Raven’s Men’s Basketball Recap

by Timmy Chu

The final buzzer went off, signaling the end of another great season for the CCA Ravens men’s basketball team, but more importantly signaling the beginning of the preseason; a sixth month stretch of preparation for the upcoming season. The Ravens, led by junior point guard Scott Patterson, junior guard-forward JP Chenevey, sophomore forward-center Dylan Osetkowski, and sophomore forward Riley Adams, finished the season on a nine game winning streak to end the season with 15 wins and 13 losses to earn a share of the Valley League title.

Last Tuesday, the Ravens lost in the first round of CIFs to Kearny High School with big man Dylan Osetkowski going down with a nagging back injury early on in the game. Ravens guard-forward JP Chenevey comments, “CIFs were a disappointment but Dylan got hurt within 4 minutes of the game so we had no big guy to stop Kearny.” This season was considered unsatisfactory because last year the team, led by current Columbia University center Cory Osetowski, made it to the semifinals of CIF.

However, most of the team felt that the overall season was a resounding success, despite the loss of captain shooting guard Cameron Adams for most of the season with an ACL injury.  Sophomore guard Akira (Baby Jean) Tachikawa believes that “it was a successful season although we did not go as far in the CIF playoffs as we wanted to. We were able to defend our league title and win it two years in a row, so that is a great accomplishment.”

Next year, CCA athletics will be moving into the highly-competitive Palomar League, competing against athletic powerhouses like rival Torrey Pines, Rancho Bernardo, Westview, Poway, and Ramona. Although it will be much harder to win a league title next year while facing stiffer competition, guard JP Chenevey hasn’t given up hope for a title shot. “We regularly beat Rancho Bernardo, we were beating Poway until the fourth quarter this season, and we gave Westview a game plus Torrey Pines isn’t going to be as strong next year with the losses of captains Joe Rahon and Garrett Galvin” says returning senior captain JP Chenevey. All four core starters for the Ravens will be returning next year along with the 5th man rotation of current sophomore guards Akira Tachikawa, Alex Buchanan, and Jeremy Dawson, while the Ravens will lose Seniors Cameron Adams and Mike Kinney. Regarding the move up the Palomar League and playing against tougher teams, shooting guard Akira Tachikawa says,  “I believe we will be able to compete with them [Palomar League teams] because 10 out of the 12 from this season will be returning next year, and we are all going to be bigger, faster, and stronger.” The Ravens men’s basketball team is collectively looking forward to the upcoming season and the challenges that will come along with it.