On Tuesday, Dec. 5, the Cardozo High School Boys Varsity Basketball team won their first game of the 2023-2024 season against Forest Hills High School.
The game was very close at first, with two very good teams, the game had the crowd at the edge of their seats. After the first few points of the game, being very intense, Cardozo started to take the lead within the game. As the game proceeded, Cardozo was in the lead for the rest of the game. As the fourth quarter began, Cardozo was up by at least 20 points and at this rate, there was no stopping them whatsoever.
By the end of the game, the Cardozo Judges won the game with a score of 99-73 led by Coach Ronald Naclerio. The team celebrated this victory with loud cheers and applause from the crowd.
Before the players went on to play, we were able to sit down with a few of the varsity players down and understand their love for the game.
Joseph Puccio, who is a power forward and small forward for the Cardozo basketball team, tells us how he balances school and basketball at the same time. “After practice, I try to find some time about two to three hours to do homework and handle anything school-related before I relax,” he stated. He also talked about how it definitely is tough, but his love for the game definitely won’t stop the grind.
Another player Jordin Walker, who is a point guard for the team, explained how he also balances school and ball as well as other interesting facts. “Free time is important so during lunch or even in class doing the work there is valuable because by the time I get home it’s time to sleep,” Jordin shared.
There seems to be an ongoing topic of getting home late, so being able to handle both is amazing. Music is something that makes everyone happy so for the players, the music they listen to before the game is extremely important because that’s the vibe they are going into the game with. The boys go on about their favorite artist some of them include artist like Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and Rod Wave. These artist are known for their upbeat and hype style of music which explains why they play the way they do.
Cardozo Judges Basketball Coach Ron Naclerio explained what it’s like coaching basketball, as he has been doing it for 49 years. “I’m not not just coaching basketball I’m coaching lives,” he explained. He realizes that basketball is so much more than just a game and he has to connect with the players on a deeper level to keep that chemistry between the players going.
“This is my 49th year of coaching basketball at Cardozo and I still have so much left to give,” Coach Naclerio admitted. But, who was Naclerio before coaching? Before this, he played baseball at St. Johns University where he proceeded to the College World Series and won. His love for baseball was very Strong and this led him to being Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 30th round of the 1979 MLB June Amateur Draft. Due to an injury to the ankle, Naclerio was no longer able to play but this never stopped him. So much so that he has won awards for his great coaching skills and he isn’t done yet.
