Promising premiere

There are no dress rehearsals in basketball. Athletes don’t get second takes for turnovers or missed baskets.

If only they did, the CAPA boys’ basketball team would shoot a retake of the final seconds of the Dec. 14 game against World Communications Charter. The CAPA Pegasus lost 51-49 on a buzzer beater.

Talk about unhappy endings.

"We didn’t stay in set motions," noted coach John Dunphy. "We’re not used to playing formal basketball. We’re not used to playing with each other."

First-year varsity teams are expected to experience their share of growing pains. The boys’ basketball squad is one of two new programs on CAPA’s athletic docket. Girls’ softball will premiere in the spring.

Many of the male athletes played a five-game junior-varsity schedule last season to get acclimated to team play. The Pegasus are among 11 new teams in the Public League this season — bringing the league total to 46.

At 1-3, CAPA is staying afloat.

"We’ve proven already that we can compete in the Public League," Dunphy said. "We haven’t been wiped off the court."

Senior guard Khalif Collins said the toughest part is jelling as a squad.

"We have a lot of talent, but it’s hard because we never played together before against bigger teams," Collins said.

CAPA is playing in 17-member Division C with nine other first-year clubs.

The division consists of AA and A level programs, which represent schools with low male enrollments.

After opening the season with two losses, the Pegasus defeated Human Services Charter 61-59 on Dec. 9 for the program’s first win.

Senior forward Bryant Randolf said the win increased the team’s confidence, and viewed it as a learning experience.

"You see what you did wrong and what you did right, and build on it," he said while taking a break from Monday’s practice.

Dunphy and his players realize it will take time to build a winning program.

CAPA, a magnet school best known for drama, music and creative-writing programs, has a small, makeshift gymnasium equipped only with a half court. When the team practices twice a week after school, the athletes don’t have the option of simulating basketball games.

"Two times a week, we don’t have a full-court gym so we can’t condition properly," Dunphy said.

On Wednesdays, the Pegasus has access to Shot Tower Playground, Front and Carpenter streets, which does have a full court.

But with an average of two games a week, the weekly sessions aren’t enough to help a rookie varsity squad prepare for Public League competition. CAPA’s home court at Palumbo Recreation Center, 10th and Fitzwater streets, isn’t available for practices.

"It’s tiring because we are not used to going up and down the full court," said junior guard Christian Smith, who is playing a reserve role this season. "On a shorter court, it’s easier and faster to get up and down the court."

The team also is hampered by a lack of size and depth.

CAPA is using a rotation of six to nine players, only two of whom clear 6 feet. Dunphy added that the lack of depth hurts his squad late in games.

"We really don’t have a strong bench," he said. "When the starters get tired, it’s tough to figure out when to give them a break and who to put in. I would be a lot more optimistic if we had a deeper bench."

Some of the players are showing early promise, including senior forward Khalif Woodard, who scored 33 points in a Dec. 7 loss to Freire Charter. Woodard is a true guard, but since he is the team’s tallest player at 6-foot-3, Dunphy is forced to play him underneath the basket. Woodard said playing out of position is a challenge.

"It’s definitely a tough adjustment," said the athlete, of 19th and Montrose streets. "It gives me a new dimension to my game."

Junior forward Carl Chapman is averaging 15.7 points through the first four games, while junior guard Samuel Bennett is tallying 10.7 a game.

When performances off the court take precedence for the players — as they did during last week’s CAPA holiday show — Dunphy is forced to improvise. Overall, the coach said he is happy with the commitment he is getting from the 13 players.

For this season, the Pegasus are striving to finish with a .500 record or better. The school’s successful boys’ volleyball program, which has claimed two Public League titles over the last four seasons, won just five games when it joined the league in 1998.

"We’ve got to establish who we are and get some respect," Randolf said. "We have to fight hard for wins, build a team and make everybody stronger."