Through the first month of the season, the MFS Foxes Boys’ Basketball team has jumped out to a 5-3 record, a stark difference from their 2-4 record at this same time last season. So far, the team has picked up key regional wins over the likes of Willingboro and Camden Tech. The team’s improved performance to begin the season has come on the heels of impressive showings by individual players alongside strong team play.
In contrast to previous years, the team consists almost entirely of upperclassmen: three seniors, six juniors, and one sophomore.
Elijah Muhammad ’26 is a third-year varsity player, currently leads the team with 21 assists as the team’s starting point guard.
“Coming into the season with a much more experienced team definitely helps. We’ve all had a few years to get to know each other and the coaches, so the chemistry is really there,” Muhammad said.
On the defensive side, improvement has been evident since the very beginning of the season, when the team outscored Willingboro 21-2 in their first quarter of the regular season.
“Since summer workouts our coaches have really put the emphasis on conditioning and good defense … Having that edge over the other team makes a huge difference when one-stop or fast break can cause a shift in momentum,” Benjamin Buchdahl ’26 remarked.
The statistics tell a similar story; the Foxes have already racked up 97 steals as a team, more than several teams currently at the top of the BCSL, such as Maple Shade and Delran.
Highlighting the improvement on defense is not to say the Foxes’ offense hasn’t been similarly impressive.
Zakariah Bah ’25, the team’s leading scorer, has averaged 26.2 points per game through 5 games played, while also racking up 14 assists and 52 rebounds.
“It’s really about the team play and Coach [Shawn Green’s] gameplan. The fact that everyone on the court is able to score really opens it up for me and [Chase Barnes ’25] … our improvement on offense is really a credit to everyone individually improving and playing unselfishly,” Bah explained.
Although Bah missed two games due to injury, the team managed to rally and come out with a 1-1 record over that stretch. In a win over Camden Tech, three players scored over 15 points, demonstrating the team’s depth on the scoring end.
Although the Foxes’ have clearly surpassed their performance in the 2023-2024 season, the team is confident a strong regular season performance won’t be the end for them.
“I think we have a really good shot at finishing top of the BCSL and doing pretty well in the state tournament too. It’s really about sticking to our gameplans and fundamentals and just executing,” said Justin Lewis ’26.
