Beasts Look to Replicate Strong Season

With heightened expectations after last season’s success, the Stuyvesant Beasts have seen relatively smooth sailing this season after beating the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering (HSMSE) in their most recent game on April 11. The team is now 4-0. This year, five new freshmen joined the team, all with extremely talented skill sets. Although four seniors of last year’s team graduated, most of the team’s starting lineup has stayed the same.

The team has a “starting seven” lineup, where the two middle hitters rotate in and out continuously with the libero. This year’s starting seven has Ray Jones as setter, Tommy Min and Shun Bitar as outside hitters, Justin Chan as opposite hitter, Nick Kim and Jerren Dang as middle hitters, and Samuel Kim as libero. All of the starters are seniors with the exception of Dang. “The team has looked really strong this season. I would say that out of my four years on the team, this is the strongest squad we’ve had. The outlook is certainly very bright,” senior and co-captain Ray Jones said.

Though most of the starters are seniors, there is a reliable bench when substitutes are needed. Middle hitter Kevin Mitchell and setter/opposite Scott Abramowitz also play big roles in the team play. “We have a great group of guys this year. Aside from a strong core of returning starters, we also have a lot of returning bench players, and they have all been getting into games,” Jones said. The team chemistry is expected to go through the roof because of the high level of talent of this year’s starters, as well as their ability to work together and trust in each other.

The Manhattan A West division is generally known to be easier than other divisions, which has resulted in a strong record for the Beasts in the past. Last year, the team was seeded first in the division with a record of 10-0. The schools in the division this year are still the same, so the team is looking to finish with another strong record, which would ultimately give them a high seeding in the playoffs. “Doing well in the playoffs will mean having [to have] a strong regular season,” Jones said. “We will have to use tournaments to really prove that we’re a strong team… We will hope to demonstrate our level of play against some of the other top teams. Hopefully it will yield us a high seed, and we will be able to succeed in the PSAL playoffs.”

In their non-league scrimmages and tournaments, the Beasts have faced tougher competition, meeting the Fort Hamilton High School Tigers in multiple tournaments. They have faced the Tigers twice this season, losing both games by a close margin. “I really do believe that we can beat them as [the] season progresses,” junior Jerren Dang said. They have faced other top teams as well, such as Hillcrest High School and Cardozo High School. In the recent Francis Lewis High School tournament, the team placed second and played five competitors, winning all their games. Additionally, both captains Ray Jones and Shun Bitar won individual awards for the all-city team in their respective positions as setter and outside hitter.

The Beasts will most likely continue to dominate their division, but also improving in their outside league matches against the stronger teams in the city. As the season progresses, the Beasts will be getting hungrier for a championship run to commemorate the large group of graduating seniors.