The Ward Melville boys varsity basketball team came out on fire this past Tuesday against Patchogue-Medford in their first league game of the season.  The Patriots finished with a score of 65 to 48 over the Raiders.  The boys gave the crowded gym a reason to cheer with an abundance of three pointers, breakaways, and aggressive rebounds. Senior, Alex Mazzone, started off the game with two back to back layups giving the Patriots a lead they would hold onto for all four quarters.

Senior starters, Alex Sobel and Brendan Martin also helped contribute to the team’s win with a combined total of 32 points. Going into the game, the Ward Melville Patriots were ready to play hard defense and were able to shut down Noah Stevenson, a skilled player for the Raiders.   

“Our team defense was solid and everyone contributed by moving the ball and scoring baskets,” Martin said was the reason for the win. Sobel and head coach, Alex Piccirillo agreed with this statement, both giving credit to the Pats’ tight defense for the victory.  Sobel was the key to the team’s defensive success, blocking multiple Pat-Med shots throughout game.

“We had a week off between games and a great week of preparation.  The guys took what we gave them and executed every bit of it,” said Piccirillo of his team.  He attributed the team’s triumph to Martin and Sobel’s undeniable skill, but didn’t fail to give credit to the team as a whole:“Our leaders are Brendan Martin and Alex Sobel, and they played tremendous tonight, but everybody helps, it takes five guys on the court at all times to be successful.”

The patriots will face a tough competitor on Thursday, December 21st away against Longwood.  A quick team with lots of skill, but after Tuesday’s performance, it seems the pats are up to the challenge.