Three Years After State Championship, Tigers Hopeful They Can Return

Solly Bielsky was named Rose Medical Athlete of the year

Three years ago, the DJDS Tigers captured the state championship, cementing their place in school history. Last season, however, the team stumbled, exiting the playoffs in the first round after a rocky year.

This season looks different. The Tigers return with valuable varsity experience, having logged heavy minutes last year. A year older, they’re also stronger, more composed, and more mature on the court. Over the summer, standouts like Solly Bielsky, Jackson Brooks, and Ronen Trujillo sharpened their skills, transforming into smarter decision-makers and more unselfish teammates.

This year, Coach Matan, who led the team in recent seasons, no longer works at the school. That change could create some uncertainty in terms of team leadership. However the Tigers will be guided once again by coaching “Wizard” Todd, whose return brings both experience and excitement to the program.

With a senior-heavy roster, this year represents the Tigers’ last real chance at another title run for the foreseeable future. 

Last season was defined by mental mistakes, mental lapses, and a lack of experience. Although the team showed flashes of a championship team, they spent much of the season learning how to play as a team instead of winning. To be successful they will require many more hours of practice to truly meld as a team. “It won’t be easy, we have a long road ahead of us, but I think together we can do it,” said senior Jackson Brooks. “It has been wiggly-wobbly wiggly-woobly up until now,” Evan Kornbluth, senior, posited, “But we are a team that should be taken seriously!”

It won’t be a clean road to the championship, if they make it at all. Not many teams count the Tigers in their lists of competitors. “I think we can do it, dude!” Exclaimed Zeke Brooks, Sophomore.

The question is simple: can they rise to the occasion and bring home the championship once again?