This year’s Morgan Boys Basketball team is electric. The boys are currently placed #2 in the Shoreline, and #1 in the States. Their current record is 18-3. The team’s captains are seniors Robby Estabrook, Jack Nye, and Ryan Donadio. These players have been playing together since they were in 5th grade and have an unbreakable bond. The boys spend much time together in and out of school, working on their team bond, which reflects well during games. Here is a recap of their journey during Shorelines.
Shoreline Finals
The Morgan Boys Basketball team competed in one of their biggest games yet this year on Friday, March 1st. The boys played against the Cromwell Panthers. The game started at 7 pm. The starting lineup consisted of Seniors Robby Estabrook, Jack Nye, Ryan Donadio, Patrick O’Neil, and Kolby Clifton. The DogPound was astonishing. This was the biggest Dog Pound yet with schools such as Old Lyme, and East Haven joining the Pound. Students created posters to show support for the team. During the first half of the game, the boys were on fire, with the final score of halftime being 29-26, Morgan taking the lead. The second half of the game was a very slow start for the Huskies. Cromwell was able to catch up and gain a lead. The boys kept fighting and knew they had to play more intensely to win this game. Unfortunately, the boys were not able to win and lost 54-68. Although the boys lost, they played to their full capacity and never gave up. The lead scorer for the game was Jack Nye with a total of 18 points, and Ryan Donadio followed closely with 13. Seniors Jack Nye, Ryan Donadio, and Patrick O’Neil all received Shoreline Athletic Conference awards for the great accomplishments that they achieved this season. Jack received first-team All-Conference and Shoreline Scholar Athlete, Ryan received Second Team All-Conference, and Patrick received Honorable Mention.
Shoreline Semi-Finals
On Tuesday, February 27th, the Boys’ Basketball team competed against Old Lyme in the Shoreline Semi-Finals to try and secure a spot in the championship. Once again, the DogPound was exhilarating. The theme for the DogPound was goutfit (gray outfit). Having the support of the DogPound sets the tone for the game. The more hype the more excitement for the game. Senior Tyler Baldwin stated, “It’s important for the team because it keeps the spirit up and keeps them out of the slumps.” The boys were eager to win this game, and it was notable. The starting lineup was a little bit different than the quarter-finals with seniors, Robby Estabrook, Jack Nye, Ryan Donadio, Patrick O’Neil, and Kolby Clifton all starting. The game’s final score was 56-49, with Morgan winning. Right from the start, the boys were showcasing their astonishing skills and tactics. As many coaches say, “defense wins championships” and that was quite notable during the game. Junior Griffin Ranaudo said, “Our defense won us that game”. The boys then advance to the final round of Shorelines against defending Champions, The Cromwell Panthers.
Shoreline Quarter Final
On Saturday, February 24th, they continued their 7-game winning streak against Hale-Ray. The starting lineup consisted of Seniors Robby Estabrook, Mason Krott, Ryan Donadio, Kolby Clifton, and Patrick O’Neil. The Morgan DogPound came out and showed their support by participating in a Whiteout. Not only did the students partake in the theme, but the parents did as well. It was the parents’ idea. The game was off to a slow start, with Morgan only keeping a lead of about six points. At the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second quarter, the boys started to gain momentum. Mason Krott was on fire in the first half, racking up 19 points, and 28 points in total. During the second half of the game, Hale-Ray was able to catch up slightly before Morgan was able to shut them down. The game’s final score was 66-44 with Morgan taking the win. The boys then advanced to the Shoreline Semi-Finals against Old Lyme.
