Vere Anthony Has Title Aspirations In His Final Season

December 2, 2024 by Brian Flinn

The CHSAA season is going to be a highly entertaining one. With former Archbishop Stepinac guard Boogie Fland gone to graduation, the thought is that the race for the league championship may be a more open one this season. St. Francis Prep was one of the semi-finalists last year before being knocked off by Stepinac, and the Terriers hope to improve on last season’s success. Returning for them is one of the most experienced players in the league, point guard Vere Anthony. The Queens native’s time at SFP almost directly correlates to the program’s rise under head coach Jimmy Lynch. With one last season to go, Anthony took some time to reflect on his journey thus far. 

“It’s been fun being the starting point guard these four years, I’ve seen a lot of ups and some downs during my time here so I’m just hoping to enjoy my senior year. Our goal is to win a city championship and I become a better player in the process. Legacy wise, I just want to bring a championship here, it’s been about 40 years since we’ve got one” said Anthony. 

With a pair of talented junior returnees in big man Oesoemana Sacko and wing Ethan Butler, the Terriers have as dangerous of a trio as seemingly anyone in the CHSAA. Joining them this season are senior guard Jayden Huggins and freshman Justin DeSena, who will both bolster the backcourt. It will be up to Anthony to help integrate those guys this season. 

“The new guys, it’s a process, but they’ve been quick to pick things up, so it’s also been pretty easy for them to come into this team, we lost some guys over the summer too so really it’s just having the mentality of next man up,” he said. 

Marist and Manhattan have been the most consistent in his recruitment to this point. Marist in particular could be an interesting landing spot for the talented guard, as it would mean a reunion with former high school teammates Josh Pascarelli and Jaden Daughtry. Through it all, Anthony is focused on developing as a player, playing this season out, and then seeing where things stand. 

“I’m just being patient, staying consistent, and stay working, my shooting ability can always get better, I need to get stronger and get my athleticism up, I watch a lot of Jalen Brunson, I think he has the best footwork in the league and how he uses his body to create space and get a bucket, so I study him a lot” Anthony said. 

There are plenty of tests for SFP and Anthony on the schedule this season. A trip to Florida for the Kreul Classic pre-Christmas will give the Terriers a great platform, while playing in the Governor's Challenge in Maryland after the holidays puts them on a big stage yet again. Finally, a trip to Springfield, Massachusetts on Martin Luther King weekend means the Terriers and Anthony will have the chance to play in front of dozens of college coaches given the number of events happening that weekend. Keep an eye out for one of the City’s most under-rated lead guards, he might just be the top point guard in the city before the season is over.