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04/02/2020 12:00 AMWhen Alias Ford was growing up, his father would bring him to the park to play basketball against bigger kids. Now a junior on the East Haven boys’ basketball team, Alias has taken the skills that he learned on the blacktop and used them to become a focal point of the Yellowjackets’ offense.
“I would go down to the park with my dad. He was always having me play against older people,” Alias says. “I just always took it serious. It’s something I always liked. I’d strive to be the best at it.”
East Haven ran with a rotation of five players for most of the recent season, and Alias was one of those five. Head Coach Ricky Narracci says that Alias’s advanced athleticism allowed the 5-foot-11 guard to stay on the court for practically the entire game. Narracci has seen Alias improve a lot during the past three years and calls him a pivotal player on both ends of the floor.
“Alias is probably one of the best all-around athletes I’ve ever coached. If he played football, baseball, lacrosse, or whatever it was, he would be very good at that also,” says Narracci. “Alias has great speed, quickness, and instincts. He does so much for us—scoring, rebounding, defending. He’s a big part of what we do and, hopefully, he’ll have a successful year next season.”
Alias’s athleticism was on full display when East Haven faced Lyman Hall on the road on Jan. 7. The Yellowjackets had lost their first four contests of the season and were hungry to get that first win. Alias scored 19 points to help East Haven come away with a 35-32 victory versus the Trojans.
“Alias made two plays in a row where he went 94 feet coast to coast,” Coach Narracci says. “Lyman Hall really didn’t have an answer for that. We didn’t have a guy on our team that could do that like he can.”
Alias’s presence made a big difference for East Haven this season. When the Yellowjackets hosted Fairfield Prep on Jan. 31, Alias was out with an injury, and East Haven took a 77-31 defeat. The teams played again three weeks later with Alias in the lineup and, while the Yellowjackets didn’t win, they gave a much more competitive effort and only lost by a 50-47 score.
“It comes from confidence, teamwork, and strategy,” Alias says. “Having the ball in my hands or my teammates knowing they have an outlet, it helps a lot. It gives them a lot more confidence on the court. It makes them feel loose. I feel like they feel better when I’m out on the court with them, and I try to keep it like that.”
Alias plays with confidence and brings a “better than you” mindset to the court. Even if his opponent is 6-foot-5, Alias doesn’t get intimidated and will always keep competing. While he has confidence in himself, Alias wants to be a selfless player and tries to help his teammates score.
Alias still shoots hoops at the same parks that he did as a youngster. The difference now is that he has three years of high school experience under his belt. Going up against bigger athletes gave Alias the strength and belief that he could succeed in the varsity atmosphere.
“I’m alert. I know how to play against them now,” Alias says. “When I was younger, I would just sneak behind everyone because they couldn’t see me. Now, I play defense correctly. I try not to play street ball. I try and keep it legit and play like how I would in a high school game.”
As he looks toward his senior season, Alias is hoping to help the Yellowjackets win more games in order to make the State Tournament. Alias also wants to score just as high in the classroom as he does on the hardwood.
“First off, I need to get my head into the books and start looking at colleges. I need to get my head straight before basketball,” says Alias. “I want to work harder in practices, in the gym, all the drills we do. I want to make it to states next year. That’s what I want for my senior year.”
Alias is going to play a major role on both offense and defense for the Easties in his senior season. No matter how many games the team ends up winning, Alias will always feel proud to play for East Haven.
“It’s a really good experience, and good experiences mean a lot to me,” Alias says. “I really like the standards at East Haven High School. I like the community. I like the classes. I’d never go back. I’d never change anything. I like how I’m rolling.”