Facing Courbevoie this Saturday, ESCLAMS played its last match of the season at home, signing a thirteenth victory in as many matches in its cauldron of Pellerin. Find the reactions of several actors after this memorable evening.
Thomas Sinoquet
What is your analysis of this match won against Courbevoie?
It’s the best team in the group with sizes on each position superior to us. We managed to get into the match. We had a little slack in the second quarter and the third too. I think we were fresher throughout the season and it showed in the matches we played. We always manage to win at the end of the match because physically, we are better, because we have a full bench that performs, so it is important.
You were very present this evening, especially in the second part of the match, with an arm that didn’t shake, that must be nice?
It’s nice, that’s for sure, when you contribute to the team. But it’s a collective victory, I’m happy to have brought to the team what I know how to do so that’s very good and now we’re heading for the last match.
Whether it was the three points or the throws, were you rather successful this evening?
In the first part of the match, I didn’t have many shooting positions, due to their defense. In the second part of the match, I had open shots and my first quality is the outside shot. Today it smiled on me, so much the better! On the line I was able to be solid at an important moment so that’s nice.
What is your view on this one-loss season?
Beyond being sporty, it’s really a group of friends. It’s always easier when you win, but even if we lost I think there would still have been a good atmosphere. Everyone gets along well in the team, I think that also makes the difference when we are in difficulty. We manage to come together and move forward. We had high goals at the start of the season. We managed to reach them and frankly it’s a great season. We only lost one match, among the runners-up. We are very happy to be undefeated at home, with the public who followed us all year, it’s a great season.
What is the objective for next season?
We will try to keep the club in NM2 and make it continue at this level and stabilize in this division. You should not think too big right away and move forward step by step with the objective of not taking the elevator.
There are definitely going to be recruits next year, what is your view on all that?
We are going to need recruits with experience because we are still a fairly young group for the NM2 level. Many have experienced NM3, it will be important to take players with experience while keeping a good part of this group from this year because it worked well.
And you, do you want to stay?
Yes quite. I came for this project, that of coming up with the club and I don’t want to leave. I feel good here and I live in Longueau so I have no reason to leave.
Kenny Kaufmann
You didn’t play much tonight due to a minor injury, how did you experience this match from the bench?
It’s a more than positive evening. We are in a team sport, it doesn’t matter if we are on the bench or on the pitch, the most important thing is the team. It is still more stressful on the bench, because we’re all in and we want to push the guys.
What are your thoughts on this almost perfect season?
We are obviously satisfied. We are also frustrated to have this defeat, because we missed our match a little in Courbevoie. We would have liked to finish the season undefeated. But it remains an excellent season with only one defeat.
The club will move up to Nationale 3, was that your objective when coming here, are you already planning for the following season?
Yes, that was the goal in coming here. For the rest, we’ll see, we’ll first enjoy the moment and then we’ll ask ourselves the right questions. For the moment, no decision has been made.
Liam Michel
Liam Michel, Salah Koné’s deputy, giving instructions to Théo Jouvin.
You who have experienced everything with the club, how does it feel to find this level in this atmosphere?
It’s very pleasant. The group has had a great time this season. It was hard at every meeting. Since last week, it has been a real relief to have validated this climb. Tonight was the icing on the cake. A crazy atmosphere facing Courbevoie which will surely increase too. We wanted to get the title, take our revenge, it wasn’t easy. It’s very nice, the evening is a success with the victory and a crazy atmosphere. It’s a big promotion for our sport. To have a good match, you need two teams and we must also highlight the very good match of Courbevoie.
You experience the matches at 200% on the bench, fortunately it’s not tight like that every time. Could you have lasted the whole season?
It’s true that I live each match passionately, the actions are the way I operate. Salah Koné has done a great job this season. We did a great job this year.
Mr. Pascal Ourdouillé, mayor of Longueau
Was it important for you to be there this evening to participate in the party?
Yes it was important. How can we not be proud of this team, as the speaker reminded us, undefeated at home with only one defeat this season, and this crazy atmosphere. If you don’t experience it, it’s not normal.
Does that make you happy, I also imagine as mayor that it is a club with local players and supported by local partners?
Yes, it is very important. I know that the coach placed his trust in young players trained at the club, particularly with some experienced players. We see today that they have this club culture. And frankly, I’m having trouble finding my words because it’s huge tonight.
You have experienced several rises as mayor in different sports. Tonight, have we rarely seen this atmosphere for a club in Longueau?
Oui, without offending other sports. I think that only basketball can make us experience atmospheres like this. It’s a sport that lends itself to this kind of show. And today, the club made a huge effort to provide us with an exceptional evening on and off the pitch.
This is good news for the image of Longueau, and I imagine that you will continue to support the club?
Yes, excellent news for the city of Longueau. We will try to support them, as always with our means, to enable them to fulfill their objective.
You are the head of a sports city with many successful clubs. It’s truly a success.
Yes, I am lucky to have brilliant sports clubs in my city, with volleyball, football, judo, tennis and others. We are lucky to have many brilliant sports clubs. This allows everyone to practice the sport they like and to highlight the image of the city. We had the football team unfortunately which went down last year, but I am convinced that within two years, we will come back up. We are lucky this year to have a rising basketball team, it’s truly exceptional.
25th day of NM3:
ESCLAMS – Courbevoie : 78-71 (19-20, 15-17, 23-14, 21-20)
ESCLAMS : Bah 20– Diakite 4 – Kaufman 2– Sinoquet 14– Hure 0– Jouvin 12 – Bourgouin 9– Tolliver 16– Raguette1 – Koné 0
Aurélien Finet
Photo credit: Léandre Leber and Théo Bégler – Gazettesports
2024-04-22 21:47:29
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