TROY, NY – There are occasionally moments in sports when the outcome of a game seems insignificant, especially when real-world implications come into play.
Just don’t tell that to the Tamarac boys’ basketball team, who were playing just a day after the passing of their teammate, Evan Franz, a senior who lost a three-year battle with brain cancer early Monday morning.
“We communicated with our captains right away when we got the news and the captains said, ‘we’re going to win this game’,” explained Tamarac coach Eric Medved. “They didn’t say they would play the game, that they’d pull it together, or barley get by. They said that they were going to win this game for Evan.”
After a pregame moment of silence, the Tamarac players paid Franz’s senior banner a visit during introductions.
Meanwhile, a moment of silence was held for Evan at the @ClubTamarac boys basketball game before their win. Joey Poulin became the program's all-time leading scorer and crossed the 1,000 point milestone. He dedicated the moment to Evan. @Tamarac_AD
FULL: https://t.co/ytkCHVlT1P pic.twitter.com/FvBgEhSxwr
— Griffin Haas (@Griffin__Haas) January 25, 2023
What followed was an offensive onslaught brought on by the Bengals over the next three quarters, scoring 24 points in the first quarter, 23 in the second and 25 in the third.
Tamarac defeated Norte Dame Bishop Gibbons by a score of 87-65, as senior guard Joey Poulin made school history – in more ways than one.
Entering Tuesday, Poulin stood at 975 career points, just 19 away from Tamarac’s all-time record and 25 away from becoming the first player at the school to reach a thousand.
“Just go with the flow,” Poulin said of what Medved told him before the game. “Don’t force any shots and just to trust my team, that they had my back. To trust the process.”
The senior, who still sees himself as a pass-first player, achieved both of those milestones in the third quarter, as he went on to post 35 points in the game.
“When Joey first was called up to the varsity, he was the kind of player that was almost too bashful to shoot. Everyone knew he could do it, but he was born and raised as a pass-first facilitator who loves getting a teammate an open look more than he enjoys looking for his own offense,” Medved said of Poulin. “Over time he has elevated his game and worked on various facets in order to become the more complete player that he is today.”
Medved continued.
“This year, due to heavy graduation losses and an abundance of early injuries, Joey was tasked by me with becoming one primary scoring option and he has accepted and embraced this role,” he said. “If we need a big bucket, undoubtedly, he has become the one we lean on.”
“All summer I was working on scoring,” Poulin said. “Last year I was more of a passer, but we lost some of our scorers. I was just working on my game.”
First up was breaking Tamarac’s all-time scoring record, which was held by Ethan Estabrooks. Having scored 994 points, his record has stood since 2007.
“He was six points off from reaching a thousand,” Poulin said of finding out what Tamarac’s scoring record was. “Honestly, it made me scared. I thought about all the free throws I’ve missed or all the shots I missed on the outside. It all comes down to those little things.”
“So, to pass Estabrooks and to get to 1,000, it’s a great feeling.”
While Ethan could not be in attendance on Tuesday, some of his family, including his father, Frank, was able to make it.
“It was neat to see him come back,” Medved said of seeing Frank Estabrooks. “He hadn’t been to a game yet all year. I saw him before the game and he was talking about how proud he is and was talking about Ethan getting married and it was great to get them back here.”
“There’s guys that came back here tonight going back to 1964,” Medved added. “Mark Wagner, Mike Estabrooks, Rick Roden, some of the best players Tamarac has ever had and I saw them in the stands tonight.”
On a night where basketball was seemingly the least important thing on people's minds, Tamarac senior Joey Poulin became the Bengal's all-time leading scorer and joined the 1,000-point club in a 35-point performance and 87-65 win over Bishop Gibbons. pic.twitter.com/C6QVxLt19V
— Kyle Adams ⚾🥎 (@kasportsnews) January 25, 2023
Poulin has started on Tamarac’s varsity team since his freshman year, when he scored 167 points. As a sophomore, the COVID season, he added 111 points to his career total and then tacked on 349 points as a junior. Through 14 games so far this year, the senior guard has 383 points, making his current career total 1,010 (14.4 ppg).
There are still five regular season games remaining for Poulin to add to his total, as well as any sectional games Tamarac plays in.
“This run for 1000 was very special as Joey is as humble as they come,” Medved said, noting that Poulin also averages 6.8 assists-per-game and 6.2 rebounds-per-game for his career.
Poulin’s 35 points included 13 shots from the field, while going 9-for-10 at the line. James Blake tacked on 23 points, with Mikey D’Agostino tacking on ten. All eleven players who dress for the game for Tamarac contributed to the scoring.
Jaquare Jones led the way for Bishop Gibbons with 17 points and was followed by Zakahria Archie’s 16 points. Esiasyn Starr added 12 for the Golden Knights.
The Bengals are now 12-2 overall this season and will return to Wasaren League action on Thursday, January 26 at Stillwater. Tuesday’s non-league win over Bishop Gibbons was the team’s eighth consecutive victory.
TAMARAC 87, BISHOP GIBBONS 65
Tamarac High School
Troy, NY
TAM 24-23-25-15 — 87
NDBG 16-16-15-18 — 65
Tamarac: Mikey D’Agostino 5-0-10; Joey Poulin 13-0-35 (9-10); Adam Rice 2-0-4; Nevin Wilkie 0-0-2 (2-2); Dom Price 1-0-3 (1-2); Jack Casey 2-0-4 (0-2); Tyler Sears 1-0-2; Frank Depalma III 0-1-3; Adam Quackenbush 1-0-2; James Blake 8-1-23 (4-4); Sammy Saunders 0-0-1 (1-1)
Bishop Gibbons: Dequawn Gheen 3-0-9 (3-4); Davonte Diegel 0-1-3; Jaquare Jones 4-1-17 (6-6); Zakahria Archie 5-1-16 (3-4); Esiasyn Starr 4-0-12 (4-5); Jasai Browning 1-0-3 (1-3); Javon Walthers 1-0-2; Compten Allgood 1-0-3 (1-2)
![NEW YORK – Attached to a panel with little more than a thin nail and some double-sided adhesive between the lockers of Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko on the left side of the New York Rangers locker room is a plastic display in the shape of the Stanley Cup. There is room for 16 pucks […]](https://www.troyrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24115002253123.jpg?w=525 "NEW YORK – Attached to a panel with little more than a thin nail and some double-sided adhesive between the lockers of Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko on the left side of the New York Rangers locker room is a plastic display in the shape of the Stanley Cup. There is room for 16 pucks […]")
![By VIN A. CHERWOO (AP Sports Writer) NEW YORK (AP) — Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad each had a goal and an assist and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers held on to beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 Tuesday night for a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series. Jack Roslovic and K’Andre Miller also […]](https://www.troyrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Capitals_Rangers_Hockey_82103.jpg?w=525 "By VIN A. CHERWOO (AP Sports Writer) NEW YORK (AP) — Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad each had a goal and an assist and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers held on to beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 Tuesday night for a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series. Jack Roslovic and K’Andre Miller also […]")