January is an exciting month for the Storm King School Cougars, who returned from Winter Break ready to win.

The girls prep basketball team didn’t skip a beat over the winter holidays, continuing to practice and compete into the new year. Their efforts paid off on December 28 when the Cougars hosted Hamden Hall, scoring a solid 5-point lead to beat the Hornets, 61-56. “We started out slow and went down early, then picked up the intensity and switched up defense in the 2nd quarter. This allowed us to take back control of the game for the win,” commented Coach Tang.

Ringing in 2024, the Cougars traveled to Connecticut on January 5 to tip off against The Storm at St. Luke’s School. It was an exciting game right through to the final buzzer. Storm King quickly ran up a 20- point lead in the first quarter, but eventually lost to them in the overtime, 71-77. “We are still young and inconsistent at times,” explained Coach Tang.  “Some stretches we play really good basketball. Now we’re working on sustaining a consistent level of play for the full game.”

Their hard work was on display in the Cougars’ next game hosting Darrow on January 10. Home advantage was with them as they delivered a resounding win over the Ducks, 103-48. “Everyone got to play and each had their individual moments on the court. Our game has shown a lot of improvement regarding building a new culture and style of play this year. We are competing with very strong teams. I’m confident we will start racking up some wins as we continue to develop and grow as a program,” continued Coach Tang.

For their next game, the Cougars will host Rocky Hill School on January 13.

Tipping off the new semester, the boys varsity basketball team traveled to Darrow on January 10. The Cougars hit the court roaring and never looked back, cruising to a comfortable victory over the Ducks, 61-45. Coach Luongo was very pleased with the team’s performance: “I thought we played really well, especially our starters. We were very aggressive on defense and even the opposing coach was complementary of our style after the game.”

The Cougars hope to keep the winning momentum going when they travel to Rocky Hill School on January 13 to face the Mariners.

Before the winter holiday, the Cougars hit the mat at Marvelwood’s Skiff Mountain Tournament with a few notable standouts. Junior Tolik T. made an outstanding debut in the 132-weight division, clinching fourth place in his first-ever wrestling event. Ryan W. ’24 and Bryan J. ’25, also claimed victories in their respective bouts.

The Cougars continued their winning streak just before Winter Break hosting Forman, emerging where the Cougars showcased their prowess with four pins: Brian J. ’25 in the 144-weight category, Tolik T. ’25 at 132, Ryan W. ’24 at 150, and David B. ’26 at 157. Ryan W. ’24, who, despite an injury, won his match, earning him the ‘wrestler of the day’ honors.

Next up, the SKS Wrestlers will travel to Salisbury School on January 13.