The Belmont Hill JV basketball team dominated this year. The squad finished with an outstanding record of 20-0. Witnesses of their dominance can vouch for the unparalleled coaching and teamwork that the team exemplified. The final scores of games also speak volumes to their impenetrable defense and unstoppable offense, often leading to doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling the other side’s score by the final whistle.
Crucial to the team’s performance was the leadership of Coach Rosser and Coach E.J., both of whom helped the team unlock its full potential. While still maintaining high levels of focus, the coaches always found ways to incorporate games and competitions into practice to make it fun for all the players. Star shooting guard Jackson Pagan ‘24 mentioned, “The practices were always serious but fun at the same time.” The goal of the coaches was to create a positive environment that fostered selflessness and hardwork, in order to improve players both as athletes and teammates. Coach Rosser elaborated that they also sought to “make practice both fun and a competition everyday, to do enough to get into a position to win.” The positive attitude carried over to games, where the players displayed an even greater level of commitment.
The impressive undefeated record proves the team’s strong responses to adversity throughout the season. Despite the many blowouts, many of the JV squad’s wins came down to the wire, including four overtime victories. Against Tabor, the team quickly found themselves in a 20 point deficit within the first few minutes. However, the win was secured after a heroic comeback, culminating with the overtime triumph. Coach Rosser highlighted that a factor for the team’s success was trust, saying that “it was built in practice, and, come game time, the team could rely on one another to do their job.”
Ultimately, the dominance shown by the JV Basketball team is unquestionable and reflected by their undefeated record. The team accomplished an incredible feat and should be proud of their accomplishments. With aims to aspire to even higher goals in the following years, Belmont Hill’s JV Basketball team set a standard of perfection over in the 2022-2023 season that they look to carry over into the future.
