The boys varsity basketball team is just about halfway through their 2023-2024 season. They have faced some pretty tough opponents such as Mundelien, Carmel, Deerfield, Fremd, and Lake Forest. Throughout the rough matchups and losses, it is important to stay connected and positive with each other, and always look forward.
“Team chemistry is really important for me, especially being the point guard,” senior JJ Jackson said. “I need to know how everyone on the floor is moving and have those mental connections with my teammates so we can make quick and smooth decisions.” Jackson points out the special connection between him and senior Thomas Mercure. “I’m always finding him [Mercure] backdoor cutting and I’m getting him the assist for a nice layup,” Jackson said.
A great time to work on these bonds is in practice. An hour and a half to two hours of uninterrupted work with your teammates is time the boys don’t take for granted. “We do a lot of fast paced drills in practice so you need to have that trust and confidence in your teammates to get the job done,” senior Jacques Montes said. Montes suffered a torn ACL last spring and hopes to be able to make a return to play the final few games of the season.
“Jacques has been a key to our offense in the past, and he has great lockdown defense so it’d be great to have him back,” Jackson said.
“I feel like since I’m injured, it’s my responsibility to motivate everyone and make sure we’re bonded,” Montes said. With Montes’s injury, he isn’t able to practice or play, so he takes authority in being the positive force on the team. He makes sure he’s supporting everyone, cheering them on, and being a part of the team even though he’s unable to play.
The basketball court isn’t the only place the boys hang out and improve their connections, though. “Coach Snyder hosts some team dinners so we can all get together and spend some time together outside of school and the gym,” Mercure said. “It’s nice to be able to have that family- type relationship with your team.”
The senior class of 2024 makes up the majority of the varsity team, joined by only three juniors – Patrik Dortch, Brandon Stanton, and Mannasseh Sefah, and one sophomore – Carson Norris. “Getting the younger guys bonded with the rest of us already on the team seemed like a pretty quick process,” Jackson said. “It’s been fun getting to know everyone a lot more and becoming family.”
“Hopefully we’re gonna be able to keep growing as a team, getting better, and have a successful rest of the season,” Mercure said. “I think we’ll really be able to find our rhythm and get a good feel for how we need to play in order to win as many games as possible,” Jackson adds. The boys stay positive nearing the second half of the season. They continue to grind daily in practice, play hard in games, and work on the important invisible bonds between themselves that greatly benefit them on the basketball court.
