Most of the basketball team has been training since the fall at Hoop Heaven for their upcoming season.

Hoop Heaven organizes leagues, tournaments and teams for athletes of all ages. The team practices at the Hoop Heaven located in Waldwick but play other teams in various high schools and middle schools in Bergen County.

The players practice on Thursday nights, and scrimmage against other teams on Sundays. The players like to sign up for the fun experience, but they also sign up to get in shape for the basketball season that follows Hoop Heaven, Josh Frissora (’17) said, but they achieved more than that this season. In Glen Rock’s league, the team went all the way to the championship.

Players who participated in Hoop Heaven signed up for it anticipating the upcoming winter season, hoping to get in shape.

“As the fall league went on, and we realized we had a chance to win, that became our goal,” Frissora said.  “We achieved that goal.”

Another student who went to Hoop Heaven, Sergio Galvez (‘17), was also thankful for the practice it provided. “It kept us in shape physically and got us used to longer practice,” Galvez said. “The practices are now two and a half hours long.”

They both said that they all practiced hard and were working very diligently in the fall season of Hoop Heaven. This led them all the way to their playoff games, where they won both of them, with a 9-4 record. They played Bergen Catholic in the championship game and won.

“I was actually very happy when we won because the team we were playing, I did not like them at all,” Frissora said. “They were tough and they were a bunch of trash talkers.”

“Winning the fall league was great but we still have a long road ahead,” Galvez said.

With the training from Hoop Heaven, the players were ready to begin their winter season at the high school. It helped them with their skills and their team chemistry.

“Some of the older guys got to play with the younger guys for the first time this year,” Galvez said. “It built some momentum for the winter season.”

The basketball team beat Kinnelon on Dec. 8, 51-29, but lost on Dec. 10, 59-43, against Lakeland. 

Although losing to Palisades Park in a close game on Dec. 16, 35-32, they showed real potential on Dec. 14 against Waldwick, beating them 75-18.