Jericho Vies for Conference Crown in Highly-Anticipated Showdown Against New Hyde Park

BY MARCUS KRANZ ’27

On Thursday February 5, Jericho travels to New Hyde Park on the cusp of claiming the AA3 league title. The previous contest served as a reminder of what is on the line. The Jayhawks came out strong and established the tempo early on, employing balanced offense and stingy defense to build on their lead for the win as Casey Deutsch ’27 had 27 points and Deven Mudgil ’28 tacked on 11. Mudgil hit the clutch free throws to seal the game.

Captain Max Spector ’26 emphasized that during this upcoming game, the team has to remain composed. Spector said that the Jayhawks must, “stay focused and composed, [and not] let the emotions get the best of [them].”

The Jayhawks enter the rematch with a win in the previous contest, looking to extend their six-game winning streak to steal the conference title. Emotions and tensions will run high again as the title hangs in the balance for Jericho while they face New Hyde Park on their court during the Gladiators’ Senior Night.

New York State Hall of Famer and Jericho Head Coach Walter Bachman spoke about the opportunity and challenge that face the team. “To be conference champs would be a wonderful accomplishment for my team,” said Coach Bachman. While admitting New Hyde Park will be a difficult test for his team, Coach Bachman confidently said, “If Jericho plays the Jericho system, we will win.” As the noise rises and the stakes peak, Jericho has 32 minutes to turn belief into another conference title in program history.