The Old Saybrook boys’ basketball team had quite the successful season this winter, making it all the way to the quarterfinal round of the Division V State Tournament before falling to #1 seeded Windsor Locks, 60-50. While building success and earning victory after victory along the way as a team, senior captain Aaron Tolve also put together a strong résumé of his own on the hardwood.

The forward has been playing basketball since he was in first grade, quickly developing his skills and finding a knack for it through help from family members.

“Basketball was the first sport that I ever played. I quickly fell in love with the game at a young age after playing alongside my friends and my brother,” says Aaron. “I also was coached by my dad here at the Old Saybrook Parks and Rec.”

Rams Head Coach Chris Perras saw Aaron as a leader in more than ways than one this winter, as he helped direct his team during games and also gave his peers encouraging words while on the sidelines.

“Aaron led the team in numerous ways, vocally at practice and in games, he would call things out that he saw when running plays. He was a good vocal leader for us, and he also led by example in a lot of games,” says Perras. “He would put the team on his back, take over the game, look to score, and have a huge impact. He really led in every possible way of the game and, even when he was out, he was still very supportive on the bench and a great team player.”

Aaron always strived to be the best leader that he could be this season, especially when it came to showing the less experienced players the ropes. Through this mentality, he was able to encourage his teammates and grow everyone’s individual confidence.

“I think that the biggest thing that I tried to do this year was lead by example,” says Aaron. “We had a lot of young guys this year that had to step into a larger role due to injuries, and as a captain, I did my best to help my teammates learn and get better and adjust and overcome these challenges. I tried to set the tone in games and in practices, and I wanted to show the team that if we work hard, then we can win.”

Not only did Aaron stand out due to his leadership, but he also was versatile on the court as he gained exposure to every position.

“I like to say that I can play all five positions. In the past, I mostly stuck to shooting guard/small forward,” says Aaron. “This year I feel like I played every role at some point during the season.”

In the loss vs. Windsor Locks, Aaron totaled 17 of the 50 points that the Rams scored. He was named to the Shoreline Athletic Conference (SLC) First Team this season as well as the All-State First Team, both of which were a reflection of the hard work Perras saw him put in on a daily basis.

“When he was named All-State, I was so excited. I was checking my email all day and texted a few other coaches that I am friends with to see if the list was out,” says Perras. “I was a little nervous because Aaron had such a great season that was deserving of All-State honors. When the email came through at 9:15 on a Sunday morning, I was so ecstatic for him and called him.”

Aaron ended his basketball career with 956 total points while averaging 20 points per game to go along with six assists. He was also 90% from the free throw line. Aaron scored a career-high 31 points on Senior Night this year, helping to solidify his mark as an All-State player even more.

“I could not have been happier after I heard the news. It was something that I have wanted to achieve since middle school,” says Aaron. “It is amazing knowing that all my hard work has paid off.”

Despite having a tremendous final season on the court, Aaron had to do it through multiple obstacles that he and his team were faced with throughout the campaign, which made the result even more impressive.

“This past season was like a roller coaster. We started off the year super strong, and then we began to face a lot of injuries. There were multiple points in the second half of the season where we were missing three starters. This was obviously difficult to work around,” says Aaron. “Before game 18, I injured my own ankle, and for the rest of the season I played through it. Despite all these challenges, our team accomplished things that we haven’t done as a program in a very long time, and that is something that we should all be very proud of.”

In the first round of the Shoreline Conference (SLC) tournament, Aaron and the Rams played against the Valley Regional Warriors and grabbed a 49-40 victory. Aaron led the team with 22 points and six rebounds.

“My most memorable game this year would have to be our first-round Shoreline matchup against Valley, which we won. Our team had not won a conference playoff game since I had gotten to high school,” says Aaron. “This was huge for us and I also played very well this game, going 14-14 from the free throw line and scoring 22 points.”

After graduating from Old Saybrook High School, Tolve is open to playing club or intramural basketball at the respective university he decides to attend.