When people think of high school basketball they think of the tightly contested games in a packed gym with a raucous student section.
But when people think church basketball they think of low-level unskilled play in closet-sized elementary school gym in front of a scant crowd. And while they’re not totally wrong, St. Peters is different.
Deep in the basement of St. Peter’s Academy’s church is the Panthers’ Den–home of the St. Peter’s Panthers. Coached by local residents Bill Haggis and Jeff Hums the panthers won the CYO championship last year. This year they are off to a good start, winning their first two games. Coach Hums, whose son is on the team, explained, “I just want the boys to win and I enjoy working with my son.”
The starting five are Tyler Datz, Brendan Miceli, Aiden Grivas Dylan Gastman, and Tim Oddo. These five average about 10 to 15 points each per game. With Miceli’s being almost exclusively three pointers. Datz being the smallest by far is a shifty guy who drives in to the basket. And with the size of Oddo, Grivas, and Gastman nearly all rebounds go back to the panthers.
When asked about the season goals Tyler Datz said “We want to go undefeated and win another championship. We also want to put 100 points up against St. Paul’s,” Saint Peter’s main rival.
Brendan Miceli, the team’s primary scorer, said confidently “We are looking to beat every team we play by at least 50.”
