4 December 2012
By Griffin Ferre, Copy Editor
The last time the boys’ basketball team was in action, it competed in the third round of the CIF playoffs against Thousand Oaks, a game that it eventually lost 54-38. The good news for the team is that it is coming off an extremely successful year; the bad news is that only five players, and no starters, from that team are returning. This is by no means an indication that the team is devoid of talent, though.
Matt Slater (11) and Kyle Benter (11) are two juniors who were on the varsity team last year and figure to be key contributors this year. Bailee Freidman (12), Chris Ginwright (12), Cody Vaughan (12) and Dakotah Ramirez (12) are the only seniors on the team and will be looked to for leadership by this remarkably young squad, which consists of five sophomores and two freshman compared to only three juniors and the four seniors. This means that the team’s youth will be a key element to watch out for as the season progresses. The players will most likely need time to get acclimated to each other, but the playing time that these young players receive now will be beneficial for them in the future. JD Builteman (10) and Juan Eason (10) are two sophomores in particular who are slotted to see significant playing time this year.
To prepare for the new season, the team staged an alumni game and an intrasquad scrimmage in which the team was split in half and the two sides played each other to simulate a real game experience.
On Tuesday, November 27, all the offseason workouts and practices paid off for the Bears when they defeated Temescal Canyon 70-65 in the first round of the Big Daddy Tournament held at Citrus Hill High School. The score remained close throughout the game, but Poly eventually pulled out the victory. The team then moved on to play Murrieta Mesa in the second round, and despite leading by the score of 29-20 at halftime, it was unable to close out the victory, falling by the final score of 60-54. Ginwright was named the player of the game for both matchups, and Vaughan led the team in scoring both nights, racking up 18 points in the first game and 11 points in the second. Poly wrapped up the Big Daddy Tournament by splitting its final two games, defeating Notre Dame 64-56 in the third round and losing to Vista Murrieta 63-57 in the fourth. Poly will next compete in the Kiwanis Tournament starting December 4.