The 2024-2025 Heschel boys junior varsity and varsity basketball seasons are underway. The varsity team looks to expand on its success from last year, when it made the playoffs for the first time in five years. The JV team looks to turn things around this season after a disappointing season last year.
The varsity team has lots of new faces this season. Unlike last year’s team, which had no sophomores, varsity has brought in two sophomores this year. Noah Margolis and Ariel Zeltzer look to make an impact on the court in their first seasons.
The varsity team picked up where it left off and won its first game of the season against JEC. Team Captain Jordan Cohen-Mintz led the squad with twenty-one points. After the win to start the season, Heschel went on a losing streak and lost the next four games to Hillel, Ramaz, SAR and TABC. Heschel won a huge bounce back game against Kushner at homecoming by the score of 56-47. Heschel then beat Hillel and Ohr Yisroel but lost to North Shore which places the heat at a respectable 4-5 record going into the break.
The Heschel boys and girls varsity basketball teams also had the opportunity to compete at the Weiner Family Basketball Tournament in Baltimore, Maryland. Both teams displayed resilience and grit over the long five day event competing against other Jewish teenagers from the Tri State area, Maryland, Canada and Israel.
The girls team finished in 5th place with a respectable 2-4 record. Although their final result fell short of their aspirations, the team displayed a strong campaign and greatly improved from last year.
After the tournament head coach Megan McKenna said, “Even though we have a lot of newcomers, the seniors have embraced it. I can see the support amongst the team rooting for each other to succeed during games. We have a fun filled roster, and I am looking forward to the impact the trip will hold for the rest of the season.”
The boys team finished pool play at the tournament with a spectacular 5-0 record. The team faced Boyar in the semi-final game, a team which the Heat had already beaten in pool play. After beating Boyar, the boys team had its eyes on a championship, which would be the school’s first in this tournament since 2014. The team faced off against CHAT in the championship game, and after falling behind early in the first half, the team could never really find their footing and ended up losing 34-18.
After a successful tournament, sophomore Noah Margolis said, “We succeeded in the tournament because we worked together and supported each other. We played with confidence and brought the best level of play that we could.”
The boys and girls teams had lots of success in the Weiner Family Basketball Tournament and look to take this momentum into the rest of the season.
The JV boys team has introduced multiple new players, with only five returning players on a seventeen-man roster. The team won its first game in convincing fashion, taking down Kushner 60-47 at home. The team is currently 1-7 after losing to JEC twice, Hillel, Ramaz TABC, SAR and Frisch all teams which made the playoffs last year.
Heschel basketball is playing quality basketball and look to take their successes into the Yeshiva League playoffs.