The Staples boys’ basketball team began their 2018 campaign with a dominant 71-49 win at Weston on on Dec. 15.
Led by captain point guard Jake Thaw ’20 who scored 28 points, the Wreckers went on an early 18-7 run and took control of the game for its entirety.
“I think we did a really good job of turning tough defensive possessions into easy offense,” Thaw said. “We moved the ball really well and played as a unit”.
Thaw did not leave the game until late in the fourth quarter and beat defenders off the dribble all night, accounting for the majority of Staples’ points whether scoring or assisting his teammates.
Power Forward and Center’s Lefty Pendarakis ’19 and AJ Konstanty ’20 controlled the paint and were found open under the hoop for many baskets. Pendarakis scored the first 6 points of the game and stood out in his first varsity start.
“We worked hard and got a lot of points in transition,” Pendarakis said. “We took our time and let the offense come to us, so it put us in a great position to win.”
After losing many key contributors from last year, Staples answered many questions about this team with their performance. Defense, an area for improvement from a year ago, was an important facet in the win. Pendarakis and captain Dylan Ward ’19 especially led the collective effort, blue jerseys flew all over the court, with easy transition points following.
Captain Evan Vishno ’19 commented on the defensive effort. “We were cohesive and communicated well the entire time, and held them to under 50 which we were happy about,” he said.
By halftime, the score was a commanding 42-22. The Wreckers never took their foot off the gas. New players such as shooting guard Lucas Basich ’21 provided a spark off the bench for Staples. Basich hit three 3-pointers and helped the Wreckers outplay Weston in all facets of the game.
“It felt great to be out there for the first time and play fun team basketball,” Basich said.
A cross-town rivalry on opening night led to a great showing from Staples’ parents and Superfans. “The energy for the first varsity game was awesome and I think the cross town rivalry gave all the fans extra motive to show out,” Sean Clarke ’21, Staples Superfan, said. “The varsity’s dominant performance made it even more fun to watch and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”