BY SAMANTHA ELLIOTT
A year after securing a spot in the district final, the Grosse Ile boys’ basketball team is back and ready for a go-around in the 2018-2019 season.
Last year, the Red Devils finished 13-11 overall and 8-8 in the Huron League. This year will mark Coach Mohamed Elhaj’s sixth season with the Grosse Ile boys’ program and he returns a solid core of veterans to this year’s squad.
Key returnees include Karar Al-Rakbi, Zak Thompson, John Blanzy, Tyler Symons and Nick Morey. Al-rakabi and Blanzy will serve as captains for the Red Devils this year.
Al-Rekabi is excited about his team’s possibilities this season.
“We are a young team that will develop as the season goes, but I hope the season will be fun and have a lot of memories,” he said. “(I’m) excited to be playing in my last basketball season at Grosse Ile and as team captain, I hope to teach the young ones the ropes of a basketball leader. I’ll be having Johnny Blanzy as another captain with me, but in the end, I’ll hope to see good results as a team and have fun this year.”
Elhaj is equally as excited for the season.
“Our team this year is pretty small, so we will have to use our speed and quickness to our advantage,” Elhaj said. “I’m excited for all my newcomers. We are going to work very hard at practice and be ready for the new season.”
This year the Red Devils are working under the Kevin Durant motto of “hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”
Grosse Ile opened the season Nov. 29 by taking on non-league Riverview Gabriel Richard. They will play Trenton and Melvindale in non-league action on Dec. 4 and 11 before opening up Huron League play Dec. 14 when they host Milan.