The Nederland Boys’ Basketball team had their last home game this season on Thursday, February 15. It was the first game of the Foothills League Post Season Tournament. It was also Senior Night, an evening to recognize the seniors on the basketball team.

Before the game started, head coach John Leventhal asked the five seniors and their parents to join him on the court. The seniors on the team this year were Owen Cleveland, Gavin Dillon, Richard Fortunato, Landon Ritch, and Kiryu Sugishita.

Senior night can often be touching and emotional for athletes, parents, and coaches. It is part of the goodbyes of the senior year. It goes a little deeper for Leventhal and some of these young men, as Leventhal was their basketball coach in middle school as well as high school.

Leventhal spoke about how each player’s strengths contributed to the team and how each personality contributed to the improvement of the group. He thanked each of them for being committed to learning.

The respect Leventhal has for each of the seniors came through in his choice of words and the beautiful way he spoke to each of them.

These five seniors are Nederland Panthers through and through. Fortunato, Cleveland, and Dillon have gone to Nederland schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Ritch has gone to Nederland schools from second grade through twelfth grade, and Sugishita has attended Nederland schools for six years.

When the team members spoke with The Mountain-Ear they said they have spent so much time together and with this basketball team that it is like family. They are grateful for being able to grow up together and for the close friendships they have developed. All five of the seniors agreed that it seems strange and surreal that graduation is so close at hand.

When the conversation turned to basketball memories, they agreed that the last two seasons have been great. The players say they will always remember playing for Coach Leventhal, emphasizing all he has taught them. They have great memories of playing basketball at the Nederland Community Center and playing in the NBA program at Nederland Elementary School when they attended that school.

With the last home game of the season before them, the Nederland Panthers took the court.

The first game of the Foothills League Post Season Tournament had Nederland hosting Two Roads. Nederland’s five seniors were all starters.

The score was low at halftime, with Nederland leading with 16, Two Roads with 6 points. Two Roads scored most of their points in the third quarter. The Panthers did not give in when the game was tied with five minutes remaining.

With under five minutes left in the game, Nederland sophomore Mason Ivey was fouled and sent to the free throw line. The first shot went up… swoosh, it was all net. The second shot went up…swoosh, all net again.

This seemed to be the momentum that the Panthers needed. The rebounds by junior Maddox Gioia throughout the game, the teamwork by each player, and the scoring by Dillon and Fortunato, brought the final score to Nederland 37, Two Roads 29.

Leventhal said that he could not be more proud of the team this year. “They played through injuries and kept bouncing back. They played their hearts out all season. These guys gave everything they had individually and as a team.”

Leventhal has been coaching for decades. He is always seeking to learn more and refine his skills. He said, “I knew I would need to be a better coach this year.” He was joined this year by assistant coach Stephen LeFaiver and middle school coach Kevin Cronan – all a united front creating a basketball program. He added that being able to work with the two other coaches “has been a god-send.”

“Being able to strategize, having more perspectives, and working together has been wonderful,” says Leventhal.

LeFaiver was very impressed with the junior varsity team this year. He said, “It has been years since Nederland has played a full junior varsity season, and it was awesome! Every player improved and the team really gelled together as the season progressed, resulting in some great wins. The team stayed upbeat and positive the entire season and was a pleasure to be around every day. I hope they get together all offseason and continue to play because the sky’s the limit with this group.”

Always wanting to give the players the spotlight, Leventhal concluded by saying that there were two games this season where they lost, but when they played the same team a second time they came out with a win. “These boys do not give up,” he added stoutly. “It is a grueling four months. For the second year in a row not a single player has quit. I am so proud of these guys.”