Another season of Cambridge basketball is underway, which means a whole new set of challenges and possibilities. This year’s squad, coming off back-to-back championships, is under plenty of pressure—pressure Jonathan Cenescar claims may be excessive and unfair. “I feel like people [are] trying to hold us to a standard of greatness when, in reality, we are just basketball players, student-athletes,” he explains. However, Cenescar has managed to brush off this pressure: “I don’t feel pressure at all. I know at the end of the day I am giving it all I have.” In 2017, Cambridge graduated eleven highly talented seniors. One era came to an end, but it may not be a bad thing after all.

This year’s team is captained by seniors Cenescar and Aidan Keefer. The pair share a strong chemistry—which, according to Keefer, makes being a captain “just that much easier.” As the game and rosters change to better suit the team, identity is going to have to change as well, at least in some aspects. What exactly this new identity is remains unclear, but two things are for sure: It is working for the Falcons and sure is fun to watch.

As with all high expectations, there is often an accompaniment of doubt. There was certainly skepticism over whether the team would have the talent to truly compete this season, but all concerns have been put to rest. Right now, the up-and-coming baller is sophomore Khai Smith, a forward with a knack for rebounding. Smith—who has earned a starting position in the varsity lineup despite being a underclassman—takes tremendous pride in playing for the Falcons, saying, “It feels wonderful because Cambridge has a really big name and I want to make Cambridge even bigger.” This season, the Falcons’ infamous defense continues to ensure the team’s supremacy in the Dual County League. The success hasn’t stopped in the DCL, though.

Cambridge has also taken down out-of-state teams like the Bishop-Hendrickson Hawks and the Portsmouth Clippers. Although the team’s infamous win streak was snapped at 53 games by the Newton North Tigers, the Falcons remain different, determined, deadly and ready to climb the state championship mountain once again.

This piece also appears in our January print edition. Find more photos of boys basketball here.