FHHS Boys Basketball Gets A New Coach

In response to Monday's of Forest Hills varsity boys basketball coach Ben Chobhaphand, veteran coach Robert Sprance will take over as interim coach for the Rangers playoff run.

For Sprance, basketball is not an unknown sport, as he has coached Clara Barton of Brooklyn for over ten years. Sprance is free because Clara Barton's season has wrapped up.

While he also coaches the Forest Hills girls varsity soccer team, which finished with a perfect record on the season, Sprance explained that holding court at Forest Hills will definitely be a new environment for him. It's also his first time coaching in the city's "AA" division.

"It is a big change going to "AA," and you're going in cold because I don't know any of the kids," Sprance said. "I don't know any of their plays, I don't know what their strengths are, their weaknesses, and now is the most critical time of the year, the playoff time."

After finishing the season at Clara Barton with a loss, Sprance now has to refocus his attention to learning the Rangers up-tempo basketball.  It's a big job, but the coach says thanks to the support of the team and assistant coaches, things have gone smoothly so far.

"I have the support of the two assistant coaches, and the kids have really been great," he said.

Sprance added that Chobhaphand's absence seems to have catalyzed the team around one goal — proving themselves in the playoffs.

"They've been working hard and really dedicated to Coach C," Sprance added.

The Rangers, thanks to an 8-seed, had a bye during the first round of the playoffs. They will play Paul Robeson on March 1 at home.

Paul Robeson competes in the same Brooklyn division as powerhouses Abraham Lincoln and Boys & Girls High School.