The men’s basketball team won the Suburban League Championship last year, and is looking to do the same once again through hard work and fast-play.

 Coach Dean Rahas leads the team. Rahas said that he is looking to continue winning with the team. 

“Last year, we won the league championship. It was our fourth ]in the last six years . . .  so we’re looking to continue that,” Rahas said.

Winning takes leadership, which comes a little different for the Minutemen than most teams. The team does not have captains, unlike many high school teams.

The leadership on the team comes from seniors and veteran players, not just a small group of captains. This leadership allows the team to play hard, which Rahas appreciates. 

“We’re not the biggest team out there. I mean, I think people can see that. But our guys play a lot bigger than they are. They play together,” Rahas said.

Despite the lack of size, the team’s players show heart. With a lack of size, the Minutemen have a large number of guards on the roster.

“We have a bunch of guards, which I love. We [have] got a lot of guys that can shoot and play up tempo, fast paced basketball . . .  that’s kind of the style that I grew up playing, and I liked to play so it makes it more fun,” Rahas said. 

One of the many guards on the team is Sophomore Uriah Pulliam. Pulliam believes the team will see success again this season, reflecting the league title won last year, but taking it up a notch.

“We wanted to go further, we wanted to win our district,” Pulliam said. 

Pulliam said the team not only wants to be better, but that they are capable of taking the next step and going further in the playoffs. 

“I feel pretty good. We have the pieces, we have the guys, and we have the heart,” Pulliam said. 

Will Wells, another member of the team, also said the team can continue their success. 

“If we play like we did last year and move the ball, I think we can be a good team,” Wells said. 

Fast-paced basketball was a staple for the Minutemen last year, and they look to continue that. Wells also said the team worked during the off-season to get better. 

“Everyone trained really hard in lifting and were constantly working,” Wells said.

The hard work of the off-season and the heart the Minutemen show on the court are what they hope to use to improve on the success of last year.

To read more about the Basketball team click HERE