The Marie Philip and Walden School (MPWS) Galloping Ghosts Varsity Boys Basketball team was named the 2023-24 National Deaf Interscholastic Athletic Association (NDIAA) Division 2 Boys Basketball Team of the Year.
The boys basketball team compiled a record of 22-8 — the most wins in a single season in program history, including a 13-1 mark against fellow Deaf schools, won three major Deaf basketball tournaments – New England Schools for the Deaf Tip-Off Tournament, Fuller & Miller-Donatucci Classic, and Eastern Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association Division (ESDAA) 1 Boys Basketball. The team also made a trip to the Massachusetts Bay Independent League (MBIL) Division 2 Boys Basketball championship game. This is the program’s fifth National Deaf Championship honors (2007-08, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2021-22, 2023-24).
In addition to this team recognition, Marie Philip School junior Xavier DeLeon and Head Coach Justin Carrus were honored as the NDIAA Division 2 Boys Basketball Player and Coach of the Year, respectively.
The Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach, Amanda Geffen, received her second consecutive NDIAA Division 2 Girls Basketball Coach of the Year award. Amanda led our Galloping Ghosts Girls Basketball team to their second consecutive 20-win season and won back-to-back ESDAA Division 1 Tournaments.
Recognitions at the NDIAA and the New England Private Schools Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) levels were also given to the following student athletes:
- Senior guard Anya Sukhovtsev: NDIAA Division 2 Girls Basketball Honorable Mention
- Junior forward Faith Kirlis: Girls Independent League (GIL) All-League Team
- Freshman guard Stella Ciulla:
- NDIAA Division 2 Girls Basketball First Team
- GIL All-League Team
- Senior forward Jeremy Novas:
- NDIAA Division 2 Boys Basketball First Team
- MBIL All-League Team
- NEPSAC Class C Small Schools Honorable Mention
- Junior guard Xavier DeLeon:
- NDIAA Division 2 Boys Basketball First Team
- MBIL All-League Team
- NEPSAC Class C Small Schools First Team
- New England Private Schools Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) Class C Small Schools Honorable Mention
