The boys basketball team is making a comeback for the winter 2021 season, but with this year’s team featuring no returning varsity players, the dynamic of the game is likely going to look a little different. 

The previous Richard Montgomery’s boys’ basketball teams made it to the final four back to back, first in the 2018-19 season and again in the 2019-20 season. This year’s team is full of underdogs, who are excited to show the school their personalized skills, while trying to live up to the expectations set by their predecessors.

“We have talent everywhere, but now it’s all about putting that talent together for the greater purpose,” junior Gabe Jackson said.

The team has been working hard all summer to prepare for the upcoming winter season. “We all have been getting better this summer, getting in shape and gelling off the court to ensure our success and chemistry as much as possible,” Jackson said. 

Most of the players have played together on RM’s JV boys’ basketball team in the past, but there are also a few new players that worked with the team for the first  time this summer.

 “Honestly, at first I was a little nervous coming into it. I didn’t know what to expect or how it would be like. But the guys all welcomed me and made my transition smooth and easy,” junior Sammy Mushagasha said. Sammy is a newcomer from Spotswood High School in Virginia. “I came here to RM because of the basketball competition that’s here in Maryland,” Mushagasha said.

Head Coach David Breslaw is optimistic about what he’s seen from his team so far. “I’ve only seen progress, so we’re moving in the right direction…we just need to get where we want,” Coach Breslaw said. 

He doesn’t deny that there is work to be done, though. “Well, what we missed out on [due to COVID] was having other players be able to pass on the vital traditions. They pass on how we do things; the culture. So missing out on that we had to re-establish that. These guys have a big responsibility on their shoulders because they are going to help redefine our program,” said Breslaw. 

You can catch the varsity boys basketball team in action at their first game on Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m., an away game where they will take on Rockville High School.