The Hastings Varsity Basketball teams have done impressively well this season so far. We interviewed several players to hear their inside perspectives from playing on the teams. We spoke to sophomores Mila Angoff and Drew Ciszewski to hear about overall team performance so far, as well as eighth grader Kaya Israel to hear her personal experience as the youngest player on the girl’s team.

Our conversation with Mila:

How has the team’s performance been so far this season?

“I think our team dynamic is very strong. We’re three for one right now. Katie Drozd, Alexa Magaro, and Georgia Kennedy are our captains, and Katie is our lead scorer.”

What are the team’s strengths?

“One of our greatest strengths is hustling—we can outrun teams and that will lead us to victory.”

Tell us about any standout players or key contributors.

“Some contributing scorers are Kaya Israel, myself, and Alexa Magaro.”

How has the team been preparing for games?

“We think it’s most important that we’re showing up to practices, resting our bodies when we need to, and working hard on and off the court. We’ve also gone to the diner for team bonding, though we’re trying to do more team bonding.”

Have there been any memorable moments or games this season?

“Our game versus Pleasantville—we were up by four points, and Kaya stole the ball from Pleasantville and made an outstanding pass to Katie, and that was the winning possession of the game.”

Are there any upcoming games or tournaments that the team is excited about?

“We play Blind Brook on January 21st. They are a strong and large team, one of our strongest competitors.”

How has the coaching staff influenced the team’s success?

“Coach T[heodule], Coach Rohle, and Coach Williams have trained and guided us to where we need to be and have pushed us to be our best players.”

Next, we spoke to Drew Ciszewski:

How has the team’s performance been this season?

“We are currently three to one, losing a close game to Walter Panas in the championship at the Harrison tournament. So far we have been doing pretty well.”

What are the team’s strengths and weaknesses?

“We have been running our defense and offense really well, which I would say is one of our strengths. We need to limit turnovers.”

Can you tell us about any standout players or key contributors?

“I would say every player is contributing pretty well. The most standout player is probably Keith Capuano who has helped the team a lot on offense and defense.”

How has the team been preparing for games?

“We usually watch films and observe the other team’s strengths and weaknesses.”

What are the team’s goals for the season?

“Our goal is probably to make it to the County Center and win the golden ball, just like it is every year.”

Have there been any memorable moments or games this season?

“We haven’t really had any memorable moments this season because it’s very early, but our win over Harrison was pretty exciting.”

How has the coaching staff influenced the team’s success?

“Our team is very fortunate to have two very good coaches, one of which coached for a division 1 college team so I would say the coaching staff helps a lot.”

Last we spoke to Kaya Israel:

How has your season been so far?

“The season is off to a great start. We have three wins and one loss right now. My season is exciting because this is my first full year on varsity. After our great win against Pleasantville, the team and I have been more pumped and excited for the upcoming games.”

How has your personal experience been on the team?

“I’ve made many new friends this season and can play with my sister so I’m enjoying the season a lot. I recently came back from an injury so this is the first time in a few months I’ve got to play basketball and it’s going great.”

Given that you’re the youngest on the team, how do you think your experience differs from that of your teammates?

“At first it was intimidating being the youngest on the team but I’ve made some great friendships with my teammates and have gotten significant playing time in the games. Despite being the youngest and playing against many taller and stronger players, I still put in my best effort.”

How has the coaching staff influenced your success?

“The coaches have helped me grow in basketball because they have pushed me to work harder and challenge myself.”

What are the team’s strengths and weaknesses?

“Our strengths are that the team gets along well so we can all motivate and help each other. Our weakness is that the season has just started and everyone is a little rusty so we aren’t making all of our shots, layups, and remembering plays.”

Have there been any memorable moments or games this season?

“All the games have been fun but the most exciting one was our first home game against Pleasantville. The game started with them going out ahead, but then we fought back and we took the lead. With a few minutes left in the game, they tied up the score. Then, me and Alexa Magaro both made baskets and, to seal the game, I had a steal in the last 20 seconds and passed to Katie for her to score the final points.”

Are there any upcoming games or tournaments that you’re excited about?

“I’m excited for all the games coming up, especially for our home game against Dobbs Ferry.”

These conversations were conducted with these players at the beginning of the season; their continuous wins since then have proven their determination and sense of teamwork to be beneficial to their progression, kicking the season off to a great start.