By Joshua Nesheiwat

In this year’s 2019-2020 boys basketball season, we were able to witness some pretty hyped events. The team, consisting of four eighth graders, four seventh graders, and four sixth graders, climbed through the division through harsh and challenging opponents to secure a spot in the finals. Coached by none other than the legendary Paul Mulligan with his son James Mulligan, who sure hasn’t fallen far from the tree, the boys worked hard to fulfill the role of the mighty Breakers.

“Our 10-6 record doesn’t accurately reflect our players’ determination,” declared Coach Mulligan. “We played our best ball in three of our losses, coming back from double-digit deficits to force see-saw battles that were decided in the final seconds.”

We had hour- to-hour-and-a-half practices Mondays through Fridays, consisting of a variety of drills, from conditioning to narrowing in on a flaw in our game and “mastering” it. 

“The players were committed to becoming the best they could be,” Coach Mulligan said. “Numan and Josh, to name two, spent their entire summer training with Coach James.”

This mighty Breaker team’s starting five was lead by the unpredictable and playmaking Numan Afzal at point guard with Lance, the corner specialist, at shooting guard; the fearless Luke Bardinas at small forward; the post scoring Joshua Nesheiwat at power forward; and Noah Jamieson, the glass cleaning finisher, at center. Sadly the boys were knocked out in the first round of the MCAL playoffs by the dominating Brielle Blazers who went on to win the MCAL championship. 

Improved throughout the season in fifth quarter play, we had shot-creating Caden Herron; the nimble sharpshooter, Oscar Piedra-Garcia; tempo-pushing Evan Hofsess; and lockdown Zachary Jamieson, filling in that guard position. At small forward, we had Mr. All Around, Irving Rojas-Quiroz. And moving on to our “bigs” we had Henry DiZefalo and Dylan Katz anchoring the defense in the paint.

Now I must say, if it weren’t for our management department, this season would have crumbled to bits. Holding down that scorebook and making us run extra bass lines, we had the legendary Henry Leyva-Medrano. The Breaks’ most recent recruit, Bram Hoffsess, was a great addition, keeping that clock in check during practice — even though I’m pretty sure he added a few extra minutes — and tracking those detailed and precise analytics. 

Farewell Breakers. May you continue to rise to your challengers!

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In a new development this year, Mr. Mulligan’s colorful game recaps were published in morning announcements, and are reprinted here for your enjoyment.

Breakers Capsize Pirates

The Bradley Beach Breakers rolled over the Lavallette Pirates 34-18 for a win in their home opener.

Breakers Drown Tigers

The Bradley Beach Breakers pounced over the H.W. Mountz Tigers 40 – 21 for their second win of the season.

Breakers Win Third in a Row

The Bradley Beach Breakers beat the Neptune City Pirates 30 – 14 for their third straight win in four games.

Breakers Wash Up Sharks

The Bradley Beach Breakers defeated the Bay Head Sharks 40 – 25 on Friday.

Bradley Beach Shuts the Door on Avon

The Bradley Beach Breakers defeated the Avon Tigers 29-12, yesterday, raising their record to 5-1.

Breakers Suffer Heartbreaker

Despite rallying back from a 12-point deficit and holding the high-scoring Deal Dolphins to 30 points (17 points under their game average), the Breakers fell in the final seconds, 30-27. 

Breakers Roll Rough Yet Not Enough for Patriots

The Bradley Beach Breakers overcame a 22 to 6 first-quarter lead by the undefeated Sea Girt Patriots to rally within 5 points by halftime. Still, the Patriots proved too much for our Breakers, defeating us 49 to 41.

Breakers Kick Pirates’ Booty

The Bradley Beach Breakers battered the Lavallette Pirates, 36 to 16, last Friday, January 3rd. 

Breakers Sweep Tigers

The Bradley Beach Breakers defeated perennial favorites H. W. Mountz 40 – 24, eliminating the Tigers from any playoff hopes for the first time in 20 years.

Shiver Me Timbers!

The Breakers unleashed a 26 to 0 tidal wave of scoring against the Neptune City Pirates during the first half of play on their way to a 33 to 15 win.

Breakers Catch The Tigers by Their Tails

Our playoff-bound Bradley Beach Breakers stripped the stripes off the Avon Tigers with a 26 to 0 run in the first ten minutes of play, allowing our JV team to finish off the game for a 34 to 17 win. In an exclusive sideline interview, varsity point guard Numan Afzal credited the cheerleaders for the team’s motivation. “I know for a fact that Noah [Jamieson] loves hearing the cheerleaders shout about how ‘super’ he is,” Afzal stated. Go Noah!