Last year, the Old Rochester Regional High School boys basketball team’s memorable season ended with a close loss to Westport High School in a Division 3 semifinals game.

Leading up to that game, the Bulldogs earned the number one playoff seed and defeated rival Wareham for the first time in recent memory. Students rallied behind the team. Home team crowds became known as “the sixth man” for their boisterous support.

“There was a lot of excitement last year and we want to make ORR a tough team to play,” said Head Coach Steve Carvalho. “We have goals to meet and we’re working hard.”

With the team losing four starters to graduation, which included a few all-star players, Carvalho said his focus this year is to develop the team’s strengths.

“We’ve got to rebound the ball. It’s been my philosophy for years that we need to maximize our athleticism and wear down opponents using full court pressure,” he said. “We’ve got to deal with the height of other teams. There are some big players in the league.”

Senior captains Jordan Menard, who is 6’1”, and Ryan Beatty, who is 6’2”, will lead the way along with returning players Raekwon Philips and brothers Evan and Will Santos. Noah Fernandes, a freshman who had a great junior high career, will also be joining them.

“He’s a pure point guard,” Carvalho said. “He’s tough and he can learn to penetrate towards the basket.”

Carvalho will also be looking for contributions from juniors Bryant Salkind, Jared Nye and Shaun Hopkins.

Overall, Carvalho said the Bulldogs would be focused on the basics.

“A lot of it comes back to fundamentals and working on developing good team chemistry,” he said.

The boys start the season at home on Tuesday, Dec. 16 against Case High School. The game starts at 6:30 p.m.