Boys Basketball blazes through WCAL, awaits CIF tournament
Andrew Hilman ’26 battles for the basket, helping the team get the victory on the home court against Menlo-Atherton in their second CCS playoff game.
March 1, 2023
With the blow of the final whistle, the Archbishop Riordan players celebrated the delightful outcome they have worked so hard for, knowing their hard work paid off.
The Varsity basketball team gathered on the court and celebrated as they defeated Sacred Heart Cathedral by 66-54 on Feb. 14 to clinch WCAL Champion title.
Head Coach Joseph Curtin ’01 responded to their victory by saying “ This is something we have working on all season, and hopefully we can get into the CCS championship. We want to make a good run in the state championship. No matter what division they put us in, we’ll try our best.”
With a lot of new faces and a recent roster change to the team, gifted freshmen Andrew Hilman ’26 from Cameroon and Alex Kuminga ’26 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo joined the squad and helped the team to accomplish their objectives.
“ I’m feeling great as my teammates and coach bring me a sense of belonging to the team and take care of me a lot. They didn’t care about my age and I feel great that I can help the team,” Hilman said.
Moreover, the returning players – Zachary Jones ’23, Jasir Rencher ’25, Achilles Woodson ’23, and Christian Wise ’23 – all took an important role in building up the team’s chemistry and leadership roles to guide the team in competing in one of the most competitive leagues in the United States.
“It has been tough for me as my back injury is hurting me a lot. But I am grateful that I can help the team to win and I believe we have to trust our coaches trust our system and play as a team. Everything will fall into place if we work together,” Wise explained.
With the chemistry and confidence of the team, Riordan fought through the playoff games. The team fell to Sacred Heart Cathedral on Feb. 17 by a score of 49-58, defeated Menlo-Atherton on Feb. 20 56-53, and Sacred Heart Prep on Feb. 22 61-44, in the final CCS game of the year.
At press time, the team now awaits Selection Sunday for their seeding in the CIF state playoffs.
Watch the video of the final seconds of the game against Menlo-Atherton.