NOVEMBER 2012
33 WWW.CBHSCIRCUIT.COM
SPORTS
THE CIRCUIT
Boys basketball strives for states BY JAKE MARSH SPORTS EDITOR
After making it to the regional semiĂ€QDOV MXVW D \HDU DJR WKH ER\V YDUVLW\ EDVketball team has only one goal in mind for this upcoming season: a state championship. Despite losing some players from last year’s senior class, head coach Jason Looky said the team as a unit will not have to make too many changes. “I don’t think we need to make too PDQ\ DGMXVWPHQWV Âľ &RDFK /RRN\ VDLG “We are built kind of the same way as our team from last year.â€? Even though there will be some holes WR Ă€OO IURP ODVW \HDU¡V ORVVHV &RDFK /RRN\ is looking forward to current players and WKHLU MRE WR VWHS XS WKLV VHDVRQ “Guard Ross Udine will have much more of an impact this year, as will senior Cory Baach,â€? he said. “You will see guys who played smaller amounts of minutes
PHOTO BY NETA BRONFMAN
ANKLE BREAKER: Seniors Alex Jurko and Ben Antoine practice for the beginning of the season on Nov. 19.
last year play an important role.� Baach, a center, said he is really looking forward to this upcoming season for a variety of reasons. “I am looking forward to our team ‘three-peating’ the district championship and hopefully going farther than last year’s team,� he said. “Personally, I am excited to spend my senior year with some of my closest friends.� As one of the team’s leaders, Baach said it is essential that every member of
the team gives it his all at all times. “We have to talk and communicate RQ ERWK HQGV RI WKH Ă RRU >RIIHQVH DQG GHfense.],â€? Baach said. “Also, we have to be in the right spots on defense at all times. Effort is never an issue with our team.â€? Senior power forward Ben Antoine VDLG KH LV FRQĂ€GHQW DERXW KLV SRWHQWLDO playing in the paint this season. “Playing ball down low has actually been kind of easy for me,â€? Antoine said. “I am bigger than everybody on the team
and I will most likely get it done by getting more rebounds and putting up some post moves.â€? Aside from reaching the second round of the state playoffs last year, the team won the Mission Prep Classic tournaPHQW LQ &DOLIRUQLD DQG TXDOLĂ€HG IRU WKH “Big 8,â€? a tournament featuring some of the best teams in South Florida. “The most important thing this year is defense, being tight on offense and not turning the ball over as much as we did last year,â€? Antoine said. “If we do those things, we will be a really good team and hopefully get to states.â€? Coach Looky said the team must take its season day-by-day if it wants to make it far this season. “We need to get better every day and every game,â€? he said. “I know it sounds clichĂŠ-ish, but you have to take each game one by one. In order to win the state chamSLRQVKLS \RX KDYH WR ZLQ Ă€YH JDPHV >LQ the playoffs]. So that would be our ultimate goal.â€? The team will begin its season on Nov. 19 at McArthur and will play in front of the “Lightning Lunaticsâ€? at home for the Ă€UVW WLPH RQ 1RY
Hockey team starts with win
BY CHAD DANIELS-ROSENBERG
PHOTO BY MAX THILEN
CAN I GET YOUR: AUTOGRAPH?: Junior Ross Udine and senior Josh Pollack sign autographs for guests at the “Dinner on the Court� event on Nov. 11.
Basketball teams host dinner, auction fundraiser BY JAKE MARSH SPORTS EDITOR
The entire basketball program hosted “Dinner on the Court� on Nov. 11. This event was intended to raise money for both the boys and girls teams so that they could have enough equipment and other related items throughout the upcoming season. Special guest appearances at the event included Josh Appel, the former voice of the Lightning, former Miami Dolphin players Vernon Carey and Ki-Jana Carter and former Miami Heat player Mark Strickland. “We use the money for a variety of things,� girls varsity assistant coach Paul Gorlick said. “The boys are going on an away trip to Tennessee over the break. For the girls, we use it for their uniforms, sneakers, t-shirts and bags. All things like that.� The evening activities began with members of both teams serving dinner to the guests. After that, the players were able to show off their skills in a shooting
contest and a dunk contest. Throughout the night, a silent auction was held for people to bid on sports memorabilia. “The auction is the big moneymaker, so to speak,â€? Coach Gorlick said. “A lot of athletes donated things. Like Shaquille O’Neal did. The Miami Heat donated a signed basketball. So it all gets auctioned off and it is a great thing.â€? Girls varsity head coach Scott Selvidge said it was nice to see everyone out of their usual mindset. ´, OLNH WR VHH HYHU\ERG\ MXVW RXW RI WKH basketball element,â€? he said. “Everyone is dressed up a little bit nicer, they are relaxed. It is not about practice today, a game or getting ready. It is about everyone in a semi-casual atmosphere having dinner and getting to know each other.â€? Coach Gorlick said he appreciated the fact that some of his players got the opSRUWXQLW\ WR LQWHUDFW ZLWK SHRSOH XQDIĂ€OLated with the basketball team. “It’s great to see the community out here at the event,â€? he said. “It’s good to
VHH WKH NLGV LQ D GLIIHUHQW OLJKW WKDQ MXVW during the school day. You get to see their parents and see people who are MXVW HQMR\LQJ WKHPVHOYHV Âľ Senior Cory Baach, a member of the boys varsity team, said this function was a good bonding experience for all of the players. “It’s good to get to know each other,â€? KH VDLG ´,W GRHVQ¡W MXVW KDYH WR EH EDVketball where we get to interact. If we MXVW NQRZ KRZ HDFK RWKHU DFWV LW UHODWHV on the court to how we are going to cut, what play to make. Chemistry in general, on and off the court, increases.â€? Although this event did not include passing and shooting drills, Coach Gorlick said that it was nice to see members of both teams interacting with each other. ´$V GXPE DV LW VRXQGV WKH\ >WKH players] are serving food and have to work together to make sure everything runs smoothly and it is team building,â€? he said. “You can obviously put that to use on the basketball court.â€?
The varsity hockey team started its season on Nov. 5 against North Broward Preparatory. The Lightning defeated the Eagles 2-1, starting off the season with a win. “I’m expecting a very good year,â€? senior center Danny Worth said. “I expect OHVV WKDQ Ă€YH ORVVHV DQG ZH DOZD\V DLP for perfection.â€? Worth scored both of the goals in the win against North Broward. He thinks he can lead the league in goals and expects at least 20 assists. “The win is a great start to the season and we hope to continue the momentum into the next game,â€? Worth said. :RUWK VFRUHG KLV JRDOV LQ WKH Ă€UVW DQG third periods. North Broward scored a goal early in the third making the score 2-1. The Eagles then scored a goal at the buzzer tying the game, but the goal was reversed after further review, giving the Lightning the win. The Lightning had six penalties, while North Broward had seven. “I feel that we are off to a good start,â€? senior forward Ryan Fellman said. “Some of us have played on the same team for four years, so we know each other’s style of play and have good chemistry.â€? The team captains this year are seniors Worth and Casey Greenberg, and the assistant captains are seniors Spencer Keyser and Thomas Yamashita. “This year we will bring a state championship to Cypress Bay,â€? Fellman said. “We hope to reach our goal of becoming state champs and one of the best hockey teams in the nation.â€? The team will play 20 games during the regular season and hopes to reach the playoffs and succeed on the road to states. “Every single time I take a step on the ice, I will have to make an impact,â€? said Jake Levy, who is the only freshman on the team. Levy, along with the rest of the team, said he hopes to bring the team to a state championship and beyond.