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05/03/2018 12:00 AMAnthony Karg had to take on a new role for the Old Saybrook boys’ basketball team this winter, while also following in the footsteps of a tremendous predecessor at the point-guard position. Anthony approached his responsibility with pride, played with passion, and proved a proficient point guard for the Rams.
Anthony was asked to fill the big void left behind by last year’s point guard Connel Henderson, who graduated in 2017. Anthony, a senior captain, was true to the task as he averaged 10.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game for Old Saybrook, which finished the season with 16 victories and advanced to the Division V State Tournament quarterfinals.
“I credit my success to my teammates. We pushed each other, and it showed on the court. I also worked on my ball-handling and shooting,” says Anthony. “I had a big leadership role to fill, and I always looked up to Connel. [Head Coach Pat Quinn] let me lead the team and put the ball in my hands.”
Anthony says he felt some pressure while serving as Old Saybrook’s signal caller this season. However, he breezed past the pressure by displaying a constant sense of urgency and using his speed to his advantage on the floor.
“This team liked to push the ball, so I just went along with that mindset,” Anthony says. “I would just get the ball out and go, and I enjoyed that part of playing point guard the most.”
While Anthony went through a great growth spurt the past few years, he grew a lot from a mental perspective, too. Anthony found a way to keep those pre-game jitters in check and get locked in before the opening tip.
“My nerves have improved greatly,” says Anthony, who also helped Old Saybrook boys’ soccer win the Shoreline Conference title and advance to the Class S state final in 2016. “When I was younger, I would be nervous going into games. But then I calmed down and just tried to play within me and my means. I also got taller and more athletic as I went through high school.”
Coach Quinn says that Anthony had a lot of expectations placed upon him entering the recent season. Quinn was pleased to see Anthony exceed those expectations, while often racing past the opposition’s defenders.
“Anthony stepped up huge for us this season, taking over as the floor general when Connel graduated. It was a seamless transition. I told him a couple days into practice that he was going to be my point guard, and that I put a lot on my point guards to run the offense and keep every player organized and motivated. He did just that and more. As a coach, I’m very proud of him,” says Quinn. “There weren’t many defenders in our league that could handle his quickness off the bounce. On the other end of the floor, it was evident that Anthony took pride in defense, which is something I’m constantly preaching at practice.”
Anthony was glad that the Rams outperformed other people’s preseason predictions this winter. It also means a lot to Anthony that he capped off an excellent high-school career playing for such a prestigious basketball program at Old Saybrook.
“Some people didn’t think we would go far this year, but this team just clicked so well this year,” says Anthony. “It was great to represent such a great program. Playing here is an experience I’ll look back on and miss so much.”