Montclair Athlete Spotlight: Gabe Schreiber, Montclair High School, basketball

by Andrew Garda

garda@montclairlocal.news

Like the rest of the Montclair boys basketball team, Gabe Schreiber was excited to beat Columbia in overtime, 62-61. It wasn’t just that the Mounties had come from behind or that Schreiber had contributed 9 points with 10 rebounds and a pair of steals.

No, this was sweeter because he knew Columbia’s players very well.

“We know all these guys, because some of us play AAU ball with them,” Schreiber said. “They beat us the first time, and we haven’t stopped hearing about it since. So to come out and beat them definitely felt good.”

Schreiber has been a consistent contributor for the Mounties, both scoring and distributing the ball. He’s constantly moving around the court, trying to get open or draw the defense away from his teammates.

While there’s still a lot of season left, Schreiber is already looking at tournaments and what his team can do in them.

“I just want us to go as far as we can,” he said. “Try to win every game we step on the floor for, not worry who we’re playing and give it everything. That’s really all we can do.”

Schreiber took a few minutes to answer some questions after the team’s victory:

What was the mentality of the team heading into overtime?

Well, we know all these guys because some of us play AAU ball with them. So we’re like “we can’t lose this game,” because we’ll hear all about it. So we had to give it everything we’ve got and that is what we did.

Was this the highlight of the season?

Yes. Like I said, we know all these guys from AAU. So it was big.

Do you have a favorite subject?

History.

Do you have any hobbies?

I love music and I definitely love Netflix, but I’m more of a YouTube guy, though. I watch everything. Whatever they suggest I’m watching it. It’s five minutes a piece, so it’s easy to get trapped procrastinating.  

Is there one YouTube show or person you like the most?

No top choice youtuber. I kind of watch everything.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Hip-hop, but I have a variety of music I like. I try to keep it diverse.

Who has pushed and inspired you?

For coaches, I would say Coach Bingo, over at Edgemont at the Crusaders. Coach Ray there, too. Coach Wallace, Coach Hill, who was our old coach my freshman year. And he gave a me a chance to play on varsity at the end of the season. I don’t want to forget anyone, but those guys are big.

How tight are you with your teammates?

We’re together all the time. Whether it’s weight room, or study hall, practice or whatever. We’re always together. We’re always talking, always having a good time.

Do you play basketball year round?

I took the summer off this year. I played spring AAU and didn’t play anything in the summer. I thought I had to get stronger for the season, which turned out to be a good decision. I stayed in the weight room, which sounds corny, but that’s what you have to do if you want to compete at the varsity level. That’s what I did and that’s what I would tell people to do.