The Boys Varsity Basketball team entered this season with a dramatically different roster. After graduating ten seniors and being one of the top teams in the region, the program is now forced to rely on a younger squad with no varsity experience. Six underclassmen have been forced onto center stage with the weight of the season in their hands.  Sophomore guards Nico Leal and Wynn Allen, as well as center Eduardo Valle, are all snagging starting spots. The team has also faced early adversity, with sophomore guard Weston Tayebati yet to make his debut and junior forward Easton McCarthy-Levy suffering a season-ending ACL injury last Tuesday.

Even with many young players on the floor, the team is far from inexperienced. Senior Guard Champ Smith has led the way, averaging a team high 19.2 points per game along with 3.0 SPG (Steals per game), setting the standard for the younger players. Although the results are slow to show, the group’s potential is clear, and there have been many flashes of a promising future.  

“It’s a development year – we have one returning senior from last year’s team, but obviously the juniors and sophomores are carrying a lot of weight right now … We’re looking for the bigger picture and the long road, then what’s happening right now. Right now, we are exactly where we need to be, and little by little, they are improving every time we step foot on that hardwood,” Head Coach Hossam Marquez said. 

The coaching staff plays a key role in player development, and there is nobody who cares about the future more than Coach Marquez. With d

ecades of experience, Marquez has helped guide the young roster through the rebuild process, emphasizing growth, discipline, and consistency.  

“It’s great to have them as coaches. [Coach] Maruqez has been here for almost twenty years, so I’m just very grateful for them. They don’t want to leave or recruit, they just want to work with what we’ve got and I really respect that,” sophomore center Eduardo Valle said.  

Despite a 3-9 record, the Raiders’ season has been filled with highs and lows. They have seen a little bit of everything, with blowout victories, close games, and tough losses. Their play style is full of grit; diving for loose balls, fighting for rebounds, and pushing in transition. However, after starting the season strong from beyond the arc, they have struggled as of late.

“A goal of mine is to start hitting more threes like I was at the start of the year. That was working a lot at the start, but I went through some slumps. We had a rough start, we’re trying to turn things around, and I think we’ll have a way better second half of the season,” sophomore combo guard Nico Leal said.

With the team nearing the halfway point of the season, the Raiders look to improve as a team and develop individually. On Wednesday, Dec. 17 they take on Booker T. Washington, where they look to bounce back from a tough loss to Westminster Christian.