Daniel Shapiro is a guard for the basketball team and has been playing since the fourth grade. He is excited to have a lot of fun with this team and produce wins. 

Shapiro is also a driven student.

“After high school I’m going to college to study engineering and actuarial sciences,” said Shapiro.

He expressed how it can sometimes be difficult to balance basketball and “home life things” such as school work. Basketball is something athletes will have to commit a lot of time to according to Shapiro. In order to see results, athletes need to put in the work and effort.

While offensive strength is very important in the game of basketball, Shapiro admits that defense is often overlooked.

“Try your hardest, play aggressive on defense and you’ll play a lot,” said Shapiro.

In order to win games, players must be able to shut down the opponents breaks. Shapiro is ready to show out for his final season.  

Frankie Denvir is the point/shooting guard for the team and has been playing the sport since preschool. He has been gearing up for this season since the end of last year and is ready to hit as many milestones as he can.  

“I’m excited for our final season,” said Denvir. “It’s my final season playing with my friends. You know it’s very important, and I think we all just want to win.”

Denvir has been playing basketball with senior teammates Jack Reardon and Luke Brogan throughout his childhood. This places pressure to put in the work to win and have a successful final season with one another. 

Denvir is a decorated player with awards and accolades such as Hunterdon County Democrat Player of the Year, All County First Team, All Division First Team, and All Holiday Tournament First Team. His hard work is present on the court and has gotten him recognition from a few schools. He plans to continue his education while playing college level basketball. 

Before he graduates, Denvir wants to leave any current or aspiring players with a few words of advice.

“Just keep going and don’t quit when things get hard because I know a lot of players quit once it becomes challenging,” said Denvir. “But you just gotta push through adversity.” 

Ifeanyi Ilonze is a point/shooting guard for the team and has been playing basketball since the sixth grade. However, he has been practicing and working at bettering himself since the second grade. 

“I hope to make it a great season,” said Ilonze. “It’s probably gonna be my last season playing basketball, so I’m just hoping to make the best out of it and make long lasting memories.”

After dedicating hours of his time for the past eight years of his life, Ilonze is ready for one last year of winning and fun with his teammates.

Ilonze says that conditioning is important but difficult part of the game. He says it can be extremely tiring, and pushing through while staying positive is difficult but an important lesson to learn. 

Ilonze also says that learning to work well with teammates is a challenge. Finding chemistry is tough, but he emphasizes how important connecting with one another is. After all, a team of five players who work as one will always be more successful than a team of five all doing their own thing, no matter the talent. 

Ilonze is planning to go to a four-year college, but before he leaves basketball behind, he has a few words to motivate future terriers or any aspiring players.

“Just believe in yourself,” said Ilonze. “Put in the hard work, practice, dedicate every day to getting better on the court and you’ll be great.” 

Jack Reardon is a forward for the Terriers and optimistic about this season.

“I’m very excited, we got a good squad, and I’m looking forward to having a lot of fun,” said Reardon.

Reardon is hopeful for a victorious last season with the people he has been playing with for the past four years. 

He’s been playing for ten years and has gained some skill earning him a few awards of recognition. Last season he was Second Team All Conference and All Holiday Tournament First Team.

His advice is to never quit, no matter how hard it gets. He says basketball will inevitably become difficult, but players have to push through if they really want to succeed. 

“The hardest thing is definitely practice,” said Reardon. “Basketball takes up a lot of time and it’s hard balancing homework, practice and school.”

Finding the perfect balance can prove difficult, but according to Reardon, it is worth it.

Reardon is committed to play Division Three baseball at The College of New Jersey, which shows how well-rounded of an athlete he is. He plans to study accounting once at college.    

Julius Wilson is a point guard for the Terriers and has been playing basketball for eight years. Starting out in just sixth grade, Wilson is ready for a big final season. 

“I wanna go out with a bang,” said Wilson. “I plan on hitting a lot of milestones and having fun with this team.”

Wilson has played with a few of his teammates since middle school, so he wants their last time playing together to be the best season yet. 

Wilson advises incoming players to focus on themselves and their own craft.

“Don’t worry about what the coach thinks,” said Wilson.

He encourages young players to work hard on their own so that they’ll have an easy time getting the hang of everything. 

After graduating, Wilson plans to go to a four-year university for accounting. After this season, he is saying goodbye to basketball. 

Keith Polin is a forward on the team and is hoping for a season of success and excitement.

“I think it’s going to be a really good season,” said Polin. “I hope we win the section.”

Polin has been playing basketball since he was 10-years-old and is itching for a final year of victory.

Polin spoke of a few difficulties basketball presents, including a drill called Man in the Hole.

“It’s a defensive drill we do every day at practice,” said Polin. “Coach wants us to work hard during it, and you’re constantly moving your feet and it’s a long time, usually like five to six minutes.”

This level of stamina takes time to build and work towards. Polin encourages younger players to work hard and stay in shape if they want to succeed. Success doesn’t come served on a silver platter. It has to be earned through the exhausting drills and hard work.   

This will be Polin’s final season playing basketball as he plans to attend college for academics. 

Luke Brogan is a strong forward for the team and has been playing for 12 years. He grew up playing alongside fellow seniors, including Denvir and Reardon.

“I think it’s gonna be a great season and we are going to win a lot of games,” said Brogan.

According to Brogan, the hardest thing about basketball is staying consistent. The season is long, it’s tiring to go to practice and play game after game. Being able to put in maximum effort all season long can be difficult, but Brogan says that in order to be successful, you need to put in the offseason work. That’s the best time to master skills and develop as a player.

Brogan says that the team is locked in and they are hungry for a sectional win. They all feel that this is the year to do it and are willing to put in the work to reach that goal.

Brogan plans to go to college and play football, so it is important to him that he has a successful final season playing basketball.