It was a tale of two seasons that ended with the boys’ varsity basketball team losing in the first round of the playoffs in a one-sided bashing at the hands of Astronaut, 61-23.

The Wildcats looked to the postseason to right the ship after their collapse at the end of the regular season. The Cats went from a solid 10-6 record to a 12-14 record by the end of the season, falling below .500 and looking like a confused and beaten up team. They did not exemplify the same passion and execution as they had in the first half of the season. Injuries played a huge role, and with the star player Scott Adams acquiring a season ending foot injury after the Winter Break, the Cats were never the same.

Senior forward Justin Laneuville and senior center John Bond  had 5 points apiece to lead the Cats against Astronaut.  Aside from them though, only four other players scored during the entire game.  Senior guard Anthony Wattwood, sophomore guard Greg Taveras, and sophomore guard Chris Mikulas all scored 4 points each, and senior guard/forward Michael Lucas scored 1 point.

“We played very hard, we just didn’t make any shots,” Head Coach Tony Riopelle said.

Despite being bounced  from the playoffs so early, Riopelle called this season a struggle that showed the true character of everyone on the team.

“Our season was a two-part season,” he said. “When Scott was healthy, he gave us a consistent 3-point threat, an experienced point guard and great leadership.  Without Scott we struggled to fill those areas.  Had everyone been healthy for the entire year, I really believe we would have made a run at the district title. I’m not saying we would have won it, but we would have been in the mix of teams competing for it.  This group was very dedicated.  They were at all offseason workouts and enjoyed playing basketball.  Scott, Justin and Tommy [Panouses] all missed time due to injuries. It’s just too bad they couldn’t have been healthy for the entire season.”