The Greatest Sparta Basketball Team in History by Luke Kopco

This past winter, I have had the privilege of being a part of one of the most successful basketball programs in the state. The accolades of this team speak for themselves;
- State semi-final appearance
- Undefeated league champs
- Four seniors going on to play college basketball
- Two wins over town rival Pope John
- Most importantly, the first Sparta team ever to take home the H/W/S trophy
Once past all of the success of the team, and taking a look at the character and chemistry of it, I can say with confidence that there really is no other program that I would want to be a part of. The Spartans came into the season with one goal in mind: State Championship. There really was no other option, and when it came down to the semi-final loss against Teaneck, it wasn't for lack of effort or work or success or execution. This team came in with the mindset that they wouldn't just beat every team, but they would dominate every team, on both sides of the floor, offense and defense. That's exactly what they did whether it be against any team in their league, in the Christmas tournament, or anyone that happened to be on the court at the same time they did. Some of the best moments were when Jack Cavanaugh went off in the second have the HWS championship to beat Phillipsburg and when Cam Riley slammed one home on Pope John center to shift the momentum of the game. It sounds cliche, but over the course of year, this team became a family, and this team is going to be talked about long after these guys have graduated college. It was an honor to share the floor with them.





"The Spartans ask not the number or strength of their enemy, only their location"