Santa Fe Boys Basketball Looks to Bounce Back With Senior-Heavy Roster
After finishing 9-17 last season, Santa Fe High School’s boys basketball team enters the 2026-27 season with a more experienced roster and hopes of returning to its winning ways.
Coach Glen Banks believes the Raiders have made significant progress since last year, specifically through their offseason preparation.
“We had a really good summer, way better than the summer before,” Banks said. “We are better than we were this time last year.”
The Raiders return seniors Isadore Foreman, Latrell Gydeen and Ethan Iannarelli, three players Banks expects to help lead and establish the team’s identity. With 11 seniors on the roster, Santa Fe has no shortage of upperclassmen. However, Banks emphasized that experience alone will not determine the team’s success.
“Those guys have to develop into leaders,” Banks said. “If they lead, we’ll be good. If they don’t, we’ll lose.”
Banks said the Raiders added several transfers during the offseason, although the team also lost another key player from last year’s roster. He said the team has worked hard throughout the offseason, although he remains uncertain exactly how the new pieces will fit together.
“If we can gel and come together, we’ll be all right,” Banks said.
Santa Fe has experienced postseason success with Banks as its coach, including a state championship appearance in 2021. But the coach acknowledged that changes in player movement have made it more difficult for smaller schools to maintain successful programs.
Banks pointed to the importance of developing players within the program, something he believes helped build the Raiders’ previous championship-caliber teams.
“We’re gonna keep working and develop the kids that we have and hopefully they stay home,” Banks said.
For Iannarelli, the goal is to turn last season’s close losses into convincing wins and return to competing for a district title.
“Definitely win, win, have a winning season,” Iannarelli said. “Hopefully we compete for a district championship like we did my sophomore year, and hopefully, we can try to win after that.”
Iannarelli also pointed to defense as a weak spot the Raiders need to fix, noting that the team has struggled to maintain its focus and allowed easy points around the rim in close games last season.
For Santa Fe, that success will begin with a senior-heavy roster learning how to play together. Banks has already seen that improvement. Now, the Raiders must be able to translate their offseason progress on the court.
The Raiders open the regular season at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday against The Rock in Gainesville.
Category: High School Sports, Santa Fe, Santa Fe High School
