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Rec Basketball tips off, junior and senior boys enjoy despite immense competition By tristan gonzalez

The 2023 Rec Basketball League officially commenced after months of anticipation on Thursday, Jan. 5 for juniors and seniors at Staples High School. For many of these boys, these scrimmages reach not only peak athletic enjoyment, but also competition.

Andrew Berkowitz '24, Eitan Eiger '24, Ko Seltzer '24, Lucas Carpi '24, Eli Rosenkranz '24 and Jeremy Rosenkranz '24 pose for a pre-game photo.

In order to be "professional," some teams, including the junior-filled squad, Team Hapoel, showed up in outfits like these before changing into their game clothing. While clearly done as a joke, their energy and mentality evoked how they truly care about winning the game.

Photo contributed by Charlie Scott '24

In each game that was played, every player gave their 100% as they fought for every basket and loose ball. Luke Oakley '24 (left) and Dylan Hoke '24 (right) battle for a rebound early in their team's matchup, one that was widely referred to as the game of the day.

A unique and defining aspect of this league is that the players are free to incorporate more humor and fun, in contrast to a varsity league. Whether it is doing push-ups before tip-off or making custom jerseys, rec basketball makes for a totally different environment than varsity basketball.

Photo on the left contributed by Charlie Scott '24. Team Compo Cacti celebrate opening day win (left), Andy Cerrito '24 and Mason Siskind '24 show respect after close faught game (middle) and Devin Kass '24 stands next to the scoreboard post victory.

Though most teams do care about the final score, the end of games always seem to bring big smiles For those who win, it is celebrations that follow as they look forward to their next matchup in which they sustain the right to trash talk.