Mamaroneck’s boys basketball team may have come up short in their bid for a Section 1 title last winter, but if the last few weeks are any indication, the Tigers are keyed up and focused on bringing home a Gold Ball this March.
The Tigers are getting plenty of work in this summer, getting a head start on the upcoming season with a robust schedule of workouts and summer league games designed to put their best foot forward before the school year starts in September.
On Tuesday, the Tigers shined against 7 Hills Elite in Lincoln Park Summer Classic action, beating 55-16. The Lincoln Park Summer Classic—a long-running New Rochelle summer league—features a number of local high school teams including New Rochelle and Rye, as well several travel clubs from the greater NYC-area.
It’s just one place the Tigers are honing their skills this summer, as the team is also participating in morning workouts to get ready for their upcoming campaign.
Senior captains Will Plunkett and Brandon Burrell say that the work the team is putting in during July and August will pay off once the winter season rolls around, something made even more important as the group recognizes that it is on the cusp of a Section 1 title after falling the Class AAA semifinals last winter.
“We’re looking for a section championship,” said Plunkett. “This group, this senior class, has been together forever so we’re treating this as the final ride and we have one job to do.”
Burrell concurred, noting that summer league games are also an opportunity to see how younger players fit into the equation for the Tigers. This, explained Burrell, will help the established veterans get a chance to build on-court relationships before the start of the year.
“We have a few new guys here so we are trying to work on that chemistry as we get closer to the fall,” said the Harvard-bound Burrell. “The buy-in is there; it’s a lot of time, it’s a big commitment, but we love this.”
The Lincoln Park Summer Classic’s regular season will run until the end of July, but it’s not the only place Plunkett and Burrell will share the court this summer. The duo are also on the Lower Hudson Valley team that will compete in the Basketball Coaches Association of New York tournament in August alongside several other local stars from schools like Mount Vernon, Rye and White Plains.
That team will compete from August 1-3 at Monroe Woodbury.
“When you see these guys during the year, they’re opponents and you’re doing your best to beat them,” said Burrell. “So this is a fun experience.”
