Hey Wildcats, are you ready for basketball season? Well, it looks like our basketball teams are. To start the season, the Varsity Boys won the In-Season Tournament by defeating long-time rivals, the Aviators. Unfortunately for Hasbrouck Heights, they were unable to catch up, leaving the score at 69-56. The win was secured by the amazing defense played by the Becton boys, along with the awesome shots made on offense, specifically by Nicola Mitarotonda who scored 23 points. The team is made up of a special group of boys who hold a very tight bond, especially the starting five that include: Mitarontondo, Al Benameur, Brian Peralta, Nico Viso, and Marcus Duran. 

Duran had some inspiring words for his teammates, “Our coaches push us to be the best, we can be because they put a lot of time on us and I believe we can do something special this year.” Clearly, the coaches have already made an impact with a 6-2 season so far, including the In-Season Tournament. Going back to the bond these boys have, you can truly see it out on the court exemplified by how they work together. In their away game on January 4th, the Becton Boys won over Bellville with a final score of 80-64. Brian Peralta finished this game with 18 points, while Robert Esposito scored 10 points for the team. “I think we have a really good season because everyone on the team is really close and [we] have a brotherlike bond. We will have a strong and successful season,” says senior starter Nico Viso. 

Though the Wildcats lost again Paterson Charter (73-58), they racked up two more wins against Wallington (70-54) and St. Mary (53-43). Not only have the Varsity boys started strong, but the JV team is doing well, too. A very put together team both on and off the court, these players put their all into each game. Junior starter Tyler O’Connor shared this sentiment, “It’s simple, we are going to win a lot of games and have fun with it.” That amazing attitude is what helps to make this team so successful. 

Switching over to the Girls Basketball team, they are working just as hard as the boys, if not harder this season. With new coach Jessie Romano, the season is looking bright with 3 wins in a row, the first against Hasbrouck Heights, with a score of 31-28. After a two year losing streak, these girls picked up their game and came in for a strong first outing. The crowd was on their toes the entire second half as there was an intense battle going on on the court. “We have gotten so much better throughout our little time together, and were able to beat teams that we have lost to in the previous years”, Junior Mia Stockman explained. Samirah Reyes lead this game with a total of 8 points scores. Wins against Paterson Charter (36-6) and Wallington (37-17) followed for the Lady Wildcats. 

During their most recent game, on January 9th, the girls continued to demonstrate what makes them a formidable team. Sophomore Francesca Matraxia dominated with 10 points during the game, including three 2-pointers. Unfortunately, the Lady Wildcats were narrowly defeated by St. Mary’s with a final score of 31-29. Sophomore Ava McLaren had this to say about the loss, “You can’t win everything. We did very good yesterday…everyone played their hearts out. We need to keep practicing and we’ll beat them the next time…”. The team is currently 4-2 overall, including two in-season tournaments.