The winter sports season is coming to a close, and it is time to recognize the winter senior athletes who have dedicated their entire time in high school to their sport, those who joined to make the most of their final year at Moorestown Friends, and those in between.
Boys Basketball
Aadit Pande:
After three seasons with the team, Pande is looking forward to his final year in basketball. Since he is a co-captain, he shared that he “wants to be more of a leader on and off the court” by “being the main person that teammates come to when they need help.” As for the team, the main goal is to “build the chemistry and win games.” Reflecting on his previous time with the team, he always “felt like he needed to score points when coming off the bench.” Now, his mentality has shifted, and instead of feeling this pressure, Pande wants to “show up for his teammates and coaches.”
Alex Kwak:
Alex Kwak entered his senior season with “the mindset that it’s the last time [he’s] going to play high school basketball so [he’s] going to leave it all on the court.” The “funny moments during practices and games” and the “constant motivation” from Pande are what push Kwak to continue working hard throughout the season. He also mentioned that he is “going to miss the team bonding.” Although the season has produced its fair share of trials and tribulations, Kwak hopes to keep a positive attitude. To him, “fun is what matters most,” and the most important thing is having one more chance to “spend time with all of [his] friends on and off the court.”
Arjan Chabra:
Aside from “team breakfasts and long bus rides to games that we’ve had since middle school,” point guard and co-captain Arjan Chabra had an unconventional answer to what he will miss most about playing a sport at Moorestown Friends: Saturday practices. He said that he is “going to miss the times where [the team] would all show up at 6:30 in the morning and do drills, get shots up, and really bond as a team.” Chabra has been with the basketball team since sixth grade and said,“Shaan Doshi is someone who has made my experience memorable because he is one of the people who has been on the team just as long.” As for his final year, his mentality going into it is “to enjoy everything that each practice and game has to offer and not taking anything for granted.”
Artese Brown:
One of Artese Brown’s main focuses going into his senior basketball season was to “make [himself] better and make [his] teammates better.” The opportunity to “build bonds with the new coaching staff” over the last two years allowed Brown and his team to grow together. Something that stood out to Brown about the MFS basketball program is the relationships he has built with “some people [he] knows [he] can count on when [he] leave[s] MFS.” He is grateful for the guidance and support from all of his teammates, but is especially appreciative of Pande, who has “made this a very memorable year.” After committing his winter months to the sport, Brown mentioned that he is going to miss the “atmosphere” of the fan-packed games: “It’s great to play in front of people who support you.”
Derrick Phillips:
Phillips is well into his first year on the basketball team and joined because “it is a fun environment” where “everyone is bouncing around and having fun.” He is looking forward to seeing everyone “improve as players and hopefully win a couple of games.” As for the final few weeks of the season, he said he is “looking forward to having a lot of fun with my teammates and friends.”
Jayden Lewis:
Shooting guard Jayden Lewis returned for his second season with the basketball team this year, following a break during his eleventh-grade year. He said he “wants to make the last year memorable so [he] can go off to college having a strong appreciation of the season, for [his] team, and knowing that [he] gave it all that [he] had.” He highlighted the impact that head coach Shawn Greene has made on his season so far: “Coach Greene really wants the best for everyone, including me, on this team. He pushes us harder than I’ve been pushed before, and I really appreciate that.” As for playing a sport during the winter season, Lewis said he will “miss everything that [surrounds] the sport, like the holidays and winter break.” He said “there are a lot of good vibes in the air, a lot of happy people, and [it is] a great time to play basketball.”
Nathan Jewett:
Nathan Jewett has been a member of the MFS Boys Basketball since his junior year. Although his time on the team was short, he thinks that the past two seasons “were the best two years to play.” At the beginning of the season, “the thing that excited [him] the most [was] the group of guys [they] had” with many seniors, and that excitement translated to the bond they created on and off of the court. Jewett touched on the “tight-knit community” that has developed over the past two years. He mentioned that there are “so many people [he has] grown closer to just because of the sport.” The “team chemistry” that they built this season is something that stood out to Jewett and is an aspect of his experience that he will deeply miss.
Vanya Weinstock:
Weinstock sees this year’s basketball season as a way for him to step up as a leader: “It is something different from what I’ve done every other year. Even though I’m not a starter, I still have to set an example for the Junior Varsity team and any underclassmen.” He said he leads through “better communication during practices and games and making sure everyone is doing what they have to do to improve their game.” His goal for this season is to “bring a positive mentality and sense of fun” to the team. Because he is a senior, he wants to “leave the basketball team knowing that the program is going to be better than when I left it.” Weinstock mentioned a moment in a game last season that he still carries with him when he gets on the court: “We had three steals in a row, were jumping passing lanes, and playing with a lot of hustle. We went on a big run because of that, and I always think of that when I get into the game. Just going onto the court giving 100 percent.”
Girls’ Basketball
Alissa Fox:
For fourth-year basketball player Alissa Fox, “sports have been [her] livelihood since before [she] can remember.” She has had her “fair share of time with the Junior Varsity squad as well,” but playing on both teams has made her “truly appreciate the coaching staff.” Fox has worked her way up to the captain spot on this year’s Varsity team. She and the other captains “have made it [their] mission to run this season, win or lose, off of good attitudes, sisterhood, and community.” Fox reminisced about her first varsity basket and how it continues to impact her on the court: “I went in for a layup very late in the season and honestly, got lucky it went in, but it opened up a new mentality for me. With that being said, basketball is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. If you tell yourself ‘I won’t make that shot,’ chances are, you won’t.” Fox, who also plays soccer in the fall and lacrosse in the spring, said that basketball “is a different crowd, energy, and of course, playing field.” She said there “is nothing quite like hitting the perfect shot, hearing the basket go ‘swoosh’ and the roar from the crowd that follows soon after.” It is a sound that Fox will “chase for a long time after [she] graduates.”
Macey Wilkins:
After three years on the MFS team, and over a decade of overall play, Macey Wilkins is in high spirts for her final basketball season. The team camaraderie and support from her teammates is what has made her experiences on and off the court so memorable. She hopes that after she graduates, “the girls are left behind with good energy, and I lead them in a way this year where they’re inspired to continue to be good leaders as well.” She also hopes “to leave behind just some good memories.” One thing Wilkins mentioned she will miss about being a girls’ basketball player is “the feeling in the gym where it’s a home game, everyone’s rallied up, everyone’s cheering you on, and the energy and school spirit is just very high.” Wilkins hopes to end her high school basketball career on a positive note with a “good support system from the coaches,” a strong team bond, and a fun season overall.
Naiya Patel:
Naiya Patel started her time with the basketball program in ninth grade but took a break for her junior year. Her decision to return to the program for her final year was motivated by “her friends on the team,” namely Fox and Wilkins. She said they “pushed her to change her mind,” and that she is “so glad they did.” She said, aside from being a part of a team, she is “going to miss her coaches like Mr. Brunswick, Mr. Cotter, and Ms. Stutz.” Patel does not “plan on playing sports in college, so it’s just memorable because it’s the last sport [she is] playing.” As for the season, she said it will be different because of the team’s new set of leaders: “We all have our own ways of doing things and helping the team out.”
Girls’ Swimming
Ali Benjamin:
Ali Benjamin has been a dedicated swimmer since her ninth-grade year, including the year when the team would participate in virtual meets due to the pandemic. For Benjamin, being a swimmer at Moorestown Friends means “working just as hard, or maybe even a little harder than some of the other winter sports teams, but not getting the same recognition.” Over the course of her four years with the team, they’ve had coaches and former team members who swam at the collegiate level, which “has helped her envision getting better each year.” She said the previous twelfth graders set a great example of “how to build the team community” and she wants to “be able to do the same for next year’s seniors and the team moving forward.” Finally, Benjamin is “excited to finish out her final year with the program on a positive note.”
Boys’ Fencing
Andrew Mercantini:
Mercantini is a committed, four-year member of the fencing team. As co-captain, Mercantini loves the energy created by the new staff and coaches. He mentioned, “I love Coach Hoyt and Coach Christine … they don’t have a lot of fencing experience, but that’s kind of good because it allows Jewell, Michael, Daniel, and myself to kind of shape what our practices are going to look like this year After committing so many years to this program, he commented on the unique aspect of the sport: “I think its definitely a niche sport, but I think people get into it and people enjoy it, so as long as you follow the program and follow the system, it’ll be fun.” As a leader, Mercantini is focused on creating a memorable season for the current team, and setting them up for success in the future. He hopes to “leave a legacy behind” so that “the team is sustainable once [he] leaves.”
Michael Huettl:
Huettl joined the MFS fencing team four years ago as a ninth grader. Throughout the years, he has progressed within the fencing community, ultimately becoming a team leader. His ambition for this year is to “build a new culture with the team.” Huettl said he is excited to “teach the new kids the basics and get them on the strip.” As a senior on the team, Huettl believes that “[the team’s] mentality definitely shifted more towards winning” as their “culture shifted from recreational fencing to a competitive, advanced program.” Aside from the players, Huettl discussed the coaching change and how it has affected his season: “This year, we had a coaching change, and we are currently having more people coming outside of MFS that are from fencing academies and institutions.” Huettl hopes to leave an impact on current players and “give back what [he] learned to the rest of the fencing program.”
Daniel Sorokin:
Sorokin started his time with the fencing program in ninth grade and was a committed member of the team for four years. Sorokin discussed his mindset coming into this season as a leader of the program: “As a senior now, I’m definitely less stressed about fencing. I didn’t even know if I was going to be a part of the team this year, if I’m being honest. It’s all for fun now; that’s the mindset.” Furthermore, Sorokin looks forward to “seeing new people join the team. This year we saw a lot of new 9th graders join the team which was awesome.” Aside from this season, Sorokin hopes that “people in future years can understand the value that comes with making sure everyone has a place in the team.”
Dorian Cutts:
Cutts started his journey with the fencing team last year but has not failed to make his mark on the team. Cutts said that this year will be different because “I know a little bit more and should have more fun.” He expressed that the team “has a lot of teamwork and bonding” and that “the captains are great leaders with good advice.” He said that “everyone gets along,” and he will “definitely miss” that aspect. As for the season, the combined fencing team has reached more than thirty people. Cutts is looking forward to the “longer season and bigger squad” compared to past years.
Girls’ Fencing
Sreehita Hajeebu:
Hajeebu is an accomplished fencer and a four-year program member. As the Sabre squad captain, Hajeebu hopes to “pass on all the fencing techniques [she] learned from previous seniors and pass them on to the future freshmen who are going to lead the team.” Aside from this season, she will miss “community bonding on the late night bus rides coming back from North Jersey and going to Wendy’s.” Hajeebu hopes to leave the fencing program with a memorable impact and “leave a sense of community,” as well as build “a sense of teamwork along with leadership” to carry on a legacy.
Acknowledgment is given to the remaining senior winter sports athletes who declined to comment. Be sure to keep up with all matchups on Twitter @MFSWordsworth.
