Walking around the hallways of New ProvidenceHigh School, it is clear that the boys basketball team is a group of kids who genuinely care about each other.  Whether it be high fives or shouts of “game day baby!” it is clear that every single team member deeply wants to win.   This passion is seen on the court.   On Super Saturday the team suffered a tough loss to GL.   However, the Pioneers left everything on the court.   In the 4th quarter the team played as if the game was tied.   Players were diving after loose balls and sprinting back on fast breaks.   The team is on the verge of finally polishing their game and really clicking as a whole.

Often in basketball, the five starters see almost all the playing time and the other team members play a minimal role.   This is not the case for the 2013 team.  Everyone plays a huge role and the team depends on each and every member. 

 Coach Cattano said, ” I would say for the first time in my career we are consistently playing 9 players every game with all of them getting quality minutes.   They are a great group to work with and I hope our fans continue to support us with 5 of our next 6 games at home.   Kyle Kroeger is one of our Senior Captains whose leadership on and off the court has made this a very tight knit group.   Our other Senior Captain is Mike Marchesano who provides positive leadership to all our players during our games.” 

This is a group of many young players being lead as equals by more experienced players.   The offense is set with senior Kroeger and quality scorers juniors Curtis Kyzima, Mike Wilderotter, and Bryan Sherman, and sophomore Tyler Curto. They are backed by a solid defense lead by juniors Bryan Sherman and Jordan Morang.  The players and the fans all believe that the team will have a strong finish to their season.

Although they’ve been through many ups and downs so far, it is becoming quite evident that they are beginning to work as a team.   Senior captain Kyle Kroeger said, “Everyone has been gaining valuable experience and it is really showing.  I think that we are getting better every day and if we really come together as a team, we will be our best at the right time in the season.  Everyone on our team plays an important role, whether it be at practice or in games.”  The team has potential to do some damage in the second half of the season.

The team is currently 5-7 after their win over Oratory on 1/18/12.