By Tyler Park ’14, Staff Writer

The Newark Academy Boys Basketball Team has had a thrilling season.  Led by new head coach James Wallace, the team played numerous exciting games, recording big wins against Oratory Prep, Weequahic, Technology, and most recently, cross town rivals MKA.  The season, however, was far from perfect, as the Minutemen lost five games by five points or less, including three games by one single point. Three of those five games were also lost in overtime.  Still, the team has shown a strong desire to improve even through the tough times, repeatedly making spirited comebacks to rapidly erase deficits.

The Minutemen players are enthused with the prospect of being led by Coach Wallace in both the present and the future.  6’3” junior forward Ethan Andrzejewski, in the midst of a breakout season, said, “I personally think the best thing about Coach Wallace is his positive demeanor.”  6’4” standout forward and three-year starter Griffin Glatt, who is bound for Macalester College where he will play hoops, said “(Coach) Wallace coaches guys up and always has us move on after a bad play or a turnover.”  This year, the Minutemen have transitioned to Coach Wallace from Mr. Scott, who doubles as our Director of Technology.  Glatt said that “They are both great guys who care about our program, they just have different coaching styles.”

This year, the Minutemen are led by Griffin Glatt and Zaire Williams, an excellent senior point guard and a four-year starter. Williams recently became the 12^th member of the exclusive Newark Academy 1,000 point club.  Zaire is undecided about his future, although it seems extremely likely that he will play basketball in college.  These two stars are complimented by two excellent senior guards in Randall Keur and Zach Taffet, who also both star on the baseball field.

The team’s junior class is also extremely deep and talented, boasting two solid big men in Ryan McDonnell and Spencer Kolek, as well as forwards Andrzejewski, Cody Reid-Dodick, and Teddy Simpson –who is currently studying off-campus — and guards Elron Robinson and Nick Lawler.  Sophomores Matt Press and Alex Tarowsky, and Freshman Nick Martino have also contributed on the varsity level this season.  There are also several solid young players on the Minutemen JV team.  Andrzejewski is enthused about the team’s future, saying, “I envision the program becoming a consistent power house in the SEC (Super Essex Conference). With Zaire and Griffin both going on to play in college and the arrival of Coach Wallace, NA will become a very intriguing option for [incoming] basketball players.”  He also believes that with all the strong young players the program boasts, in addition to the positive influence of Coach Wallace, the team has an extremely bright future.  Keur agrees with him, saying that “If Coach Wallace stays, the team will keep getting better in the future.  He gets the most out of the talent he is given.”

One of the most memorable games of this season thus far was the come from behind victory against a strong MKA squad on Friday, February 25th. The gym was packed with NA fans, all them dressed in white for the “whiteout.” The game started off slow for the Minuteman with MKA pulling out with an early 10-2 lead. But NA hung in there to keep the game within four at the half. The fans stayed in it the whole game, enjoying a Hall of Fame induction at half time of three-sport athlete Peter Hutchinson ’86. The second half went NA’s way with Williams taking over the game and stuffing the stat sheet for 21 points. NA won the game 55-49 as the fans stormed the court giving the basketball team a game they won’t soon forget.

Although the season has ended with a devastating loss to Mo-Beard, it is already clear that the Newark Academy Boys Basketball Program is headed for good things. Even after the graduation of an excellent senior class, the younger players on the team as well as Coach Wallace are a solid foundation upon which the program can solidly build.  It is certain that fans of the program are in for an exciting era, one that has only just begun.

[vimeo 37797827 nolink]