• Andrew Pusar, Pirate forward, is a junior from Westfield, playing his 2nd year on the varsity. His lofty GPA
earned him an invitation to be the B'Ball correspondent during the Christmas Trip to So. Carolina. Then, after a few weeks at home, he took up a second invitation to allow Pirate fans an up-close view on the
remainder of the season. |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
>>>go to the Pirates' Trip to THE ROUNDBALL CLASSICMarch 19– The end, upon reflection...
After our great victory over Bloomfield Tech, we headed
into the state tournament with a game versus Immaculata. Immaculata is a very well-rounded team that played hard and had many great sets. However, coming off of our Essex County Championship, we were flying
high on all cyclinders. We came out playing hard and smart which led us to an easy victory.
Next, we advanced to play a home game against Roselle Catholic. Roselle Catholic was a very interesting team for a few
reasons. First, they had just come off a strong win against a good Depaul team. Second, they are a very well coached team  and we knew they would come into our gym with a
strong game plan. Third, they have great fan support. On the day of the game, they had numerous fan buses with students who had painted their
faces and were clearly excited about the opportunity to play us.
In order to prepare for Roselle Catholic, we worked very hard at defending
our own man-offenses because they run very similar sets. We also worked on our defensive transition because they like to get the ball and immediately
run the break. Similar to Immaculata, Roselle Catholic was a well-rounded team with smart guards and athletic big men.
Again, we came out full of energy, and other than a few bumps, we cruised
to a relatively easy victory. Our strong ball pressure stopped their guards from penetrating into the lane, and our big men did an excellent job of cleaning the boards. By doing these two things, we
stopped their two main weapons. At the time, this win was extremely important because we had to face Don Bosco in the Parochial A North Championship.
We went into the game against Don Bosco knowing that they would be an extremely tough opponent. They are one of the most talented and biggest teams in the state. We had watched them lose to St.
John's Neumann in the final down in Charleston. Their front line includes John Oates, who is a solid 6'10, and Tyrell Biggs, a 6'8 big man who is one of the best players in the state. Furthermore, they
have solid guard play in which they utilize their big men to their advantage.
We prepared for Don Bosco by doing a lot of drills that focused around how we would defend their big
men. Coach Farrell felt it would be best to contest Biggs at the foul line, but not follow Oates to the outside. Also, we had to make sure that whenever either of them received the ball in the post, our
guards must go and double down. On the offensive end, we knew we must run sharp cuts and operate efficiently in order to get good shots. The reason we needed to run the cuts so sharply was because we
knew they would plant one of their big men in the lane to take away all easy baskets. However, even though we were going into the game expecting a tough challenge, we could have never imagined what
was about to come.
The game was as exciting and as close as everyone imagined it would be. Their big men eliminated
all easy layups and controlled the boards, while we scrapped and fought to keep the game close. By the fourth quarter, the game was neck and neck. There were numerous lead changes, and it became clear
that the game was going to come down to the wire.
Finally, with about fifteen seconds left, we had the ball down two points. At this time, we had the
ball out of bounds at the sideline on our basket side. We designed a play for Porter to get a screen to the corner to hopefully get a good look at a three. The play was well-defended by them and Porter's
shot bounced off the rim. Luckily, Alex did a great job of shaking off his box out and got the rebound with about eight seconds left, when we called time out. Then, Coach Farrell designed a play in which
Brandon would come off two screens at the top of the key to get another look at a three. This play was well defended by them, and the ball bounced off the rim. A wild scramble followed in which the ball was
bouncing off of fingertips and legs, and eventually, off a Don Bosco player out of bounds with about 2.4 seconds left. [photos of the action]
We called a final timeout and decided to run the same play to
Brandon hoping that Don Bosco would never imagine we would run the same play twice. The ball was taken out of bounds by Chris on our sideline. He passed to Porter, who looked to Brandon at the top of
the key. But the Don Bosco defenders read the play and denied any possible pass. So, Porter, seeing this, has to reverse pivot in order to get a good look at the basket. When he turns, he sees a Don
Bosco player right up in his face. Therefore, he pump fakes and gets the defender in the air. Then,
Porter launches a shot off one foot right behind the three point line. Time had just expired as the ball
is in mid-air. It doesn't hit anything but net. It was absolutely an incredible play and great reaction by
Porter. Just think, he needed to recognize all these variables in only 2.4 seconds just to get a look at
the basket. Then, he has the control and calmness to sink the shot. Everyone went crazy. The celebration continued from the court to the locker room, then out back to the court with family and
friends. The moment will always be remembered by everyone who was there to experience it.  Interrupted by some teammates' recollections...
[As "one minute" was announced, I had confidence that we could pull out with a victory, but doubt was rapidly encroaching. After Bosco went up by
two with a minute left, I knew we had at least one chance to make a play. I kept telling myself that there was a lot of time left. As we huddled to plan
our first set play drawn up so Porter could shoot a three, my mind starts racing back to the And 1 High School Basketball Tournament where we came
back from being down at half and pulled out a win from no other then Bosco. I wondered if it could be done again.
As Porter missed his three and Woj got the offensive rebound my emotions quickly shifted from
depression back to having hope. With fifteen seconds left we huddle again to compose another play this time for Brandon at the top of the key. Once again I tell myself there was a lot of time left. As
Brandon misses and I see Oates sky in the air for the rebound, now I think it is over and sit down. Being blocked by our 610 freshman center, I was not able to see the scuffle under the basketball that
gave us the ball back for the second time.
As we huddle once again with a little more than two seconds left to set up one last play, I some how
get myself to believe that there is enough time left. As we break for the last play of the game, I turn around and see a few students from our student section, which had numbers tonight, running up and
down the stands getting parents, teachers, and fans to stand with the rest of them. Before I turn back to the court, I see Monsignor Kelly sitting down with his head down. I couldn't understand why he
wouldn't be looking at the court. But as the whistle blew to start play I averted my attention back to the game.
I notice most of the spectators at the game were now on there feet now as Chris in bounded to
Porter. It felt like Porter held the ball for an eternity. As Porter released it I look up at the clock to see
0:00 on the clock and quickly catch the sight of the ball going in. Discovering a stress fracture in my foot a week early I was limited to cheerleading duties for the past week. But as I realized we had just
won the game on a buzzer beater, I felt no pain. I start celebrating with everyone else, but as Porter started sprinting down the court and everyone followed, I realized the condition I was in. I then made
my way back to the student section to celebrate with my fellow students.
After shaking hands we headed down to the locker room. After getting mauled by our classmates, our
celebration continued. My first thought is that this tape goes next to the SHP vs. CBA state playoff game where Curry put a rebound back at the buzzer to win. After an extra short speech by Coach when
the celebration died down, I quickly maneuvered through the groups of journalist and reporters talking to numerous players. I walked back upstairs to the court and converse with a few teachers and
students. After talking to a few parents for a little, my father also pointed out to me that Monsignor Kelly was sitting during the last play of the game. He was able to ask Monsignor what he was doing and
Monsignor calmly replied, "one simple Hail Mary." — Justin Dominiczak
The last minute of this game was truly one of the most exciting moments in my life. From the
beginning of the game to the end of the game every play seemed critical. After Porter missed his first attempt and Brandon missed his only attempt to take the lead there was only 2.4 seconds left and many
people thought it was over for us and our season was about to end. Coach Farrell called his last time out after Chris Andrews and John Oates got together in a jump ball but Oates foot was out of bounds.
Coach drew a play right on the floor with lines and people names everywhere. The other team could of came over to look at our play and wouldn't even know who to stop because of all the names and lines
everywhere. Coach wanted to try and get Brandon a good look but Brandon was denied the ball from Biggs and Porter was able to shoot and off balanced three. I turned to look at Brandon and I realized he
didn't have the ball and then I turned to look at the rim after Andrew and I set the pick to try and get Brandon a good look. All of sudden I see the ball fly up and in. I looked at the ref and his hands were
straight up signaling it was a three and we won.
After Porter made it my adrenalin just took over and we stared running around which I felt I could do
it forever. Porter was running around the gym and we were all chasing him. We all ran into the locker room screaming and yelling. When we got into the locker the celebrating continued. Coach gave us a
quick speech and told us to be ready for practice the next day.—Alex Wujciak The night of the Don Bosco game seems like it was a lifetime ago. I remember with about 25 seconds to
go Chris fouling John Oates and hoping that he would miss at least one free throw. Once he did, I knew we were winning the game. With, I guess, 17 seconds to go coach called the first of our next three
timeouts. In the timeout he designed a play for me to come off two screens and to hit a jumper in the corner, the last thing I heard coach say was shoot with confidence. Once I was on the floor, I started
out on the wrong side of the hoop and quickly faked my opponent one way and went the way I was supposed to go. Once I got the shot off, I knew it wasn't going in because I had bad rotation on the ball.
When we got the rebound and called timeout, the next play was designed for Brandon to come off a screen set by Andrew and me. We executed the play well, but it was a toughly contested shot for
Brandon. Fortunately, John Oates fell on the ball out of bounds. Going into the third timeout (2.4 seconds to go) the play was originally designed for Alex to come off Brandon's screen and to pass it back
to Brandon at the top of the key who was coming off a double screen set by Andrew and me again, for the game winning shot. Coach Fell suggested Brandon set a screen for me instead of Alex in case
Brandon wasn't open and I could take the last shot. From that point on, all I remember is the slap of the ball by Chris and the ball hitting my hands. I knew with only 2.4 seconds left, Brandon would have to
catch and shoot while not having a good look. While I had the ball in my hands, the last thought I had before I shot was just to get a shoot off and not travel…do anything but travel. Once the ball left my
hand, I had a feeling it was good.
When the ball went in, I had no idea what so ever it went in until I looked to my immediate left and
saw the referee raise both hands signaling a three. I quickly turned around and saw Andrew jumping. It was at that point when I finally realized that the shot went in. I started running and didn't care who was
behind me, in front of me, or looking at me. I saw my mom and dad going crazy and when I saw I was running out of space to run, I just felt like sliding on the court like a soccer player would do after a
goal. While I was on the ground I saw 6-11 Big John, 6-8 Brandon, and 6-6 Big Swiss SPRINTING my way…I knew it was time to get up or and head in the other direction or else I wasn't going to be alive to
play in the game Saturday. Finally, when I finished shaking hands, I just remember putting my hands in the air because Coach Farrell told us before the game that it would be the hardest thing we had ever
done. When I got out the locker room and was warmly greeted by family and friends, I felt like saying that this was just the first step…we still have the state championship to win.—Porter Braswell[Pusar continues]
After the thrilling Don Bosco game, we had to refocus for the parochial A championship against St. Augustine. A team that has three division one players, a big man and two
guards, and very good surrounding players. Their big man has signed with Columbia, one guard signed with Wagner, and the other is only a junior but is still receiving big time looks. St. Augustine likes to
use their big man to block shots and control the lane. Once the big man gets a rebound or blocks a shot, he immediately outlets the ball to one of their high-octane guards who are rushing towards the
other goal.
Going into the game, we knew they were a really tough opponent. We prepared in similar ways to
both Don Bosco and Roselle Catholic. We had to help against the big man, but also make sure we exercised good defensive transition to stop their guards from getting easy run outs. Most of all, we
knew the key to the game would be erasing the heroics of the Bosco game from our minds and re-focus for a new challenge.
The game against St. Augustine was hard-fought throughout. Their guards seemed to be even faster
and stronger than we thought they would be. They attacked fearlessly and persistently. Their big man
was contained offensively, but he still altered many shots in the lane. Again, we needed to scrap and fight to keep the game close. Unfortunately, with the game tied with about a second left, I received a
great pass from Chris and got a clean look at the basket from three point line. The jumper fell short. We were heading into overtime.
The overtime period was four minutes, however it probably lasted twenty. Unfortunately, they made
a couple baskets early and we were forced to foul and put them in the bonus. Then the game was about how quickly we could score, and how many free throws they could make. Despite some great plays on
our part, they made many clutch free throws. When the buzzer sounded, we had lost 69-64.
This has been a very successful and memorable year. Ever since I started writing this blog, it seems
as if every week there was a new story to tell. From our great time at Charleston through our county and state tournament runs, there was a great deal of success. We went undefeated in our league, won
the county tournament, and lost in the finals of the Parochial A state tournament. It was hard to write
this considering how painful it was to lose in the final to St. Augustine's. However; I realize that other
than Swiss (who all of us will miss deeply and wish the best of luck in his future endeavors) all of us will be returning next year as more mature and better players. We will be hungry, and have no intention of
losing in the state tournament. I want to thank everyone that has followed our team this year, and to everyone who has supported us along the way. I will see you next year. March 3 7:05 pm . The past week has clearly been the most enjoyable all season. We had a game last Thursday against Roxbury, and then faced Bloomfield Tech in the finals of
the Essex County Tournament. The game against Roxbury was very important for a couple of reasons. First, it was our last league game which we needed to win in order to go undefeated in the Iron Hills Conference.
Second, Roxbury was our last game to find our chemistry that was clearly lost against Irvington. We worked hard to play a very solid, efficient game. The
game was never close, but more importantly we found a much better rhythm. It was definitely a confidence booster going into Saturday's final.
Bloomfield Tech is a dangerous opponent for many reasons. First and
foremost, they start three division one guards that can light it up from anywhere. Courtney Nelson is one of the premier guards in the state, and Dashawn Dwight and Jason Wilson both have signed with
Quinnipiac. Bloomfield Tech also has sophomore big man Casiem Drummond, who is 6'8 with a soft touch. Lastly, they have many supporting players that play solid defense and help the offense function.
Going into the game, they were ranked tenth in the Star-Ledger. In practice before the game, we did a lot of work on containing the guards by helping each other out. Coach Farrell emphasized that we
couldn't allow any of their guards to operate with a lot of room in the middle of the floor. Whoever was guarding off the ball needed to be aware of where the ball-handler was, and then position himself to
best help the ball-defender.
Fortunately, we played probably the best game we have played all year long. We forced their three
guards into bad shots, which led to them having a very poor shooting percentage. Our offense was efficient due to crisp ball movement and unselfish playing. Also important was our balanced scoring,
and the contributions from all of the players. Other than a few mistakes here and there, we did nothing dramatically wrong. This was evident by the final score, 84-59.
Going into the game, we would have never expected to win by twenty-five points against such a great team. Having lost the in the county finals the last three years, this victory was especially
satisfying and meaningful. Many of us experienced this loss last year against Newark East Side and realized the disappointment of going so far, yet coming up short. Not only did the victory put us in the
Seton Hall record books, it helped us regain our confidence and momentum, which will hopefully propel us in the state tournament. February 22, 8 pm -
This past week was very challenging for our team. On Tuesday, we went out and played a very energetic West Morris. Thursday, we had our second to last league game at home versus Morris  Knolls. Lastly, we engaged in a scrappy battle against Irvington in the semifinals of the Essex
County Tournament.
The game against West Morris was one that tested our nerves. Going into the game, we were aware that we needed to limit Mark Aziz's touches, and
not allow their crowd to get them into the game. West Morris only had one loss going in to the game, a decisive loss to us earlier in the year. For their
seniors, it was their last chance to beat SHP, and considering that they are a top twenty team this year, it would also be their best chance. It turned out
that removing their crowd and energy was much easier said than done. The West Morris fans were clearly the loudest we have seen this year in a very
tight gym. They waved their arms during foul shots right next to the court and felt like they were in the game. Their team responded by making continuous good plays and shots. We played an inconsistent
game, with some strong points and some turnovers. The game was close throughout, but thanks to some clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch by Chris Andrews, we were able to escape with a victory.
Our Thursday meeting at home versus Morris Knolls went relatively smoothly, except for going down
7-2 early in the game. Coach Farrell then called a timeout to get our minds were they needed to be, and we responded with a 30-2 run. We never looked back after that.
Irvington is a team that has a lot of history in the Essex County Tournament. Coach Farrell
informed us that it was Irvington's record that Seton Hall broke for most Essex County Tournament victories. Therefore, Irvington was not going to come in without intensity and purpose. They are a very
athletic team that plays with lots of energy and heart. They show a variety of presses, which was what we concentrated on in practice. The game itself was every bit as difficult as we thought it would be.
They brought everything to the table. They hustled, made shots, and operated efficiently. We were not executing how we would have liked, and by halftime were down by a point. Just like the first half, the
second half was equally as hard-fought. We had to scrap for everything since we were not shooting the ball very well. They kept their composure and continued to hit shots, so we tried to buckle down
defensively. Thanks to some key rebounds and made foul shots down the stretch, we survived with a six point victory. However, we clearly did not play at the level we wished we would have by this point in
the year. We need to reclaim our rhythm as we face the Essex County final next week and the states after that. It is a long season and we are hoping to recapture our intensity and positive flow that we
had in early January. February 16 - Following our victory against Shabazz, we had three games scheduled for the next week.  First, we played Livingston on Tuesday. For whatever reason, we had an
unfortunate let down in the first few minutes of the game and fell behind 11-2. We had no intensity. Eventually, we turned on the jets and won
easily. The Livingston game was clearly important because it gave us a wakeup call going into tough games against Randolph on Thursday and Newark Tech on Saturday.
Our first game against Randolph earlier in the season was very threatening. Late in the third quarter, the game was still tied. Before the
game, the coaches helped us get enthusiastic by reminding us of the previous meeting and what can happen if we didn't control the game defensively. Again, we came out
slow and were flustered by the intensity of Randolph. The game was tied 27-27 after two quarters. At halftime, it was clear that the whole team was disappointed in their play and knew that they were
capable of providing more intensity. We came out strong in the third quarter and got some cushion. We won by twenty, but it was nothing to be proud of. We allowed many open shots, especially to Drew
Willy, their shooting guard, who took advantage. Once again, another win, but also another reminder that we can improve as a team.
Next, we played Newark Tech in the second round of the Essex County Tournament. The practice before the game, the coaches emphasized the athleticism of their team. Newark Tech consistently
scores in the seventies or higher by utilizing their offensive rebounding ability and fast break quickness. Coach Farrell told us that if we remained patient in our offense and limited bad shots, it
would diminish some of their run outs. Also, he said that getting a body on their rebounders would also
be crucial. Luckily, we did a good enough job with this advice to get a twenty point victory. We have now advanced to the semifinal round of the ECT and will face Irvington next Saturday. Having gotten
through the first two games, the team is excited to continue defending our #1 seed against such quality competition.
Tomorrow we go up against West Morris. Despite playing well and beating the soundly in our first
meeting, it will be a different story tomorrow. In our first meeting, we played comfortably in our own gym. Tomorrow's game is at their place, where they will pack the gym and provide their team with an
extra boost. We must come out strong and take the crowd out of the game early or we might be in for a long night. February 8, 9:30pm
During the practice before playing
Shabazz in the first round of the Essex County Tournament, we did a
lot of drills preparing to defend against their quick ball penetration. Shabazz has three young, talented guards who do a good job of getting into the lane and either finishing or dishing for an assist. In
practice, one drill we did to contain their guards consisted of three on three with a point guard and two wings. The point guard would penetrate and then kick out to one of the wings. The man defending the
point guard would work on containing the ball, while the wing defenders concentrated on helping out on the point guards while still closing out on wing jump shots. The drills really helped. During the game, we
had few defensive lapses and were able to contain their quick guards. Also, we managed to maintain structure within our offense which resulted in easy baskets. We enjoyed a 25 point victory and will
move on to play Newark Tech in the next round of the Essex County Tournament. More importantly, we bounced back from our sub-par performance against East Orange. This coming week, we take our
rejuvenated spirits against Livingston on Tuesday and Randolph on Thursday. Hopefully we will take things one game at a time and finish the week with three more victories.
The game against Columbia was completely different from our first meeting with them. This time
we came prepared to play and efficiently dismantled their press. Also, we did a good job of limiting their Division One big man, Geoff Middleton, to limited touches. At half time, the score was 36-12.
We finished the game with a 25 point victory and felt pleased that we showed our true abilities. Next on the schedule came the make-up game with Roxbury. The game took place on February 2. Again, we
took care of business early and cruised the entire way.
After Roxbury, we faced two tough opponents in Morristown and East Orange Campus. We ended up
winning both games; however, the manner in which we did so was not the way we would have liked. The Morristown game was 30-26 at halftime. They came out with more intensity than we did, and we
were clearly caught off guard. Eventually, we were able to snap into a rhythm and pull out a twenty point victory. Despite winning, we did not demonstrate the same type of efficiency and crispness that
was evident in our efforts against West Morris and St. Anthony. Two days after Morristown, we had to face an East Orange team that has improved dramatically since we last faced them. Furthermore, we
had to play them at East Orange where they have very supportive home fans to provide them with an additional energy boost. Unfortunately, we again did not put ourselves in the right mindset. We came
out unenthusiastic, which resulted in a close game. They exploited our defensive holes and pounded in
point after point. With only about a minute left in the game, we were only up four points. Luckily, we made free throws down the stretch and scrapped out an eleven point victory.
Tomorrow, February 7th, we are scheduled to play the first round of the Essex County Tournament
against another tough team, Shabazz. Similar to Morristown and East Orange, Shabazz will bring lots of energy and enthusiasm. We hope to snap out of the bad habits exhibited in our previous two games
and bring the energy level we know we need to win. On the bright side, we played probably our worst two games against two good opponents and still managed to win the games. We will try to use this as
inspiration to play better and show that we deserve our USA Today ranking of 8th in the east. January 27, 8:00 pm, Catching up on the last month
 The night before playing St. Anthony's on January 17, we had to face a tough, undefeated West Morris team that is currently ranked in the
Star-Ledger top twenty. Making the game more interesting was that three of their players, the hard-nosed Gregory twins and Mark Aziz, are former Seton
Hall Prep students and are friends of ours. Mark Aziz has become a great player who has grown to 6'7 with a nice inside-outside game and is getting
numerous college looks. It was a difficult task because we needed to keep our focus on the West Morris game, and not let our minds wander to St.
Anthony's. Also, we wanted to play a great game so that our legs wouldn't be destroyed. Luckily, we played one of our best games and won 70-35.
The atmosphere at the game against St. Anthony's was a great experience for our team [at the Asbury Park Convention Hall]. We couldn't have asked for a more exciting event. The place was
packed and we appreciated our fans making the long drive to support our team. It was clear that the level of energy was raised due to the excitement of the crowd.
The game itself was played at an extremely fast pace and at a very high level. We all knew the hype
around the high rankings given to the St. Anthony team, and it became clear that they deserve it all. Furthermore, we knew this game was a rematch of the final High School Championship tournament that
we played in this summer. In that summer game, we lost by about eight points. During the game on the 17th, St. Anthony's demonstrated their unyielding ball-pressure, good coaching, and talented players.
Also, they are not fazed by the atmosphere because they have played in many big games before. All these factors considered, it results in a team that does not have many weaknesses (the only thing
missing was Otis Campbell, probably their best player). However, our team has also grown this year. We came back from Charleston having learned a lot, and got to experience a big-game victory over St.
Patrick's in a high-energy environment at St. Peter's College. The big victory against West Morris the night before didn't hurt either.
We started the game a little startled by their pressure going down 19-10 early. But we quickly recovered and brought the game back. The game was close throughout, but we never could quite get
over the hump. With only about a minute left, we were down only two points. Unfortunately, the final score was 58-52. Again, just as after St. John's Neumann, we must not beat ourselves up over the
defeat, but rather try to learn from it. We now know what the most intense pressure in the country feels like, and we handled it pretty well. This gives us the confidence to feel that nobody will be able to
remove us from our game plan through intense pressure. Also, we have now played in a few showcase games played in big arenas. Being a very young team, these experiences will help us down the road in
big games at the Essex County tournament and the state tournament.
After St. Anthony's, we played Morris Knolls on the 20th and won easily 62-31. Then, we got to enjoy
a week off from game play and just had practice. We were supposed to play Roxbury last night on the 27th
, but the snow resulted in the game being cancelled. Now, its going to be over a week since our last game. Tomorrow, the 29th, we play Columbia. The first time we played them, the game was tied in the
middle of the third quarter. We didn't feel we played our best. We now want to show that we have grown since then and present the new Seton Hall Prep team.
AT THE CHARLESTON RED CROSS - ROTARY ROUNDBALL CLASSIC  New Year's Eve 3:00 pm, 30,000 ft over Maryland- I write this entry sitting on our return flight home. Everyone on the team is quite tired and
looks forward to a day's rest on New Years. We return looking forward to playing a tough schedule, and using our experience from the Roundball Classic to our advantage. After New Year's day, we must prepare for St.
Pat's, the defending TOC champion. They play as hard, if not harder, than anybody in the state. We have just learned about an hour ago that they come
back from their Christmas Tournament in Delaware having beaten Bloomfield Tech, the reigning Group I champ. The game will be played in front of a loud,
excited and I'm sure sold out crowd at St. Peter's College. Hopefully, we will be able to enjoy the environment and play our best.
This has been a memorable trip during which the team had a great time and learned a lot. Last
night, the team gathered our battered ego and came out ready to play against a tough North Charleston team. Coach Farrell told us before-hand that despite being a consolation game, the game was very
important for home court advantage in the state tournament and to help get back on track before St. Pat's. Luckily, we took this in and played much better. Our defense improved from the previous night
versus St. John's, and it lead to easy offensive points. We won by about twenty, but more importantly recaptured our confidence and the morale that we need to compete Sunday against St. Pat's. Our
games this week have taught us many things about our strengths and weaknesses. Our two wins emphasize that when we all play the way we are capable of, we are an extremely hard team to beat. On
the other hand, we must show how capable we are competing against the best competition. St. John's Neumann was a great team. They ended up winning the tournament, defeating our fellow parochial
power Don Bosco Prep by about ten points in the final. However, our whole team is aware that we could have played and competed harder against St. John's. I know that each of us would like to be able to go
back and replay that game, but all we can do is take this experience and learn from it.
This trip has been memorable in many ways outside of basketball. Our team has become heavily
attached to a card game called Palace. Whether at the airport, preparing to fall asleep, or before breakfast, it seems as if at least a few members are playing it. We all were able to see Charleston, a
great city which most of us had never seen. Our guide for the tournament, Russ, provided lots of laughs with his outrageous hats (similar to a clown's or a Dr. Seuss hat, somewhere along those lines) and
exercise habits (he would set up two chairs in the lobby to get in a few dips). The two bulldogs, the mascots of the Citadel, paid us a visit during two of our walk-throughs. Coach Farrell took us out for a
very nice dinner after our victory over North Charleston. Everyone on the trip was very nice, and we were able to become somewhat accustomed to the heavy southern accents. The fun times outside of
basketball greatly contributed to what made this a great trip.
Despite that great timed we had, I think everyone looks forward to returning home and sleeping in
their own bed. More importantly, I believe we return a stronger team. We all are disappointed that we did not have an opportunity to win the tournament. Our ultimate goal was to win the whole thing.
However, our loss does make us more aware of the quality of competition that we will face in the near future. The teams on our schedule are very tough and we will need our complete focus and intensity in
order to compete. We are ready to learn from this and try our best to play to our potential. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas break, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
 Dec 29, 2003 11pm-
This is clearly the hardest entry to write thus far. After Saturday's win, everyone was in high spirits— until our game today. Last night, the team even went out and enjoyed some bowling. But the
highlight of the night was watching Big John jump into the pool at around ten o'clock. The pool water had to be close to freezing.
This morning, we again had a pre-game walk-through that went as usual. Once we returned to the hotel, we had the opportunity to relax for about four hours before heading off to our seven o'clock game.
We all knew the strength of the opponent we were facing. We knew they were going to be very athletic and skilled. They have both talented guards and large big-men. However,
despite knowing all this, we didn't bring the game we needed to present a challenge to St. John.
The game started fine. Brandon came out hot, hitting our first six points and gaining momentum to
our advantage. At the end of the first quarter, everything was under control as we enjoyed a 21-17 advantage. Unfortunately, from the start of the second quarter through the rest of the game, we
spiraled downhill and it seemed as if we were powerless to stop it. We committed foolish turnovers, stopped executing our offense, and made way too many defensive lapses. They did everything we
expected them to. They utilized both their big-men and guards and athletic ability to create a high-scoring game. It is difficult to discuss what happened in the game, especially since we knew what
they were going to try to do during the game and we didn't play well-enough to stop them.
After the game, the mood in the locker room was depressing. Coach Farrell told us that we couldn't
dwell on this loss since we have another tough game tomorrow and St. Pat's immediately when we get back. However, the team was still disappointed. We wanted to win this tournament, so playing in a
consolation game for third place doesn't quite fulfill our original wishes. We are trying to re-group as a team and try to get our heads back in the right place. Our point guard, Chris Andrews, provided the
team with some words of encouragement by saying that "we played hard," and, in his favorite phrase, that "it is what it is." We have to take this attitude into tomorrow's game and try to play the way we
know we are capable of.
 Dec 28, 2003 6pm- Around eleven last night, the team was enjoying some pizzas. We were all starving since none of us had eaten since around four. At
the time, everyone, coaches and the team, were laughing hysterically as we all observed Chris Andrews' reaction after eating a hot green pepper. Chris
had accepted a bet from Coach Walsh, who said he would give Chris five dollars if he ate one. Chris handled the pepper for the most part, except for
the teary eyes, reddening of the face, and multiple drinks of cold water until about 45 minutes afterward.
We were all in a good mood after coming off a sound 25 point win against
a team that was as good as advertised. In the first quarter of the game, they did everything we were told they were going to do. They got fast-break points, hit jumpers, and exhibited an unrelenting press.
I guess being stubborn high-school players, we must not have fully taken in Coach Farrell's warnings, and were surprised by a 17-17 score at the end of the first quarter. The intensity they brought caught
us by surprise, but luckily we reacted strongly. In the second quarter, we got into a groove and carried out our gameplan. We stopped their fastbreaks with good defensive transition, and got easy layups
ourself by crisply breaking their press. After our second quarter run, we pretty much never lost momentum. At the end of the game, the score was 84-59. This is the largest margin of victory for us
this year, and I believe it came against the best team we have played this year. The game brought us one round further into the tournament, but more importantly gave us a big-time moral boost. We walk
into tomorrow's game knowing what the atmosphere will be like and more confident about our team.
Today we had no game, but we were able to enjoy a very relaxing day. We went to a nice mass in the
morning down Route 17 at Blessed Sacrament Church. Then we went off the see the City of Charleston. The city was very nice, but not nearly what I expected. Charleston seemed more like a large town than
a city. It had many nice shops and places to eat, but no large buildings that are reminiscent of New York. Everyone devoured large Subway sandwiches, not able to resist, despite having to go to practice
immediately afterwards.
Practice went smoothly, after everyone digested their food a little. The hardest part of the workout,
especially noticeable by the teams' discussion while changing afterwards, was the difficulty of the sprints we ran at the end of practice. The court at the Citadel is considerably longer than the one we
are used to at Seton Hall Prep. [rcm note: Coach Williams, official stopwatch operator, admitted afterwards to fudging some of the times to compensate for the extra length of the court.]
It was nice to get a full-length practice in before tomorrow's game. We know that St. John Neumann, our opponent for tomorrow, will bring as much intensity and even more athleticism than Porter-Gaud.
The one weakness of Porter-Gaud that became obvious as we went on our run was their lack of height. Their big man was about 6'4", and everyone else was shorter.
We know that St. John Neumann is a very good team. They are nationally ranked by many recruiting services, and have many players with big reps. Most notably, their point guard, Rich Cunningham, has
already signed with LaSalle and wowed the crowd with a variety of crossovers while we were watching his game last night. They also have many other college prospects, and most importantly the height that
Porter-Gaud lacked.
After practice today, we ate dinner at a barbeque at the Citadel. The food was good [rcm note:
chicken and filet mignon, courtesy of Outback], but the highlight of the meal was when Big John, our 6'11 freshman, did a hilarious impression of Chris Andrews, our extroverted 5'9 point guard. It was a
good laugh before returning to the hotel and relaxing for the night.
 Dec 27, 2003 5 pm-
The walk-through this morning was as expected. We reviewed our gameplan for today's game, and had the opportunity to get a feel of the floor and the rims. However, their was one unexpected surprise.
When running a layup drill to begin our practice, we were completely shocked by two bulldogs that appeared out of nowhere and ran right into our drill. The
dogs, the mascots of the Citadel [rcm: named General, and his understudy Boo], allowed the team and coaches to enjoy a good laugh.
After practice, everyone was hungry and looking forward to a nice, big meal similar to the one last night courtesy of Coach Williams and Coach
Walsh. We all packed into the vans and headed off. All of a sudden, the vans pulled into the local hospital's parking lot. Confused, the team slowly made its way into a room in the hospital that provide
a lunch to all teams in the tournament. The team opted to load up on fruit, chili and cookies since the hamburgers didn't seem to hold their appetizing look for all that long.
After our lunch, we went back to the hotel and were able to rest for about three hours. When observing our spirits heading to the game, it seems clear that the three hours of rest did us some
good. We hope to get a win today, but we are aware that the team we are about to play is fundamentally sound and brings lots of intensity. Our intensity and level of play must be elevated higher
than it has been in a previous two wins. We have taken this trip to be able to face national competition, and this game will provide us with that opportunity.
 Dec 26, 2003 8:00 pm-
Our trip to Charleston went relatively smoothly, especially compared to last year's nightmare to Myrtle Beach where the team was stranded for 6 hours in LaGuardia Airport due to a snowstorm. Other
than a brief stop in Charlotte, and a man sitting next to me who talked my ear off for the whole hour and fifteen minute flight, nothing disrupted our
spirits. Once at the hotel, we all received our room keys and were eager to take a nice long nap. Unfortunately, as Coach Farrell handed over the keys,
he added that we must drop our bags in our rooms, then return immediately back to the lobby for practice. About ten minutes later, we begrudgingly
packed into the two minivans that will transport the team for the week. Practice was to be held at another gym at the Citadel, which meant we would get our first look at the main gym we will be playing
in tomorrow. The gym did not disappoint. It was just as large as last year's Myrtle Beach Convention Center, and the atmosphere was equally impressive.
A little ashamed, I must admit that we all were quite sluggish in practice. Hopefully, it was just a
little jetlag. Practice ran as usual until Coach Farrell did something that caught everyone's attention. After running through a few plays, he made us run a few all out sprints from baseline to baseline.
Initially, the team was a little confused thinking that we must be running because of our lack of hustle. However, Coach Farrel clarified the running by saying that the speed of the intense sprints we were
running must be the same as the speed we will need to exhibit when getting back on defense tomorrow night. Porter-Gaud, our opponent tomorrow night, apparently is a very quick, athletic team that likes to
get out and score lots of points. They are currently the defending state champions for their group in South Carolina. This year, they have started of the year by averaging 75 points per game. I think after
the sprints and hearing these stats, our attention was grabbed and everyone understood that we will be challenged tomorrow and need to be ready to play.
After practice, we went to dinner and enjoyed a nice meal thanks to Coach Williams and Coach Walsh. The sandwiches were fantastic, but the highlight was clearly the complementary ice cream
machine. I imagine that the machine must have to be nearly empty because I know almost every member of the team had at least two helpings.
Once back at the hotel, we had a brief team meeting to discuss our plan for tomorrow, and a little last minute encouragement. We have a 9:15 breakfast, and a 10 o'clock walk-through. To end the
night, everyone will enjoy some relaxation from the long day and hopefully begin to transfer their thoughts to the challenge that will present itself tomorrow. |
