It’s December and what does that mean? Some may think Hanukkah and some may think Christmas but for many proud RHS fans, it means the start of the BASKETBALL season!! And there is no one better to get the season started than Nicky Crane, captain of the Ridgewood Varsity Basketball Team.
Nicky is a senior and is a guard on the Varsity team, a position he has held two years. Nicky is one of the seniors returning to the team and seeking to build on back to back league championships from the prior two seasons. With their goal of winning another league championship, Nicky says they hope to also make a run for the states. Nicky is “very confident in this team’s ability to do that if [they] are all able to buy-in” which is part of Nicky’s primary focus as captain. “I try to lead by example. When other guys, especially underclassmen, see a senior with experience at the varsity level give 100% effort, whether it be in games or practice, they have no excuse but to do the same. I also think it’s important to make our goals known at the beginning of the season. This will allow us to make sure we remain on track throughout the season.”
Nicky and the entire team are excited to return to a full schedule this year, after their abbreviated 2020-21 season. The team’s first game was December 17th against Old Tappan which they won 58-49. You can follow their schedule at https://www.ridgewoodathletics.com/main/teamschedule/id/3631092/seasonid/4618776 .
When asked what he believes will be the team’s biggest challenge, Nicky noted that chemistry at the beginning of any season is a challenge. However, even with practicing only a little over two weeks and having a few scrimmages mixed in, Nicky says “Our team chemistry is great. For a lot of us, it is our first time playing with each other so there have been some inevitable growing pains. That being said, we are a very tight group off the court and our chemistry on the court is definitely starting to take shape.”
Looking ahead, Nicky says that the team is “very confident about what we can achieve this year… Our team word for this year is “legacy.” At the end of the season, we want to make sure we are remembered in the best way possible.”
Go Maroons!
Elisha de Silva
staff writer
Graphic: Grace Gluckow