By MARCUS KRANZ, AUSTIN WEISS and MATTHEW WEISSMAN
The Jericho boys varsity basketball team had another successful season, not only finishing with a 13-7 record, but also advancing to the second round of the playoffs. They had a roster of 18, led by senior captains Dev Anne, Guri Chadha, Ben Orr and Josh Rubin.
Rubin felt it was an honor to be able to support his teammates and lead them for his final year. He said, “Being able to lead and represent Jericho basketball on the court really was the cherry on top of this amazing senior season.”
The team started the season hot with 4 straight wins against Carle Place, Sewanhaka, Long Beach and Mepham before 2 losses to Baldwin, and a nail-biting loss to Valley Stream Central. Over winter break, they competed in the annual Walt Whitman Invitational tournament where they beat Cold Spring Harbor 51-48. They made it to the finals of the tournament, but ultimately lost to the Walt Whitman Wildcats, 71-56.
After the break, the team came out strong, leading Wantagh 26-21 at halftime, but despite Josh Rubin’s 17 points, they lost 52-51 in a heartbreaking finish. However, they bounced back with a 21-point win over Great Neck North and a 13-point victory over MacArthur, before falling to conference champions Great Neck South by 19. The team then rallied from a 20-point deficit against Long Beach, to win by 8 and later beat Mepham by 18. A tough 76-40 loss to Baldwin followed, but the Jayhawks responded with four straight wins, including a 62-39 victory on senior night, before dropping a 15-point game to Great Neck South.
Guard Josh Rubin shoots a three-pointer to help lead the Jayhawks’ 20-point comeback against Long Beach on January 16th. Josh thinks that the team was able to hold through and win big titles. “We went through a tough stretch in the middle of our season where we were losing games and not giving our all, but we fought through as a team and ended the season strong winning 4 out of our last 5, and winning a huge playoff game vs Sewanhaka,” he said.
The Jayhawks started strong in their first playoff game, scoring 16 in the first quarter. The Jayhawks led Sewanhaka by 3 at the half. In the fourth quarter, Sewanhaka started to pull away with 5 minutes left, but the Jayhawks rallied and closed the gap with a clutch shot from guard Guri Chadha. In overtime, it was a back-and-forth affair and the Jayhawks were down 2 with 19 seconds left when guard Casey Deutsch, who ultimately ended up being the hero, got a steal in the backcourt and hit a clutch layup while drawing the foul and hitting the free throw to put the Jayhawks up by one and sealing the victory. After the game, Deutsch commented on the game-winning free throw that sent the Jayhawks to the next round. “It’s just a regular free throw that I have shot thousands of times in the gym,” he said.
The team went on the road for the next round taking on the defending state champs, the Elmont Spartans. The Jayhawks were heavy underdogs and never got their footing. It was a tough way to end a great season.
The Jayhawks earned 4 county awards. Guard Guri Chadha received an All-County award, forward Dev Anne received the All-County Scholar Athlete award and guard Josh Rubin and Casey Deutsch took home All-Conference awards.
The legacy of this team will continue to be defined not only by their achievements but by their ability to come together when it mattered most. The awards earned by the team members reflect their dedication, and their playoff run will surely be remembered by the Jericho community for years to come.
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