The middle school boys basketball team uses teamwork to get through the challenging season. 

This boys basketball season has had its ups and downs, but that doesn’t discourage the players. Led by coach Michael Garry, the team consists of Mohammad Abu bakr (‘27), Joshua Bourke (‘27), Samuel Cohen (‘28), William Kati (‘27), Grayson Passanisi (‘27), Quincy Stribling (‘27), Robert Waldeck (‘27), Conor Westphal (‘27), Shya Zeldin (‘27), and Wesley Zenk (‘27). The boys definitely have strength in the numbers which has helped them take massive leads against other schools in the past.

“The season’s been a little shaky. We’re 3 and 4 so not the best but it’s alright. It’s kind of been a little crazy and hectic with everybody,” says Robert Waldeck (‘27) who is on the A team for boys basketball.  

Most of the players agree that one of the team’s biggest strengths is their awesome defense. “Our team’s biggest strength would probably have to be.. our defense is pretty good,” from Quincy Stribling (‘27). 

Another skill the team seems to be good at is shooting and attacking the rim. “Shooting, easily,” says Shya Zeldin (‘27) when asked what the team’s biggest strength is as a whole. 

Of course like any good sports team, the boys seem to struggle with a couple things. Some of the things the team could work on are their ball movement and energy levels. Lots of the players agree that sometimes the team just relies on one person to do all the work. Another disadvantage is the size of Barstow players. Lots of other schools have players that are upwards of six feet tall which gives them the upper hand (literally). 

Don’t worry, because they put in an hour and a half of team practice twice a week to make sure they’re improving.

If you aren’t as familiar with the basketball positions, no need to worry. There are five positions in basketball: the point guard, small forward, shooting guard, center, and power forward. 

The point guard will run the team’s plays and is often a good ball handler and facilitator. They need to be quick and usually defend the other team’s point guard. 

The small forward kind of does everything, they go all over the court and can shoot long shots or short ones. They can defend larger or shorter players. 

William Kuti (‘27) explains his own position, the shooting guard, like this, “Shooting guard. I am at the 3 point line and I run the plays with Shya and Conor normally. Basically Shya will drive forward and then he’ll pass back to me. I basically do everything but I stay behind the 3 point line.” 

A center is usually the tallest one on the team and stays near the rim. A center gets lots of rebounds and can block opponents shots. 

Finally, a power forward does lots of the same things as a center. However, they can take longer shots than the center, who just puts up rebounds if their teammate misses a shot. The team has a good variety of these positions and the boys are always flexible and willing to try something new. 

Besides the hour and a half practices on Mondays and Wednesdays, lots of the boys put in additional work at home. Whether it be conditions, working out, or going to basketball courts with teammates to practice. The team works very hard, but they also have fun. Whether it be in games, at practice, or team bonding at or outside of school. The boys have a tradition where if they have a home game on a school day, they all come to school dressed up in nice clothes. The team has one very special memory of a former Barstow player, Jack Renze (‘28). 

“My favorite memory? Jack Renze, he left, but when he was here during the season. It was our third game, it was our first win and Jack Renze hit a half court shot at the end of the game and he made it. It was crazy and we all smiled and laughed and it was fun,” Mohammad Abu bakr (‘27). 

The team has lots of fun moments like this which is exactly why all Barstow students should try their best to come out and show their school spirit! The tough competition this year made for some very fun and suspenseful matchups with schools such as Pembroke, Summit Christian, and University Academy. Although the league play has wrapped up, you can still congratulate all the players on a season well played!