Fourth quarter, one point game, Salesianum had a chance. A chance to do something that they hadn’t done since 2015. Isaiah Hynson drives to the paint and knocks down a floater. The score is 47-44. Sals lead. William Penn calls a timeout. One missed three-pointer later, Salesianum cements its spot as the DIAA basketball champions. It’s been a while since the Sals have cut the nets, eight years to be exact. So let’s look back on the year.

After a rough 5-5 start, the Sals needed a spark. Assistant Coach Mr. Brendan Haley said that when they needed a spark, Coach Trevisan came through. “Coach Trev stayed the course when there was a lot of frustration among players and coaches.” Mr. Haley said they “tried some new approaches,” which led to great success. After that, the Sals went 8-2 to close the season.  Much to their surprise, the Sals were ranked lower than expected headed into the postseason.

Considering the team had just gone 13-7, coming into the postseason expecting a higher seed, the Sals were ranked as a measly five. One could say that it made no difference, but it was different for the 2022-23 team. 

In years past, Salesianum has always been the big dog of Delaware basketball, but recently, the team has been, now chasing the pack. 

Haley stated, “We felt a little disrespected” by the low ranking.After earning the top seed last year, being a five seed might have been seen as a fall from glory to an outsider, but the team saw it as motivation. “We felt like the hunter rather than the hunted” said Haley. 

As a team, Salesianum was phenomenal this season, but down the stretch, there was one particular player that stood out: Isaiah Hynson. 

In the final two postseason games, Hynson was the team’s leading scorer, notching 18 and 20 points in the contests. When asked about Hynson , Coach Haley said, “[He] has a great work ethic,” and that “he was a little bit worn down at mid-year.” Just as all started to go downhill for the Sals, Isaiah found “that second wind” that he needed, and the team rallied.

During their magical playoff run, one could argue that Hynson was the MVP, but according to Coach Haley, the crowd played a major part in the team’s success. “We were a great home team all year because of the energy we get from the student body,” he said, and right he was. The Sals went 7-2 at home during the regular season, getting insane support throughout the ups and downs of the season. Having the energy from the crowd “really drives you.” And drive the team it did. 

One of the most memorable postseason  runs in recent history was capped off in the best way possible. This win was the capstone for the five for five winter sports season. Next year, the team will look to build on success and maybe even go back to back in the “Bob.”