646 days had passed since Varsity Basketball had played a game in The Prism. But on Friday, December 3rd the Wildcats once again welcomed students and fans for the home opener against NYSAIS foe Riverdale. 

With only two returning players from the 2019-20 season, the last season with interscholastic competition, an uncertain excitement had permeated throughout the Scott A. Nelson Athletic Center. Under the leadership of Head Coach Barile and Assistant Coaches Bataille and Sells, the Wildcats began to play in mid-November. Following a week of rigorous tryouts, the 13 man roster was finalized. There were some tough cuts for deserving players but alas, the team was set.

After a couple practices to begin the season, all Upper School students were let out on Thanksgiving break. But the basketball team wasn’t able to check out entirely because their first interscholastic competition was on Saturday. The Wildcats competed in a scrimmage against Rye High School. All the players greatly enjoyed being back playing versus the inter-town rival. Although there was not an official final tally, Rye High definitely out hustled and outscored RCDS. But the biggest takeaways would be on film, pinpointing areas of necessary improvement especially defensively.

Later the next week, an official game took place as the Wildcats hosted Riverdale. The Prism was rocking and helped the Wildcats get off to a hot 10-0 start. But that would end up being the biggest lead of the game. Riverdale quickly responded, taking a 13-12 lead after the first quarter. Led by a breakout 22 point, 5 rebound, 4 assist performance by Junior Henry Cohn, Rye led 40-34 heading into the 4th quarter. But after several costly turnovers and baskets made by Riverdale, the score settled at 51-48 with under 20 seconds remaining. The Wildcats needed a three. After a haphazard possession, Cohn heaved a three off the glass. The bank shot was good! Tie Game! The Wildcats ended up dominating overtime 11-5 and finished the first of many games in a tantalizing fashion.

The second game of the season was against another New York City institution – Avenues School. After an Avenues 6-0 run to start the game, the Wildcats responded in emphatic fashion, utilizing their full-court press masterfully. 23-13 was the score after the first period and the Wildcats never looked back. Senior William Kosann had an excellent game scoring 14 points and securing 15 rebounds. 64-46 was the final tally, beginning a winning streak for the Wildcats. 

FAA play was top of mind starting on December 11th with games against Hopkins, Brunswick, and Hamden Hall as well as a NYSAIS contest with Hackley in the following eight days. The contest against Hopkins was essentially a mud fight. Rye shot 31.9% from the field while Hopkins shot 28.8%. The Wildcats also had 28 turnovers and 26 personal fouls which gifted Hopkins numerous easy baskets. Final: 50-47 Hilltoppers.

The second game of the week was against Brunswick. This game was the debut for eight-grade standout point guard Owen Zabel. Zabel and the Wildcats were tasked with slowing down the Bruins’ 6’2 Middlebury commit Tristan Joseph. And they did quite a good job. Hustling for every loose ball, diving for rebounds, taking charges – these small plays kept the Wildcats in the game against an extremely big and athletic Brunswick squad. Behind the stalwart efforts of Zabel and Kosann, the Wildcats had the game tied at 41 in the second half. A couple plays did not go Rye’s down the stretch, leading to another nail-biting defeat. Fina: 50-46.

Following the last day of school before Christmas vacation, RCDS hosted rival Hackley in a NYSAIS showdown. Already 2-0 in NYSAIS play, this game would be crucial in the playoff race, especially in tiebreakers for home-court advantage. The Prism was raucous this Friday evening from the jump. The first half started off quite competitive. Hackley jumped off to a hot start and controlled the lead but the Wildcats battled back. 23-22 was the halftime score. Behind outstanding performances from Zabel and Kosann once again, the Wildcats rallied to a 47-33 third-quarter lead. To many in the crowd, the lead felt insurmountable for the Hornets. But clearly, Hackley did not lose hope. They dominated the fourth quarter 16-5, tying the game at 49. The Wildcats entered overtime and once again put on a stellar performance. Lockdown defense combined with clutch shot-making as well as an important rebound by Senior Mark Vollmer helped secure the 59-53 victory. 

The final game of 2021 featured an FAA matchup with Hamden Hall. Due to injuries and absences, RCDS was down to only 8 players. Everyone would be getting meaningful minutes. This game played out very similarly to many of the previous contests. A competitive first half led to a commanding start to the second half led to a letdown in the fourth quarter. The nail in the coffin was Hamden Hall’s free throw shooting; though Hamden Hall was 2 of 16 from three, the Hornets shot 88% from the line on 25 attempts. Down the stretch, ticky-tack fouls from RCDS essentially gave the Hornets free points. In a high-scoring affair, Hamden Hall would take it 72-66.

The Wildcats are 3-3 heading into 2022. Coach Barile and his players are keen to build off the successes in the NYSAIS. The team is also dealing with injuries and is optimistic full strength can be reached this month.