He’s known around Scituate High School for bringing one of the most enthusiastic spirits to most of the schools’ sports teams. This senior athlete has coined the name around SHS halls as ‘BJ’. As a result of his skillful dribbling, shooting, and power rebounding, James has achieved the position of forward. While he may only be known as a forward on the team, he serves an important role in both defensive and offensive play as a team captain.

Since 7 years old, James has enjoyed shooting hoops with friends in a social environment. It wasn’t until middle school that he even considered taking his skills to a competitive level. Off the SHS courts, James remains an active basketball player on the AAU Wolf Pack Hoops team. He has also had the pleasure of watching his favorite team, the Boston Celtics, win the NBA championship in 2008. For James, playing the game is only half the fun, as he feels that watching professional teams is also an important way to improve his game.

The team currently has a winning record of 8-7 going into possibly his last home game, for Scituate Basketball’s senior night. James’s current attitude regarding the remainder of the season is hopeful, with a desire to make the postseason along with the rest of his team mates. In a January game against Pembroke, James fell uncomfortably on his ankle and lay in pain on the gym floor. The team, the stands, everyone in the gym, went silent. Luckily for the team, Mclarey stepped up and dominated in the remaining minutes to tie it up with 12 seconds left. As a result of James’s absence, the team suffered a heartbreaking loss that night. When asked about his outlook on the remaining games, James stated he felt “super excited to finish off the season strong alongside my teammates,” and “it has really been a special experience playing for the SHS program.” As his strength and agility continues to improve, he hopes to bring his skills to a collegiate level team.

“Playing for Scituate brings a lot of pressure, not only as a result of the desire to achieve greatness for our fans, but our team, and myself.” He feels that the pre-game warmups and roster announcements play an important role in mentally preparing him for the game. “There’s no better feeling than charging the court alongside fellow senior captains Ben Mclarey and Kyle Medici. “When asking about James’s prior performances in the most recent games, Mclarey stated that James “has held a crucial place in achieving victories” and that there is “no one else he’d rather co-captain the team with, as we’ve been playing together since such a young age.”

As a result of participating in the game for over a decade, James recognizes the importance of reflecting on his past achievements, on and off the court. The bonds that have been formed among this year’s basketball team are something that he feels he will carry into his life in the future. With his high school basketball career coming to a possible close, James is motivated by the thought of playing in college. While he does look forward to his possible collegiate career, he said that he “will miss eating Cosmos and hanging out with his friends on weekends,” once he graduates.

Although James will likely dribble up the court for the final time in a Scituate uniform in the near future, his sociable personality and outstanding leadership skills will leave a lasting impression on the SHS basketball program.