Basketball Success Rallies Students

Describing a last-period pep rally as a “spur of the moment” event, English teacher Evan O’Neill said basketball has been on the minds of many students and faculty in recent days.

“As a teacher, it was difficult today,” he said. “Everybody’s very excited.”

The boys’ basketball team, which has won 27 games in a row this season, will face Northwest Catholic at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday at Mohegan Sun for the Class L championship. The pep rally on Friday afternoon brought together the different grades of the school to show their support for the undefeated team.

Athletic Director Jeff Larson said the team advanced to the championship last year but lost the final game. The last time the Whalers took home a title in boys’ basketball was 2005.

“They’re an amazing team,” Larson said of this year’s squad. “If they show up to play there’s not many teams that can beat them.”

The rally’s events included performances from the school’s band and cheerleaders. There was also a student vs. faculty free throw contest and a “first-ever” dance-off between students selected from the four classes. The basketball team was later brought out and introduced, with one player revealing that he’d gotten a green-dyed mohawk haircut.

“The kids are jazzed for this,” said science teacher and former athletic director “Leo Facchini. “This is a big thing for us.”

John Diaz, president of the Class of 2011, said students were showing their support by wearing the school colors.

“It’s pretty big,” he said. “You see people wearing green and gold…Everybody’s pretty excited for tomorrow.”