This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
03/16/2022 12:00 AMThe Guilford boys’ basketball put together a strong season that saw the Grizzlies notch 13 victories while qualifying for both SCCs and states this year. One of Guilford’s key contributors throughout the season was junior Luke Ste. Marie, who proved an efficient player on both sides of the ball as a shooting guard.
Basketball has been a big part of Luke’s life for quite some time. Luke’s days on the court go back to when he started shooting hoops in his driveway as a youngster, sending him on a path that would eventually lead him to the Grizzlies.
“Since I was in preschool, I’ve had a hoop in my driveway, and that’s what started my love for the game,” says Luke. “In 4th grade, I was selected to play for the travel basketball team. I learned so much playing for this team and was coached by such positive role models. They helped me develop as a player and an individual. This team helped me develop a strong foundation, which prepared me for high school basketball.”
Luke felt happy to help Guilford get out to impressive 9-0 start to the 2022 winter season. While he would have liked to see the Grizzlies make a stronger push in states, Luke still feels positive about what his squad accomplished, most notably a 64-38 victory versus East Haven in the first round of the Division III Tournament.
“My favorite moment this season as a player was starting our season at 9-0. These wins included beating Hillhouse and Hamden, and it demonstrated what our team is capable of,” Luke says. “Also, we finished our last home game strong with a big win over East Haven where every member of the team made significant contributions.”
In addition to basketball, Luke also competes for the boys’ soccer team at Guilford High School. Luke is an avid fan of basketball and soccer and uses each sport to stay in shape on a year-round basis. While he can’t choose one over the other as his favorite, Luke says that playing both sports motivates him to always work his hardest.
“During the season, to improve my game, I work hard in practices and on off days. I try to find a group of teammates who would want to run a scrimmage or just shoot,” says Luke. “During the offseason, I’m either shooting in my driveway, playing at a friend’s house, or playing for a team. With this offseason training, it gets me ready and warmed up for the season. Also, before basketball season starts, I come straight off soccer season, which puts me in great shape and ready to run.”
Head Coach Jeff DeMaio applauds Luke for making great strides on the basketball court as a junior this season. DeMaio looks forward to watching Luke use his versatility to help the Grizzlies succeed in his senior campaign.
“Luke had a tremendous junior season for us. His versatility helps us in so many ways,” says DeMaio. “Defensively, Luke can guard the perimeter, and he can also rebound against bigger guys. Offensively, he can shoot the three ball and get to the rim. We expect big things from his next year. The sky is the limit for Luke.”
Luke says that Coach DeMaio has been instrumental in his progression as a basketball player. Luke appreciates how DeMaio’s tutelage has helped him improve his skills on the hardwood.
“My relationship with Coach DeMaio is very strong,” Luke says. “Coach is never afraid to tell me what I need to do to improve and how to do it. Sometimes he can be a bit too honest, but I take this as constructive criticism and use it to help my game improve.”
Luke and all of his Guilford teammates have had to go through the challenges of playing through the COVID-19 pandemic. Luke says that it finally felt like there was a light at the end of the tunnel this year.
“During this year, I was not worried about playing through COVID, because my team was very good about wearing masks and following protocols and doing whatever we needed to do to keep everyone safe,” says Luke. “It is hard to believe that we had to play masked for two seasons, but we did it. It felt amazing to play without masks in our final two games.”
Luke plans to continue work on improving his game in advance of the 2023 basketball season. Right now, though, Luke is holding his high on the heels of a solid 2022 campaign.
“We were led by great coaching and captains that motivated and led the team. We had a great starting five and very impactful subs who stepped up time after time,” Luke says. “We finished our season strong, playing very well against very talented teams.”