Waterford — In three words, the poet Robert Frost once said, “I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.”

And we’ve all had those moments realizing that tomorrow has officially arrived, leaving us to ponder Frost’s deeper message.

Mikey Buscetto’s moment came a few weeks ago, not long after Mitchell College’s basketball season ended in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. It came via text.

“My teammates were in a group chat, talking about a 6 o’clock pickup game,” Buscetto was saying. “That’s when I realized it’s not my team anymore. There’s still more basketball for them. But I'm all done.”

All done, but just beginning. Life goes on for the whiz kid, just not with basketball. Ah, sweet basketball. His salvation and constant companion.

Quite the career. Surely, there have been better players to dot our corner of the world. But none more entertaining or accomplished. Put it this way: Utter the word “Mikey” around here and only one young man comes to mind. He was the face of Waterford High’s 2018 state championship team. He led Mitchell to the 2022 and 2023 NCAA Tournaments. He made every big shot. He threaded passes, as Air Supply might have suggested, out of nothing at all.

The X at Waterford High was never filled as when Mikey’s team was playing. Same at Mitchell. What began at age 4 was honed in gyms and driveways — like the day his dad, Mike, shoved him into the bushes next to family friend Jimmy Kane’s garage to teach him about toughness. And then this string of moments passed, ending one night in March in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins.

“I remember growing up playing in New London. That's really where my game started to elevate,” Buscetto said. “I started to notice it when I was around 12. But I was never the biggest or strongest. I remember when I tried out for Waterford and the rumors were that I’d only play freshmen, maybe JV. I wondered if I was good enough. But coach (Greg) Gwudz (won the 2012 state title) gave me a real confidence boost after a conversation we had. To this day, I tell him he's had the biggest impact on my career and of any coach that I've played for.”

Buscetto and the Lancers played before seven different crowds of at least 1,000 fans his senior year. They went 25-2 and beat East Lyme before a record crowd at the X in the ECC tournament final. Then they beat Avon in the championship game at Mohegan Sun, delivering the school its second state basketball championship.

“That year was fun. But It was tough because I felt like I was representing all of Waterford,” Buscetto said. “If we lost a game, how could I face everybody in school the next day? I let the whole town down.”

With a minute left in the championship game and Waterford’s lead in excess of 20, coach Bill Bassett made sure Buscetto was the last starter to leave the floor. The crowd stood in appreciation. And Mikey Buscetto cried. Never has there been a better illustration of what high school sports mean.

“A lot of people saw the highlights and articles. But what they didn't see was my dad waking me up at seven in the morning to work out for all those years,” Buscetto said. “I didn’t want to go. But he would tell me it would all be worth it.

“You can ask any of my classmates. I didn't go to one party in high school. I didn't touch one ounce of alcohol until sophomore year of college. I would want to go out so bad. But I just was so in love with winning. Just so in love with the game of basketball that when I finally had everything pay off, I just broke down and couldn't contain it. And you know, I'm not a crier. But I can’t thank coach Bassett enough for recognizing what that all meant. The endless amount of work I put in. I don't remember that game. I just remember that feeling.”

Buscetto long since left the Lancer blue. But not Waterford. He will graduate from Mitchell with a degree in Sports Management. Meantime, he’s finishing an internship with Waterford Parks and Recreation and Youth Services.

“We’re doing Dancing With The Stars,” Buscetto said, alluding to a night (April 21) to benefit the town. “Helping coordinate that was my first big challenge. I started a youth ESports tournament for kids who like video games. Dani (Gorman, who oversees Senior Services and Youth and Family Services) told me to come up with something for a youth program as part of the internship.

“There's nothing around here for kids who want to play video games or have never been part of a team. We've had two ESports tournaments. The kids love it. We just held our first ESports council meeting. The kids give their ideas.”

Buscetto loves it. But then, a magnetic persona follows him as the blanket did to Linus.

“I came back from (Div. II) Southern New Hampshire not because I didn’t like it there, but because I wanted to give back to the people who have supported me since I was 9 and 10 years old. They screamed their heads off for me,” Buscetto said. “They brought their kids to the games. That means something. My family's been in the community forever. There's no point in me being somewhere else, trying to do things for people who don't know me.”

Gorman: “Residents of all ages looked forward to seeing him on the court, but now they equally look forward to seeing his presence every day in our community. It’s impressive that he wants to stay in his hometown. He recruited the majority of dancers competing in Dancing With the Stars. He’s risen to the challenge.”

Ryan McNamara, who runs the town’s Recreation Department, said, “It’s nice to see the easy transition he’s made from basketball and school. There are so many positive skills he has absorbed through team sports that relate to real world situations.”

He’ll graduate college next month. What’s next? Who knows? But Buscetto sure knows where.

“I want to work in Waterford. I want to do something with the town and contribute. Give back,” he said. “Be around people. Hopefully something works out. I love being around the kids. The senior citizens. It’s just a good relationship that I have with the town.”

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro