"We're right here," said Bayside head coach Cory Semper. The Commodores of Bayside HS are undefeated at 7-0 and enjoying the best season in his three year tenure.

The PSAL Queens Class AA team is looking to make its mark and hopes to finally make people sit up and take notice.

"Bayside is most known as an extremely good football school," said Semper. "We're looking to be just as good in basketball."

Semper credits a lot of his players returning for the team's recent success. At the top of the list is Austin Williams, a 6'0" sophomore combo guard. "He's a win first guy who's gotten stronger, faster and bigger since his freshman year," says Semper. Williams averaged 10 points per game as a freshman said Semper but he's now averaging 17 points per game.

Another piece of the puzzle is senior guard William "BJ" Dobie. Semper said, "He's our point guard 90% of the time" and said that the 5'9" senior is motivated. "We go as he goes."

Uzonna Akazi is a 6'6" junior forward who Semper says is a deadly three-point shooter that can also finish around the basket. "He's probably gonna be a Wing in college."

Semper, who was previously an assistant coach at Molloy College for four years, says he runs a disciplined team and preaches to "make the extra pass." In addition, he says that the school also stresses academics. This philosophy and balance seems to be working. The Commodores have already beaten teams like "Wadleigh, Transit Tech, Thurgood Marshall and 50th Street campus" in non-league games and "Campus Magnet, Flushing and Van Buren" in league play.

Bayside has always been in a quandary. While Coach Semper believes his team can compete with anyone, getting those opportunities to play against ranked teams have been few and far between. "Not being a well known program, not many schools want to play us," says Semper. "What do they get out of it? If they beat us, it's no big deal but if we beat them..."

Things are looking up for the Bayside, NY school. The Commodores may finally have their chance to show and prove. "We play Holy Cross HS on the 20th and Cardozo on the 21st," said Semper. Both schools are currently ranked in the NYCHoops Top Ten.

While Semper says he believes Bayside will give both teams a "run for the money", he takes things one game at a time. "We still have a couple of games before we play them and that's what I'm focused on."

Will wins against Holy Cross or Cardozo change Bayside's perception? "Definitely," responded Semper.

Semper clearly is on a mission to make Bayside relevant in Class AA basketball and from the look of things, as he stated at the top of the interview, "We're right there."