One of my most vivid memories from the Banner came nearly three years ago– my freshman year at Harriton– after I was assigned an interview with boys basketball coach (and my then-African-Asian Studies teacher) Jesse Rappaport. Back then, Harriton had just made the switch to the Central League in all sports, setting a fairly low bar for expectations around the board. This was the main focus of the interview– the switch, how it would affect the team, etc.– so at the end I threw in a question in jest, something along the lines of “Coach, do you think we can expect a run at the top of the Central League this year?” As the last few seconds of the period ticked off, Mr. Rappaport stood and looked at me quizzically before saying “The Central League? You serious?” and exiting the classroom.
That question doesn’t seem nearly as ludicrous now as it did then. After a few years of deep runs in the District tournament, the Rams look poised to make a splash in the Central League in 2011. Fresh off a 4-0 start and backed with unprecedented support from the Herd, this could be the year that Harriton finally busts into the upper half of the league standings.
It would have been tough for even a diehard Rams fan to predict such an impressive start this season. This year’s team was fairly young and unproven entering the winter, but they returned a few key starters from last year’s squad, including junior guard Matt Sherman. Sherman has developed into a bona fide leader on this new-look team, most recently contributing 24 points in a Friday night road victory over Radnor. After emerging as champions of the Southern Lehigh tournament, the Rams now stand at 4-0 (2-0 in league play) and seem destined to improve by leaps and bounds over last season’s 12-11 (7-8) mark.
What’s different this year? It’s difficult to say. Rappaport has done a great job the fast few seasons, slowly creeping Harriton up the Central League standings ever since they joined and making deep runs in the District tournament every year. The most obvious change has to be the fan support– never before has the Herd flocked to basketball games and provided support for the team like they have been so far this season. The emergence of experienced players like senior Itay Levy, who was named MVP at Southern Lehigh, hasn’t hurt either.
True, the Rams had a similar quick start before hitting the teeth of their schedule last season, and yes, there are many, many dates with Central League powerhouses before the season is out, but it’s difficult to imagine a more encouraging start in 2011. With a game against Haverford next, a team that the Rams defeated 54-39 last year, the potential is there to open 5-0. From there on out, anything is possible– including a finish near the top of the league standings. And that’s not even taking into account the postseason District and State tournaments.