On November 22, 2023 the Port Richmond High School varsity basketball team beat McKee Staten Island Tech with a score of 75-72 in their annual Thanksgiving Eve season opener. This is the first time the Raiders beat the Seagulls in 18 years.
The Raiders’ win was spearheaded by Senior Xavier Cardona as he had a whopping 31 points with 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. Senior Guard Norman Grandstaff put 6 points on the board and had 9 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. Junior Forward Quentin Wright had 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Seniors Kareem Pfluger, and Joel Nunez broke two different streaks.
The players were proud to bring home a win on the opening night of their season against MSIT. “I felt good after we beat McKee on opening night. It was the first time Port Richmond has beaten McKee on opening night in 18 years, and we also got Coach Smalls his first ever win against McKee. Although we won, we still have a lot of things to work on so we can continue this winning streak,” said Grandstaff.
Coach Jeremy Smalls appreciates his players’ work ethic and dedication to the team. “Beating MSIT this year was a big accomplishment for the program. The boys worked hard over the summer and preseason to get better and it showed. It was an exciting night filled with highs and lows. Somehow we were able to execute down the stretch and hold on for the victory. Rumor has it that it was our first victory over MSIT in almost 18 years,” said Coach Smalls.
This win also meant a lot to Assistant Coach and Paraprofessional, Joshua Harris, who played against McKee during his time playing for Port Richmond. This was his first win against MSIT in the Eve game as a player and a coach. “This win meant a lot to me just for the simple fact that I know the boys have been working extremely hard since the end of last season, all summer long, and preseason for this. It just shows that hard work truly pays off, but as Coach Smalls says, ‘The work continues.’ I’m just very happy, to say the least, and I’m happy it was this group of young men to get it done; they deserve it,” said Assistant Coach Harris.
“Opening night was a movie, finally after 18 years we were able to beat McKee, it was loud, and it was packed. I am also one of the people to make history on junior varsity and varsity. Overall, I enjoyed winning,” said Senior Guard, Joel Nunez.
