13 wins and 7 losses. They went on to the Nassau Class A playoffs and won the first round against Locust Valley with the score 59 – 39 following their quarterfinal round against Friends Academy with the score 58 – 51.

The team had started their season with an amazing 6-win streak which included their exceptional matches against Island Trees finishing at a score of 67-44, Oceanside 55-48, Glen Cove 75-48 and more. Great plays from our basketball players Christian St. Amand (#4), Kaisei Sasagawa-Fields (#13), Vincent Rienzie (#2), Noah Obukwelu (#25), Ezekiel Morris (#5), Tristian Mitchell (#1), Omarion Holder (#3), Gavin Ferreira (#11), Mathew Hunt (#20) and Chris Chan (#22) who played incredibly and showed resilience throughout the season.

Other matches against Valley Stream South with the dashing score of 50-34, Kings Park 68-52 and Locust Valley 61-54 showed our players’ dominance on the court.

I was lucky enough to talk with a few of the senior basketball players that have really showed their skills during their last season for the betterment of the team. 

Ezekiel Morris

How did you get started with basketball, and what inspired you to play?

Morris: “I introduced and inspired by my brother back in 2019.”

Who are your favorite basketball players and what do you admire about them? 

Morris: “Anthony Edwards and Collin Sexton are my favorite basketball players, and I admire their defensive play and how intense they are on court.”

Can you describe your typical training routine 

Morris: “I run a mile and come back off court and do 200 shots on court.” 

What's your favorite basketball drill to practice? 

Morris: “My favorite drill is called Texas; it’s a 2-3 drill.” 

What life lessons has basketball taught you? 

Morris: “To be more outgoing and out there in the world.” 

Can you describe a time when you need a clutch shot in a game?

Morris: “Last year I got a last-minute bucket against Plainedge for like 30 seconds left.” 

What is your favorite place to run on offense or defense? 

Morris: “Line. I’ll be near the basket, and somebody would be in the middle, and they would throw me the ball.” 

What advice do you have for the up-and-coming basketball players? 

“Play a lot of defenses, don’t shy away from the ball, and be confident.” 

Christian St. Amand 

How did you get started with basketball, and what introduced you to the sport? 

St. Amand: “My dad taught me at a very young age, and I love playing basketball till this day.” 

Who are your favorite basketball players and what do you admire about them? 

St. Amand: “Lebron James and I admire his hard work and dedication to the game.” 

What is your favorite basketball memory or game? 

St. Amand: “When I was in 8th grade, I dropped like 25 points, and I had a pretty good game.” 

What are your short-term and long-term goals in basketball?

St. Amand: “My short-term goal is getting better every day; every day there’s a new obstacle. My long-term goal is to hopefully get money to play basketball some more.” 

Have you ever had to overcome a challenge with your team? How did you do it? 

St. Amand: “There’s ups and downs to the game and when you start losing...guys start getting down of themselves, but we just all have to stay together and pick each other up.”

What advice do you have for the up-and-coming basketball players? 

St. Amand: “Stay focused stay locked in and be dedicated to the game” 

Gavin Ferreira 

How did you get started with basketball, and what inspired you to play? 

Ferreira: “I got started when I was 5 years old. The person who inspired me to play basketball was my brother but the person who motivates me to this day is Jalen Brunson [an American basketball point guard].” 

What is your favorite basketball memory or game?  

Ferreira: “My favorite basketball memory is when the team last year clinched conference champs.” 

What aspects of your game are you currently working on?  

Ferreira: “I’m currently working on my handles and finishing at the rim.” 

What is your favorite basketball movie and why?  

Ferreira: “My favorite basketball movie is The Last Dance because it gave me a history lesson about the game, and it also showed me how good of a player [Michael] Jordan was.” 

How do you support your teammates on the court?  

Ferreira: “Whenever I could I try to lift my teammates heads up when they’re down.” 

What is your favorite basketball drill to practice?  

Ferreira: “My favorite drill is the 3 on 2 shooting. It’s just rapid-fire shots for a minute straight; it’s really fun.” 

What advice do you have for the up-and-coming basketball players? 

Ferreira: “Enjoy these years because after school, most people are done playing sports, so just enjoy it.”