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04/07/2023 06:46 AMOften, a coach’s knack for talent can prove to be spot on when it comes to an athlete’s ability. This sentiment rang true for Brayden Cody, who served as a valuable asset to the Old Saybrook boys’ basketball squad this winter that made a strong Division V State Tournament run.
The junior captain and point guard started playing basketball in middle school and hasn’t looked back since, improving his game every step of the way.
“I was really inspired by my friends and my Old Saybrook club basketball coach Mike Lane to start playing basketball,” says Brayden. “He always told me he saw lots of potential in me, and he really made me believe in myself.”
Having to work for a starting job is a challenge that comes with playing any sport, but through hard work and displaying energy on the court, Brayden was able to show that he was worthy of the point guard position for the Rams this winter.
“There was an opening in our rotation due to another player transferring to Hamden Hall. Brayden grasped it from day one,” says Perras. “He came in with a lot of energy, skill, and he won the job over as point guard. He does some things really well that we like about him. He has a great attitude, great energy, he is fiery. He is just a great kid to have in our program.”
Perras also notes that throughout the season, Brayden did a good job displaying his energy level, cutting, moving without the ball, playing very good defense, and communicating with his teammates.
Brayden showed that energy level as a captain and leader for his teammates this campaign, keeping them on track, motivated, and passionate about the competition in front of them.
“I felt I was able to lead my team by making them feel comfortable and wanting to practice, wanting to play in games, and overall wanting to be a part of the team by having more fun in practice and building a much stronger bond as a whole,” says Brayden.
In the Shoreline Athletic Conference (SLC) tournament, Cody and the Rams took on the Valley Regional Warriors in the quarterfinal round and walked away with a 49-40 win before falling to the Portland Highlanders on March 1 by a score of 59-44.
Brayden and the Rams had bigger goals in mind though, as they hoped to fuel the fire from the conference tournament loss and turn it into a state championship run. In the second round, the Rams defeated the Coventry Patriots by a score of 60-47, a game of which Brayden was a large contribution.
“My most memorable game this year was the second round of states game against Coventry. This game was memorable for me because going in, we knew how high the stakes were of advancing to the next round of states, and what the energy was going to be like from Coventry and our fans as well,” says Brayden, who contributed to the victory with 18 points, four assists, and four rebounds.
Old Saybrook fell short of its state championship goal, however, as the boys took a 60-50 quarterfinal round loss to the Windsor Locks Raiders. Brayden guarded point guard Sincere Monroe, who was voted on the All-State ballot, holding him to only seven points.
“If he can’t do it on offense, Brayden had six points that game,” Perras says. “He held Monroe to seven, and he understands that if he is not going to impact on offense the way that he wants to or the way that we want him to just based on the way the matchup is, then he is going to impact it in another way, and he does that.”
Despite all the success he saw on the floor this winter, Brayden had to overcome a major obstacle to allow that success to continue. About halfway through the season, Brayden missed six games due to having mono, something that set him back significantly.
“My main challenge this season was getting mono,” says Brayden. “This was a major setback, as our team and I were playing some of our best basketball. Feeling the urge to get back out there and play was so hard for me. When I was able to come back, I struggled a little considering my confidence and physical shape was not all there. This pushed me to make up for all the times I was not there for my teammates by getting better and leading them through the playoffs the best I can.”
Since Brayden ended up missing several games, Perras notes that the overall energy just didn’t feel the same without him.
“He still came to practices and games, but those first couple of days when he was sick, we felt that loss just from the energy in the gym,” says Perras. “When we had him before and after he was sick, the way that he positively impacts us is through his intelligence of the game. The ability to cut, he spaces out the floor for us, he is a quick player. He is a team first guy, a pass first guy, he is all about winning. You have all of those qualities and a lot of things that you cannot teach, but he comes in with that skillset that you don’t really have to teach those things. That is ultimately why we felt he served us well on the court as a point guard and as a captain.”
As Brayden looks ahead to his final campaign on the hardwood, he hopes to keep the strong family-like team atmosphere that he helped create this season while hopefully making an even deeper postseason run.
“What I am looking forward to for next season is the team chemistry we are going to create and how we are going to be able to use that to strive,” says Brayden. “I believe our team can make a deep run in Shorelines and states, and I am excited to go to work with Coach Perras and our squad.”
Perras also mentions that he looks forward to having Brayden continue developing and understanding the game, and continue to be the leader that he is—a positive role model for the younger players.
“With his leadership on the court and on the bench, that has an impact on them,” says Perras. “Take that next step forward as an offensive player, working more on some things that he did not exactly have to focus on this year. Now, he is going to have to be more of that scorer and facilitator as well.”