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01/18/2023 08:59 AMOn Dec. 1, the Westbrook boys’ basketball team started their season, with their first game taking place on Jan. 15 against Coginchaug. The final score of the game was 74-62, with Coginchaug winning.
The Knights are coached by Jeff Beeman, who is going into his 16th year with Westbrook but 39th year coaching overall.
One athlete in particular, junior Trevor Jones, has been a huge asset for the Knights so far this season.
“Trevor has not played basketball since middle school; he transferred from Xavier this past year,” says Coach Beeman. “I was so impressed that he has a huge learning curve and is making progress.”
Trevor started playing basketball when he was in fifth grade but then stopped playing once he started high school at Xavier. Trevor picked the sport back up once he transferred back to Westbrook.
“I wanted to play again in high school after I transferred back into Westbrook from Xavier this year,” says Trevor.
Trevor plays as power forward or small forward and suits up for the boys’ soccer team in the fall season. Despite the break he took from the court, Coach Beeman talks more about how Trevor has improved so far this season.
“He is receptive, a very good athlete; he works at it. He rebounds and defends really well for us. He has started for me all year,” says Coach Beeman. “He is still learning the terminology and concepts of how to play basketball at the high school level.”
Since the transition from a larger school to a much smaller school, Trevor talks about what it has been like for him.
“The transition has been tough in the sense that I don’t really understand the game. I have had to learn a lot of new plays and when to do what in the game,” says Trevor. “It’s a big learning curve, but I think I’m picking a lot up as the days go by.”
The Knights are currently 2-10; however, Trevor is remaining positive throughout the remaining nine games of his first high school season.
“I’m hopeful to get a few more wins this season. I think we have some really talented players, and when we all play our best in a game, we can make it happen,” says Trevor. “The connections we all have with each other are really strong, and I like working and improving with them each day.”
The Knights played against the Old Lyme Wildcats on Dec. 22. Westbrook lost by a final score of 53-49. Trevor looks forward to the team’s next game against the Wildcats in hopes of beating them.
“Old Lyme is always a good rival. They beat us by four last time, but it was a competitive game, and I think we can beat them in our next matchup,” says Trevor. “They have a lot of big players, which is harder for our team to match up with, but I do look forward to that game.”
Coach Beeman looks forward to what Trevor can do for the remainder of the season and the potential he has. He also mentions how good of a role model he is for the rest of the team.
“The person I am least concerned about giving effort is Trevor Jones,” says Coach Beeman. “He is well-liked by his teammates, and they understand where he is athletically.”
In addition to transitioning from a larger school to a smaller one, Trevor also talks about another challenge he and the team are faced with this season: their record.
“The most challenging part of this season is our record. I feel like we are all playing really hard, but unfortunately, that hasn’t really showed up in the win column,” says Trevor. “It’s hard to give it everything you’ve got and watch your teammates do the same but still not get the result you wanted.”
Coach Beeman also talks about the Knights’ most challenging aspect of the season so far; however, he is hopeful that Trevor can be a contributing factor to get more numbers in the win column.
“If he can continue to play good solid defense, rebounding the basketball, passing to the guys who have been playing for three or four years, that is going to be his role, getting layups, and keeping his energy up.”