Newberry Boys Basketball Ready For Success After Move To Class 3A

NEWBERRY — While high school football always holds the spotlight in Florida deep into the fall season, the basketball season looms large to keep the excitement in the air.

This is certainly the case for the Newberry High School, as a prosperous football season draws to a close and the excitement of the boys basketball season buzzes within the Panthers community.

Path To A Trophy

The momentum keeps rolling from last season and the NHS squad feels prepared and ready for any challenge that comes its way. In an interview with coach Patrick Green at the North Central Florida High School Basketball Media Day hosted by The Prep Zone, the Panthers coach mentioned key takeaways from last season and the next step for his group.

“We have our entire starting lineup returning and we hope their chemistry will be a factor in closing out the bigger games this season. Exploring the aspects of our players’ overall skills is something we need to develop more, getting better rebounding from our shooters and more discipline from our big guys in the paint.” — Newberry Boys Basketball Coach Patrick Green

The players echoed the same sentiment of determination and a mentality of looking forward rather than dwelling on the past when junior guard Henry Mathias mentioned his expectations for the season.

“I stayed healthy last year and that was important for keeping consistency game by game,” Mathias said. “In order to win a district championship, I have to be selfless and I have to stay healthy so our team can keep a rhythm.”

NHS features veterans stepping into leadership roles, which senior Jacob Green talked about at length.

“This is my senior year, so I want to walk away on a good note,” Green said. “I’m motivated by the main goal: to win a district championship. I want to give my best every day and finally win that district championship and make my coaches proud.”

New Unknown

While the Panthers face the many obstacles, one of the most glaring is navigating a brand new class and staring down a schedule filled with new opponents.

After a mass redistricting effort by the FHSAA, the Panthers found themselves transferring from Class 1A-District 6 to Class 3A-District 3, a shift determined by school population. Although the team will face a revamped district schedule, Green’s message to his team remains undeterred:

“It doesn’t matter who we face, what matter is how we play as a team game by game and how we play. Sure, it’s odd facing a new district schedule and playing new teams, but the weight of these games stays the same. Every district game matters and our guys know that, so we’re going to prepare for the new schedule and we’ll be ready to meet anyone who comes our way.” — Patrick Green

After ending the ’23-’24 season 15-9 and 1-1 in district play, Newberry hopes to improve on those marks and accomplish its goals, specifically a district championship.

A major source of encouragement for the players and coaches alike is the community behind them, rooting them on every step of the way.

“Since we’re facing a new schedule, we need to focus on the constants and use the backing from our fans as a cornerstone. The Newberry fans always show out so we want to win games for them. The end goal is a district championship and possibly farther, but in order to reach that we’ll need them at full force. Every win is for them.” — Jacob Green

The support played a difference in the prior season when Newberry finished with an impressive record of 9-2 at home. The Panthers will play 10 games in their home gymnasium, meaning every matchup in Newberry is vital to the status of the season.

Beginning Of Season

As the attention of the Newberry fans shifts from playoff football to the basketball season, the sports fever remains high in the community.

Newberry will make the trip to Ocala to start the season at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 by taking on the Vanguard Knights.