WHS 2016 Basketball Review

by Joey Carrozzella (16)

The 2016 basketball season came to an end last night in a loss at East Catholic. Even though we took a loss on the court we took a win on the year as a whole. the 2016 was a rollercoaster ride, with so many ups and only a few downs. The environment is something I will never forget, and the relationships made are some that will last a lifetime.

As the mascot of the Wethersfield Eagles, I was always proud to go out and support my team no matter what the score was. These guys believed until the final buzzer Every game, So as a mascot it was my job to never give up on them. Win or Lose we were a team so we won and lost together and i never felt like they didn't give us their all.

Mario was the guy on the team that always showed up when you least expected it. You never really knew what to expect until it was prime time, When the game got tense Mario would often step up. He showed his confidence by showing up in the prime time. Mario put a lot of work in to get a spot on that team and I give him all the credit in the world for how far he came. Now he is in the best shape of his life and has a stronger soul because of all the hard work he put in. Mario says he compares his game to JJ Redick, “I'm a pretty good shooter and i kind of base my game off my shot”. You can never sleep on a guy like Mario. 

Jake was more than just a player on the wethersfield basketball team but he was a leader on the team. The team followed his lead most times because of how much time and effort he put into the game. Jake is an incredible player, scorer, ball handler and more importantly he's a great friend. He always wanted to see his team get better and came a long way learning the message that the team is bigger than the player. I asked jake what how he felt about the season, He told me “We did what we had to do”. “We had another winning season 13-7 we even got a playoff win”

Devon was the spark of the Eagles game in and game out. He showed up to every game with a type of flare that was unmatchable. When everyone had lost hopes, Devon would rise up and become the star. Devon walked around the court with the kind of swagger you see in a professional athlete and always seemed calm and composed. Even though Devon had trouble on the free throw line time, he was always back on defense to grab a steal and run the fast break. He finished in traffic better than anybody and always had the “eye of the tiger” on defense reading passing lanes like a book. I asked Devon how he felt the season went He told me about how he followed goals he set for the season. He later said “ we got better everyday and had a fun experience.” He compares his game to Rondo claiming “I play D and make things happen on offense” which is exactly what he did for the Eagles.

Matt, Aka Lang brought a good vibe into every game. Lang was the guy who walked on to the court with a good spirit and walked off the court with the same spirit every night keeping hopes high in his fellow teammates. He could knock down a 15 footer off the backboard like- anybody as well as a shot at the elbow. He is tall and very skilled.He compares himself to Aldridge because “I got the baby J and play off my teammates”.  He has a very unique style of playing the game and everyone on the team benefitted from it. I asked Matt what his favorite part of the season was, he said “it's more than just basketball, We grew up together.” Shows how lang cares for his team on and off the court. 

Michael Kelly or MK was the core of our defense. Mk was often times the guy to pull down the rebound after getting out rebounded 5 times in the possession, he was a fighter for the ball and a defensive powerhouse. MK was an incredible rebounder, as tall as he is he was good. down in the post but he was very trustable or even to bring the basketball up the floor. MK can shoot, pass, dribble, almost anything he is extremely quick and elusive, Whenever we needed a player to come to life we could always count on MK to start putting in work. Mk’s favorite part of the year was “chillin with all the bros in practice” and of course “getting those W’s.”

Overall we had an amazing basketball season, none of us will ever forget. I want to thank each and every one of the players, staff, and parents for making it all happen. Without everyone involved the basketball experience wouldn't have been half as amazing. All these players have extremely bright futures ahead of them and i'm sure they will pursue everything they do with just as much effort as the put on the floor this year. If i can say one thing as the mascot, it's that I'm proud to be an Eagle!