For the first time in history, the Vicenza High School boys basketball team went 19-0 during its regular season. As if that isn't enough of a feat, not surprisingly, they returned home from European finals play in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 22 with the Division II championship.
"The key to our success was defense and teamwork," said head coach Eric Wakefield. "We had a deep bench, which allowed us to play 10 guys per game."
Europeans consisted of seven games in four days against teams from Black Forest Academy, Bahrain, Marymount Institute, Alconbury, Hohenfels, SHAPE and the winning game against Naples with a score of 75-45. According to Wakefield, the team felt confident in all the games.
"We believed that if we could play pressure defense throughout the tournament and make our shots, then we would be successful," Wakefield said.
Senior Derrick Schaefer won the Division II tournament MVP and finished the championship game with 19 points and six steals. Jerome Farmer, described as the heart of the team due to his tenacious defense and rebounding, was second to none throughout the year.
Wakefield, a four-year coaching veteran, headed the winning season along with assistants John Bratcher and Michael James. The team is losing seven seniors but will have six returning who, according to Wakefield, had significant playing time throughout the tournament.
"I would like to thank the entire Vicenza community for their support in this historic season. Without the fans and community support on and off the court, this season would not have been possible," Wakefield said.
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