Princeton Academy's Basketball Season Ranks Best in School's History

The Princeton Academy Basketball A Team just finished up its best season in school history as it leaves the courts with a nearly undefeated record of 9-1.

“The team was led by a phenomenal group of eighth graders and a great group of seventh graders,” said Athletic Director Paul Clewell, who served as the team’s head coach.

The Hawks took off with a bang this year with two wins against Princeton Charter and Cambridge, setting the overall tone for the season. They suffered a minor set back when they traveled to Rutgers Prep where they lost a tough game. However, that only added fuel to their motivation and the boys went on to knock off Newtown Friends the next day.

Another victory followed when the Hawks went up against Princeton Charter after winter break.  This win led to an anticipated rematch against Rutgers Prep, which turned into the game of the season.  Rutgers Prep started strong and was soon ahead 16-2, but the Hawks battled fiercely and won a thrilling game 47-42.

“This team never gave up and stuck to the plan,” said Clewell.  “After this victory, the team knew how special of a season it could have if it finished the year strong.”

And that’s exactly what they did.  Over the next four games, the Hawks promptly beat Princeton Day School, the Hun School, Chapin and Pennington.

“We’ll miss this group of eighth graders, but there are a lot of seventh grade players ready to step up and fill their shoes,” added Clewell.

While the Basketball A Team dominated the courts, the School’s Basketball B Team made great strides as well. Coaches Brent Deisher and Thomas Maltbaek had the team hone their fundamental skills by perfecting drills that helped improve their dribbling, passing and shooting. The players also learned how to play tough man-to-man defense and how to give their maximum effort when boxing out opponents.

“This work ethic translated into victories over notable opponents throughout the season,” added Clewell.