Freshmen taking big steps towards a role on the HSMSE basketball team

This season the freshman boys’ basketball players at the High School for Math Science and Engineering have made contributions across the board to a rebuilding basketball team that lost eight seniors. The team has relied upon its younger players for support because of the gaps left at the shooting guard and small forward positions by the graduated players.

Freshmen Jasper Saar and Adrian Wu have been sharing minutes at the shooting guard position, as well as freshman Yahmani Price , who has seen minutes at the small forward position. Price has also made valuable contributions as a rebounder and a scorer. Saar plays well as a ball handler and as a defender. Wu is a sharpshooter who is also a plus defender.

The Dragons went from a 6-10 record in 2015-16 to an 8-6 record this season. This improvement comes after a loss of seven players, three of whom were starting players last year. Their defensive contributions and the ball handling skills of all three players have been valuable assets to the team.

The freshmen have helped to push the offense, especially Price. His playmaking ability is advanced for a ninth grader.

“I’m a good passer and I have [court] vision,” Price said.

Yahmani Price  / Tom Henning 

This ability is not just an unbacked claim, as he averaged three assists per game which is second only to Jonathan Katzman on the team, who leads the division in that category.

The future looks bright for HSMSE basketball if these freshman continue to develop and get playing time.  They show an ability to handle the ball and shoot. If the team can fill the rebounding loss from their departing front court, HSMSE boys basketball will have an opportunity to play post-season basketball once again.

Authored by Charles Dicus and Gabriel Cuilan

HSMSE Girls' Soccer returns to playoffs after promotion to A League

The HSMSE girls’ soccer team is coming off another successful season. They followed up their 2014 PSAL B League championship season with a 2015 playoff appearance in the PSAL A League.

After last season’s undefeated 14-0 record and a championship in the B League, the Dragons were promoted to the Bronx / Manhattan A Division, where they had to adjust to better competition. While the B Division featured players who usually competed for just the three month season, the A Division had players who participated in games year-round in leagues outside of school. Coach Regina Zafonte noted the improved caliber of teams the Dragons had to face.

HSMSE Girls' Soccer Team / HSMSE Yearbook

“The speed and pace is much faster,” Zafonte said. “There are a lot more talented and technical players.”

Despite the challenges they faced, the Dragons managed to place third in their division, making the playoffs with a 7-5 record. Zafonte credits the girls’ success to the team staying focused and working together on the field.

“We had to be really coordinated with our offensive attacks,” Zafonte said. “We had to make sure we were constantly communicating and our defense was solid, because we were going to be tested many times.”

Throughout the season, the Dragons had many memorable moments. They won their first round playoff game against McKee/Staten Island Tech. In addition to their playoff victory, they were the only team to score against Beacon High School in two separate matches, and defeated eventual champion Bronx Science during the regular season.

“I think that as a team, we exceeded our goals,” Zafonte said. “We did things during the season that were really impressive.”

Next year, the team will have to adjust to the departure of four seniors: Taylor Faulds, Maggie Haxhia, Galit Wiener, and Taieesha Peshkovsky, who was selected to play in the prestigious Mayors’ Cup. Despite these obstacles, the Dragons still have high expectations for next season.

“We would like to make the playoffs again,” Zafonte said. “We also want to fill the spots that are going to be open. If we win a championship, that’s a bonus.”

Steven Limeta concludes his high school career with a Mayor’s Cup victory

After four rewarding years playing soccer with the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering Dragons, Steven Limeta finished his high school career with a victory in the prestigious New York City Mayor’s Cup.

Steven Limeta / NYC Mayor's Cup

Playing in the Mayor’s Cup is a huge honor for anyone, especially so for Limeta because he was the first player from HSMSE to participate in the event. The Mayor’s Cup selects the best 20 players in the Public School Athletics League. Since HSMSE is a small school, it is more difficult to be recognized.

Limeta has poured countless hours of training into his craft, playing for both his school’s team and a team outside of school. It is clear that Limeta deserved to represent HSMSE in the Mayor’s Cup, but he was still nervous.

“It felt nerveracking,” Limeta said. “You’re used to having your teammates around. I was really nervous representing our school.”

When Limeta was on the field, he kept a firm grip on his team’s defense. He made sure that everyone knew what was going on and was playing at their best. His key plays kept the score at nil. In one such play, Limeta covered for his teammate, stopped an attacker from breaking to the goal, and cleared the ball from his half of the field.

“If no one was there, they would have scored on us,” Limeta said.

Steven Limeta / Limeta Family

Limeta was a starter on MSE's varsity soccer team for each of his four years at the school. On the team, he played more than just excellent defense. As a centerback, Limeta scored four goals and recorded three assists in his career. Limeta’s defense along with his important role in MSE’s offense will be hard to replace for the upcoming season.

“Steven is gonna be missed as much for his reliable play as for his leadership,” said coach Nick Diunte. “He has a rare combination of both of those qualities that not every high school player has. When he was playing, his teammates knew that his position was locked. He was so fearless when he played, even when it might have been an uneven matchup.”

Despite his intense dedication and college-ready skill, his future with soccer is in doubt. Limeta recently suffered from postinfectious myopathy. He is recovering, but the illness has had a serious impact on his training and ability.

“After high school I'm planning to play college soccer,” Limeta said. “Right now I'm not sure I'm gonna make it because of what happened.”

No matter what ensues, soccer will continue to be an important part of Limeta’s life.

“You know what my first word was? It was not mom, it was not dad, it was goal,” Limeta said.“If I can’t play in college, I’ll just keep playing for fun.”

Coauthor: Junior Flores

Young Dragons begin their journey

Kofi Kordie (left) / Din Islam

The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering Boys’ Basketball team kicked off their season opener with a 67-22 loss against Fiorello H Laguardia on December 4th at City College’s Nat Holman Gymnasium. Ten of the team’s total 13 athletes are underclassmen, which more closely resembles a junior varsity squad. Despite the loss, the game offered the young team valuable experience in varsity competition.

The game was also the first for head coach David Scheiman with the Dragons. Previously, Scheiman coached at Richard Green High School of Teaching from 2004-2012. During his time there, Scheiman won back to back division championships in the ‘07 and ‘08 seasons, as well as moving the team to the A-Division. Scheiman saw this game with an optimistic eye.

“I think we’re a very young team," Scheiman said. "For a lot of them, this is their first time playing varsity basketball. I think they got good exposure today. I think we did alright the first half. I think the second half we went out of gas. It’s important for them to learn the process of what its like to play on a high school varsity team."

From opening the team’s scoring with a three pointer, to finishing the game with 11 of his team’s 22 points, senior guard Kofi Kordie demonstrated his leadership.

“I think Kofi had a really good game today and really showed heart,” Scheiman said.

Kordie's ability to shake off any pre-game jitters of playing in front of the home crowd enhanced his performance during the game.

“I wasn’t really nervous during this game," Kordie said. "I guess that’s the reason why I shot a little bit better today."

Freshman point guard David Li showed flashes of future promise, dishing out two assists, but also made some careless turnovers.

Dionys Gutierrez (right) / Paul Lee

“I need to not turn over the ball as much and keep my head up” Li said. "I can improve on my passing and my scoring.”

One of the things missing from the Dragons’ game was their ability to capitalize off of turnovers and defensive stops. A series of crowd-raising blocks by senior center Dionys Gutierrez failed to result in any points in transition. His defensive presence alone will not be enough to push this team forward unless they can find a way to convert easy shots near the basket.

This is the beginning of a rebuilding process for the Dragons, after the graduation of 1,000 point scorer Kavan Edwards. With ten underclassmen, HSMSE's team has a promising foundation to build upon in the upcoming season.

The Dragons make the playoffs for the second year in a row

The Dragons / S. Louie

This spring the High School for Math Science and Engineering’s volleyball team made the playoffs for the second consecutive year. They finished their season with a tie for third place in their division with the  High School for Environmental Studies. Both incoming freshman and hardworking seniors carried the team to the first round of the playoffs.

The team had to overcome an 0-2 start while they were missing key seniors. “We were missing people like Jeremy [Wain Hirschberg] and Yassine [Khaliqui],” said Kofi Kordie, one of the outside hitters for the team. 

As the season progressed the team gained experience.  

“We all improved, learning to work together and becoming more comfortable with each other,” said junior setter Spencer Sharp.

The closer they got to the playoffs, the mentality of the team changed. 

“[Our attitude toward playing changed. We started to get more hype about playing,” said freshman Lemuel Burgos. 

The determination of the team netted them a 7-3 finish in their last 10 games which helped them secure a spot in the playoffs.

In the first round of the 2013 PSAL volleyball playoffs the Dragons faced Christopher Columbus High School. The Dragons went down  0-1, with the team battling hard but eventually falling in the second set. 

“The first set of the playoffs we were very nervous, the second set we were more comfortable, said Kordie. 

One of the most influential  freshman that helped the Dragons get to the playoffs was Burgos. He had to fill in for Dionys Gutierrez, the Dragon’s middle hitter, who was ineligible during the duration of the regular season. 

“Lemuel was expected to pick up Dionys’ position, he was expected to block and hit, which he delivered pretty well,” said Kordie.

Even though the Dragons were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs, they tried their hardest and hope to make it to the playoffs next year. This will mostly depend on the the development of the  underclassmen who will be taking the place of the seniors.

Contributed by Sahar Saedi and Shawn Watts

The Dragons disappoint the fans

The game between the Dragons of High SchoolFor Math, Science And Engineering and the East Side Community was a disappointing game as the Dragons lost by 36 on their home court. The ESC team played a brilliant first quarter. They made great passes and played great on offense. There were many fast breaks and they were quick to get on loose balls. The first quarter ended with the Dragons down by 14 and the score was 16-2.

However when the 2^nd quarter arrived there was a noticeable improvement from the Dragons. They played a much tighter defense and were able to make great passes. There were many opportunities but they were just unable to get the ball in the hoop. They started off the 2^nd quarter with two attempts and were quick to get the rebound. However they were just unable to score. Fans cheered as the Dragons made some great set-ups that brought the ball up court effectively but the fans were disappointed when the team was just unable to put the ball in. Coach Diunte for the Dragons shouted advice ferociously on the sidelines trying to help out the team. A few minutes into the game I recall the coach shouting, “Box!, Box!, Box!, Box!," as he tried to tell the players on court to box out.

The 2^nd quarter ended with ESC in the lead now by 20 and the score was 25-5.

Hands down the 3^rd quarter was the best quarter for the Dragons. Donna Fintz, was able to make a steal and made a quick layup to the hoop making the score 25-7. After that they played a tight defense and ESC’s first shot of the quarter was four minutes in. After that ESC made two more shots, one of them a free throw. The Dragons played a great quarter only letting ECS score five points. They were now down by 23 and the score was 30-7.

But I guess in their minds the Dragons knew they needed a miracle to win the game with only one quarter left and they were down by 23. In the last quarter the Dragons were unable to make a single shot and ESC was able to take control and score 13 points. In the last few minutes of the game, freshmen Omotayo Adeoye was put into the game. However soon after she was put in she collided into Zhu over a loose ball. And to top it off ESC took control with their zone defense and even made a shot and the buzzer.

After the game in a interview with the Dragons junior forward, Hannah Creutzfeldt jokingly answered, “Passing and everything,” when asked what could they improve on. But on a more serious note number 14, Bloch Mikaela a sophomore answered,” We could probably improve on passing and shooting.” Coach Diunte however was very proud of Zhu and said,”… Nancy played her most energetic game all season…,” when asked about the team’s performance.

HSMSE Dragons Fly High

The HSMSE boys’ soccer team this year is looking strong, currently they have a record of 5-4. Their goal this year is to make it into the playoffs, though it hasn’t happened before. “Our team works hard at practice; we have 20 guys that are all trying their hardest to improve to contribute to the team’s success [making the playoffs],”said Coach Diunte.
The team seems like they have improved over the last few years. In years 2009-2010 they had a record of 3-8 with one tie and in 2010-2011 they improved to 4-10. HSMSE’s soccer team is closer to making it into the playoffs with the new talent they have this year.
While looking at the newest players on the team, Steven Limeta, a defender, has blocked many fowards. The other, Sebastian Villada a midfielder/forward, has taken a total of 4 shots and has made 3 of them in five games. Villada is still a freshman and therefore has three more years to improve and refine his skills. Although these two alone will not bring victory to HSMSE, they make a great addition to the team.
Since Coach Diunte was hired as head coach, the team’s goal is closer toward the playoff, they have senior striker, Julian Petrello. He has 41 shots on target and 12 goals. He has been a major contributor to the team. The team depends on him to get the ball and make plays on goal. One of his fellow senior players is Kevin Chun. The team depends on his ability to bring the ball up the field. These two players also have seniority on the field. They have been playing with the team since their sophomore year. They hope to get to the postseason because they have not made it to the playoffs yet. This would be a major achievement for the players, coach, and school.

Before the playoffs, the team has some rivals left to play. The players have developed a rivalry against Fiorello H. LaGuardia, where the team lost twice last year to them. Petrello tells us, “It was supposed to be their win, yet they lost by one point in the second half of both games played last year.”

2011 HSMSE Boys Basketball Season Review

Coach Epstein during a timeout / T. Henning

Going into the 2010-2011 season, the HSMSE Dragons had almost a completely new team, returning only four players, none of whom had significant roles on the team. This meant that the new players who had no experience playing together would have a steep learning curve in order to be competitive. The team managed to come together and put up a very respectable 6-6 record which earned them the right to play in the team’s first playoff game in five years. The Dragons will play the High School of Law Enforcement and Public Safety in a first round game on Wednesday evening.

To get to their 6-6 record the Dragons went through some highs and lows, having a stretch where they won four out of five games, but also experiencing a three game losing streak. The team’s greatest win was against the 8-4 Manhattan Village Academy. Senior point guard Nate McGrory hit a game winning three-pointer with just seconds on the clock to give the Dragons a one point victory. The Dragons also had a letdown, losing against 3-9 Fiorello H. LaGuardia, that they had already beaten prior this season.

To make the season as successful as it was, the Dragons needed everyone to step up and contribute to the team. Rookie sophomore forward Kavan Edwards emerged as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. Others making significant contributions were seniors McGrory and Chris Yates and junior Eli Auslander. Teamwork was one area where the Dragons improved significantly from the beginning of the season. Yates stated that he tried to involved his teammates more in the offense opting to be, “more of a ‘Rondo’ than a ‘Kobe’.”

The players credited coach Richard Epstein with much of their improvement. “The coaching was effective because he showed us exactly what he wanted us to do. The problem came when we tried to do it,” stated Yates. Popovic added that Epstein had heavily, “worked with us on our passing and dribbling,” two areas that were key for their successful play.

Although there was a lot of growth on the team, their weaknesses were still apparent. One of which was maintaining their energy level, which showed up in the disappointing loss to LaGuardia after blowing a 13-3 first quarter lead. In order to have a chance in the playoffs, the Dragons are going to have to play hard and stay focused for the entire game, not just the first quarter. In addition, the Dragons will have to swing the momentum from their three consecutive losses going into Wednesday's playoff contest.

Looking forward to next season, the Dragons have the potential to be better than they were this year. Losing only two seniors, they will have the opportunity to grow as a team and build more chemistry. Players like Edwards and Auslander will be able to mature and form a strong core of the team. However, they will need other players who did not get a chance to play much this year to step up and contribute. These contributions could come from players like Popovic, Yassine Khaliqui and Brandon Agyemang.

The HSMSE Dragons developed a lot during the 2010-2011 season. They fought hard and now they have a chance to compete in the playoffs for the first time in five seasons and have a promising future looking forward to next season.


Marcelo Bravo, Matthew Josephs, Hafizul Sarker, and An-Khe Tomer contributed to this article.