By Caden Crowley’28
Written on December 8, 2024.
The Frederick Gunn School Boys Varsity Basketball team is starting their 2024-2025 season, focusing on their commitment and teamwork. Under the teachings of dedicated coaches, the varsity-level team is focused on building discipline as they prepare for another competitive year. The league FGS competes in is part of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC). According to NEPSAC’s website, the organization is committed to building a strong reputation for developing future talent, with seven players from the league being selected in the 2014 NBA Draft. However, the season has not started as hoped for our Varsity Basketball team. With a series of tough losses, the players and coaches are fully aware of the challenges ahead but remain determined to turn things around.
The first game of the 2024-2025 season was played against the Brunswick Bruins at home. Gunn was defeated 58-72. A couple of days later, on December 7th, the team traveled to their rival school, Canterbury, where they had another loss, 59-71. That night, the team traveled to Dana Barros Arena in Stoughton, Massachusetts. The next day, December 8th, they played in the Zero Gravity Prep Showcase against St. Mark’s School. Even though they had a great game, the Gunn team could not secure a win, with a final score of 55-46. As a result, the team’s current record stands at 0-3, but they remain looking at the future and are looking forward to their upcoming home games.
Harrison Muntner spoke about the early part of the season, saying, “The season has started out tougher than we wanted. I believe in every one of my teammates, but we’re not yet reflecting that trust and connection on the court. I know we have the potential to come together and turn things around. It’s only up from here.”
Coach Konik, the Director of Counseling and Head Coach of Varsity Basketball, stated, “Basketball reminds me a lot of the NCAA tournament, where you face different teams with completely different styles every game.” He explained that the team has already seen different playing styles throughout the league, each presenting a unique challenge that has forced the players to adapt quickly, which can be difficult. “The goal is to improve quickly so that we don’t spend the whole first half of the season just preparing for the second half.” With a focus on improvement, Coach Konik believes the team’s early losses are part of a learning process that will benefit everyone in the long run. As he mentioned, every game is an opportunity to develop, and the team is already showing signs of growth.
In the second game against Canterbury, Coach Konik stated, “The second game, we faced Canterbury, one of the top teams, with a traditional big man, skilled wings, and a strong point guard. With some of our new players showing signs of improvement.”
Despite the loss, the team was able to compete and gain valuable experience from the matchup, which will better prepare them for similar opponents in the future.
The team’s next game commences on January 13 at 4:30 PM. Boys Varsity Basketball will be playing the Kent School in the Upper Gym located at Frederick Gunn.
