February 2013, The Old Rochester Boys basketball team finished their season with a crushing defeat at the hands of the soon to be division 4 state champs Bishop Connolly. That was the end to a very frustrating year for ORR boys basketball. The Bulldogs finished off a very disappointing 2012-2013 season with a 6-14 record and did not qualify for the state tournament.

The Junior laden squad looked back at the first losing season of their high school careers and made a decision. That decision was to take the hurt and pain of losing and learn from it. They decided to use that experience to become a better team. Months of offseason work and focus were invested by the key players for Old Rochester in preparation for the 2013-2014 season. Everyone believed that this class of 2014 could be special. Along with help from some talented underclassmen,  this year has been complete redemption in the eyes of the players.

As preseason favorites to win the SCC the pressure was on right from the start for the team. Coach Steve Carvalho preached early in the season that that all the hard work the players put in during the offseason had to be matched in practice everyday if the team was to meet with success." It was obvious from day one of practice that this team was special" said Senior Captain Jeremy Bare. "We've all played together for so long, we knew team chemistry wasn't going to be a problem."

The Bulldogs had a two goals at the beginning of the season. Those goals were to qualify for the state tournament and the contend for an SCC championship.

The team got off to a rocky 3-2 start and although tournament hopes were very much alive the dreams of an allusive SCC title seemed to have faded. Coach Cavalho told his team after the tough loss that although it hurt, the lose was early enough in the season that we could over come it and continue to build as a team. And build they did. Following the Fairhaven loss the Bulldogs proceeded to rattled off 6 straight convincing wins putting them right back in the title discussion.

One of the biggest stories coming out of Old Rochester during this stretch was the dreaded 6th Man. This was the name given to the crazy Old Rochester student section that showed up to all the home games. This 6th Man is one of the best crowds the SCC has seen in years. Every night there was a home game, the 6th Man was guaranteed to get the place rocking. From heckling the other team, to cheering their hearts out for the peers on the basketball court it was no question that the 6th Man was instrumental to ORR amazing home record this season.

On January 28th at 6:30 pm the moment had arrived. This was Old Rochester chance to get revenge against Wareham from defeat earlier in the year as well as get their first win against the Vikings in 11 years. The game, as expected was very tightly contested. The packed Mattapoisett gym was full of fans for both teams. It was a truly amazing high school basketball environment.

The Bulldogs went into halftime down 31-28. Team captain Jeremy Bare told his team that this was exactly where they wanted to be. They were prepared to take this opportunity step up their play and win the game.

And that they did. Old Rochester defeated Wareham 63-55 as players and fans stormed the court in celebration. Seniors Paul Graves, Jeremy Bare, Haydon Bergeron and Michael Pruchnik were instrumental in the win. A truly memorable moment for the Bulldogs. This was the first time in 11 years the Bulldogs beat Wareham as well as Coach Carvalho first win against them as a head coach. It was a magical night for the players and the fans and a night that will be remembered for a very long time.

As if the Wareham drama wasn't enough another surprise would hit the team the day of their next game. Coach Carvalho was absent in school and word slowly spread through the team that the coach had appendicitis and was going through surgery that day to remove his appendix. Everyone was prepared to see a substitute coach on the sidelines that evening at Old Rochester but to the surprise of everyone 6:30pm came and Coach Carvalho was right there on the sidelines coaching. An unbelievable show of strength and loyalty and only 6 hours after getting his appendix out. Carvalho coached his team to a comfortable 59-35 win over Fairhaven another memorable moment for the team and fans. The dedication of Coach Carvalho has been unquestionable throughout the season.

The Bulldogs got another huge team boost from senior Ryan Simcoe. Simcoe, who had been sidelined all season with multiple concussions finally got his chance to play on senior night at Old Rochester against Seekonk. Simcoe started the game at the shooting guard position. The plan was to let him play the opening minutes and try to stay out of the way. Clearly Ryan had no intentions of doing that. Old Rochester won the tip and first play of the game Simcoe knocked down a deep three from the corner. The crowd went nuts. Simcoe was clearly a fan favorite. Ryan wasn't done there he added a defensive rebound and an assist to his stats. The Bulldogs cruised to a 66-55 win on senior night over Seekonk, adding to the books another great night.

Sadly for ORR, the boys came up one game short of the SCC title, losing to Case 58-62. It was heart breaking to see the regular season end that way for the team. They finished the season 16-4 (Coach Carvalho's best record ever) and finished 2nd in the SCC behind Wareham. Despite the tough loss the team knew they had a much bigger goal ahead of them. The Bulldogs received huge contributions from everyone on the team this year. From Junior Ryan Beatty knocking down key 3 pointers to the great defensive presence of Senior Jack Smith and Sophomore Evan Santos it has been a complete team effort.

With the playoffs looming it is no surprise that the Bulldogs are one of the top seeds and are looking to make a deep run in the Division 3 South Section. This team is special and has really made a name for themselves. They've proven a lot to people throughout the season. No matter how the season ends it is clear that team will be remembered for years to come.

Talking to the team here are some of the players favorites moments from the season as well as why they think this team is so special.

"My favorite memory this year was probably beating Wareham. We hadn't beaten them in 11 years and that made it a really special night for us. It's amazing to be able to say that we are the team that ended their streak. It kind of makes you think that kids are going to think back and say oh yeah that 2014 team, that was a really good team. What makes this team so special is we are all so close, not only as players but as friends. We hangout outside of school make fun of each other and push each other in practice because we know it's going to make us better." -Senior, Captain Jeremy Bare

" My favorite memory from this year would have to be playing in front of the 6th man. Those guys are insane, easily the best crowd in the SCC. They made it so fun to go out there and play in front of them. I loved it, some of the things they would say were hilarious. That is something I will never forget. I would say what makes this team so special is that we have amazing team chemistry. All the guys are friends and we have a lot of fun just playing the game together. We've had our up's and down's but we've stayed together and it's been a blast. Not to mention we made the states tournament, that's the best part" - Junior, Jordan Menard

" Best moment of the year is defiantly beating Wareham. We haven't done that in so long and to do it my senior year was awesome. This team is special because not only are they talented but they play with a lot of heart. Our team chemistry is through the roof and we are a lot closer than most other team. I love playing with this team and it has made for a great senior season"-Senior, Paul Graves

"My favorite part of this year was finally defeating Wareham. It was such a hard fought game in one of the best games I've seen in a while. Also liked senior Ryan hit that 3 on senior night. This season has been so special because its the same core players as last year but we really turned things around in a big way. This is a group of kids who bought into our system and have played some exciting basketball. I am proud of each and everyone of them."-Coach Steve Carvalho