After last season’s MBIL Division 2 Championship, Varsity Boys’ II Basketball is advancing to the top division of the MBIL league, where the Gators will tackle greater competition.
Head Coach Jaime Lin expressed confidence in the decision to elevate the team’s level of play.
“It was my choice to move up to Division 1,” Lin said. “Our success last season made it a logical step for the team’s growth. I think the main difference is that a lot of the guys are going to be bigger. They will probably be a little more athletic, and it’s going to be a bit more challenging.”
Last season, trailing at halftime in the championship match, the Gators rallied in the second half to ultimately secure a 63-46 triumph over Covenant Christian Academy (CCA), marking the first occasion in over ten years that a Varsity II team won the title.
Tyler Stefanon ’24, who played on last year’s team, echoed Lin’s sentiments.
“I think it’s a huge step up and I think that we can definitely handle it,” Stefanon said. “Last year, it was good competition but this year I think it would [sic] be more evenly matched, and I think we can still win another championship.”
Despite the team moving some players up to Varsity I, as well as graduating five key seniors last spring, Lin remains optimistic.
“I was aware we would get one or two new players… and [have] upperclassmen who can help fill those gaps in height, quickness, and shooting,” she said. “I’m so excited. We’ve set a standard and precedent. The guys are eager to go for another championship.”
Lin also remains concentrated on development and innovation.
“I’m hoping for growth and leadership from those who were quieter last year,” Lin said. “We’re looking to run new plays and add more twists to our game. Our practice schedule remains the same, but the intensity is naturally high. I’m hoping for the returners to bring that intensity along with the new players.”
Though new to the team, BJ Dawan-Abdullah, an eighth-grader, is excited about the prospect of winning another title.
“We have a really great group of guys, and I’m eager and honored to play with them,” Dawan-Abdullah said. “I’m the youngest one on the team, but my goal is to be the best point-guard possible, and do whatever I can to help the team win games.”
Veteran player Baden Howard ’24 shares Dawan-Abdullah’s enthusiasm.
“I think that we showed last year that we were the best team, so it’s only natural to move up,” Howard said. “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to play the best.”
“The crowd and the energy in the gym was electrifying,” Julian Park ’24 said.
The team will play Bradford Christian Academy tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.
