MIDDLETOWN, R.I. — Though his team entered the holiday break with a 9-2 record as one of the best in New England, head coach Cary Herer had a sour taste in his mouth. CATS Academy suffered a three-point loss to Northfield Mount Hermon in the last game before break, which Herer described as the team’s worst performance of the season.
“Going into a break with a loss is terrible for a coach,” Herer said. “I’m sure the kids like being on break, but it’s torture for the coach.”
For nearly three weeks, Herer combed through game film, scouting for his next game at St. George’s in his pursuit of a bounce-back win to start the January schedule. But then he suddenly learned he’d be without two of his key players for Wednesday’s tough matchup. Julien Kabori and Yeshua Kesse-Beda were both sick, forcing Herer and CATS – which has a clear size and length advantage on most nights – to play much differently and much smaller than they typically would.
The product certainly wasn’t perfect. CATS trailed early in a difficult road environment, star Jaylen Harrell wasn’t scoring like he’s known to do and there were some frustrating moments against a good St. George’s team. But led by Jaxson Terry, the Griffins ultimately rallied for a 72-66 victory that showed Herer a lot about what his team is made of.
“I think we rose to the occasion being down in the first half and showed that we have some heart and smart players,” Herer said.
