Park boys basketball won against New Prague Jan. 21. The game started slowly but quickly picked up in the second half, with a big point jump for Park. The team kept a lead throughout the game and ended it with a 78-51 victory.
Assistant coach Rob Griffin said this game mattered because it broke down the mental battle players faced on the team, enabling them to work harder against more challenging opponents.
“This game is important because it gave us a chance to work on some areas that we were lacking. Morale is down on the team, so sometimes it’s hard to get up for these kinds of games,” Griffin said. “It’s a mental battle that we need to focus on—we get a chance to work on stuff for the upcoming opponents.”
Junior Sadick Issa said the team motivated him to become a better player—especially Tanner Rose, who helped Issa on and off of the court.
“My teammates have pushed me to greatness and success. I’ve been able to accomplish more while playing with these guys,” Issa said. “Especially Tanner Rose, who’s always been there for me.”
Sophomore Matthew Johnson said during his game, he has a hard time since he doesn’t have as much confidence while he plays. He said he pushes through and focuses on making shots, playing violently.
“In my mind, I know I struggle with confidence while on the court. Just focusing on making shots, playing aggressively makes it a lot easier and enjoyable game,” Johnson said.
Griffin said he was amazed at the performance of two players on the team. He said Assad Pettaway and Josh Rickord both excelled in different areas, but both had a very active presence on the team.
“(Assad) Petaway and Josh (Rickord) had surprised me (in) this game—Pettaway had a good breakout game. I would say, for his career, (he had) a lot of put-back side rebounds,” Griffin said. “Josh had a phenomenal game defensively. He took some good shots too.”
Issa said Matthew Johnson stood out to him during this game. He said Johnson had amazing ball coverage and plays during the game, which pushed the team to win.
“Matthew Johnson had a great dunk, a nice steal and had control of the ball a lot of the game, which led us to our win,” Issa said.
Johnson said he knew the game’s outcome would be in Park’s favor, but they would start slow and then take the win.
“Definitely, it would be a good game. I knew they would make it a little hard at the start for us but eventually we would win and come out on top,” Johnson said.
Park boys’ basketball’s next game is against Chaska at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 at home.
