After an up and down season last year that ended in heartbreaking fashion, Westford Academy Boys’ Basketball is more motivated than ever to hang up a victory banner at the end of this season.
A hot start in the DCL last year had WA in a great position to make a state tournament push as long as they avoided any major setbacks. Unfortunately, a mid-season slump left WA’s tournament hopes in jeopardy. Despite a phenomenal effort, WA’s tough end of season schedule proved to be too much to overcome, leaving the Ghosts outside of the state tournament, finishing their season at nine wins and eleven losses.
Ever since last season came to a close, the team has spent countless hours revamping in preparation for the upcoming winter. Head Coach Christopher Bramanti has emphasized conditioning and being in the best shape possible and will continue to do so once the season begins.
“Once we start, we are going to run, run, run some more, work on some defense, then maybe we will touch a ball,” Bramanti said.
Last season’s team was very senior heavy, leaving players in other grades with minimal time on the floor. This means that the team this year will have less in-game experience than usual, making team chemistry even more important. Despite the inexperience, there will be plenty of senior leadership to help expedite the learning process.
Many of the returning players from last season have spent the entire summer and fall playing together in different leagues, beginning to build the chemistry and camaraderie needed to succeed this season. Despite the progress made this off-season, Bramanti still wants to see his players continue to build a stronger culture with the season set to begin in early December.
“We have to learn to trust each other. We have to build a culture that I do not think we quite have yet,” Bramanti said. “When we do that, we will become a better defensive team and I think that is going to help our offense get better too. Right now, I do not know if we are there yet.”
In the past few seasons, WA’s rotation has typically been limited to six or seven players that get significant playing time, but with so many holes to fill this season it is easy to see that WA is going to need each one of their players to step up.
Due to all of the moving parts, Bramanti’s focus of building a culture and finding an identity will definitely prove to be an important factor in the team’s success this season.
While losing a lot of seniors can be overwhelming due to all of the players needed to replace them, the team is excited about the group they will have on the court this season, and has their sights set on big things.
“This team is unique because all of the players we have all have different skill sets and personalities which makes the team special,” senior forward Nick Russo said. “The team also has a good mindset on the game and plays aggressive which will definitely help us out this year.”
Bramanti and the team are on the same page about their goals. WA clearly has their sights set on winning as many games as possible and plans on doing everything they can to make that happen. Bramanti will continue to push the team to trust each other and find their identity as the season progresses, and the players are up for the challenge.
“Our team goals this year are to win the DCL Championship and not only just make the state tournament, but win the state tournament,” Russo said.
WA will tip-off their season at 7pm on Dec. 12 at home against Leominster.
