Two seasons removed from the historic 1A state championship and with only one player left from that championship core, many are wondering what the future holds for the varsity boys’ basketball program.

On March 11, 2023, Denver Jewish Day School made history, becoming the third Jewish school in the country to ever win a basketball state championship. That season, the team was headlined by Gavin Foonberg, who, in 2023, was named CHSAA 1A basketball player of the year. That year, Gavin was surrounded by an experienced group of seniors and Juniors. Andrew Zimmerman, Ilan Schinagel, Jonathan Noam, and Ben Brunschwig rounded out the seniors with juniors like Keenan Winnerman, Lev Friedman, Aaron Daniels, David Romershteyn, and Tyler Marshall. Those ten alumni propelled the 2023 team to victory. 

Behind the scenes, however, head coach Michael Foonberg, Gavin’s father, was quietly cultivating DJDS’ rising star.

The lone freshman on the varsity basketball team that year was Solly Bielsky. While swinging between JV and varsity, Bielsky played nine games on varsity and averaged 2.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. Bielsky emphasized playing in the playoffs that year as he wanted the experience of playoff basketball. His goals became a reality when Coach Foonberg subbed him in for the last 22 seconds of the state championship game against Belleview Christian School. The crowd erupted, chanting ‘Solly Beilsky, Solly Beilsky’. He recorded one rebound seconds before the final buzzer sounded, securing his name in school history as a state champion. 

Since then, there’s been a growing hype around Solly Beilsky at DJDS. This past season (2023-24), Bielsky averaged 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 41% from the three-point line. Each of those stats was top three among the team in their respective categories. Other players like Keenan Winnerman, Lev Friedman, Aaron Daniels, and David Romershteyn accompanied Bielsky in the stat sheet and on the floor. Those 4 seniors, Tyler Marshall, and Bielsky were instrumental in leading the team back to the playoffs. The team claimed their third straight district championship win, won another regional tournament, and came close to bringing home another state championship. The team made it to the final four before they lost 23-40 against the eventual state champions, Cheyenne Wells.

Matan Hazel, who has been the varsity boys basketball head coach since the 2023-2024 season, has high praise for Solly. “We have Solly Bielsky who is one of the best players in the state of Colorado,” Hazel said. 

Halzel anticipates that Bielsky will average between 25-30 points per game this year. A truly historic mark and one that would surpass Gavin’s best year where he only averaged 20 points per game in the 2021-22 season. 

With the departure of five key seniors and only one senior currently on the team Bielsky is being asked to carry the team on his shoulders more than ever before. “There’s some pressure to perform but it was the same last year too,” he said. 

Ronen Trujillo played alongside Bielsky last year as a key piece coming off the bench for the Tigers. He played in 22 games last season and “made some huge plays last year in his minutes in playoff games,” Halzel said. Trujillo and Bielsky will be a great duo leading this team next year, they have experience playing on varsity and are not afraid of the moment. Bielsky knows that in order to be successful he needs to trust his teammates to make plays and not have to rely on himself to do everything. “If my teammates lean on me then I can lean on them, and if I can lean on my teammates and we just lean on each other I think we can be fine,” Bielsky said.

The question remains: which juniors will step up this year to fill the void left by the class of 2024? Jackson Brooks, Issac Nieder, Michael Rafailov, and Evan Kornbluth are all poised for a breakout year, according to Matan. 

“It’s a talented group of guys,” Bielsky noted, but he recognizes that it takes time for everyone to find their role. It took him a lot of practice and reps with the team to find his role. “They know it's time to buckle down,” Halzel said. 

After earning the district championship title three years in a row, Bielsky and Trujillo are confident that DJDS is ready for the playoffs, once again. 

“In high school, it’s about who wants it more,” Bielsky said. “From what I’ve seen is that we are a very passionate team and if we can just come together and put our all into it, I think we can absolutely make it back to the state championship.”