With the Freshman Basketball season coming to a close, I took the opportunity to interview Freshman Basketball player Matthew Surmay. Matthew comes from Cranford, and this is his first year at OP. Throughout the interview, I asked questions about not only his own personal performance, but the overall team’s production. With last year’s team only claiming three wins, Coach Rich was determined to flip the script, in what proved to be a much more successful season.
How do you feel about your performance throughout this season?
“I think everyone on the team had great personal seasons and we worked together well and had successful seasons overall. Everyone played their role well which led us to beat good teams.”
What specific role did you play on the team this year?
“My role on the team was a shooter. Everyone on the team had an important role, none less than the other.”
What teammate stood out to you this season and why?
“All of my teammates were great and we had good team chemistry. The teammate who stood out the most to me was Logan Melendes because he had a great understanding of the game and was fun to play with.”
What is one thing you could have done better, either as a team or individually?
“We started off the season with a bad loss to Cranford but quickly recovered and won the next four games.”
What were your original personal/team goals for this season, and did you accomplish them?
“My personal goal was to do whatever the team needed me to do whether that be to shoot or pass. Our team goal going into the season was to beat notable teams and beat teams that are in our conference.”
What team was the toughest competitor and why?
“New Providence was the hardest team we faced. They had a well-rounded team and they played well with one another.”
What are your goals for next season and into the future?
“My goal is to improve and work on my skills in the off-season so that by next season I can be prepared to play again.”
