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04/30/2020 12:00 AMWith three wins through its first seven games of the season, the North Branford boys’ basketball team traveled to face Cromwell on Jan. 16. The Panthers were 5-2 on the year and have been one of the top teams in the Shoreline Conference for several seasons. However, the Thunderbirds left Cromwell with a 62-56 victory thanks in large part to some crucial play calling from junior point guard Trevor Holzer.
As Cromwell tried to mount a comeback, Trevor went up to Head Coach Cliff Yerkes and asked if they could run a play called “Ice.” Yerkes let Trevor run the offense, and Trevor’s performance helped North Branford put points on the scoreboard, while holding off the Panthers’ comeback bid.
“Trevor comes up to me and says, ‘Coach, it’s really simple. Can I bring the ball down the left side, post [Mike Sitro] on the block, and have everyone else on the right side out of the way?’ We called that ‘Ice’ for isolation,” Yerkes says. “It worked down the stretch for a couple crucial buckets when they were trying to climb back in. To have the confidence and intelligence to come to a coach during a game setting and say, ‘Let’s do this,’ it shows the type of leadership qualities Trevor has.”
Trevor attended Notre Dame-West Haven before transferring to North Branford as a sophomore. After playing some varsity minutes last year, Trevor started every game for the T-Birds this season.
Trevor first picked up a basketball when he was in 2nd grade. While growing up playing the sport, Trevor looked up to Kieran Hamilton, who was a senior at the New York Institute of Technology during the 2018-’19 season.
“I always wanted to be like him. He went to my old high school, and he’s the reason I always kept playing and trying to get better,” Trevor says of Hamilton. “He was kind of like an older brother to me growing up, and his older brothers were both professional basketball players. He wanted to be just like them, and I wanted to be just like him. He’s playing professional basketball overseas now. I’m going to give it my all and see what happens.”
After stepping on the basketball court in 2nd grade, Trevor decided to step on to the gridiron when he was in 7th grade. In addition to being the starting point guard on the boys’ basketball team, Trevor is also a wide receiver and defensive back for North Branford football squad.
On the court, Trevor is often tasked with defending the opposing team’s top guard. With his background in football, Trevor stands strong and doesn’t let guards who may be bigger than him outwork him. Even in practice, Trevor would often ask Coach Yerkes if he could defend Sitro, who stands at 6-foot-2 compared to Trevor’s 5-8.
“I never back down from competition. I want to play the best players in the league,” says Trevor. “My mindset has always been that if you want to be the best, you have to play the best.”
Following his sophomore season, Trevor got right back in the gym the next day to start getting ready for his junior campaign. As Trevor began to see more playing time this year, his confidence started to grow. When he became a full-time starter, Trevor’s confidence fully blossomed as he competed with his never-back-down mentality.
Coach Yerkes says that Trevor was one of the hardest workers in practice every day. Yerkes keeps data for all the drills that the T-Birds run in practice. Trevor was always at the top of the list for each drill and came just one shot away from defeating defending champion Sitro in North Branford’s yearlong free-throw competition.
“Trevor’s a competitor. He competes in everything that he does,” says Yerkes. “Trevor doesn’t care about the size of his competitor or the matchup. He doesn’t back down. When the season ended last year, the next day he is in the weight room and in the gym shooting baskets. He’s just that type of kid.”
Heading into his senior season, Trevor wants to make the All-Shoreline Conference Team and help North Branford win some more games. Trevor will be serving as a senior captain for the T-Birds alongside Blake Pearson next year. Trevor says that being named a captain was an honor and that he wants to help North Branford’s younger athletes improve just as much as he has. For Trevor, playing basketball with his lifelong friends is the best part of the sport.
“We all grew up together. We all played together in middle school and high school. I got to play with some of my best friends.” Trevor says. “Even though our record wasn’t the best, it was still a great experience. We still got to play together.”