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02/13/2019 11:00 PMMatt Cosgrove is being relied upon as a leader while serving as a senior captain for the North Branford boys’ basketball team this season. Matt came into the campaign as the Thunderbirds’ only returning starter from a year ago. He entered his senior season ready to take on a major leadership role.
“I think my biggest asset on the floor is my leadership,” says Matt. “I like being a captain because, when I was a younger player, I looked up to the captains. Younger players learn by example, so I want to do that job for the younger players on my team.”
Matt stepped into a new position during the early stages of the season, when Head Coach Cliff Yerkes moved him to point guard. Ultimately, Matt went back to his natural spot as a shooting guard, although Coach Yerkes was impressed with how Matt accepted his point guard responsibilities without a second thought.
“Matt’s the kind of guy that will do whatever is asked of him,” Yerkes says. “He leads by example, works hard, and I’ve never seen him hang his head or get discouraged.”
Matt made his varsity debut on the court as a junior last season. He began with year with the JV team and then earned a starting spot on varsity midway through the campaign. Playing varsity was a big leap for Matt, but he got some help from one of the best players to ever wear the North Branford uniform.
“In practice, I wasn’t getting much run with the varsity team. We had the top player in the league last year, Brett LeQuire, and he helped me and got me ready for the varsity level,” Matt says. “I learned a lot from his game. I feel like if he wasn’t there, it would’ve been a lot tougher for me.”
Last season, Matt’s shooting skills were on display as he routinely lined up from beyond the arc as a 3-point option. This year, Matt is taking it to the lane more often and then looking for opportunities to dish to rock to his teammates.
“When I drive, it gets most of the team open, and I like setting up my teammates and helping them,” says Matt, who also plays second base for the North Branford baseball team. “I like to spread it out and get guys open. I like getting my teammates open and getting them better. We have a young team with not a lot of experience, so I try to get everybody better.”
As North Branford reaches the end of its rebuilding season, Matt feels proud that his leadership has helped the club improve throughout the campaign. It makes Matt happy when he sees his fellow T-Birds giving an extra effort on a daily basis in their quest to progress.
“Even though our record may not show it, our team shows effort every day. People how up early and stay late, trying to get better,” Matt says. “Our effort is always there. Guys are going 100 percent every game and every practice. We just need to put it all together.”