Elmwood Park High School Boys Varsity Basketball has never won a regional title. This year, that may change. The season has just begun and already Coach Antwon Jennings believes that “this is probably one of the best teams Elmwood Park has had in a long time. We have a little bit of everything. It’s a good group of guys. They’ve all been here.” Jennings explains that this is why he pushes the boys so hard. It stems from “knowing what it takes to play at a higher level. Some guys have dreams of playing college basketball, and, in order to do that, you have to be honest with them about the amount of work it takes to get to that level. So I do push them hard, and I do hold them to high standards for sure.”
The players definitely agree that they are pushed very hard. “He has high expectations for all of us, so, yeah, he pushes us pretty hard,” said junior small forward and shooting guard Daniel Dohoney. It seems that the team has very high expectations for themselves as well. They have set big goals for themselves for the season. They want “to have more wins than losses,” said Dohoney, and they believe that they have what it takes to “win a regional title,” junior small forward and center Matthew Fritz expressed.
All 15 boys on the team put in a lot of effort during practice to reach these goals. However, game time is a whole different situation. They aren’t used to playing with each other yet. “We’re not really a team yet. We’re a team, but it’s like we haven’t figured out how to win yet. We have all the talent, but we haven’t figured it out yet,” said junior point-guard Sammy LaBarbera. Jennings also agrees that they all have talents, but one of their biggest weaknesses is not doing what they practice in games.
The boys all unanimously agree that their biggest weakness is talking on defense. They let rebounds get away due to lack of conversing with their teammates. This is a crucial part of the game, and it can really cost them. However, this team has plenty of strengths as well. They know how to drive to the basket and are very fast on the court.
The team is full of plenty of amazing athletes, but that isn’t the only thing that makes them a great team. They have great chemistry and get along well with each other. During interviews it was easy to see that these guys enjoy being around each other. They were all laughs and smiles. It really seemed like they were all good friends. Fritz even said that his definition of leadership was “Sammy LaBarbera,” which made LaBarbera and other players burst into laughter.
This is a team that makes fans want to root for them. Their games are fun to watch and keep the audience at the edge of their seats. As soon as starters Isaiah Manuel, Jordyn Boatman, Nathan Nyarko, Josh Ruiz, and Scott Ruiz step on the court, the crowd erupts. The stands are never quiet during the hour the Tigers are on the court. It is safe to say these boys are well loved by the community and are definitely going to put up a strong fight against opposing teams. Come watch the Tigers on their road to a regional title!
Works Cited:
- D, Dohoney, personal communication, December 4th, 2024.
- S, LaBarbrea, personal communication, December 4th, 2024.
- I, Manuel, personal communication, December 4th, 2024.
- M, Fritz, personal communication, December 4th, 2024.
- A, Jenning, personal communication, December 4th, 2024.
