When the varsity boys basketball team took the court for the first time this season, the first player off the bench was the team’s only underclassman.
Sophomore guard Jason Penn joined the varsity team this year after spending his freshman year starring on junior varsity.
“[Last season], it was really tiring [with] no fans and it wasn’t super fun having no one cheer you on,” Penn said.
Penn said that the upperclassmen within the basketball program made him feel at home.
“They’re all really nice,” he said. “The seniors and the juniors are all really nice to me. [They] really made me feel comfortable playing with the older kids because that can be intimidating for some people sometimes.”
Junior and forward Alex Rothman met Penn last year in an off-season fall league.
“He’s a great player and honestly a great teammate,” Rothman said. “Since the first day I’ve met him he’s been really friendly.”
Rothman said he credits Penn’s success to his work ethic.
“He’s always in the gym,” Rothman said. “I know he comes in the morning sometimes to get shots up and gets workouts in like whenever he can. I see them in other gyms on weekends after games, so I know he’s always putting in work.”
As for his future, Penn has big goals in the years to come.
“College, D1, D2, D3,” Penn said. “That’s the goal.”