Wagner Girls Dominant Basketball Run Ends in Thrilling MSAL Semi-Final As Booker T. Washington Advances

There won’t be a repeat for the Robert F. Wagner Middle School Girls basketball team, which lost a heartbreaker in the semi-finals to rival Booker T. Washington on March 5. But the pride of the Upper East Side still has a lot to look back on after an amazing three-year run in which they compiled a 50-3 record and won two city Middle School championships.

Washington’s 31-to-28 win gave the Washington Heights-based school boasting rights as the top public middle school in Manhattan and propelled them into the next round in the city championship to face the winner of the Bronx/Brooklyn championship.

Wagner a perennial powerhouse team on the UES had won back to back middle school championships in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season and was hoping to pull off an unprecedented third straight city championship.

Wagner had already survived a tough opponent in the quarter finals, with a comeback 45-40 win over Tompkins Square Middle School days earlier.

In that match, Tompkins immediately took a commanding lead, up 11 points in the beginning of the second quarter. However, the game was suddenly halted when Wagner eighth grader Ariella Brill tumbled to the ground and injured her knee. It was then decided that the game would resume play on Monday. Over the weekend, the girls conducted their own practice at John Jay Park to assure that they were ready to get right back into the game.

When the game resumed, Wagner fell to a discouraging 18 point deficit in the third quarter. Their prospects seemed bleak when two of their starters fouled out. However, Josephine (Jojo) Roses was able to regain momentum for her team with four three-pointers and a handful of foul shots made in the fourth quarter. Despite the injury, fouls, and initial deficit, Wagner secured a 45-40 victory over Tompkins, sending the UES school to the Manhattan City Championship.

The game took place at Wagner on March 5th and featured a familiar matchup. Wagner and Booker had faced each other twice before in the playoffs over the past two seasons, with Wagner finding close victories in both games. The gymnasium was packed full of parents, siblings, friends, and fans of both teams as the game commenced.

Booker was first on the board, in fact, they were the only team on the board throughout the entire first quarter. At the start of the second, Wagner was down 8-0. Wagner slowly chipped away the difference. Less than halfway into the second quarter, Wagner trailed by only one and had shut down the Booker from scoring a single point.

Jojo Roses proved to be clutch yet again with her three-point shots as she hit a three to tie the game with three minutes left in the first half. Seven seconds later, she hit another to give Wagner its first lead. The first half ended with Wagner on top; 20-16.

The second half of the game picked up with incredible energy from both teams. Strong defense from Booker prevented Wagner from lengthening their lead in the third quarter. Slowly closing the gap, Booker came back to within just one point of Wagner with two minutes left in the third. At the end of the quarter, Abby Solomon was able to find an opening and drill in a three-pointer to give Wagner a three point lead; 24-21.

Through the beginning of the last quarter, Wagner continued to slowly widen the gap, making another three and some important foul shots. But Booker never let go. A bucket from Booker put the score at 28-25, making it a one possession game and spurring a time-out from Wagner. The teams regrouped and then resumed play.

With just over a minute remaining, Booker scored, making it a one-point game. Both teams laid out everything on the court throughout the final minute; heavy on defense and quick with passing and shooting the ball on offense. Booker made the next move with 15 seconds to go, earning them a one point lead.

Neither team took their foot off the gas at any point, and neither did any of the fans. Parents cheered emphatically for their children and teammates until the very end. The entire gym was electric, filled with chants of “let’s go Wagner!” and “you got this Booker!”

The game concluded with Booker sinking two foul shots, which gave them a three point lead. But 6.4 seconds of play left was not enough for Wagner to find a shot to close the gap. Booker took home the title of Manhattan Champion and earned themselves a spot in the New York City Championship against the winner of the Bronx/Brooklyn championship game; Evergreen Middle School for Urban Exploration.

After the spirited win, Booker’s coach, Kyle Wilson, gave credit to their tough opponent. “Whenever these two teams play each other in the playoffs, it’s always going to be one of those really close games,” he said. His team celebrated together on the sidelines with each other and with their parents. After falling to Wagner twice before in the playoffs, Booker was finally able to write a different ending for themselves. “There’s just a lot of respect between both sides and we both know that the other team is ready to play” Coach Wilson said regarding the teams’ history.

Wagner’s bench was much more somber. Four of the starters are eighth graders, and the end of their playoff run meant the end of playing basketball together. The team took some time in the locker room with Coach Marty to debrief.

After emerging, eighth grader Ariella Brill reflected on her time playing basketball for Wagner, “Out of all the years I’ve been on varsity and all of the teammates I’ve had, honestly this is the strongest team I’ve ever had mentally. They’re the strongest people I’ve ever met” she said. Her role as a leader on the team was evident in her playing style; contributing assists to open teammates and grabbing rebounds from the backboard. The loss was difficult, but she was able to take away an important lesson, “I learned from this game that the trophy doesn’t equal happiness... I think people should focus on cherishing the time that they have with their teammates rather than the championships that they win,” she said. Despite not ending the way she had hoped, the game was still incredibly impactful.

Ariella’s teammate, Myla Hirschfield echoed her sentiment following the game, “I couldn’t be prouder of all of my teammates... Everything happens for a reason” she said. As an eighth grader, Myla will move on to high school next year, however she showed support for her younger teammates and the future of the team, “the team next year will do just as good as us and we just need to keep fighting as a school.” Myla also played a big role as she was able to record a few steals and use her speed and strength to complete some impressive full court passes.

The girls rejoined their teammates for a last moment together with Coach Marty, who had stood decisively on the sidelines throughout the entire game. After every time out, it was clear that his pep-talks were able to bring back their focus and passion when they found themselves frustrated. Myla’s father, Scot Hirschfield, praised his daughter’s coach, stating “[he is] exactly what a middle school coach should strive to be. Passionate and energetic, but never losing focus on the kids.”

Everything that the girls invested into the game, there is no doubt that Coach Marty invested back into the girls, “The girls played their hearts out and gave it everything they had till the wheels fell off. I couldn’t be more proud. I’m grateful for some of the best basketball I have ever seen. Some of the games we were apart of were some of the most electric and exciting moments of my life” he said in an email that Mr. Hirschfield shared.