By Teddy Lohse ‘28 (Reporter)
FCS boys varsity basketball was 0-6 the last time we checked in but has seemed to turn the season around right after the publishing of the first article in this series. Over the past month, the team has had a record of 8-6, bringing them to an overall record of 8-12 at the time this article was written. This is a significant improvement from their earlier performance. It seems as if the players have had chips on their shoulders and have developed a tight bond over this past month. In fact, their turnaround was rather unexpected.
Over the past month, we have seen major injuries to two of the squad’s starters. Both Nigel Pierman ‘25 and Su’meer Alleyne ‘25 have suffered injuries that have kept them from playing for the past several weeks. Yet, we have seen the rise of younger stars on the court in the seniors’ absence. The likes of Ari Jograj ‘27 and Pierce Blackwell ‘27 have received significant jumps in playing time. The injuries were thought to be the team’s downfall, but we have seen the younger players stepping up over the past weeks and leading the team to that 8-6 stretch of games. Even though both Pierman and Alleyne are injured, they are still bringing their veteran presence in a locker room that needs it. Nine out of the 15 players are new to being full-time varsity players. Even from the bench, both Pierman and Alleyne have remained central to the team’s atmosphere by giving advice and encouragement to any player who needs it.
The current top scorers on the team are Gabe Moore ‘26, who is averaging an impressive 14.8 points per game, and Patrese Feamster ‘27, who is right behind him with an average of 14.7 points per game. Also notable is Oben Mokonchu ‘27, who is averaging 8.5 points per game. Other stat leaders include Gabe Moore with a three-point percentage of 44% and field goal* percentage of 45% and Evan Boyer ‘25, who has 27 steals and 52 assisted baskets.
One talking point over the past month was the squad’s impending matchup against Academy of the New Church (ANC). This game took place in front of a big Shimada crowd on January 7th. This was the rematch of the 2024 FSL championship, one that FCS sadly lost. A win in this game had the potential to ignite something in this team that would help them reclaim the elusive Friends Schools League title. FCS started out strong, leading for the first two quarters and heading into halftime with a steady lead. However, something must have sparked inside the ANC locker room to lead them to a 57-44 win. ANC is the team blocking FCS from returning to its basketball dominance in the 2010s. It sadly looks like another good FSL team has jumped FCS in the standings.
George School’s varsity boys basketball team has been a dominating force looming over the Friends League. The school has been undefeated in FSL competition and has yet to play ANC, who has a loss against Westtown. Both teams are intimidating forces, and the game between them will be an interesting one to watch for Friends’ Central if they want to get back on top. We will see what happens in that big game that could shake up the standings of the Friends Schools League.
The standings are tight, with the top teams being George School, ANC, Westtown, Friends Select School, and then FCS. With the season coming to a close, we will see if this FCS varsity squad is able to go all the way.
*Field Goal: A basket scored from anywhere on the court besides the Free throw line.
Image Credits : Teddy Lohse
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