As the MHS boys basketball season begins, all members on the team are looking forward to the season and putting forth their best efforts.
Senior Christian Monahan-DaSilva described that this season, he hopes to see the team make it back to the state tournament while ending the season with a winning record. Adding onto that, to prepare for the season, the team has been practicing all off-season throughout the summer and the fall.
Senior captain Robens Garcia explained that he wants this season to be better than seasons in the past. Despite the previous seasons not going the way he intended it to, he concluded that the team still managed to accomplish a portion of their goals.
Similar to the comment made by Monahan-DaSilva, in preparation for the beginning of the season, Garcia said that the team has been running a lot as well as practicing together to get comfortable with each other.
Junior Guilherme Lopes, who transferred from Malden Catholic, explained how he hopes to obtain a winning record by the end of the season and to potentially go further than the team did in the previous season.
Monahan-DaSilva elaborated that in the past seasons, “[they] did not work too well as a team together” but believes that this season they will be much more “together.”
Junior David Mervilus, who is a transfer from Canada, mentioned that he initially transferred to make his dream come true which is to win the championships as well as the whole league. He explained how his goal for this season is to win the league in which he says his teammates and himself put in the work.
When asked how playing basketball in Canada differs from MHS, he claimed Canada is easier due to the fact that they do not have practice everyday, whereas he believes MHS is “harder” because they have practices everyday along with “no breaks.”
Similarly, Lopes commented that when he attended Malden Catholic it was solely focused on winning whereas he believes MHS is a bigger opportunity in which the coaches and teammates are pushing him harder. He continued to explain that not only are they trying to see them win as a team but he is also improving on his skills.
Monahan-DaSilva also commented that his skills have improved in terms of his ability to dunk.
Lopes also added that his skills have improved since transferring from Malden Catholic, elaborating that head coach Don Nally has been giving him motivation giving him the opportunity to play.
As for strengths and weaknesses, Garcia explained that his strength is his playmaking. As for weaknesses, he claimed that he needs to be a “better” leader for the team. He also hopes to lead him teammates to the tournament and go really far because “people are doubting [them] and [he] want[s] to prove that [they] could play to the next level.”
Lopes comments that as a whole team, he wants them not only to get better but to win the championship as well. Aside from winning, he wants the team as a whole to be united. He stated that “regardless if basketball season is over, [he] want[s] to have that mentality as well,” and to “become one on and off the court.”
Both Monahan-DaSilva and Lopes are looking forward to playing against Everett considering it is a rivalry.
Although the team looks forward to playing every game, Garcia looks forward to playing against St. John Prep which was the team eliminated them from the state tournament last year.
Monahan-DaSilva believes that Mervilus is a new comer on the team that stands out. Lopes continues to add that although he is a newcomer himself, Mervilus makes his teammates laugh and regardless if he messes up, he continues to learn and improve. He stated, “[Mervilus] is a great teammate and so is everyone else.”
All members on the MHS boys basketball team are looking forward to the new season as well as hoping to make a deep run in the postseason.
