Every winter, the hype surrounding PHS recreational basketball (“rec ball”) ramps up and becomes one of the most popular topics in the school.

Rec basketball is “a great way to spend a winter,” said senior Colin Marshall. “It allows people to play competitive basketball without lots of commitment.”

Rec ball features people of all skill levels and a chill, yet very competitive, environment, something that all people like.

This year, the league saw one of the best teams in rec ball history. Brewster’s Bait and Tackle, led by Colin Marshall and Nathan Fletcher, finished the season with a 14-0 record and won the championship in overtime against underdog Cafe Espresso. Marshall took home the MVP of the game, a great way to cap off a perfect season.

Duncan Cullinane, of team Cafe Espresso, was inches away from making a buzzer-beater to win the game at the end of regulation. Cullinane who says Espresso “was very successful” this season, fell just short of ruining Brewster’s perfect season, after their Cinderella playoff run.

Although Brewster may have gone undefeated this season, achieving a perfect record may not have been as easy as it sounds.

Team Rotary, led by regular-season MVP Chase Poulin and top big man Connor Hepponstall, was arguably the most talented team in the league, sitting right at the top of the standings with Brewster all season. They fell to Espresso early in the playoffs, a disappointing exit. “We were a great regular season team,” Poulin said, “in the playoffs, we just couldn’t come through and fell short”.

Another team that was full of talent was Portsmouth Chevy, featuring one of the most balanced starting five’s in the league. Unfortunately, Chevy dealt with many injuries throughout the season that set them back.

“We were successful when all of our players were healthy”, said Charlie Sciretto, a defensive specialist who was sidelined the whole season due to an injury suffered in football season. Team Chevy also saw top pick Jack Conner deal with injuries at the end of the season that caused him to be in and out of the lineup. 

For more rec ball excitement, sign up next winter to have a good time and play basketball!