Winter is officially here, and with winter comes basketball season. As the season progresses, all three of the varsity, JV, and freshman teams have been dominating the game, training relentlessly in the gym after school, and crushing it on the court with determination and Salesian spirit.

As the leaders of the school, the varsity has a lot of pressure on them to play hard, win the championships, and bring the trophy back home to 18th and Broom. The whole team has been succeeding this season, and no one wants the win more than varsity Coach Haley. Going into the season, the coach had high hopes, saying, “We have an experienced group, and it’s been a surprise how on each night, we get a different guy who steps up.” However, Haley believes that the team could still use some tuning up, reporting that, “The big challenge is that we need guys communicating and we need guys supporting each other from the bench. It’s a work in progress. Other than that, there’s been a lot of good things that have happened.” In spite of this, the team just came back from their sixth win of the season, pummeling St. Mark’s High School with a score of 43-33. It’s plain to see that the team is really giving it their all on the court, and that their winning streak is building up. Coach Haley is evidently teaching the players the right techniques and strategies, and our varsity team is clearly doing an admirable job of representing the S.

While they don’t have the four years of high school experience under their belts, the freshman team is doing a tremendous job this year, now coming back from an ongoing seven-game win streak! Over the past few weeks, the freshmen have been hard at work, day after day, sharpening their skills in the gym. “The season’s going really well so far,” says star forward Matt Carr. “Everybody is working really hard, and I think we are starting to come together as a team. We should be very competitive this year.” Freshman teammate Liam Kauffman agrees, calling the team “unstoppable.” Watch out, Delaware! Sallies is coming for you!

It is undeniable that Salesianum has a very strong record when it comes to basketball. The players are extremely lucky to not only have the great facilities to play and practice, but also the outstanding coaching staff. “I would hope that being grateful is something that the team takes from this season,” says Coach Haley. “We pray before and after games and before practices, but when we do that, we try and talk about having gratitude for what we’ve been blessed with, to play at such a great school, and to have the gifts that we have.” Being a Salesian athlete is an honor, and the players from all teams, from varsity to freshman, being Salesian gentlemen on and off the court really keeps that tradition alive. However, the teams are only going to get stronger as the season progresses, and, come championships, Sallies is going to pose a formidable threat to the rest of league. With the teams playing the way they are, with their determination and spirit, this season has been a slam dunk!