Emblazoned on the outside of the 15 Passenger Country School activity bus are the words “Carrying School Children.” And from the outside, if you’d been one of the many commuters gridlocked at the intersection between Hamden’s Skiff Street and Whitney Avenue on Thursday afternoon, you would likely have assumed that’s exactly what the bus was doing: transporting students. An audio recording taken from the inside of the bus, however, would have yielded a very different story as the sounds likened more closely to those found in the bowels of a submarine upon which a mob of angry pirates being tortured to death with sledgehammers.

Yes, that’s right. After 30 minutes of peaceful pop-music-rich interstate driving, everything changed as the bus eased onto Skiff Street. What began as a backseat challenge to deliver the best motivational speech quickly escalated into a pre-adolescent shouting match between a few teammates as they sought to out-do one another with their grandiose declarations of smack-talk-laden bravado and domination. If anyone had taken the advice of these youngsters’ boasts, they assuredly would have made their way to their favorite Sportsbook and put the entirety of their life’s savings on the Owls. There was no doubt about it, according to a few overconfident team members they were going to feast on the lowly Hornets and leave them sobbing into their pillows that night.

Words, though–as anyone worth their weight in wisdom will tell you–are cheap, and games of sport are never played on paper. So, while the team was eager to avenge their opening season home loss to the Hornets of Hamden Hall, they were reminded by their coaches of the truth that has become a hallmark conversation for this young team: wins and losses cannot be controlled in isolation. Only effort and attitude are within one’s control.

Nevertheless, as the bus made its way through the mid-afternoon traffic, Coach McDonough recalled thinking about what the season had taught the team. 

“You know,” he acknowledged, “the one thing I kept thinking about as I listened to the pre-game victory speeches was an article I’d read online a few years ago, ‘You can’t Learn Anything From Winning,’ in which the author, Muhkhim Naltus, remarks, ‘Play to win only when you need to fuel your self-esteem. Other than that, winning can't help you much.’ Somehow, I felt the tide of karma hanging in balance there on the bus. I thought of the ways sport can teach us,  of the lessons we needed–not as athletes, but as humans–and of the ways excellence and humility are best sought in tandem.”

After a brief detour to The Beckerman Athletic Complex, the team found their way to Hamden Hall’s main campus at the foot of New Haven’s East Rock where a raucous lower school crowd filled the stands of the school’s classic Hoosier-esque gymnasium. As chants of “LET’S GO HOR-NETS!” rained down on the team’s pregame routine, it was clear the environment was going to be decidedly different from the cozy comforts of DeFrancis Gymnasium.

From the start, there were two elements of the game that were clear. First, the Hamden Hall team was capital-A Aggressive as they employed full court pressure from the outset; and second, the substitution rhythm would be interrupted by timeouts every four minutes for a full-team replacement by the Hornets’ coaching staff. Nevertheless, the first quarter zipped by with a tally of 6-8 in favor of the Hornets. 

In the first frame, Jonah McDonough netted two baskets on drives into the paint, while Henry Laurans deftly rolled toward the hoop to snatch a pass and lob in a basket of his own. Despite TCS finding itself on the short end of the scoreboard, however, the young lineup of Oliver Molloy, Edward Barney, Kyle Jacobson, Andrew Lustberg, and Neil Parwani did an admirable job in holding fast under intense pressure from the speedy Hornet guards. 

In the second quarter, two Hornet brothers teamed up for 7 points, outscoring TCS by 3 with a number of close misses near the hoop by the Owls. Fouled hard on a floater from the right side, McDonough dropped in two free throws, and Kyle Jacobson added a field goal with a 6 footer that caught nothing but nylon. Patrick Becker added significant pressure in the TCS' vehement attempt at a full-court press, but still, with a halftime score of 15-10, Coach McDonough reminded the team that “they beat us by 5 in the first 16 minutes, let’s get them back in the second 16.”

The team took this message to heart by applying pressure of their own. Starter Quinn Crimmins was again a tenacious defender in the backcourt and Oliver Molloy continued to develop his crossover wizardry with two short jumpers from the left wing. Jimmy Ogeneski was able to put in a nifty spinning shot around two defenders to go along with a 1-2 trip to the charity stripe, and Jonah McDonough scored a driving layup and swiped a rebound away from an unsuspecting Hornet guard, missed a contested layup, then chased down the rebound to score another basket and enforce the Owl’s own infusion of energy. In the quarter, the Owls dominated, holding the Hornets to 5 points, taking a 21-20 lead into the final frame. 

In the last quarter, though, the fatigue of fighting against the full court pressure really got to the Owls. Unable to respond and share the load, Hamden Hall put up 11 points, extending a lead from which Country School just couldn’t recover. A 7 minute scoring drought for TCS was finally ended by a deep transition 3 pointer from the halfcourt logo by McDonough, but the damage had been done and the final score of 31-24 secured the win for the home team.

McDonough led all scorers with 13, Molloy had 4, Ogeneski netted 3, while Jacobson and Laurans each scored 2.

Of all the things to be proud of the team during what was their lowest offensive scoring output of the year, in the closing moments, disappointed as they were, the team gathered together to cheer for their opponent, to shake their hands, and–on the walk to the car–collectively acknowledge, “those refs were actually really good.” In a world where young people are oft-scrutinized for emphasizing societal posturing; image-over-substance mindset;  and deflections of responsibility, it was clear that the boys did learn something from the loss. Sure, their pride had been injured a bit, their collective self-confidence may have been cracked momentarily, and they were frustrated…but they learned something important from the loss: win or lose, it feels good to compete, it feels good to battle, and it feels good to get back on the bus with your friends, to watch the fading sun as it sets over the horizon, and to feel lucky that we had the opportunity–through our effort and our attitude– to grow a little taller alongside one another, even in defeat.

In his book Sacred Hoops, Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Phil Jackson remarks, “The strength of the team is in each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” This quotation–or meditation, if you will–was exemplified by the ten young men who donned their Country School uniforms and took to the court in the JV boys’ fourth game of the season, a rematch against the Pine Point Panthers. 

The long drive up Interstate 95 to the Rhode Island border was highlighted by singalongs to many of today’s top pop hits and set the stage for a loose and joyful afternoon game against a team they’d bested by 15 at home just two weeks earlier. But as the team turned off the highway, Mr. McDonough reminded them of two important keys to success. First were those two controllable elements that had led them to victory in their prior two games: Effort and Attitude. The second was that beating a team at home usually leads to the losing team seeking revenge when you head on the road. In short, this Panther team was not to be underestimated.

Lucky for our Owls, the long migration up I-95 didn’t diminish the team’s energy as they capitalized on 4 points each from Jimmy Ogeneski and Henry Laurans. Those eight points matched the 8 scored by Pine Point’s entire team, while TCS took the lead on a jumper by Kyle Jacobson to go along with three free throws and a deep 3-pointer from Jonah McDonough. With a 16-8 lead, things looked good and the team eased into their offense in the second half.

But the fates dealt the team a tough blow (of the whistle!) as the aggressive play of the Pine Point guards caused McDonough to pick up his third foul on the defensive end with 5 minutes left in the first half. Luckily, Oliver Molloy was able to captain the team by deftly running the point and Edward Barney unleashed a timely three pointer from the left wing that rattled in to maintain a 2 point lead going into the second half.

With the score 20-18 in favor of the Owls, the second half had the team hopeful, but on a Pine Point drive to the rim early in the third quarter McDonough picked up his fourth foul and again found himself on the bench.

This time, though, the team was able to shoulder the scoring load until a few minutes remained. Patrick Becker, Henry Laurans, and Barney each scored a basket and McDonough re-entered to score four. The real story of the third, though, was the defensive effort from Andrew Lustberg, Quinn Crimmins, and Neil Parwani. The three of them closed out on defenders, boxed out beautifully and rebounded with a real sense of purpose and resilience. As a result of the full team efforts, the Panthers were held to 4 points for the quarter and TCS headed into the final frame with a 30-22 lead. 

The final quarter was a real offensive onslaught for the Owls as they scored 17 points over 8 minutes. Oliver Molloy canned a silky smooth jump shot from the elbow, Jonah McDonough connected on a number of drives and spinning moves off the glass to score 11, and Kyle Jacobson caught fire from the wing by dropping in a pair of nice jumpers. Finally, Henry Laurans finished off a career game with his 7th and 8th points on a floater in the paint.

By the end of the game, the bench was all smiles and the team coasted to another impressive win, 47-35, extending their winning streak to 3 games.

Overall, the team was again led by Jonah McDonough (22 points), while season highs were achieved by Patrick Becker (2), Henry Laurans (8), Edward Barney (5), and Kyle Jacobson (4). Jimmy Ogeneski scored 4 and Oliver Molloy added two of his own. The team’s 47 points were a season high for the group who is now averaging an impressive 39 points per 32 minute game.

With a 3-1 record, three games remain in the season. Next up is a rematch with IDS at home on Tuesday. While the game might get snowed out, you can be sure these fighting JV Owls will save plenty of energy for the Coyotes, whenever the rematch comes.

McDonough Scores 30, Owls Upend Coyotes in Nailbiter on the Road

“One thing about championship teams is that they’re resilient. No matter what is thrown at them, no matter how deep the hole, they find a way to bounce back and overcome adversity.” 

-Nick Saban

While The Country School’s JV boys’  basketball team has yet to win a championship, Coach Saban’s words rang true on Thursday afternoon as the team faced a deep early deficit against a stalwart Independent Day School squad. Yes, if there was any hope for the young owls, they’d need resilience, grit, and a faithful commitment to one another. Of course, 30 points from their veteran point guard didn’t hurt the cause, but it was the energy and optimism that ultimately turned the tables.

The shock of facing off against a towering opponent whose massive frame cast a shadow over the court from the opening jump was real as the whistle blew and the ball was tossed skyward. And sure enough, within two minutes, the Owls found themselves down 8-1, six of the points coming from the leviathan Coyote center. 

With the raucous IDS Varsity team watching from the sidelines, TCS leaned heavily on their veterans in the early going. In the post, Henry Laurans ‘26 and Jimmy Ogeneski ‘26 teamed up to limit their center to only 2 more points in the quarter, double-teaming him each time their guards made an entry pass. Without fouling, they forced kick out passes to the wings, but three outside bank shots from the Coyote guards still found the net by the quarter’s end.  Not to be deterred, though, the Owls fought back. A few beautiful cuts by Andrew Lustberg ‘27, who earned his first start for the team, resulted in near misses after passes from Jonah McDonough ‘26, but offensive rebounds from Edward Barney ‘27 and Neil Parwani ‘26 enabled McDonough to tally a handful of points, jump starting what would ultimately become his highest scoring outing in his two years on the JV team. The first quarter buzzer sounded, however, with the Owls still trailing by a slight margin, 14-10 with nine points having come from McDonough and a single free throw from Laurans.

In the second quarter–and facing a quick 8 point deficit, 18-10–the team took it one possession at a time. With McDonough taking a spell on the bench after his big first quarter, Oliver Molloy ‘27 took on the point guard responsibilities. With poise and maturity for a first year player, he initiated the offense, ultimately ensuring the ball made it into the hands of Ogeneski who converted two nifty post moves, tallying 4 points. On the defensive end, the bench unit continued to put the clamps down in the post, while Quinn Crimmins ‘26 and Kyle Jacobson ‘27 applied pressure on the Coyote ball handlers. With growing intensity on every possession, the back-and-forth game intensified. With McDonough back in the game, Jacobson quickly swung the ball from the high post, finding him on the baseline for a deep two, followed by a perfectly-scripted out-of-bounds stack play for another deuce, this time assisted by Laurans. 

At this point, the real battle in the trenches began. Post play from Laurans, Ogeneski held their big man at bay as he scored one lone basket after carving the team up for eight points in the first quarter. Truly, though, it was Neil Parwani who was the difference maker as he outrebounded the Coyotes other two front court players, extending three possessions. With under 5 seconds until halftime, in a 20-20 game, a midcourt turnover resulted in a quick Coyote layup and a halftime score of 22-20.

During halftime, Coach McDonough praised the team’s hard work in limiting easy shots, in getting hands on the ball, and in trusting one another with great passing and communication. Most importantly, though, he said “We are winning this game when it comes to effort and attitude. If we keep winning in those areas in the second half, this is our game to win.” Coach Castillo’s message was simple: “You are just playing awesome. Don’t stop.”

The reality was, though, that this was a game decided by players and any remarks at halftime from the coaches weren’t going to change the outcome. If they wanted it badly enough, the second half would be theirs. And what a second half it was.

From the moment it began, the intensity was palpable all throughout the gym. With a new defensive formation focused on forcing McDonough to his left, he met the challenge with laser-like passes to Ogeneski in the post, resulting in some great, aggressive moves and six points for the Owls. Again, forcing turnovers in the midcourt played to TCS’s advantage. Running the fast break, Ogeneski was again rewarded with full court assists from McDonough, giving him 12 points for the game. Parwani and Crimmins both had timely steals and the mayhem caused by the wily and no-nonsense quartet of 5th Graders (heretofore nicknamed The Law Office of Lustberg, Barney, Jacobson & Molloy) resulted in a number of frustrated fouls by the Coyote starters. 

Two highlight reel plays by McDonough brought the bench (and the TCS fans in attendance) to their feet: preserving a 2 point lead, and watching a solo fastbreak steal transpire by the opposing point guard, he shot down the court for a full court chasedown block into the stands. Moments later, he drove to the hoop and converted an and-1 layup. On the ensuing free throw, Laurans tipped his missed shot back to McDonough who corralled the ball and again hit an and-1 floater in the lane. This time he hit the additional free throw, for what the team nicknamed a “5 point play” as he’d scored 5 in the course of about 2 seconds. As the clock turned to the 4th Quarter, the teams had played 24 minutes and TCS now held the lead 32-30.

The final quarter stayed close. Laurans continued his deft work in the trenches, holding their center to 4 points (and only 8 after his big first quarter). To work so hard defensively is one thing, but as the quarter continued Laurans was hit in the face, bloodied on his arms, and yet–shockingly–ended the game without committing a single foul. This level of defensive footwork and post play kept IDS at bay and enabled the duo of McDonough and Ogeneski to continue shouldering the scoring burden. In the final frame, the physicality being experienced in the low post was echoed on drives by McDonough as well as he was fouled continuously, converting five free throws in the quarter (going 10-14 from the line in the game). In the waning seconds of the game with the team clinging to a 41-39 lead after a deep 3 from IDS, the young McDonough got trapped in the right corner by two pressing Coyote players. Coach McDonough quickly called a timeout with 12 seconds remaining. Drawing up a play to inbounds the ball safely, Ogeneski set a devastating screen, freeing McDonough for the pass. Fouled hard at half court and knocked to the ground, he was slightly rattled and missed both free throws; but with great boxing out by the entire team, Ogeneski corralled the rebound and kicked it out where Jonah was again fouled by the Coyotes with 2.4 seconds on the clock. This time he converted both, ending the game with a score of 43-39.

As far as scoring went, all the points this game went to the three veterans who are in their second year on our 5th and 6th Grade team: McDonough led the way with an efficient and stunning 30, while Ogeneski scored a dozen and Laurans had an important single point to keep it close in the 

It is easy to look at a box score for a game during which one player scores 30 points and make some quick assumptions about how the game played out. The reality, though, is that this game required each and every player to contribute. Four of our players are 5th Graders playing competitive basketball at TCS for the first time, and two others have never before played organized basketball. It has been simply stunning to watch the group come together and trust each other to the degree they have. The author (Coach McDonough) of this article is assuredly biased, but the leadership of our 6th Graders and the humility and attitude of everyone on this team has been amazing to watch. For those on our team whose shots didn’t fall in this game, know that the entire team believes in you and luck will shift before this season is over.

The team doesn’t get much rest as it takes to the road again for an I-95 rematch against Pine Point on Tuesday.