On Feb. 26, Westfield boys basketball wrapped up their season following a 45-79 loss to the Linden Tigers in the first round of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Tournament. Despite finishing the season with a 9-19 record, the team was able to prove themselves in times when the odds were stacked against them, especially in a conference full of powerhouse programs.
Westfield kicked off their season with a close yet strong game against Scotch Plains-Fanwood, winning 56-55. However, their next three games all ended in losses: Plainfield, Chatham and Roselle Catholic. After this, a cycle formed: the Blue Devils would secure a strong win with a decent score gap, then lose the next two to six games. In addition, many of their games ended with close calls. Five games’ had final scores within a five-point gap, with Westfield winning two of the five.
Last season, the Blue Devils made it to the state sectional semifinals, losing to Plainfield 62-36. This year, Westfield faced Plainfield three times and lost all three games by large margins. However, a defining game of their season was on Jan. 27 against RC, where they only lost by one point. Head coach Jim McKeon was proud of his team’s performance in that game and believed it had set the tone for the season, saying, “I think that started to make the team believe they could compete with any team in the state, which is a mindset we needed. We were so close in that game and should have gotten that win.” RC will play Gill St. Bernard’s for the NJSIAA North Jersey, Non-Public B Tournament, Semifinal Round.
While Westfield did not take home any hardware this season, they still obtained significant wins against notable teams. The Blue Devils’ matchup against the Madison Dodgers comes to mind in which they secured a 64-56 win at home, on Feb. 5. Senior tri-captain Jake Russell noted this was their biggest win, saying, “We knew that it was a must-win for us to get into states, and we stepped up and played one of our best games of the year.” Russell put up 21 points in this game, his highest scoring game this season.
Another significant standout performance for the Blue Devils was for senior tri-captain Max MacEacheron. During their game against Matawan on Dec. 26, MacEacheron set a new Westfield single-game record with 40 points, delivering 9 3-pointers. Read more about his accomplishments here.
Despite many remarkable feats by the boys this year, there was considerable hardship when it came to injuries. “I was hurt to begin the year,” said Russell. “Then, it was Connor [Whelan], then Liam [Washbourne], Donald [Meixner] and even Max [MacEacheron] out for a few games. We had the most unfortunate injuries with key players going out nonstop, and it was super tough to deal with.”
Although injuries caused significant setbacks for the Blue Devils, underclassmen stepped up and played their own game. MacEacheron said, “We had to play stretches of the season without many of our key players, but the team responded by stepping up and taking on bigger roles when someone went down.”
McKeon agreed, “It was just a revolving door, which was a ‘next man up mentality.’ It took a little bit to adjust. Some guys had to step into bigger roles than they were anticipating, but I thought everybody handled it well, especially with adversity. A lot of teams could have quit and not shown up to practice every day, but these guys showed a lot of heart throughout the year.”
This season was not what the Blue Devils desired, though it was a segue for growth and team improvement for next year. “The best thing about being a high school coach is that you learn a lot from your kids,” McKeon explained. “Whether it’s dealing with adversity, or how to coach a different style because they’re all different individuals, it’s a learning progression every year.”
McKeon said, “At the end of the day, you’re playing a game that some of these kids won’t be playing again after this year, so it’s important to keep that in perspective.” He reflected on the seven seniors they will be losing after this season, looking to rebuild their legacy while embracing a new lineup for the upcoming season.
