The Aragon boys basketball team (7-13 overall, 3-5 PAL-South) are still in the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) playoff hunt, but will need to ride their current hot streak all the way through the end of the regular season in order to qualify for the tournament.
In the South division, Menlo-Atherton (8-0) and Burlingame (7-1) currently sit atop the standing, virtually locked to enter the postseason. However, the fight for the third and fourth seeds is where it gets interesting. There are currently six teams in the division that are floating around the .500 mark. Capuchino, Sequoia, Hillsdale, Woodside, Mills, and Aragon are all striving to earn a top-four seed which would earn them a PAL playoffs birth and a chance at the CCS (Central Coast Section) tournament.
Says head coach Sam Manu on his team’s chances of making the PAL playoffs, “We really gotta make a run. These last five games are going to determine for us…[We] would have to really win four out of their last five games”.
While this may look like a tough order, on paper, the Dons certainly have a shot. With a win on Friday against Mills, the Dons likely only need to win three out of their next four games. The team has already posted wins against two of their last four opponents, San Mateo and Hillsdale. Although they are yet to face Woodside, the Wildcats (4-4 PAL) are only one game game ahead of the Dons, making their crucial matchup on Wednesday anyone’s for the taking.
However, despite being on the outside looking in for a playoff berth, Coach Manu still feels an abundance of pride in his team.
Says Manu, “As far as the team, I’m satisfied. I’m proud of the kids. I love the character they’ve shown…We talk about family, we talk about being a brotherhood, but this group has really shown that to me…win or lose, these guys are so tight”.
With a strong group of senior leadership led by Kimon Economou and Devon Samadhana, the Dons are on pace to improve upon their 8-16 overall record from last year.
Despite their improvements, there are still many holes that have needed to be filled, and will continue to need filling, if the Dons want any chance at making a deep playoff run.
Says Coach Manu, “Rim-watching, getting rebounds, careless turnovers on the dribble and in transition. Those are the things that have hurt us”.
However, looking forward, sophomore Gabe Lukaszewicz is more focused on the potential of the team, claiming “We are getting better and better as the season goes on, so I feel like if we can get some more wins together, get a streak going, we can make it to PAL’s, CCS maybe, then we’ll be a deadly team”.
The Dons are quickly making sure the rest of the PAL South division is aware of their improvements.
On Jan. 8, the Dons lost a heartbreaker at home to Mills (6-14 overall, 3-5 PAL), 47-46. However, just a few weeks later, on Jan. 29, they managed to control of the entire game against the Vikings on their home court, earning them a much needed win, 48-44.
The red and black were led by Economou, who posted a double-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists, and also dropping two clutch free throws at the end to ice the victory for the Dons.
Says the senior forward, who according to teammate Samadhana, shoots 100 free throws every day at lunch, on how his team prepared for the matchup, “We got beat by a last-second shot last time, so this time, we watched film, coach drew up all their plays for us so we knew exactly what they were doing, and we read it through them”.
Samadhana also proved vital in the Dons’ winning effort, posting four rebounds and two assists. He also set the tone from the beginning, dropping three straight shots from behind the arc to begin the game.
Says Samadhana on his performance, “I was having a pretty good night shooting, which I usually don’t. I’m usually not a great shooter”.
Whether or not their performance was out-of the ordinary, or is becoming the new ordinary, one thing is certain; the Dons are quickly emerging themselves as a serious threat.
Aragon looks to continue their hot streak in a home game against Woodside on Wednesday, the same day that the Vikings travel to San Mateo to take on the Bearcats.
