As winter descends on Old Saybrook, the town prepares for the start of the winter sports season. Indoor track, boys and girls basketball, and other cold-weather activities are set to begin, and the Rams are ready to compete. The season has a schedule filled with games and events, drawing spectators to support the local athletes.
Looking into the boys basketball team, Head Coach Chris Perras has many goals for the season. Perras stated,“I want us to get better everyday and to really show growth as individuals and as a team. This can help us make the state and shoreline playoffs.” This goal will take time to achieve as he looks to rebuild the team after losing last year’s seniors: Aidan D’Anna, Brayden Cody, Jake Speed, Drew Kulmann, and Holden LeMire. Coach Perras said, “We lost 6 out of 15 from last year’s team…and with such a large number of underclassmen, we are eager to see who will compete to fill those roles throughout the season. I’m excited to work with the guys and implement new things to put us in a position to be successful and build a solid foundation for the future.” Three of the six players that are no longer eligible to play were starters. Senior Captain Brendan Cassella said, “As far as this season goes there is a lot of unknown. We are a very young team but with the players we have I am sure that we can find success. As a captain, my goal is to help the younger kids get comfortable with the team and high school basketball in general.” Cassella will be leading the team alongside Wes Percival and Ethan Lane this season.
The girls basketball team is in a very similar situation as the boys team, having lost three starters: Alex Ling, Sanai Baker, and Nora Kulmann. Senior Kylie Lake said “After having a successful season last year, I’m certainly excited to get back on the court. We have many returning players as well as many new additions and by working hard in practice, hopefully we’ll develop a cohesive play style that will bring us both wins, and a fun environment to play in.” Despite losing a total of five varsity players, they are looking to have repeated success this year. Last year, the girls made the state playoffs as well as the shoreline conference playoffs. Lake, alongside Breleigh Cooke, has received a new role this year. “Being a captain, I would like to be someone my teammates can look up to. I’m always looking to better my own game and also do what’s best for the team. I aspire to be a good leader for my teammates.”
The indoor track teams are split into both girls and boys. In previous years, the track teams have had a lot of success, including the girls team’s Shorelines win last year. Both teams have lost valuable seniors but they are looking to keep up in the shoreline bracket and continue their previous success. This year’s captains are Talia Bauer, Erin Nygard, Everett Miller, and Colin Lee. With new coaches and athletes, the team will look different than last year but that doesn’t change the effort these Rams give.