Smoothly moving across the maple hardwood floor of Maine-Endwell High School’s gym is Marco Konrad, a 6-foot-2, 22-point-per-game-averaging junior. It has become a familiar sight. Konrad doubled back Monday night with Spartan “splash bro” Preston Ocker, as the two combined for over 60 points in the basketball team’s 79-72 win over Ithaca.
Much can be said about the team’s three-game winning streak, about their recent clinching of the Metro division, and about the team’s head coach, Bill Ocker, who won the BCANY Class A Coach of the Year award last season and who seems to have a similar agenda this season. However, even more can be said about the team’s commitment to creating an unforgettable season.
Stats, honors, and food contests in Alaska
The Maine-Endwell boys basketball team flew to Alaska not too long ago to participate in a tournament at West Anchorage High School, sponsored by Alaska Airlines. Despite a 1-2 overall record and an unlucky yet close fourth-place finish, the Spartans came out of the tournament with one of their own, Konrad, earning all-tournament MVP honors.
The junior led the team with 69 points across three games and 22 rebounds, which ranked second in the tournament overall. Along with it, Konrad recorded six steals and finished amongst the top five in the tournament for three-pointers made.
When asked about the honors, Konrad humbly pointed to the team’s chemistry and ability to navigate the court as the main reasons for the junior’s star-studded stats.
“We have a little bit of everybody that could do everything, we just all love playing together, have great chemistry, and just want to win everything we can,” Konrad said. He shed light on the stellar assistance and playmaking from his fellow Spartans, stating that he never really goes into a game with any particular agenda, but rather, a desire to fill in where he can.
“If it’s rebounding, if it’s passing, if it’s defense, points, whatever, whatever the team needs to win, that’s what I try to do and fill that little void and go try and help us have the best chance to win every game.”
Outside of the fun on the court, the team also made memories in the state called “The Last Frontier,” and according to M-E coach Bill Ocker, “did more things that weren’t basketball-related than [they] did basketball-related things.”
The team notably took a trip to the zoo, went to Alaska’s conservation site, and also went on a “fairly dangerous and difficult, but well worth it” hike to catch a glimpse of a glacier.
“The kids spent a day in school at West Anchorage High School, shadowing members of the West Anchorage boys basketball team to see what it was like to go to school there,” Ocker explained. “Whenever we take trips like this, we try to make sure that there’s an educational component, a team-building component, and that we leave there with, you know, more to talk about and more to have learned from than just the basketball event.”
The boys also went as far as to challenge themselves in a seafood-eating contest while out for a team meal.
“Not many people can say they tried a 15-pound seafood challenge with all their friends and tried to eat the whole thing,” Ocker laughed. “Those are the things you’ll cherish for the rest of your life because, at the end of the day, winning basketball games is our first goal, but having a good time is [also] very important.”
The team, which has averaged 70 points per game for the past three games and sits at 11-5 on the winter, has clinched the Metro division title. The Spartans seem to be continuing on that path with only two more league games left in the season, putting their experiences at the heart of the team’s success and ability to connect effortlessly on the court.
“One of my favorite things is spending time with the guys, and these are some of my best friends from high school, and these are memories that you’ll never be able to forget,” Konrad said.
The Spartans will continue their victory run and their unforgettable season as they take on Vestal High School on the road on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Maine-Endwell’s Marco Konrad talks Alaska trip, stats, team chemistry
Reporting by Aniya Sumner, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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