With the season 7 games underway the raiders are poised and focused on winning big this year. So far the Raiders have won 3 games and lost 4. With stellar wins against Central High School, Bergen Tech and Westwood, Dwight Morrow jumped to a quick start. The most memorable win being against the Central Blue Devils.

The starting five consists of sophomore Adrian Baucum, junior Khristian Gill, and seniors Sidney Dawkins, Darius Payne and Willie Woods. Head Coach Donald Osborne has a ton of trust in the players he starts on the court but also believes his team has a “strong bench” to compliment them.

“We have a special group of men,” Coach Osborne said. “Our players that come off the bench are able to come into the game and score points. They compliment each other well and I am excited to see where this relationship between the starters and bench can go.”

Before school let out for the holiday break, the Maroon Raiders squared off against Central High; a school that would be a challenge. The Blue Devils scored a screaming 27 total points in the first quarter and sent a clear message to Dwight Morrow.

With their backs against the wall the Raiders responded with 19 points in the first quarter and only 13 in the second. By halftime the game looked just about over as Central took a 23 point lead. The halftime score was 55-32.

“They were in our heads,” senior forward Paul Carter said after the magnificent win. “But we kept a strong locker room vibe at the half and were able to fight against the adversity,” he added.

With what seemed as though nothing had been going right for the Raiders, they were in for a pleasant turn around.

The Raiders again came out of the half a little slow shooting less than their average and scoring only 11 in the third quarter. But led by Dawkins, Payne and Gill, the Raiders gave one last final surge and scored an unheard-of 27 in the last quarter while holding Central to only 7.

The dramatic win for the team sparked many positive emotions that were displayed at the game and also inspired a lot of the team with the joy of winning as a team.

“We fought, we fought hard and we pulled through. We have spent too many hours at practice not to fight for four full quarters,” Coach “Ozzy” said after the game. “When you do that great things happen and I’m happy to say that a great thing happened today on the court. The players don’t realize it now but this win boosts nearly everything positive about this team including chemistry and trust. It’s a special win and we will enjoy it,” Coach said.

Certainly the Raiders felt happy as their come from behind win allowed them to boast, but they are clearly looking to make winning a regular thing.

“It was a tough one out there today but we got it done,” said Sidney Dawkins after the game. “We clearly have a lot of work to do and we are not the best team. We know that and we will work hard for the next win. This is only a step,” he added humbly..