national pg 7 10-26-23
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
The goal of every season is to have a special Opening Night at home.
Welcome a raucous crowd into the gym, watch the One Shining Moment video one more time, unveil a championship banner…it’s all there. It means the previous season ended in a special way as well.
PSA is going to do all that this year – with the season kicking off at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at home against Busche Academy – and plans to do it again around the same time in 2024. The way to get there – to a third straight national title and fifth overall – is to run the gauntlet of a schedule coach Tom Espinosa has put together for his wildly talented and deep team from now until mid-March.
“You can start with the second weekend of the season and the NEBL Tipoff, and it just keeps going from there,” Espinosa said. “We pride ourselves on playing what we think is the toughest schedule in the country. We play all the best teams in New England, and then outside the region we face some of the best in the rest of the country when we go to these national events.
“It’s a hard schedule. And as we know, as national champions, teams are always coming for us and giving us their best game.”
Among the highlights for PSA: Brewster and Newman at the NEBL Tipoff (Nov. 11-12); Hargrave and Massanutten at the National Prep Showcase (Nov. 17-18); Bradford Christian – which handed PSA two of its three losses last year – at the Zero Gravity Classic (Dec. 1); Cushing at the Hoop Hall Showcase (Jan. 13); the Power 5 Showcase in Springfield (Jan. 19-21); Mt. Zion at the National Prep Invitational (Feb. 1 and 3); and games with South Kent (Jan. 23 at home, Feb. 6 on the road).
Mixed in at the end of the first semester are two road trips for the first time since before COVID. PSA is headed to the Ohio Showcase to face Spire and Western Reserve on Dec. 9 and 10, respectively, then goes to the Sunshine Prep Classic hosted by IMG Academy in Florida for four games from Dec. 14-17.
“Our goal every year is to be the last team standing at the end and win another national championship,” Espinosa said. “There is so much that goes into it, and so many things have to go right for that to happen, but that is our goal. Kids have to buy in to each other and the coaches, we have to stay healthy, all that. It’s not easy … but that’s always the goal here.
“And if all that happens, then we know we’ll be prepared because of our schedule. We’re battle-tested. We’ll be ready.”
Your chance to see Putnam Science Academy’s Prep basketball team for the first time is coming up fast, as Mustang Madness has been scheduled 6 p.m. Oct. 30. PSA is coming off a second straight national championship and fourth overall.
“It’s always a fun night for the kids,” coach Tom Espinosa said. “A great night for the whole school, for the community to come out. It’s just a fun night.”
The event is free and open to the public, and features player introductions of both the boys’ and girls’ Prep teams, a 3-point contest, a Slam Dunk contest, a Kids’ Dunk Contest, and a chance to take pictures with some of the players, among other activities.
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
.