MOORE HAVEN — It didn’t take long for Donovan Harris to make a good impression on the Moore Haven High School boys basketball team.

Not only did Donovan earn his way onto the varsity as a freshman this winter, but the former Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School standout has contributed right away. The sharp-shooting guard scored 14 points in his first game as a Terrier.

“He had a really good game. He’s a good shooting. He’s a good all-around player,” said Moore Haven coach Matt Zinser.

Donovan’s not only the only player from the Brighton Reservation making an impact in the Moore Haven program. His brothers Robert, a sophomore starting power forward, and Richard, a senior substitute, along with Andrew Fish have helped Moore Haven notch wins against Clewiston, Evangelical Christian and a couple of victories against Lake Placid.

Donovan and Rob have seen plenty of minutes.

“Donovan and Rob are huge parts of this team. They earned what they’re getting playing-time wise,” Zinser said.

Moore Haven wasn’t in mid-season form – especially from the free throw line – against Clewiston on Dec. 11, but the Terriers still managed a 45-35 home victory.

“We just got to get better as a team,” Zinser said.

Fish played limited minutes, but his impact was felt.

“He gave me some good minutes,” Zinser said.

After the Clewiston game, the Terriers had a 6 a.m. practice scheduled for the following morning before the start of classes.
“There’s nothing given around here. What you get, you earn. You earn that by coming to practice, working hard in practice and making sure you’re on time,” Zinser said.

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Brighton is also being well represented on the junior varsity level. From scoring to rebounding to hard work to leadership, Alyke Baker and Jaylen Baker are leading the Terriers in several areas.

“They’re my top two guys,” said JV coach Chris Cook. “A lot of hustle. They’re learning the game of basketball, they’re learning quickly. They’re very physical players.”

Every game Alyke and Jaylen have been the team’s top scorers. A sampling: Alyke 18 points, Jaylen 18 vs Lake Placid; Jaylen (22), Alyke (16) vs Seacrest and Jaylen (16), Alyke (13) vs Canterbury.

“Alyke is especially athletic. He can jump and play just about any position. He’s probably my go-to guy,” Cook said. “Then real close behind him is Jaylen. We really depend on them heavily. They get a lot of rebounds and score a lot of points.”

Ramon Baker has also seen early season playing time on the JV.

Moore Haven won its first four games before losing a close battle to Clewiston by two points. Cook hopes the first loss was a learning experience and motivational tool for his players.

“It’s frustrating to lose. That’s our first loss. That hurt them a little bit,” he said.