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

Eric Abreu’s leadership drives HSMSE boys basketball to playoffs

Eric Abreu’s improvement throughout his four year tenure on the High School for Math Science and Engineering’s boys’ basketball team has propelled the Dragons to their first playoff appearance in five seasons.

In the 2016-17 season, Abreu scored 16.7 ppg, placing him second in his division. His scoring output is even more impressive considering the fact that he has doubled it since freshman year.

“There wasn’t many seniors on the team when I came, so through the years I tried to step into that leadership role,” Abreu said. “[I wanted to] be that leader that we didn’t have.” 

Aside from his on-court contribution, Abreu is also a tremendous asset off the court. He must balance his responsibilities in the Mount Sinai concentration, a medical internship that HSMSE offers that requires the student to spend half the school day at Mount Sinai hospital. Abreu makes sure that his work at Mount Sinai does not interfere with his role on the team.

Teammates show appreciation for Eric
Abreu / T. Henning

“I try to make up for Sinai when I don’t have school,” he said.

As one of only two four year players on the team, he must be a mentor for players who are not as experienced in the PSAL, and try to mold new additions to contributors for the team. Gabriel Culian is a second year player for the Dragons, and he feels his production has increased through Abreu's guidance.

“Certain times when I was working by myself he would come to me and show me certain skills,” Culian said. “He’s pushed me to strive harder in school and he’s helped me when I had trouble.” 

Since the Dragons are heading into the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 season, no current member on the team has played a game in the postseason. Despite their lack of experience, Abreu is confident the team will do well.

“Over the years I've been on the team, we've gotten a lot better,” Abreu said. “When the ball is in someone else's hands, they can do something well for the team.”

Authored By Mohammed Kabir, Michael Stern, Matthias Granja

Nathan Cates: Passion personified

Clank! The ball bounces off the rim and into the big man’s hands. He rises up strong and finishes with contact. The player screams “AND 1!” with ferocity as the crowd cheers him on. This sequence has been a normality in senior Nathan Cates’ high school career, as he’s remained an integral part of the HSMSE boys basketball varsity team.

Cates, who has played three out of the four years, wasn’t always the most dedicated and focused player. During his freshman year, Cates struggled to maintain composure on and off the court and as a result of that, only played in four games his rookie season.

“When you’re younger, you can be hot-headed,” Cates said. “As a captain, you have to keep your head cool.”

Nathan Cates / Tom Henning

Referring to an incident earlier in his career in which he got benched for a scuffle with an opposing player after a foul, Cates said he matured over time. This year he has yet to receive a technical foul and has used his experience to instruct the underclassmen.

“Throughout the years I’ve had a change of attitude,” Cates said. “As I became an upperclassman, I was able to improve through practice and learning from those before me.”

As his focus improved on the court, so did his focus off the court. The only year Cates was not able to participate in varsity sports was his sophomore year of high school, in which subpar grades limited him from playing on the team. Motivated to get back on the team, he began to work harder in school, stating that the desire to play basketball has helped him with his academic responsibilities.

“When I’m doing my classwork I know that it’s necessary to play the game I love,” he said. “It pays off. I used to have academic issues, but it’s not worth missing basketball season.”

The maturing process he has gone through has physically and mentally changed Cates. Averaging a career high 10.7 ppg to go along with 14.7 rpg, his rebounding and his post play has been vital to the Dragons playoff push.

“Rebounding is the beginning of offense,” Cates states. “Every rebound is the start of a new possession. That’s how I get most of my points. Nothing’s better than rebounding.”

Now, as the team gets ready for its first playoff game in five years, Nathan Cates has sustained confidence in himself and his teammates. He believes a title, which would be the first in HSMSE basketball history, is not out of the question.

“We have a great team,” he said. “We have a lot of chemistry. I think we can beat any team.”

Authored by Arik Armstead, Bruce Mayfield

Coach David Scheiman takes Lady Dragons to new heights

Coach David Scheiman has led the High School for Math Science and Engineering Lady Dragons basketball team to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. In doing so, he has helped many players at the school develop their skills and their basketball mentality. Scheiman has been influential to these student athletes, both as a coach and teacher.

He became the head coach of the Lady Dragons in 2015, taking over a losing team with a 7-9 record. They have come a long way since, sporting a winning record in the three consecutive seasons and a playoff win. He expressed his hands-off approach when it comes to his role in the development of the team.

“I’m more of a player’s coach,” he said. “I kind of let the players dictate what they want to do. Of course I have control, but I think the important part is to give the players the ability to think on their own.”

This approach has been a proven winner, as their record keeps on improving and his players continue to look up to him. The relationship between Scheiman and his players was put on display during senior night when he awarded his graduating seniors with gifts to show his appreciation for them, including a ring for thousand point scorer Annabelle Shultz.

Annabelle Schultz receives ring from coach Scheiman on senior night / T. Henning

Over the past three years, Scheiman has experienced a tremendous amount of success as the head coach of the HSMSE girls basketball team. A great part of this success has been thanks to the play of Shultz, who in the 2015-2016 season was the leading scorer in the city; however, even with her absence next year, Scheiman is still confident for the team's future success.

“We have a core nucleus coming back and we’re only missing two starters and I think everybody will have to step up a little bit in the future,” he said.

He feels that the team's hard work will play a big role in the team’s success next season. He emphasized the importance of their practice routines during the offseason.

“If they take it seriously and really work hard, I think we can be very good next year and in playoff contention,” he said.

HSMSE baseball team reaches playoffs for first time in school history

The HSMSE baseball team returned to divisional play in 2016 with authority, recording an 11-5 record and making the playoffs for the first time in school history.

After a winless 2014 season, the Dragons were demoted to the SSAL Developmental League for 2015. The boys had a strong showing with a 5-2 record. Team captain and senior Henry Schoenfeld cited determination to get back to divisional play as a main reason for their success.

“We were motivated to move our way back up [to the A League],” he said.

The team's maturation was a large factor towards their improvement. As the players have become mentally and physically stronger, they have contributed more offensively, helping the team win games.

“We had strong leadership, and we were also older this year,” Scheiman said. “When we did divisional play two years ago, the players who were freshmen and sophomores are now juniors and seniors, and they had better team spirit and a more of a meaning for our team.”

Throughout the year the team got significant contributions from their freshmen, most notably Andre Alexander and Gabriel Culian. Alexander batted .350 as the starting first baseman, while Culian batted .294 while serving as the catcher for most of the season. Scheiman realized the impact the freshmen had on the team.

“They were very meaningful to the team,” he said. “They helped us win games.”

HSMSE Baseball Team / Facebook

The freshmen were helped by the strong leadership of the Dragons, who have eight upperclassmen on the team. With experienced players on the team, it was easier for the freshmen to play well.

“[The upperclassmen] really helped them develop,” he said. "They took them under their wing and showed them they did have a lot of skill and [how] to be confident in themselves.”

Although the Dragons had a great season, they are not satisfied with their accomplishments. The team would like to get back to where they were this year and advance further into the postseason going forward.

“We want to get back to the playoffs,” Scheiman said. “And we want to win a playoff game.”

Bernard King: The King of New York

Bernard King /  Panini 

Bernard King was among the premier NBA players of the 1980s. The man formerly known as, “The King of New York,” came from humble beginnings. King grew up in the rough Brooklyn Fort Greene Houses, in what he once described as void of love. He attributes his game time scowl to his difficult upbringing.

Despite all these obstacles, King found success in the basketball world. He was recognized as an All-City player in his senior year at Fort Hamilton High School. His excellence on the court led to several Division I athletic scholarship offers. King chose to enroll at the University of Tennessee in 1974, joining fellow New York product Ernie Grunfeld.

King and Grunfeld formed “The Bernie and Ernie Show,” with their stellar play together from 1974 through 1977. This partnership was highlighted by a Sports Illustrated cover released on February 9, 1976.

King was a first team All-American in 1977. After his junior year at Tennessee, King declared for the NBA draft. He was drafted 7th overall in the 1977 draft by the New Jersey Nets. King led all rookies in scoring that year with the New Jersey Nets. After two years of spectacular play with the Nets, King was traded along with John Gianelli and Jim Boylan to the Utah Jazz for Rich Kelley.

King would eventually go on to play for his hometown Knicks, leaving his mark as one of their greatest players ever. In admiration of King's talent, Coach Hubie Brown said, “With Bernard, even when the play is busted, something good always materializes from it.”

He became the most prolific scorer in the '77 draft, including NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. As a four-time All-Star and top 50 NBA career total scorer, King managed to join the selective group of athletes who have been recognized as Hall of Famers.

Dellin Betances living the dream of playing for Yankees

Before Dellin Betances was a star reliever for the New York Yankees, he was a superb pitcher while at Grand Street Campus High School in Brooklyn, just over 11 miles away from Yankee Stadium. Like many New Yorkers, Betances grew up wanting to play for the Yankees; however, Betances was one of the few to realize his dream.

Dellin Betances / Topps

As a high school freshman, Betances was already throwing a fastball in the mid 80s, showing professional potential in just his first year. He was also on his high school’s basketball team, but he stopped playing after an elbow to the mouth knocked out a few of his teeth. After that incident, Betances focused his attention towards baseball.

During his high school career, he was selected to play in the prestigious Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic in the summer before his senior year. By then, Betances had grown to 6’8" and touched 97 MPH on his fastball, drawing the attention of many major league scouts. He was initially projected to be drafted in the first round, but some teams were worried about his consistency and lack of experience.

As a result of these concerns, Betances fell to the eighth round, where he was selected by the Yankees. Betances struggled with his control for a while in the minor leagues, but made his way to the majors in 2011. Betances was selected to the All-Star game twice in his career, and holds the record for most strikeouts in a single season by a Yankee reliever with 135.

Betances’ career is very young, but he is on the path for greatness. With all of the accomplishments that he earned, none may compare to living the dream of playing for his favorite childhood team.