With a crucial offseason in the rearview mirror, the Rockets varsity basketball team has turned a corner with a promising 4-1 record early in the 2023-24 season and rising hopes to return to their powerhouse status in MCPS. The Rockets’ compact lineup may not tower over opponents, but their high-speed and scrappy nature on defense allows them to claw their way into matchups with top teams. The team played in the Capitol Hoops Summer League to prepare for their season, which is full of physical opponents. Paired with off-season workouts, the Rockets are primed for a strong season. 

“Players in the off-season were getting their bodies right and working on their craft,” senior center Max Meringoff said.

Last season, the Rockets’ championship hopes were snapped in the second round of the playoffs by the Churchill Bulldogs, the eventual runner-up in a regional championship claimed by the Wootton Patriots. This season, the Patriots-Rockets rivalry was on full display on Dec. 7 in a close matchup that ended in a Rockets loss, 73-66. However, they showed a capacity to play hard all four quarters. In their next game, the Rockets rebounded against the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons winning 68-53. Looking ahead, Sherwood and Blake are solid squads that will serve as exciting matchups this season. 

“We have to win our division matchups in order to make some noise this year,” senior forward Siddarth Sastry-Clark said.

The next stretch of the season will be decisive in determining the fan’s interest for the rest of the season. This year, RM students left Roy Lester Stadium early during football games and the Rockets’ away stands were often bleak. It is hard enough to get students to pay for basketball games on school nights when the team is winning, even more so when the team is losing. A strong start could energize the student section, and maybe help bring some shiny hardware in March.

While the Rockets won’t have the size advantage in many of their matchups, they have skilled and competent guards that give them the ability to penetrate defenses with speed. Their tenacity on defense also allows for quick transitions to the basket. Strengthened team chemistry provides an extra dose of competitiveness. 

“A lot of us have played together for multiple years,” senior Dante Mayo said. “We can use that to our advantage because we’ll probably be quicker than the teams we play.”

Senior leadership is important in any high school sport to guide younger players to success, motivate them during losses, and help mold them into the player the program needs. If seniors can make the team feel like a family, the wins not only could become easier, but carry more sentimental value.

“The seniors are expected to maintain the team’s standards and mentor the younger guys,” Mayo said. That’s something that is always necessary for a team to be successful.” 

For the Rockets, high expectations define the team’s mood; making it to the second round of the playoffs is simply not good enough for a team that was once the most feared opponent in the region. 

“For the program we are trying to get back to where we were pre-quarantine, a MoCo basketball powerhouse, and we are well on the way towards doing so,” Sastry-Clark said.

The Rockets put their confidence on display on Dec. 15 when they torched the Blair Blazers 80-56. Mayo scored 26 points in the first half, which put the Rockets in control for the rest of the game. The dominant win has fueled their momentum and keeps visions of trophies on their mind.