He may not have a deadly shot or flashy handles to impress the crowd, but Captain Chris Bramwell ’07 posses the all-around skill and determination that gives the Andover Boys Basketball team an edge that opponents just can’t match. Bramwell has been playing basketball for most of his life, including three years as a starter on Andover’s varsity squad. Bramwell said, “Basketball has meant so much to me since birth. My whole family has been playing basketball for ages now.” Bramwell rose to the role of captain this season and has led the team to a 12-6 record, the most winning season for Andover since his arrival as a freshman. Part of Andover’s success lies in Bramwell’s immense court-presence and the energy he brings every second he’s in the game. As a three-year varsity player, being elected captain represents the culmination of his hard work and the pinnacle of his high school basketball career. Bramwell said, “Captaincy is a title that distinguishes my hard work for myself. The title is something I can look back on and something by which I can remember my basketball days.” Bramwell admits he’s not one for dramatic speeches, but instead he inspires the team in a different manner. He said, “My motivational speeches aren’t anything special. I’m more notoriously known for making comedy out of the situation. I don’t want to make everybody so anxious to play. Instead of making everybody nervous to play in the last minute, I just try to keep everyone grounded.” Bramwell, the self-proclaimed team “energizer,” does the dirty work for the team. He leads by example and sets the tone for the team to follow. In an Andover nail-biting 55-54 win over Roxbury Latin this season, Bramwell was the difference when crunch time came. Bramwell did not score the game-winning shot, -Will Sherrill ’07 had that honor – but Bramwell drove the ball down the paint and gave Sherrill the dish that set up the go-ahead shot. Bramwell then proceeded to shutdown Roxbury’s top shooter for the remaining 16 seconds, securing Andover’s win. Bramwell said, “I’m really the guy who’s nameless out there. I get rebounds, I get assists, I get steals, but I don’t get points and I don’t really look for the shot. I try to get everybody involved, that’s my job.” Bramwell doesn’t receive the notoriety or popularity as the team’s number one scorer, but he’s fine with that. Bramwell instead takes his enjoyment in seeing how he can make the players around him better. He said, “I share the point guard role with Mike Palermo [’08], so I love to pass, I love providing the assist.” Bramwell plays a physical game, often sacrificing his body for the sake of the team. He is known for using his body to advance the ball and gain position down low for rebounds. Bramwell said, “I don’t really want to brag or anything, but no one drives like I do. I’m not so much a scorer from the outside, but give me the ball up top and I’ll get by my defender and I’ll dish it to the open man.”
