As March rolls around, Spring Break isn’t the only thing students of Carnegie are looking forward to. March Madness, first introduced to CVHS in 2013 has been a long-standing and school-wide favorite tradition.
Held annually at CVHS, around the same time that College March Madness is going on, all students from freshmen to seniors can compete. To enter, students simply send an email to Mr. Garner, listing their team members. Teams consist of three to five individuals, with three players on the court during each game. Following team formation, a bracket system is established for competitive matches until a single winning team emerges. This year, that victorious team comprises Ryan Virani, Cory Yan, Mason Zierlein, Sebastian Zierlein and Isaac Antao.
“I really knew we were gonna win like I hadn’t had no doubts. We were the top team, we were gonna win,” says Zeirlein with confidence.
They had no difficulties taking contested and difficult shots throughout the tournament with conviction. This allowed players like Virani, who excels beyond the arc (three-point line) to thrive. This was evident when Virani made his game-winning three-pointer which he deemed his favorite highlight.
“In the last game, I hit the game-winning three. That was like, a good moment for me,” says Virani.
However, their win wasn’t without a few obstacles. Unfortunately, the team lost two of their players to injuries — Sebastian Zierlein and Isaac Antao. Additionally, one of their players was out of town, which meant they did not meet the required three players needed for the game. Luckily, they found a sub who helped them win the competition.
“I played as a substitute for the team on the championship day. And I guess they wanted skill and leadership. So that’s what they saw,” Yan said when asked about being picked up as a substitute.
With the help of Yan, they were able to play to the best of their ability. Not only is Yan a leading member of the CVHS boy’s basketball team, but he is also a leader and teammate who has a lot of experience playing with Mason Zierlein and Ryan Virani.
“Yeah, [this] team that picked me up are my players on the basketball team for Carnegie and so I already knew how to play with them. I knew their skills, and how they played and how they prefer to run, offense, defense and that sort of thing,” says Yan.
This wasn’t the only attribute of the team, as they also knew more about how to get to the rim and make effective shot selections. Most of the players they went against were casual players who weren’t as experienced. Using their seasoned skillsets, the team was able to dominate the competition.
“We’re on the basketball team so we’re used to different scenarios and situations, the other teams may not be used to, so we know how to handle them and play through those situations,” said Virani.
Moreover, these players showed dedication and passion for the sport by working hard every week practicing a numerous amount of hours together in a week.
“We were training like at least 24 hours per week. Like we were going hard every day, 24-hour fitness,” says Antao.
Their victory in March Madness is a result of their dedication to practice, their team chemistry and ability to work together and their trust in themselves and each other. Together they earned their victory.
“Winners win. Winners win,” says Phillipe.
With a final note, Virani assures, “We’re going back to back next year. We’re winning March Madness. Get the questions ready for next year.”
