The Fredericton High School Junior Varsity Boys basketball team finally lost a game on the weekend, after a record-breaking 207 consecutive wins over six seasons.
Their 207-game winning streak began with one win, back when many of the current players on the team were still in elementary school.
That win stretched to become a record the players know well.
“I thought it was amazing how a team like this could hold up this amazing record of 200 plus games,” says player Ethan Brewster.
Coach Gary Young has been behind the team the entire time.
“I think we started getting excited at the end of the first year when we went undefeated for a season,” says Young. “We were pretty excited for that, and then we went a second season.”
Then the team kept on going.
“It was very exciting when we went to 100 wins,” he says. “We thought it was a big deal.”
However, with each game won, the pressure grew for the team.
“In some ways, yeah, because it’s a record that took, like, six years to keep up,” says player Jonathan Lazarev. “So, if I lose it, I’m the one who gets blamed for it.”
“There were a lot of close games there that we came back and kept winning and you had this feeling when you could lose this at anytime,” says Young.
The feeling became a reality Saturday, in a game between Fredericton’s Black Kats and Simonds High School in Saint John.
“It was really close throughout the entire game and in the end, they made the shots,” says player Jacob Smith.
“It turned out to be a great game, but unfortunately at the end, we lost,” says Young.
The players took time to reflect on Saturday’s game during Monday’s practice, but instead of focusing on the loss, they celebrated their stunning record.
“I think it should be remembered as a team effort with groups of kids over a six-year period,” says Young. “Everybody came ready to play hard and smart.”
However, many members of the team believe the credit belongs to their coach.
“This is a one-of-a-kind team,” says Brewster. “Gary is a one-of-a-kind coach. He deserves a lot of recognition.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore