WESTON, Mass. — This was, to put it lightly, not where Rivers expected to be. As the Red Wings headed home from Holy Cross last Sunday after a five-point loss to Millbrook at the Scholar Roundball Classic, they were staring at an almost unfathomable record to start their season: 0-6.
The first two losses came to a pair of high-caliber opponents: Brewster’s nationally-ranked top team and Vermont Academy. But then the sudden loss of star forward Andrew Alekseyenko, who fractured his wrist in the third game, sent them into somewhat of a tailspin. Senior guard Robby Fiore had missed the first three games, too. A team that wasn’t flush with experience to begin with was suddenly forced to give more playing time to freshmen and newcomers earlier than expected. They remained competitive – losing the next four games by single digits – but lacked the details and experience to close games out.
But as they returned to the MacDowell Athletic Center on Monday, there was no panic. They took ownership of their situation. Ryan Altman, their senior captain and member of three consecutive Class B and two straight ISL championship teams, took the lead. They didn’t practice. Instead, they had a film session and then talked as a team. Without head coach Keith Zalaski in the room, Altman, alongside Alekseyenko and the other seniors, discussed what they wanted their identity to be. They empowered their new teammates. The season had not been lost, they understood there was a long way to go, and with their annual Rivers Holiday Tournament looming, they knew they had a big opportunity in their grasp to reroute their direction.
“We said all week, ‘Don’t let us get one,’” Altman said. “Once we get one, they’re all going to start falling.”
They got one, then two, then three. On Saturday, a familiar scene unfolded as Rivers, for a fourth consecutive year, won its holiday tournament with a dominant, wire-to-wire 67-44 victory over rival Brooks in the championship game. Fiore scored 23 points – including seven 3-pointers – in the clincher, while Altman was named tournament MVP for the second year in a row after averaging 26 points over the three wins.
More importantly, as it headed out for winter break, Rivers may have got its mojo back.
“We just needed one and everything would start working out,” Altman said. “All week, no one quitting, no one feeling defeated, everyone was still feeling motivated to come out here and as you keep winning, confidence grows and newer guys are starting to feel more comfortable.”
That’s been a process. While Altman, who’s been a fixture of the Rivers dynasty, was a critical piece coming back this winter, the Red Wings faced significant turnover from last year’s team. They knew there would be some growing pains early this season, but that was accelerated two weeks ago after Alekseyenko – who was having a brilliant start to the season – slipped from a dunk and injured both of his wrists, forcing him out indefinitely.
Their newcomers – specifically 2026 guard Chais Harriette (Mattapan, Mass.), 2027 guard Jalen Morris (Hyde Park, Mass.) and 2028 guards Patrick Costello (Natick, Mass.) and Drew Carlson (Weston, Mass.) – had to grow up even faster. There were understandable struggles as they faced the NEPSAC level for the first time. They put themselves in self-inflicted tough situations. Zalaski sensed that they were just trying to blend in instead of believing and owning the space they were in. He gave credit to his assistant coaches, Altman and Alekseyenko for empowering them to not be afraid to be aggressive and make mistakes in the process, knowing it would ultimately help raise their comfort level.
“It’s an adjustment,” Zalaski said. “You can’t expect perfect. You can try to be perfect, I think that’s OK. That level of focus and that want and that desire. I think the biggest adjustments they’ve made is just mentally, just like I can play in this, because they can all play in it. … Now it’s accepting the fact that their teammates need them to be focused, to execute, to be aggressive when they have opportunities.”
As a whole, Zalaski felt the group was hoping to win instead of finding the will to make it happen. He reminded them not to be afraid to lose as long as it’s on their terms. It helped, too, that after playing six games in 10 days, they had a chance to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday before the tournament began on Thursday. That not only allowed them to dial in on things they needed to work on, but also reinforce their belief in each other and what they were trying to accomplish.
That newfound connectivity was on full display in the three wins, which they won by an average of 18 points. Their offense, which struggled to start the season, finally clicked. The ball was flying, they executed, they shot in rhythm and played with confidence. The newcomers impressed, too. Costello – who’s been an early bright spot this season – had 19 points on five 3-pointers in Thursday’s win over Beaver Country Day. Harriette noticeably improved with his decision-making, too, and had five assists in Saturday’s win.
Zalaski was even more impressed with their defensive effort and consistency throughout the weekend. On Saturday, Rivers jumped out to a 40-8 lead on Brooks on the strength of its defensive commitment.
“I just think our overall defensive intensity was different than it had been,” Zalaski said. “We had pockets of really good defensive intensity in games but we didn’t continuously bring energy all the way through a game. For me, we talk a lot about what you can control. You can control your energy, you can control how you communicate, you can control your level of focus and that’s on the defensive end.”
There was a sense of relief after Rivers won its first game on Thursday, and now it heads into the break feeling good. Zalaski said this weekend’s response gives his group a “counterpoint” after its tough start, a blueprint of what it looks like when you identify fixes and correct them.
“There’s no path, it’s linear in sports,” Zalaski said. “You have to expect tough things to happen and challenges and obstacles. That’s the point. … Nobody’s going to feel bad for us. When the ball tips, no one’s like, ‘Poor guys, they don’t have Andrew.’ That’s just not reality. I don’t think the guys are gonna waver as far as that mentality and I think now, they see it and believe it and they’re ready to go.”
Alekseyenko’s return this season has not been ruled out. In the meantime, the break comes at a good time for Rivers, even if this weekend gave them some positive momentum. It will allow Altman and Fiore, who have been battling through some aches and pains, to get fully healthy.
Now, with that 0-6 start in the rearview mirror and another holiday tournament championship to spring them forward, Rivers made clear that it’s not going away this winter.
“I think this kind of sends a message to everyone,” Altman said. “We saw the tweets, we saw everything, people writing us off, saying it’s an uncharacteristic start, there’s a new sheriff in town for Class B, like, we saw all that. We used that as motivation. We kept all the receipts and we’re using all this fuel.
“It’s a long season. All you gotta do is just get in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter where you are, get healthy, and all of a sudden, you never know. So, we’re just going one day at a time, keep getting better each day and take it from there.”
