Basketball Preview 2011 - 2012 - December 15, 2011

DECEMBER 15, 2011

Prospects For Coverage of Featuring the ‘11-12 Season Boys & Girls 22 Schools

2011-12 H I G H S C H O O L

BASKETBALL P

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December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

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Basketball Preview A spec special advertising supplement to the HERALD Community Newspapers DECEMBER 16, 2010

One more game, one more shot

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nyone who has ever been passionate about basketball knows the deal. You never leave the gym without making your last shot, and you always push to play another game of pickup ball in the driveway or on the schoolyard. It's a ritual known to all hoops junkies.

Perhaps the most famous last shot of all belongs to a young man named Wes Leonard, a high school star from Michigan. Leonard was the prototypical All-American boy: quarterback on the football team, ANDREW and the point guard on the basketball team. Leonard's greatness on the field and court enabled him to be the youngest varsity starter in both basketball and football in state history.

Wes was the pride of Fennville, Michigan.

But it wasn't just his remarkable athletic ability that set him apart from the others. It was said that he epitomized sportsmanship, and carried himself like a role model. In a day when arrogance and self-centeredness is seemingly the norm in professional sports, athletes are rarely looked upon as role models, Leonard was a breath of fresh air.

The young boys in Fennville, Michigan, a small town of 1,500, didn't want to be like Mike, they wanted to be like Wes. Fennville entered its final regular season game of the 2010-11 basketball season with a 19-0 record. The Fennville High gym was jampacked for the matchup with the Bridgman Bees.

Bridgman was a serious opponent. The Bees had already won their conference title, and were looking to put a blemish on Fennville's perfect season.

It was a back-and-forth classic. In fact, four quarters wasn't enough to decide the outcome; the game went to overtime. Leonard was achy and exhausted. He had been feeling the effects of flu-like symptoms all week long.

But he wouldn't let down the hometown faithful. With the clock winding down, and the score knotted at 55, Leonard took two dribbles left, crossed over, hit a seam in the defense, and rolled in the game winner.

The Blackhawks had their perfect season. The euphoric crowd McCLURE stormed the floor, and Wes's teammates, in Rudy-like fashion, carried the hero on their shoulders.

It would be Leonard's last shot. The celebration lasted just minutes. Leonard collapsed on the court. He had remarkable athletic ability, good looks, and perfect manners, but he also carried something that nobody knew about. He had an enlarged heart. Moments after making the biggest shot in Fennville basketball history, sudden cardiac arrest brought on by dilated cardiomyopathy, claimed Wes’ life.

Leonard's memory is being carried on through the Wes Leonard Heart Team. His family and friends are carrying on his legacy by trying to save others from being taken long before their time. The WLHT hopes to ensure that each and every youth athletic event has an automated external defibrillator (AED) available and maintained, and a qualified individual responsible for the AED on site. The goal is to honor Wes every day by providing others with a chance at just one more game.

For information on the Wes Leonard Heart Team, visit www.wesleonardheartteam.org.

High School Sports

INDEX

Baldwin Bruins ....................................3 Calhoun Colts (Bellmore-Merrick) ....... 4 Carey Seahawks (Franklin Square) ..... 5 Clarke Rams (Westbury) .................... 6 East Meadow Jets .............................. 7 East Rockaway Rocks......................... 8 Elmont Spartans ................................ 9 Freeport Red Devils .......................... 10 Hewlett Bulldogs .............................. 11 Kennedy Cougars (Bellmore-Merrick) ........................... 12 Lawrence Golden Tornadoes ............. 13 Long Beach Marines......................... 16

Lynbrook Owls .................................. 17 Malverne Mules ................................ 18 Mepham Pirates (Bellmore-Merrick) ........................... 19 Oceanside Sailors ............................ 20 Sewanhaka Indians (Floral Park)....... 21 South Side Cyclones (Rockville Centre) ............................. 22 Valley Stream Central Eagles ............ 23 Valley Stream North Spartans .......... 24 Valley Stream South Falcons ............ 25 West Hempstead Rams .................... 26

RYAN SPADAFORD

Tony Bellissimo, Andrew McClure, Steve Siniski, Tom Jordan

Copyright © 2011 Richner Communications, Inc.

Published by Richner Communications, Inc. 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 (516) 569-4000 • www.ilherald.com

Find the latest local sports news and photos at

ON O THE COVER

South th Side High School Photo by Jeff Wilson

CONTRIBUTING SPORTSWRITERS Basketball Preview is an advertising supplement to the HERALD Community Newspapers.

Publishers CLIFFORD RICHNER STUART RICHNER Executive Editor JOHN C. O’CONNELL Section Editor TONY BELLISSIMO Editorial Designer JEFFREY A. NEGRIN Production Manager KAREN MENGEL Production Assistant SHEAUWEI PIDD Art Director CRAIG CARDONE Photo Editor CHRISTINA DALY Photo Editing ALYSON GOODMAN Vice President of Sales RHONDA GLICKMAN Sales Administrator JANIE FAHEY-MAGEE Page Editors JEFF BESSEN SCOTT BRINTON ANDREW HACKMACK Account Executives MIMMA BARONE JOAN BATTINO ROBERT CUMMINGS NANCY FRIEDMAN ELLEN FRISCH JILL KAPLAN VICKI KAPLAN KAREN RESNICK

Cover Design - Jeffrey A. Negrin C PPhoto by - Kathy Leistner Cover Photo - Brooke Gerstman Lynbrook High School

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

BRUINS

Schedule 16 20

Baldwin aiming for a title

By STEVE SINISKI

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t’s become a pparent that not e ven a Snickers bar can quenc h the hung er Baldwin has for success on the basketball court.

That much is e vident after the Br uins advanced to the Nassau Class AA title game for the fifth consecuti ve season.

Though they came out on the shor t end of a 32-29 defensi ve battle with Elmont in the finals, Baldwin returns several key members to the f loor who hope to mak e it six straight appearances and give the Bruins their second c hampionship during the streak. “The guys look forward to carrying that winning tradition,” coach Darius Burton said.

As with most Bald win teams under Burton, there’s a type of versatility that few teams can ma tch for 32 min utes. But the Bruins’ teams all ha ve a common denominator — a str ong point guar d. To that end, senior Brandon W illiams, an AllConference honoree — is bac k to r un the show. He’ll get plenty of help fr om senior shooting guard Andres Gonzales, a majorleague three-point threat and junior Travis Hylton, the backup at the point last season.

Senior Mykeil Tzule has also r eturned to the district and the team. “W ith the defensive pressure we put on the ball I think we’re going to cause c haos,” Burton said.

“We’ve got a lot of great shooters and can do a lot of things.”

Senior Kyle Richardson, an All-County honoree after scoring team-high 13 points per game, returns at small f orward along with senior center Kirk Staine, who’s made dramatic strides and can pla y both inside and out. Ev en three-pointers aren’t out of the question f or Staine. Senior transfer Rashid Lasane is a v ersatile small f orward or po wer forward that creates mismatches not onl y because of his str ength but because he’s also a lefty. Senior Myles Ojeikere is in the mix a t power forward along with junior Jordan Williams.

Seniors Jared Francis and Hassan Keita, as w ell as juniors Mik e Abraham and Mike Butler, another lefty ar e also expected to contribute.

Lady Bruins reload d after L.I. title

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s there a better time to be a aBald Baldwin win basketball fan? The Lady Bruins are coming off a Long Island ChampionChampionship campaign tha t also inc luded ded a second consecutive Nassau Countyy title title.. The loss of six seniors, including an n All-Long All-Long Island honoree and a pair of All-County performers leaves the team ounger m yyounger and with a slightl y different look, ut the ok, bbut expectations haven’t necessarily changed.

Senior point guar d Alex Hampton, ampton, aa two-time All-County honor ee and nd second second team All-Long Island selection, eturns n, rreturns for her fifth varsity season and fourth ourth running the of fense. “Last year and ear d the the yyear before she was more of a facilitator,” tor,” coach Tom Catapano said. “She averaged ed 10 or 11 points and her primary role was to run the team. This year she’s going to score ore more.”

Sophomore Mariah Butler is looking lookingaatt an expanded r ole in the bac kcourt, urt, where she’s going to defend the opposing osing team’s point guar d. She’s also o going to spell Hampton at times in the of fense allowing the senior to play off the ball and get into better position to fill the hoop. Senior guar d Amber Harrison, an All-Class AA honorree, ee, enters her fourth varsity campaign, ign, and like Hampton has a long list of f big-game experience.

Sophomore guard Tyra Har rison is aa three-point shooter and slasherrwwho ho will come off the benc h, while senior ior Ashley Ashley Sobel is a defensive stopper. Jadee Aponte, a freshman, is also in the bac kcourt rt mix and like Harrison can help str etch defenses with her outside shooting.

The frontcourt is anc hored by junior Janae DeGraff, who can dictate the tempo of the g ame with her r ebounding and defense. “She’s so impor tant to the team’ s success,” Catapano said. “She’s always the first to hit the floor when the ball’s loose.”

Joining DeGraff in the paint will be senior A yanna Hudson and junior Chelsea May. Both ar e athletic and will

V.S. Central @ East Meadow

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December 7:00 p.m.

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January

provide additional shot-blocking prowess on defense.

Junior Ashley McAdams, sophomore Mariah Brown and eighth-grader Lames El Gammal are also expected to contribute up front.

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Hicksville @ MacArthur @ Plainview Port Washington @ Calhoun @ V.S. Central East Meadow @ Hicksville

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MacArthur Plainview @ Port Washington Calhoun

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GIRLS December 16 20

@ V.S. Central East Meadow

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@ Hicksville MacArthur Plainview @ Port Washington Calhoun V.S. Central @ East Meadow Hicksville

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@ MacArthur @ Plainview Port Washington @ Calhoun

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BRANDON WILLIAMS

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

COLTS

Schedule BOYS December 16 20

Calhoun athleticism makes for tough matchup

By STEVE SINISKI

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alhoun hit the hardwood with a little extra bounce in mid-No vember and for good r eason. The Colts, coming off their first pla yoff appearance since 2005, are moving up to Confer ence AA-II and doing so with a team r eturning plenty of experience.

“The guys worked extra har d so we’re starting [this season] where we left off last [season],” coach Jay Kreutzberger said.

“We hit the g round running and w e’re a little ahead of where we’ve been.”

Senior All-Conference point guar d Danny Trepel enters his third varsity campaign as the f loor leader. With two prior years of experience in the system, he’ s almost become an extension of the coaching staff. Junior Tommy Murphy has carved out a big ger role for himself after being one of the first players off the bench at shooting guard and has a str ong jumper and good feel f or the g ame. Junior Dean Brownworth, termed a “jack-of-all trades”

by Kreutzberger is an asset on both ends of the floor, while sophomore Chris Melito is versatile enough to pla y in the bac kcourt or either of the two forward slots. Sophomore Kyle McGinley, last season’s scoring leader for the junior varsity team, is developing as a point guard but also able to play off the ball.

“We’re not a big team,” said Kr eutzberger, whose team will f ace Baldwin, MacArthur, East Meado w, Hicksville, Plainview, Port Washington and Valley Stream Central twice a piece. “We’re much more athletic and quic k and our style of play will reflect that.”

The frontcourt, much like the bac kcourt, possesses str ength in n umbers and a decent amount of size, too. Junior Tom Joannou, an All-Confer ence honoree, is back and ready to take his game to the next level after an of fseason spent impr oving his offensive game.

MacArthur @ V.S. Central

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January 3 6 10 13 17 20 27 31

Brian Downey, one of four sophomores on the v arsity team, can shoot the thr ee or put the ball on the f loor, while 6-foot-3 classmate Muneeb Ba bar provides immediate shot-blocking in the paint. J unior Kevin Hiss is also 6-3 and can bang in the paint or step out on the perimeter.

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February 3 7 10 13

Lady Colts loaded with experience

East Meadow @ Port Washington Hicksville @ Baldwin

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GIRLS December

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season after making the pla yoffs as the No. 11 seed, Calhoun r eturns 11 players to a roster of 14 and the experience is a hug e plus as the Lad y Colts take their game up to Confer ence AA-II fr om Conference AA-III. “At times w e’re going to start four seniors,” coach Dave Radtke said. “And the senior cr ew is going to be very important for us.”

Sophomore point guard Nora Charidah will be joined in the bac kcourt by senior shooting guard Danielle Losee, and scoring from the perimeter is going to be a must for Calhoun. “T he shooting fr ees up a lot inside, because teams won’t be able to pack in a zone [do wn low],” Radtke said. “[As a team] we may make a lot of shots, we may miss a lot of shots, but we’re going to tak e a lot of shots.”

The focus is simple , and it comes thanks in larg e part to a str ong group of jumpshooters led b y, but not limited to , Losee. “She’s a hug e key,” Radtke said.

“She has unlimited rang e and can shoot with the best of them.

Senior Dana Silvester, the best on-theball defender, can be pesk y on the f loor, but it’s an attribute Radtke and the r est of the Lady Colts love since they’re all in the same uniform. “You love her when you’re on her team,” Radtk e said. “And you hate her [if you’re] on the other team.”

Senior Talia Charidah is also sla ted to see time in the bac kcourt, while senior Jessica Ruggiero returns to the paint looking to b uild on last season ’s success. Like Losee, Ruggiero, who has a nice touc h around the hoop, is going to be counted

Plainview @ East Meadow Port Washington @ Hicksville Baldwin @ MacArthur V.S. Central @ Plainview

16 20

@ MacArthur V.S. Central

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January 3 6 10 13 17 20 27 31

@ Plainview East Meadow @ Port Washington Hicksville @ Baldwin MacArthur @ V.S. Central Plainview

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@ East Meadow Port Washington @ Hicksville Baldwin

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ERICA MCLEOD

on to fill the bask et and will be a f ocal point of the of fense. Senior Erica McLeod is also part of the mix up front.

“Everyone has played well and understands their r oles,” Radtke said, noting another positive of the r eturning experience. “There’s no deer in the headlights [look] when they go in.”

DANNY TERPEL

Photos by Kathy Leistner

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

SEAHAWKS

Schedule 10 16 20

Carey hopes for strength in numbers

By ANDREW McCLURE

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oing into a season without a go-to player to call on to knoc k down clutch shots with the g ame on the line would worry most coac hes, but Carey’s Marty Kelly isn’t fretting.

“This team has mor e depth than an y team I’ve coached,” Kelly said. “We’ll go at least nine dee p, and honestly I’m comfortable with an y of them. On an y given day, any one of them could be the str ongest player on the team. Ha ving this type of depth and versatility allows us to do a lot of different things on both ends of the court. I like this group a lot.”

Carey, which will pla y a f ar more up tempo style than it has in the past, will compete in Conference AA-III with defending Nassau Class AA c hampion Elmont, Bellmore JFK, Long Beac h, Herricks, Mepham, Westbury and Great Neck South.

The top f our finishers will ear n a playoff berth.

Senior Carl Ricaurte will r un the offense for the Seaha wks. Ricaurte is a tough, scrappy guard who does a little bit of everything. Senior Andr ew Gentile, a three-sport athlete, goes to the bask et hard and has a str ong perimeter g ame. Kelly will look for Gentile to put the ball in the hole. Senior Sean Mason has ter rific basketball IQ and can f lat out shoot. Expect Mason to be one of Carey’s top perimeter scorers.

Hard-working senior Da vid Cedeno is a stal wart defender w ho fills the sta t sheet with rebounds and steals. Offensively, nobody goes to the bask et harder than Cedeno. Danny Sadloski, a 6-f oot-4 senior is strong enough to guar d big men in the post, and athletic enough to match up with guards.

Talented forward Adrian Denner is the Seahawks’ most versatile player. He has a good handle for his size and a nice shooing touch. Sophomore Andrew Ris can pla y

@ Elmont @ G.N. South Long Beach

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December 1:00 p.m.

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both guard and f orward, and can hea t up from the perimeter. Juniors Vinny Maura and James Harrison are both ca pable shooters who will be par t of the r otation.

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Lady Seahawks aim for playoff berth

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@ Westbury @ Herricks Kennedy

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GIRLS December

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here’s optimism for the Lady Seahawks after a disa ppointing 2010-11 season.

Coach Theresa Schmidt returns a pair of girls who earned postseason honors , and a be vy of versatile, athletic players that could mak e the dif ference in c lose games.

Schmidt is hopeful the team can be among the top f our finishers in a confer ence made up of Elmont, Bellmor e-JFK, Long Beach, Herricks, Mepham, Westbury and Great Neck South. Me pham is the favorite on paper.

“We’re going to look to r un and push the ball up the f loor, play pressure defense, press on defense, and use our a thleticism to make things ha ppen,” Schmidt said.

“If we play as a team, communica te, and play hard from start to finish, w e can be very competitive. It’s been a while since we made the playoffs. Hopefully, this will be the year.”

Freshman Victoria Porcasi, an All-Conference recipient as an eight-g rader, will run the point. P orcasi has impr oved her perimeter game and is a solid defender .

While Porcasi will contin ue to look to set up teammates, Schmidt will need her to be a little less unselfish on the of fensive end.

Senior Angela Terrezza and junior Erin Gilroy are both pesky defenders who make life difficult for opponents. Sophomore guard/forward Kasey Ilar di is a v ersatile player who has excellent court sense.

Two-time All-Conference honoree Liz Osowiecki will be one of Carey’s go-to players. The 5-foot-10 senior f orward has improved her outside g ame, and has developed a knac k for creating her o wn shot.

Senior Caitlyn Barrett made some tr emen

@ Mepham Westbury Herricks @ Kennedy Elmont G.N. South @ Long Beach Mepham

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G.N. South @ Long Beach

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Mepham @ Westbury @ Herricks Kennedy @ Elmont @ G.N. South Long Beach @ Mepham

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Westbury Herricks @ Kennedy Elmont

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DAVID CEDENO dous strides last y ear, and contin ues to show improvement on both ends of the floor. Megan Mannle, a 5-f oot-11 sophomore, is a three-sport athlete who provides Carey with another inside presence.

Hard-working freshman Keva Moore is an a ggressive player who is the first to dive on the f loor after loose balls . Junior Hannah Mutum provides depth at forward.

Junior Stefanie D’Amato, and eighth-graders Brett Robison and Mac kenzie Nyitray all give the Lady Seahawks athleticism off the bench. Junior Amanda Andrade will also contribute.

LIZ OSOWIECKI

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

RAMS

Schedule BOYS December

New coach, new attitude for Clarke

By TOM JORDAN

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he Rams will star t this season with a fresh start and a ne w coach. Matt Weinman, a f ormer junior-varsity coach at Cold Spring Harbor and a onetime graduate assistant at Hofstra University under Tom Pecora, takes over a team that won just once last season.

After topping Plainedg e last Dec . 9, their third game, they lost their final 12 and bottomed out with 14 losses. They were outscored 972-659 in 15 games.

But Weinman is energ etic and ea ger and likes what he sees. “The team is working hard and g etting better every day,” he said. “We’re trying to change the culture.”

Weinman will r ely on a star ting five that will prob ably include Joe Fusco at point guard, Chris A ppell at shooting guard, Rich Losco a t small f orward, Mike Martiello at strong forward and Tommy Potamitis at center. Michael Viscount, a junior, is expected spell Fusco a t the point, and Jonathan Hess and J ohn Fogarty will play some center. Seniors Peter Rodriques, Connor Donnelly and J oe Buffolino will also contribute a lot of playing time. The roster also includes Matt Seelinger, Justin Gonzalez and Matthew Appenzeller.

Weinman likes that his r oster is dee p and athletic, though it onl y boasts average size.

“Jon (Hess) and T ommy (Potamitis) are big,” he said, “and w e have a decent amount of athletic seniors.”

Weinman plans to pla y a Princetonstyle offense, with a lot of passing and cutting. That type of offense requires patience and intelligence, and he thinks he’ s got the players to r un it. “We’ve come a long way in practice,“ Weinman said. Much will depend on the pla y of the guar ds. Clarke will also play a zone defense.

The Rams will tip of f their Conference A-IV season a gainst Valley Stream North on Dec. 16. Their first home game is sched-

16 20

@ V.S. North North Shore

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uled for Dec. 19, against newcomerr North Shore. They play both of those teams, ms, as well as Mineola, Island T rees, Roosevelt osevelt and Seaford twice eac h. The top our p ffour teams in the confer ence make the playplayoffs.

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Lady Rams focusing g on the positives

@ Island Trees Roosevelt @ Seaford

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GIRLS December

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ike the bo ys’ team, the Clar kee girls’ basketball team will have a new w coach as it tries to impr ove upon a tough tough 2010-11 campaign.

Jessica DiBiola tak es over a team team that lost all of its 17 g ames a yearr ago and was outscored 1016-608 in the pr oprocess. That’s not to say the Lady Rams ams weren’t at all competitive; they lost ost a heartbreaker, 49-47, to R ooseveltt and by just nine points to East t Meadow. They also came out on the wr ong end of lopsided scores, like their 66-22 loss to Island Trees, but there should be more of the f ormer and less of the la tter this season with a good oodmix mix of seniors and younger players comprising mprising the roster.

While acknowledging that she and and her her players have a lot of work to do , DiBi DiBiola l focuses on the positi ve. “We’re working together to g et better,” she said. “Right now it’s a ma tter of recognizing what we’re good at.”

They do ha ve some solid pla yers to build around, and those pla yers will be hungry for wins. The Lady Rams showed some toughness on the defensi ve end and played well offensively in spur ts in a recent scrimmage against East Meadow.

As for a blueprint of how she’d like her team to play, DiBiola said, “W e’re going to run a lot and pressure the ball defensively.”

DiBiola expects good things fr om her guards, seniors Al yssa Colletti and Danielle Ferrara. Colletti is the point guard and Ferrara the shooting guar d, and both ar e the team’s leaders on and of f the cour t,

@ Mineola Island Trees @ Roosevelt Seaford V.S. North @ North Shore Mineola

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V.S. North @ North Shore

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Mineola @ Island Trees Roosevelt @ Seaford @ V.S. North North Shore @ Mineola

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Island Trees @ Roosevelt Seaford

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DANIELLE FERRARA

DiBiola said. Junior Maryann Khan is the team’s leading post pla yer, someone w ho can control the paint and r ebound. Sophomore Amanda Gargiulo is a v ersatile player DiBiola will pla y alternately at guard and forward in or der to cr eate matchup problems.

Clarke opens its Conference A-IV season on Dec. 16 a t home a gainst Valley Stream North, then will tak e on ne wcomer North Shore in its first road game on Dec. 19.

JOE FUSCO

Photos by Victoria Lodi

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December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

JETS

Schedule 15 20

East Meadow employs triangle offense

By STEVE SINISKI

A

major turnover on East Meado w’s roster — six players graduated from last season’s team that finished runner-up to Baldwin in Conference AA-II and earned a first-round playoff bye — has also brought about a change in system.

Unlike years’ past, w here the J ets looked to pr ess and tra p on defense and force the tempo on of fense, coach Barry Dickson has used training camp to install a new scheme. Offensively, East Meadow is moving to the triangle offense, which Dickson hopes will mak e good use of the Jets’ talents. “The movement is har d to defend especially if you have a good passing center like we have,” he said. “You have to get the ball inside a lot.”

On the other side of the f loor, it’s going to be less a bout full-court pressure and more about manning up, though the defense expects to pic k up its a ggression once the ball crosses halfcourt.

The center in the middle of the cour t — and the of fensive plans — is junior J oe Campay, a 6-f oot-4, 210-pounder w ho not only rebounds well and b locks shots b ut can also knock down outside jumpers and most importantly, pass the ball. “W e’re building the offense around him,” Dickson said.

Senior Marvin Cajoles will tak e over the reins at point guard, where his unselfish play and quic kness are perfect f or the new offense. After lo gging consistent time off the benc h as an eighth-g rader, freshman Cody Zafran now jumps into the starting lineup a t shooting guar d. A physical player, Zafran is also a str ong perimeter shooter.

After missing last season due to injury , senior guard Matt Castaneda is looking to carve out time in his first v arsity campaign, while senior Andrew Cunningham, another shooter, had a str ong showing in the team’s first scrimmage.

@ Port Washington Baldwin

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December 6:45 p.m.

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Joining Campay in the paint will bee power forward Dishan Selv aratnam, a 6-1 senior with g reat leaping ability, and d senior 6-foot-2 senior Ma tt Jones. Seniorr Alex Melnyczuk returns and has the versaatility to play either guard or forward.

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Lady Jets youthful and talented

@ Calhoun @ Hicksville MacArthur @ Plainview

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GIRLS December

T

he Lady Jets had plenty up f or grabs during a quic k preseason, but regardless of how the playing time was going to shak e out in camp , there were likely going to be plenty of minutes to go ar ound. An influx of youngg talent is r eady to hit the f loor for an East st Meadow team tha t missed the pla yoffs by y one slot — it finished fifth in AA-II and thee top four teams qualified. “I think tha t this is year, being so young, there’s a lot of potenntial,” coach Bethany LeSueur said.

Junior center Jen Gundrum is back forr her third varsity season after leading thee team in r ebounding and is k ey in an upptempo attack that looks to tak e advantagee of her skills on the glass . “She r uns thee floor well,” LeSueur said of Gundrum, m, who can also knoc k down jumpers fr om m the high post. “Of f of a r ebound we’ree going to try and g et out of the g ates [in n transition].”

Senior point guard Jenna Dragoon and d senior Meg Cleary r eturn to a bac kcourt rt that could also see considera ble contribuutions from a pair of sophomores, Nicolee Moniello and Mar rol Cajoles. Dragoon n and Cleary ar e solid outside shooters andd their veteran experience is expected too help steady the team w hile the newcomers rs get acclimated. “We’re hoping to use our ur athleticism to cr eate points of f steals andd turnovers,” LeSueur said.

Sophomores Amanda F ranzese and Kristina Sanicola ar e guards but long enough to pla y small f orward or e ven in the paint if the Lad y Jets are looking to cr eate mismatches, while sophomore Jenna Borresen, brings the type of

@ V.S. Central Calhoun Hicksville @ MacArthur Plainview Port Washington @ Baldwin V.S. Central

15 20

Port Washington @ Baldwin

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athleticism that translates well in the East Meadow attack. “She’s so aggressive and so athletic,” LeSueur said of Borresen.

Returning senior Christina Gogh and transfer Lynette Arshad are also expected to contribute. “We young and athletic, and I think this is a group we can grow with,” LeSueur said.

“There are a lot of kids working hard and we’re excited.”

V.S. Central @ Calhoun @ Hicksville MacArthur @ Plainview @ Port Washington Baldwin @ V.S. Central

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Calhoun Hicksville @ MacArthur Plainview

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JOE CAMPAY

JENNA DRAGOON

Photos by Ron Manfredi

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

ROCKS

Schedule BOYS December 15 20

East Rockaway will try to be clutch

By TONY BELLISSIMO

A

fter a cameo appearance in the Nassau Class B pla yoffs, it’s back to Class C for East Rockaway and that means a winner-take-all county title g ame against Friends Academy in late February.

That’s too f ar down the r oad, Rocks coach Joe Lores said, and the Confer ence B-C regular-season schedule remains the same: F riends Academy, Carle Place, Wheatley, Cold Spring Harbor, Oyster Bay, Malverne and Locust Valley twice apiece.

“We graduated four key contributors and the big gest thing f or us right no w is jelling,” Lores said. “We have a little mor e size but perhaps not as muc h speed, b ut I’m confident we’ll be competitive in every game.

“Most of these guys ar e coming of f a great football season that saw almost every game come down to the final min ute,” he added. “Whether we make enough plays in crunch time to win our share, we’ll see.”

The Rocks, who went 9-9 last season and lost in the Class B semifinals to e ventual champion Malverne, will g et an early look at Friends Academy in the conference opener Dec. 16.

The Quakers and the r est of East Rockaway’s opponents will ha ve to deal with a backcourt led by junior shooting guar d David McClure and senior point guar d Joey Lores. McClure is capable of scoring in double figures every game and brings a quality outside shot and an a ggressive move to the rim. Lor es can also find his way into the paint, b ut it’s as a distrib utor and har d-working defender w here his skills will really benefit the Rocks.

Senior Mikey Lores is an outside scor ing threat and someone who makes defenders work hard.

In the frontcourt, senior power forward Danny McClure is tough on the glass and can score inside, and 6-f oot-4 sophomore center Kevin Blessington is a thletic with a

@ Friends Aca. @ Carle Place

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soft touch around the basket. Seniorss Justin Jonas and Sean Bohan are two more quality rebounders, while the coach is trying to figur e out w hat roles seniors Luke Farenburg and Tommy Dolan will play.

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Lady Rocks seek better results

@ C.S. Harbor Oyster Bay @ Malverne Locust Valley

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GIRLS December

C

oming off their toughest season in a long time tha t saw just two notches in the win column, the Lady Rocks return 10 pla yers and coach Karin Leary is looking f or the close outcomes to go in their f avor more often than not.

“We had a chance in just about every ery game last season,” she said. “W e had ad trouble scoring and lost a lot of closee ones. Every game will be a c hallengee again. My goal f or this season is too get over the hurdle and win the c losee ones.”

The Lady Rocks are hungry to succeed and should benefit fr om a positive summer lea gue experience.

“We’re not a big team, b ut we’re going to hustle and pla y with determination,” Leary said. “We’re going to look to run like we always do.”

Senior Shannon Pujol, an All-Confer ence selection last season, is the team’ s top all-around talent and a pla yer the coac h wants to see with the ball in her hands .

“Shannon’s going to be a t the point most of the time,” Leary said. “I’m comf ortable and confident with her r unning things.

She shoots w ell from the perimeter and also drives to the basket.”

Pujol is backed up by senior Kerrianne Vulpis, who’s aggressive at both ends of the floor.

Leary is ex cited about the potential of junior Taylor Cussen, who can play guard or forward. Cussen, who brings some v arsity starting experience to the ta ble, added a few inches and worked hard during the offseason. Senior guar d Marykate Vulpis

Wheatley C.S. Harbor @ Oyster Bay Malverne @ Locust Valley Friends Aca. Carle Place @ Wheatley

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Friends Aca. Carle Place

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@ Wheatley @ C.S. Harbor Oyster Bay @ Malverne Locust Valley @ Friends Aca. @ Carle Place Wheatley

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C.S. Harbor @ Oyster Bay Malverne @ Locust Valley

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SHANNON PUJOL

is an intense defender , and junior Anais Marmol is a fundamentall y sound player expected to be an of fensive spark off the bench.

Senior Ali Lar k heads the f orward group and works well with Pujol, the coach said. Lark will “ideall y score in doub le digits” and contrib ute some r ebounds on a consistent basis . Junior Gianna Cilluf o gives the Lad y Rocks some height in the low post and she’ ll need to c hip in some points and rebounds. Juniors Jessica Deptulski and J essica Cerasoli will also contribute.

MIKEY LORES

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9

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

SPARTANS

Schedule 10 16 20

Youthful Elmont learning on the job

By ANDREW McCLURE

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Joshua Previlon, a 6-foot5 senior f orward, is a good shot blocker and r ebounder.

Previlon finishes w ell in the paint and can contrib ute offen-sively. Junior guard Marc Anthony hony Campbell is another threat from m the perimeter.

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G.N. South @ Long Beach @ Mepham

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GIRLS December

Lady Spartans should ould battle for top spot ot

16 20

A

fter a season tha t saw the Lady Lady Spartans crowned co-champions ns in their conference before falling to armingo FFarmingdale 52-41 in the quar terfinal round ound of the Class AA playoffs, Elmont r eturns urns a team that is vertically-challenged, but withh ut one wit enough talent to compete for a title. itle.

The guard-heavy Lady Spartans artans will be challenged by Mepham, Bellmore-JFK, llmore-JFK, Long Beach, Westbury, Carey, y, Herricks, and Great Neck South in Confer ence AAference III. Tom Magno, who begins hiss fifth ear fifth yyear as coach, returns three girls who ho honored in 2010-12, but he won't have a deep bench.

"We don't have much depth at this point, and there's no a lot of height, but it's good to have senior leadership," Magno said.

"These girls have been through the battles.

We're going to hope to g et more people involved. When it comes do wn to cr unch time, if we can execute and make shots, we should be ok."

All-County forward Bria Fisher, who averaged 11 points and a team-leading eight rebounds, should be a handful in the paint for opposing defenses . The 5-foot-8 senior can handle the ball w ell, and has improved her g ame away from the basket.

Senior Elesha J oseph provided some siz e off the bench for the Lady Spartans.

Senior Goldie Harrison, an All-Classification honoree as a junior, returns at point guard for the Lady Spartans. Harrison (8.3 points and 3.5 steals per g ame) is a ter rific ball handler with good bask etball IQ. An improved perimeter g ame should f orce

@ Westbury @ G.N. South Long Beach Mepham @ Carey Herricks @ Kennedy Westbury

Herricks @ Kennedy

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Westbury G.N. South @ Long Beach @ Mepham Carey @ Herricks Kennedy @ Westbury

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CHRISTIAN WATSON

opponents to come out and defend her.

Cassandra Cherry joins Harrison in the backcourt. The junior guar d is a slasher , and Elmont's top thr eat from the perimeter. Magno would like to see Cher ry, an All-Conference performer as a sophomor e, blossom into a more consistent scorer.

Senior Kyra Ridley is a defensi ve specialist who will look to contrib ute more on offense. Senior Beatrice Pierre is small in stature, but huge in energ y. Pierre wreaks havoc on the defensi ve end of the f loor.

Sophomore Sahadia Cadet will contrib ute off the bench at guard.

BRIA FISHER

Photos by Ron Manfredi

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lmont is coming of f a banner season that saw the Spar tans win the first county championship in sc hool history before dropping a 79-75 doub le-overtime heartbreaker to Half Hollow Hills West in the Long Island title game.

The Spartans lost all of their star ters and a fe w key reserves to g raduation, but still figure to be the team to bea t in Conference AA-III tha t includes of Carey, Great Neck South, Westbury, Mepham, Herricks, Bellmore-JFK, and Long Beach.

Coach George Holub hopes the y oung Spartans will jell into a team tha t can compete with the best in Nassau come pla yoff time. “We’re a very young team, but when February comes ar ound, we won’t look like a team of first-year varsity players,” Holub said. “We’re going to look to pla y an up tempo style, and make things happen in transition. We’re going to mak e mistakes and turn the ball o ver early on. Hopefully we’ll be able to correct those mistakes, and be a stronger come February.”

Point guard Tristan Brown will run the offense. Brown, who gave Elmont some good minutes as a fr eshman, is a pass-first point guard who should put up some gaudy assist numbers. The lightning-fast sophomore is outstanding in transition, and has improved his perimeter shooting game.

Senior Christian W atson is a head y player who will bac k up Br own. Watson has a nice touc h from the field. Senior Michael Dugue should complement Br own well in the bac kcourt. Dugue shoots the ball well from the outside and is solid on the defensive end.

While Elmont doesn’t have a go-to player, it has a sle w of interchangeable players with talent. J unior Timothy Lewis can shoot from the perimeter or slash to the basket. Daniel Alexander is as quic k as it gets. The fleet-footed junior thrives in transition.

Carey @ Herricks Kennedy

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December

516.679.2000

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

RED DEVILS

Schedule BOYS December 16 20

Tough guard play to lead Freeport

By ANDREW McCLURE

D

efending Conference AA-I c hampion Freeport is coming off a 14-4 season that ended with a disappointing 55-54 loss to Hempstead in the quar terfinal round of the Nassau Class AA playoffs.

The Red Devils bring bac k one of the top backcourt tandems in the county , but not much size or de pth in a confer ence once again including Uniondale, Massapequa, Farmingdale, Oceanside, Hempstead, and Syosset.

As always, hard-nosed defense and scoring in transition r emains the f ormula for Freeport coach Bob DeBonis. “We’re going to be pr etty undersized, so w e’ll have to grind it out,” DeBonis said. “We don’t have a deep bench, so staying healthy and keeping out of foul trouble will be impera tive.

Our guard play will be very good. We have a pair of guards who I will put up a gainst any backcourt in Nassau. W e’re going to rely on them a lot f or scoring, defense, and leadership.”

Senior captain Leondre Simmon is a terrific playmaker who has impr oved his outside shooting to go along with the r est of the package he brings to the f loor. Simmon is a loc kdown defender w ho wreaks havoc on opponents . His bac kcourt partner, senior captain Jere Brown, is a slasher who can tak e his man of f the drib ble, or step back and hit the thr ee. Brown, who along with Simmon was an All-County recipient as a junior , is as tough as a bar of iron on defense. Shooting guard Kyhiem Chaplin gives the Red Devils another outside threat. Chaplin has been a pleasant surprise in the preseason, DeBonis said.

Forward Isaiah Bar nes is a solid interior defender with a knack for rebounding.

DeBonis will look f or the senior tri-ca ptain to provide some offense off put-backs.

Junior Jovanni Moreno is an a thletic forward with tr emendous upside. Moreno, who can scor e on the inside and fr om the perimeter, will be an important component

Hempstead @ Syosset

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on the of fensive end of the f loor. Senior Brandon Jones and Anthon y Priest will give the Red Devils some min utes off the bench.

@ Massapequa Oceanside @ Uniondale Farmingdale @ Hempstead Syosset Massapequa

February

Lady Devils looking ing for special season n

3 7 13

F

GIRLS December

reeport took another ste p forward in 2010-11. The Lady Devils qualified ffor or the Class AA pla yoffs and d won won their postseason opener before falling ng to repeat county champion and sta te semifinalist emifinalist Baldwin in the quarterfinals.

With a dee p, experienced rroster, oster, and talent in both the bac kcourt and in in the the paint, Freeport should be a tough oe toughf foe for Conference AA-I opponentss and and has has potential for a dee p playoff run. un. The Lady Devils will battle Massapequa, pequa, Farmingdale, Oceanside, Unionniondale, Hempstead and Sy osset twice wice apiece once a gain, with the top top four earning a playoff berth.

Coach Meredith Jones is optiptimistic. “We have a r oster filled ed with basketball players as opposed to gir ls who play basketball from November to February,” Jones said.

“We’re a step closer to figuring out how to win consistently. The girls know they’re talented, no w they just need to pr ove themselves on the court. We have high expectations.”

Senior point guar d Monique J ones, a four-year starter, will r un the sho w on offense. Jones is quic k off the drib ble, takes the ball har d to the rac k, and can step back and bury jumpers. On the defensive end of the f loor, Jones is a bout as tough to shake as it gets.

Joining Jones in the backcourt is senior Sabria Grayson and junior A ysha Harris.

Grayson has terrific basketball IQ and has improved her scoring touc h. Harris is a threat from downtown, and also has the ability to take it to the hole . Both Grayson and Harris are terrific defenders. Junior Breanna Kuar, sophomore Taylor Miller,

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@ Oceanside Uniondale @ Farmingdale

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Massapequa @ Oceanside Uniondale @ Farmingdale Hempstead @ Syosset @ Massapequa

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Oceanside @ Uniondale Farmingdale

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MONIQUE JONES

and eighth-grader Etalyia Vogt will all contribute at guard.

In the paint, 6-f oot-1 senior Deasia Goodson can be a force. Goodson is terrific in the post, and has impr oved her g ame from the perimeter. On defense, Goodson is a shot-blocking machine. Senior Monique Fitzgerald is all hustle . Fitzgerald gets after the loose balls, defends well, and controls the boar ds. Junior Sydney Harris provides size and strength at forward. Deja Hooks, a 6-2 sophomore, and freshman A.J. Smith will both see time in the frontcourt.

LEONDRE SIMMON

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December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

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11

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

BULLDOGS

Schedule

Hewlett no stranger to playoffs

By TONY BELLISSIMO

A

year ago at this time the Bulldo gs were without a r eturning starter, but that didn’t stop them fr om qualifying for the Nassau Class A pla yoffs for a sixth consecuti ve season and gi ving third-seeded Seaford a scare in the opening round.

“We have a mor e experienced g roup and I expect us to hit the g round running,” coach Bill Dubin said. “W e’ve been c hallenging for a confer ence title and in the playoffs six years in a r ow, and I don ’t see any reason why we can’t continue those trends.”

After bursting onto the scene to crac k the starting five and lead the of fense as varsity newcomers, talented under classmen Weldon Irvine and Avery Feldman are back to give Hewlett arguably the best 1-2 punch in the frontcourt in Conference A-II. Irvine and Feldman both averaged better than 15 points and 10 r ebounds per game on the way to earning All-Conference honors. “They play well inside and shoot well from the outside,” Dubin said. “W eldon’s improved his shooting touc h and Avery’s agility is better. If one of them happens to g et doubled, we should be OK because we’ve got a good supporting cast.”

In the bac kcourt, senior Har rison Brenner is bac k to r un the system fr om the point. He has a g reat handle, passing skills, court vision and impr oved quickness, Dubin noted. Sophomor e shooting guard Dmitry Ba ptiste, one of the Bulldogs’ strongest defenders, will be one of the fastest players on the court every game and can get out on the fast break and score.

Up from JV, junior Nico Leguillo is certain to contribute and versatile enough to pla y both guard spots.

Junior Kevin Dehaney is pr ojected to be the star ting center after a midseason call-up allotted him v aluable varsity experience a year ago. Depth in the fr ontcourt

16 22

@ Jericho South Side

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comes in the f orm of sophomores Bryan Eckerle and Josh Netto Rosen, while junior guards Matt Isaacs and Nic k Almonte nte can can provide instant offense off the bench..

“We have to stay healthy and out of foul trouble,” Dubin said.

Sewanhaka @ Bethpage @ Lawrence Plainedge Division @ Sewanhaka Bethpage

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Lady Bulldogs bring speed, energy

A

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December

Lawrence @ Plainedge @ Division

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GIRLS December

fter struggling through a winless 2009-10 campaign, the Lady Bulldogs made considerable strides on the cour t last season and were far more competitive while banking three wins.

Coach Tommy Johnson received strong amancontributions from underclassmen Samantha DiSalvo, Gabrielle Casanova and Valerie DeNapoli, and the trio r eturns to lead the way along with seniors J enni Rogoff and Sami Schechter.

“Our defense and passing w ere the two big things w e improved last season and now we’ve got a lot of girls back,” Johnson said. “We don’t have size, but we’re going to use our speed and a thleticism to our advantage.”

Johnson is looking f or Hewlett to show growth heading into J anuary and hang tough with Confer ence A-II rivals. While South Side and L ynbrook switched conferences, Division is a c hallenging newcomer to go along with La wrence, Sewanhaka, Bethpage and Plainedge.

“As a coach I can’t ask for a better group of girls,” Johnson said. “T hey’re working really hard and excited to get some g ames under their belt.”

Rogoff and Sc hechter will be counted on to provide leadership and solid all-ar ound play. Rogoff is a shooting guar d who can put the ball in the bask et, while Schechter

14 20

WELDON IRVINE — does a m yriad of things — passes, defends, sets scr eens — not f ound in a bo xscore.

DiSalvo gave the of fense a shot of adrenaline as a v arsity rookie, averaging 15.9 points per g ame to rank among the Top 15 scorers in Nassau, thanks in par t to her defense and a bility to slash to the basket. “She’s a r elentless defender who gets steals and tur ns them into bask ets at the other end,” Johnson said.

Casanova is a complete pla yer who makes everyone around her better, Johnson said. Like DiSalvo and DeNapoli, Casanova can play point guar d or slide up to forward. DeNapoli, the likely starter at the point, is one of the best a thletes in school and another intense defender.

Up from the JV , juniors Nicole Rizzo and Lindsa y Wasserman bolster Hewlett’s depth in the frontcourt.

Seniors Danielle Kandel and Ric ki Stumacher will be counted on to r ebound and defend. Kandel, the lik ely starting center, can also scor e from inside the paint and trigger the transition of fense. Senior Elan Yochai is a har d-working forward who can chip in offensively and under the boards.

“We’re not going to have anyone average 10 rebounds a game like last season, so it has to be a collective effort,” Johnson said.

Hempstead @ Jericho

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@ Sewanhaka Bethpage Lawrence @ Plainedge @ Division Sewanhaka @ Bethpage

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@ Lawrence Plainedge Division

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JENNI ROGOFF

Photos by Susan Grieco

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

COUGARS

Schedule BOYS December 16 20

Kennedy welcomes lots of new faces

By STEVE SINISKI

A

ny team trying to r eplace all fi ve starters in one fell s woop is going to have big shoes to fill. But in the case of Kennedy, which finished 12-7 and knocked off MacArthur in the first-r ound of the Nassau Class AA pla yoffs last season, the statement is particularly true.

On top of losing thr ee-time All-Conference guard Joey Karo, and All-Conference forward Adrian R ose, the Coug ars have to replace the pr oduction of 6-foot-10 AllCounty center Brian O’Gorman.

“Scoring is a concer n and it will tak e a group effort to r eplace Karo, O’Gorman and Rose,” coach Rory Block said.

As the Coug ars move forward in Conference AA-III, which includes newcomer Westbury, they look to f our returning varsity players and an inf lux of new talent, including senior Chad Fusc hillo, who’s even new to the sc hool. The two-guard is expected to pr ovide immediate help in the scoring column fr om the perimeter. In terms of filling the nets in the paint, the bulk of the points ar e going to come fr om 6-foot-3 senior center Ben Canaric k and 6-2 senior forward Zack Hecht. With size and good court awareness, Hecht has the v ersatility to ba ttle for points do wn low and also drain jumpers . The catalyst for the offense is senior point guard Keith Safon, a speedy dynamo who’s expected to make life difficult for the opposition on the defensive side of the floor.

Junior Ralph F aiella and senior Brandon Lerner are pushing f or time a t small forward, and Kennedy is welcoming three additional members from last season’s JV team along with Faiella. All juniors, Ethan Jones, Tyler Mer ron and Chris Racalb uto are expected to contrib ute in a v ariety of ways. Jones has the v ersatility to play any position from point guar d to po wer forward, while Merron’s shooting makes him an asset in the backcourt.

@ Westbury @ Elmont

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“If we are to be successful, the r eturning players will have to ste p up big time and we must r eceive a hug e contribution from Jones, Faiella, Racalbuto and Mer ron,” Block explained.

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Lady Cougars pressing for playoff return

@ Long Beach Mepham @ Carey Herricks

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GIRLS December

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link and you might miss the Lady Cougars.

That’s exactly what they’re hoping happens with opponents, too, when they hit the hardwood in 2011-12. With a handful of players returning from last season’s team that made the Nassau Class AA playoffs and an entire roster loaded with athleticism, Kennedy’s going to play one way on the court: fast.

“We are going to be up-tempo , pressure people and cr eate turnovers,” first-year head coach and one-time assistant coac h John Dellolio said. “T he way we want to play, we’re going to pla y until e veryone’s tongue is hanging out. In or der for us to win, we need everyone to play.”

Senior point guar d Victoria Ferry returns and pr ovides stability in the backcourt where her leadership and court sense mak e her a solid f loor general. Shooting guard Kerri Baum, a returning junior, is K ennedy’s quickest player and also covers opposing point guar ds on defense. Juniors Nicole Hoffman and Paige Nowicki and sophomor es Carly Klein and Kylie Honigfeld ar e also expected to contribute in the backcourt.

In the paint, senior Melissa Coluccio , like Baum, is a top-f light defender, and a long reach coupled with quic kness makes Coluccio a key player on presses and traps.

Senior Shelby Blaine is a spot-on shooter from the perimeter, while senior Hea ther Hulkhower is a veteran who brings experience to the floor.

Sophomore Samantha Milazzo has already proven to be fear less on the f loor despite being an under classmen. “We’re a

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VICTORIA FERRY team by committee,” Dellolio said, noting the o verall versatility of the players on the roster. “Most things we run, anyone can end up [playing] almost any position.”

Seniors Samantha Finkel and Lindsey Klein and sophomor e Danielle Hansen are also par t of the mix a t forward for the Lady Cougars, who earned the No . 9 seed in last y ear’s playoffs. “I think coac h [Debbie] Cipolla-Menafo did a g reat job building the pr ogram and de veloping the players,” Dellolio said. “We hope to keep it going and capitalizing on the success.”

BEN CANARICK

Photos by Jeff Wilson / Victoria Lodi

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December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

GOLDEN TORNADOES

Schedule

Lawrence built to contend again

By TONY BELLISSIMO

A

fter winning 17 g ames last season and reaching the county finals f or the first time in mor e than 20 years, Lawrence brings back a wealth of talent to the hardwood along with a f amiliar face to guide it.

Joe Supple, who coached the Golden Tornadoes to a Nassau Class A pla yoff appearance in 2008-09, has r eturned after spending the past tw o seasons on the Oceanside staff.

“I’ve known most of these kids a long time and I’m glad to ha ve the oppor tunity to come back,” Supple said. “We’re going to be as athletic as anyone in the county. We don’t have too much size, but it’s not a big concern and we’re working on being mor e physical down low.”

The Golden Tornadoes will make things happen when junior Eddie R obinson has the ball in his hands. The All-County point guard averaged 15.1 points last season and is as unselfish as he is d ynamic. “Eddie’s an all-around physical guard who creates mismatches,” Supple said. “T here’s nothing he doesn’t do well.”

Sophomore shooting guar d Dwayne Daniel moves into a star ting role after providing instant of fense and tenacious defense off the benc h last season w hile earning All-Conference honors. “He r uns the floor w ell and is probably our best shooter,” Supple said. “He’ s aggressive on defense and can tak e gambles because of his quickness.”

Junior Clifton Lyerly leads the wa y in the frontcourt and comes of f an All-Conference campaign tha t saw him average 10 points. He’s athletic and versatile, and able to defend the lo w post. “He’s been a leader in practice and has potential to tak e a major leap,” Supple said.

Two starting spots are up for grabs. At guard, seniors Kwadwo Agyapong and A.J. Gallo filled r eserve roles last season and

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December 15 23

St. John The Baptist Chaminade

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the experience should serv e them well. Up fr ont, junior center Rand y Wallace was dominant at the JV level and can be a pr esence in the paint, while senior Will Helicher, a newcomer, r, is 6-foot-7 and bound to contrib ute down wn the road.

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Four starters back for Lady Golden Tornadoes es

@ Hewlett @ Division Sewanhaka

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GIRLS December

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he Lady Golden T ornadoes figure ure to challenge for the Confer ence A-II crown with the r eturn of four starters ters from last year’s team that qualified for the playoffs and dropped a Class A first-r ound und game to North Shore.

Replacing Farrah Desvereaux, who ran the offense from the point f or four seasons, is the big gest dilemma f acing coach ach George Klein b ut he’s optimistic all the the pieces will fall into place. “One of the best qualities we have is unselfishness ,” he said. “We share the ball w ell and I lik likee what I’ve seen in so f ar in scrimma ges.

Our tempo might be a little mor e deliberberate compared to past seasons and w e have to control the ball and limit turnovers.”

In the frontcourt, juniors Nicole R obinbinson and Natalie Legere, and senior Reshma hma Ramdhanie back to lead the wa y. Robinbinson, a tr ue center, can domina te at times mes and it’s important she avoids foul trouble, ble, Klein said. “Nicole can scor e, rebound and defend,” he said.

Legere, a forward and one of the team’s best shooters, will also be asked to contribute in the lo w post and pr ovide assistance on the boards. “Natalie does a lot of things well,” Klein said.

Ramdhanie, also a f orward, plays an aggressive style on both ends and lik es to crash the boar ds. Klein is counting on some of her r ebounds — and fr om junior Shaquira Goudy — to tur n directly into points via put-backs.

At guard, senior Ga bi Golan had a few huge offensive performances last season and brings plenty of energy

Bethpage @ Plainedge Hewlett Division @ Sewanhaka @ Bethpage Plainedge

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@ Mineola V.S. North

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CLIFTON LYERLY and a r eliable outside shot. J unior Olivia DelGrosso, coming off a strong JV season, is ready to contribute to the bac kcourt. At the point, sophomor e Dina Goldstein and junior Tiffany Pedlar will both see action and are quality distributors.

Conference newcomer Division, the Class A runner-up, is the f avorite on paper but Klein believes it’ll be a wide-open race.

The conference also inc ludes Sewanhaka, Hewlett, Bethpage and Plainedg e. “We’re looking to get a little better eac h game and each week,” he said.

NICOLE ROBINSON

Photos by Jeff Wilson

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December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

2011-12 Nassau County

BASKETBALL RANKINGS

KRISTEN O'BRIEN

Mepham Photo by - Jeff Wilson

CONFERENCE AA-I 1. Farmingdale Dalers 2. Freeport Red Devils 3. Hempstead Tigers 4. Massapequa Chiefs 5. Oceanside Sailors 6. Syosset Braves 7. Uniondale Knights

CONFERENCE AA-II 1. Baldwin Bruins 2. Calhoun Colts 3. East Meadow Jets 4. Hicksville Comets 5. MacArthur Generals 6. Plainview Hawks 7. Port Washington Vikings 8. V.S. Central Eagles

CONFERENCE AA-III CONFERENCE A-II

CONFERENCE A-IV

1. Carey Seahakws 2. Elmont Spartans 3. G.N. South Rebels 4. Herricks Highlanders 5. Kennedy Cougars 6. Long Beach Marines 7. Westbury Green Dragons

1. Clarke Rams 2. Island Trees Bulldogs 3. Mineola Mustangs 4. North Shore Vikings 5. Roosevelt Rough Riders 6. Seaford Vikings 7. V.S. North Spartans

CONFERENCE A-I 1.Garden City Trojans 2. Jericho Jayhawks 3. New Hyde Park Gladiators 4. Roslyn Bulldogs 5. South Side Cyclones 6. Wantagh Warriors

1.Division Dragons 2. Bethpage Golden Eagles 3. Hewlett Bulldogs 4. Lawrence Golden Tornadoes 5. Plainedge Red Devils 6. Sewanhaka Indians

CONFERENCE A-III 1.Floral Park Knights 2. Glen Cove Big Red 3. G.N. North Blazers 4. Lynbrook Owls 5. Manhasset Indians 6. V.S. South Falcons 7. West Hempstead Rams

CONFERENCE B-C 1. Carle Place Frogs 2. C.S. Harbor Seahawks 3. East Rockaway Rocks 4. Friends Academy Quakers 5. Locust Valley Falcons 6. Malverne Mules 7. Oyster Bay Baymen 8. Wheatley Wildcats

15

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

2010-11 Nassau County December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

CROWNING MOMENTS BOYS Nassau Class AA Championship Game Elmont 32, Baldwin 29 Nassau Class A Championship Game Manhasset 73, Lawrence 59

BALDWIN

Class AA Champions

Nassau Class B Championship Game Malverne 69, Wheatley 49

GIRLS Nassau Class AA Championship Game Baldwin 39, Farmingdale 37 Nassau Class A Championship Game Garden City 46, Division 40 Nassau Class B Championship Game Cold Spring Harbor 42, Wheatley 36

MALVERNE

Class B Champions

ELMONT

Class AA Champions

Photo by - Jeff Wilson

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

MARINES

Schedule BOYS December 16 20

Long Beach part of wide-open race

By TONY BELLISSIMO

W

hile figuring out ho w to account for the departure of 90 percent of its offense from last season, Long Beach will try to mak e the most of every possession and bring a high le vel of intensity on defense.

“Scoring is a concer n, but we’re going to use our siz e in the half-cour t and push the ball e very chance we get,” coach T.J. Burke said. “We usually focus on defense, anyway, and we’re going to use tw o different systems based on w hich players we have on the floor.”

The Marines ar e part of a wide-open Conference AA-III tha t includes defending Nassau Class AA c hampion Elmont, newcomer Westbury, Great Neck South, Carey, Kennedy and Me pham. “We’re not discussing playoffs or an ything like that yet,” Burke said. “We’ve missed out tw o years in a r ow and w e’d like to g et back, but improvement game-by-game is the only thing we’re concerned with at this point.”

A pair of sophomores will pla y key roles. Six-foot-7 center Tariq Cole should prove a handful in the paint after g etting a taste of varsity ball last season, and guar d Stefan Pitts is a lockdown defender.

“Tariq is a beast under neath and someone who can put up a doub le-double every game,” Burke said. “He does a nice job opening up the of fense. He kic ks the ball out if he’s unable to get a shot off.”

Pitts has quick hands and feet and will get the toughest defensi ve assignment in the backcourt. He’s also ca pable of chipping in some buckets at the offensive end.

Senior guard Daryl Br own is Long Beach’s X-factor. He’s a tremendous shooter and cr eator and pla yed lights-out in the summer lea gue. “He’s doing the right things off the court and can r eally help us on the cour t,” said Burke, who will have Brown or senior Will Sims run the point.

Senior Kevin Rourke and sophomor e Tyquan Scott will contrib ute plenty up

Mepham @ Carey

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front, and de pth comes in the theff orm of juniors Thomas Patrick, Desmond smond Moor Mooree and Eric Weiner.

Herricks @ Kennedy @ Elmont G.N. South @ Westbury @ Mepham Carey @ Herricks

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Intense defense e to spark Lady Marines

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GIRLS December

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ady Marines coac h Lori DeVivio is looking for a ne w defensive attitude and sc heme to spark rk a fast start out of the g ate and lead lead them them into the playoffs for the firstt time timein inff our seasons.

“We really want to star tartt strong,” DeVivio said. “We played well ll towards the end of last season and the summer gue ummerlea league served as an extension into this his season. We have more experience and c hemistry, and we’ll be disappointed if we don’t finish at least fourth to make the playoffs.” offs.”

On paper, Mepham appears ars the cr eam of the cr op in Confer encee AA-III bbut ut Elmont, Kennedy, Carey, Great at Neck South, and newcomers Herricks and Westbury, Westbury, won’t be a walk in the par k, DeViVio said.

“It’s a r eal tough confer ence,” ce,” she said.

“We’ll have to earn every win n we get.”

The majority of practice time has has been been spent working on man-to-man man defense defense,, which DeVivio hopes will bring ing more turnovers and f ast-break points. “W “We’ll ’ll still till play some zone b ut we want to be mor e aggressive,” she said.

Junior forward Molly Martin, an AllCounty selection, leads Long Beac h’s talent field and can pla y any position on the court. She’s the team’s top scor er, hitting for double digits in almost e very game a season ago, as w ell as its best defender .

“Molly was alr eady a str ong all-around player, and she’s completely elevated her game from last season,” DeVivio said.

Senior Caitlin O’Connell and sophomore Liz Rourke also r eturn at forward.

O’Connell is a le gitimate outside thr eat and improved in the open floor, and Rourke

Kennedy Elmont @ G.N. South Westbury

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MOLLY MARTIN

is a quality r ebounder. Sophomore center Perri Steiner was one of the main beneficiaries of the summer lea gue and ready to be a factor down low.

At guard, senior Bridg et Gilbert, an All-Conference selection, drain shots fr om the outside and defends . Sophomore Mary McDonnagh got quality min utes last season and can burn defenses from the perimeter. She may see time a t the point along with junior Kristen Barani, w ho brings an accurate shot and intense defense.

TARIQ COLE

Photos by Victoria Lodi

Let’s Mari Go nes!

516635

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

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17

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

OWLS

Schedule

New foes to challenge Lynbrook

By TONY BELLISSIMO

Backcourt is key for Lady Owls

H

16 20

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January

her ability, Manikas said, and someone the Lady Owls need to put the ball in the basket. “It’s important for Shannon to hit shots and take pressure off Brooke,” Manikas said. “If she’s left alone and sees an opening, she can do damage.”

The coach is also counting on senior Amanda Coughlin, sophomor e Meghan Montine and fr eshman Kiera Gor don to make backcourt contributions. Coughlin is one of the team’s hardest workers, while Montine and and Gor Gor-don will be used to boost the tempo.

At forward, seniors Danielle Amaya and Christine Randazzo ar e strong on the boards and Manikas is looking for them to be aggressive with putbacks. Junior forward Joelle Church moves well in the the post and will ha ve a more defined

aving reached the Nassau Nassau Class C lass AA championship game and semifinals in consecutivee seasons, the Lad y Owls are no stranggers ers to dee p playoff runs and coach Heather hopether Manikas is hopeful another is in the works.

“It’s a big y ear for or us,” Manikas said. “We’re down two wo starters we thought we’d have back, but we still have talented players. players. Not everyone has to scor oree 20, b ut everyone has to contribute ribute and handle their roles.”

Lynbrook does fea ture a feature player capable of scoring 20 20 every time she ste pss on the floor. Senior Brooke Gerstman, a two-time All-CounCounty guard, poured in n 18.5 18.5 points per g ame last st seaseason and is the complete mplete package. “Brooke is not not only a phenomenal athlete athlete but a g reat kid,” Manikas anikas said. “She has b lossomed somed into a tr emendous team player. She can scor e from anywhere and she’ s also unselfish in every way. ay. It’s OK when teams doub le ouble her because she’ ll find ind an an open teammate.”

Gerstman and senior senior point guard Shannon non B a ke r a r e o u t standing pressbreakers and p a s s e r s. B a ke r, JOHNNY EMMERICH another shooting threat from the outside, is confident inn

G.N. North @ V.S. South

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role on of fense, Manikas said.

New to ConConference A-III, the Lady Owls a ppear to be the avorite on the ffavorite p a p e r. “ H o p e f u l l y we’ll be aable ble to win win the conference and make a rrun un to the the f i n a l s, ” M a n i k a s said.

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ynbrook seeks a r eturn trip to the Nassau Class A playoffs after coming within a victory of qualifying f or a third straight season under coac h Chris Rube, who is looking f or defense to k eep the Owls in every game.

But a switch to Conference A-III figures to bring a muc h tougher road to navigate.

Lynbrook’s new rivals include defending county c hampion Manhasset, F loral Park, Glen Cove, Great Neck North, Valley Stream South and West Hempstead.

“It’s a very tough and competiti ve conference,” Rube said. “We’re familiar with some of the teams and w e’re not going to make it easy on an yone. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”

The Owls boast plenty of senior leadership but also have some under classmen they’ll need to pr oduce to be successful, especially sophomore guard Michael McVeigh. An All-Confer ence selection a year ago, the left-handed shooting McVeigh averaged 9.8 points per g ame off the bench and brings a tr emendous amount of upside. “He’s a hard worker with g reat range and poise,” Rube said.

McVeigh and junior Ma tthew Murphy are interchangeable, Rube said, and both can run the point. Murphy started at times last season and was a standout during summer and f all league action. He cr eates scoring opportunities for himself and others.

Senior Johnny Emmerich is a r eturning starter stepping into a big ger role. He too can play the point, b ut he’s versatile and tenacious enough to guar d opposing centers. “He’s athletic and tough ar ound the rim,” Rube said.

Seniors Matthew Strobel and Brandon Peresiper are expected to comprise the starting frontcourt and play key roles on the boar ds. Strobel is a big-time leader, Rube said, and P eresiper is a str ong defender who can also contrib ute offensively.

Lynbrook’s depth is solid with seniors Rocco Scibelli, Patrick Geiger, Tim Keegan and Cesar Osses.

“We’re small, b ut tough,” R ube said.

“Our goal is al ways to be better a t the end of the year, and I fell tha t’s going to be the case with this group.”

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

MULES

Schedule BOYS December 16 20

Malverne sets lofty goals once again

By TONY BELLISSIMO

M

alverne’s stranglehold on Nassau Class B contin ued with the Mules winning their sixth consecutive county title and se venth in eight seasons, but the quest f or a fifth straight Long Island c hampionship was denied b y Mattituck in heartbreaking fashion.

The bitter taste of the 68-67 loss a t the buzzer to the Tuc kers hasn’t disappeared for coach Darrol Lopez & Co., and Glens Falls remains on the radar despite a r oster with some unproven players at the varsity level.

“We always set lofty goals ,” said Lopez, who guided the Mules to 18 wins last season. “This might be the first season I can remember where we’re rebuilding more than reloading. We’re counting on a lot of seniors who didn’t play a ton of minutes in the past.”

While the Mules will r un-and-gun at times, Lopez is unsur e if it will be to the usual extent or if they’ll spend more time packing into a zone. It all depends, he said, on early results.

With three guards likely to be on the floor at all times , Conference B-C ri vals may still ha ve trouble keeping up with Malverne’s preferred pace. Senior lefty Jeffrey Voltaire will run the point and brings a nice combination of size and quickness.

“His main r esponsibilities are as a distributor and defender,” Lopez said.

Senior Marc Jean can handle the ball, but he’ll be utilized more as a shooter after spending countless hours during the summer sharpening his skills . “He’s really developed his shot and has g reat range,” said Lopez, who is also looking f or big things from senior guar d Tim Pr uitt and for contributions from senior J erry Voltaire.

In the middle, big man Andr e Berry is a talented junior with a tough inside g ame and shooting touc h from the outside. He’s

@ Wheatley C.S. Harbor

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January 3 6 10 13 17 20 27 31

joined up fr ont by 6-foot-4 sophomore Aaron Jackson, a transfer fr om St. John The Baptist who brings tremendous upside and scoring ability.

The Mules w elcome Elmont, Lawrence and West Hempstead to the ann ual Hank Williams Memorial Tournamentt Dec. 27 and 29.

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February 3 7 10 13

@ Friends Aca. @ Locust Valley East Rockaway @ Carle Place

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GIRLS December

Lady Mules done with growing pains

16 20

A

fter working through a season withthout the benefit of a senior on the r oster and filled with g rowing pains, the he Lady Mules are ready to become more off a factor in Conference B-C and c hallenge for a playoff spot.

“We were close in e very game in the he fourth quarter,” coach Michael Pelan said. id.

“We got some wins w e can b uild on, and nd we’re way ahead of last year’s pace as ffar ar as the lear ning process goes. The playoffs ffs isn’t an easy goal to r each, but we should uld make a run.”

Nassau Class B is rich in talent. Defendnding champion Cold Spring Harbor a ppears ars the team to bea t again, and P elan said id Locust Valley and Whea tley also boast ast their share of returning players. Carle rle Place, Oyster Bay, and Class C r epresentatatives East Rockaway and Friends Academy my round out the regular-season schedule.

Malverne will rely heavily on its star ting frontcourt tandem of senior ca ptains Amanda Masson and Kar en Ulysse to lead the playoff push. “They’ve been in the pr ogram four years and were part of the volleyball team that reached the finals,” Pelan said. “We need them to show the way.”

Masson, a lefty w ho can scor e and rebound, averaged 11 points and se ven rebounds last season and P elan believes she’s the most a thletic forward in the conference. Ulysse is a defensi ve stopper who causes turnovers, and she’ll also be expected to chip in some points along with senior forward TionTaye Noel, another r eturning starter with a knack for rebounding.

@ Oyster Bay Friends Aca. Locust Valley @ East Rockaway Carle Place Wheatley @ C.S. Harbor Oyster Bay

Wheatley @ C.S. Harbor

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January 3 6 10 13 17 20 27 31

Oyster Bay @ Friends Aca. @ Locust Valley East Rockaway @ Carle Place @ Wheatley C.S. Harbor @ Oyster Bay

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Friends Aca. Locust Valley @ East Rockaway Carle Place

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AMANDA MASSON At guard, freshman Alexis Lope z has a smooth stroke and two years of experience under her belt. She a veraged eight points last season and hit fi ve three-pointers in a game against Oyster Bay. Freshman Stephanie Gee, who missed 90 per cent of last season due to injury, will r un the point along with junior Rac hel Meachem. Pelan said the Lad y Mules feed of f Meachem’s defensive energy.

Additional contributions will come inside from freshman Jaclyn Chinchilla, and outside fr om sophomore Richelle Cardoza.

JERRY VOLTAIRE

Photos by Ron Manfredi

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19

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

PIRATES

Schedule 16 20

Experience key to Mepham’s success

By STEVE SINISKI

B

acked by an entir e starting lineup of seniors and se veral key upperclassmen coming of f the benc h, Mepham is hoping to mak e some noise on the hardwood in Conference AA-III. "We are really well-rounded and have good basketball knowledge," coach Rich Wojcieski said.

Senior All-Conference point guard Kyle Wechsler is back for his third varsity campaign, and on top of having good cour t vision and playing unselfishly, his on-court intensity is a k ey attribute. As a 6-f oot-2 shooting guard, senior J.T. Elsasser poses matchups problems for opponents in a variety of ways, especially when he crashes the boar ds against undersized defenders. His siz e and ball handling skills will also allow Wojcieski to move him up to the frontcourt.

Senior Dan Kaminsk y packs offensive punch at small forward where he can help soften defenses with his shooting range. Matt Morrow, another senior and third-year varsity player, takes the cour t at power forward. If there's an X-f actor for the Pira tes, it just ma y be a t center, where senior Kris W aldron has made big strides entering his second season. At 6-6, he's a str ong rebounder and defender, with a larg e wingspan tha t can be a difference-maker. An of fseason of work has helped impr ove his overall game. "He really crashes the boar ds and works real hard," Wojcieski said. "He's r eal physical on defense. If we get over-aggressive [on defense] he can slide and help."

The bench, much like the star ting lineup, is full of experience, although sophomore David Gilroy is an under classmen that could have an impact. A v olleyball player in the f all, Gilroy is versatile enough to play at shooting guard, or one of the two forward slots. His talents — namely leaping ability and athleticism — trans-

@ Long Beach Westbury

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December 4:30 p.m.

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late well to the har dwood. Junior guard uard Cam Brennick is sla ted to lo g minutes es in the backcourt along with junior shooting oting guard Nick Martinez. Both ar e entering ering their second v arsity campaign, and Mar Mar-tinez made several spot star ts due to injuinjuries last season. Senior Chris Br ucato is in the mix up front.

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Herricks @ Kennedy Elmont G.N. South

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GIRLS December

Lady Pirates shoot to thrill

16 19

M

epham fans may want to heed this is bit of advice: Don’t attend a g ame tired. ired.

Because you’ll be worse for the wear after watching the Lad y Pirates’ fiveveguard rotation pushing the ball up andd down the court.

Plain-and-simple, the system works. They’ve advanced to the playoffs in each of the last four seasons and f or the 2011-12 campaign boast the r eturn of two All-County players, senior Kristen O’Brien and nd junior Nicole Castaldo. O’Brien, who was also named the Conference AA-II Player er of the Year, enters her fifth v arsity campaign paign after scoring a team-high 16 points sper per game and pulling down six rebounds.

“We’re going to play a five-guard system stem and have the ball in Kristen ’s hands a lot,” lot,” coach Jim Mulvey said. “She can handle andle the ball and play off the ball.”

Castaldo, like O’Brien, is comingg of offf knee injury, and is lik ely to be one neofof Mepham’s anchors in the lo w post along along with junior Christina Rieb l. Junior Mary Galgano is bac k after ear ning All-Class Class honors, while junior Samantha Hishmeh comes off an All-Confer ence campaign.

“We know we can shoot and [no w] we have even more shooters,” Mulvey said of generating offense.

The best of the b unch could be fr eshman Megan Anderson, w ho had a big impact as an eighth-g rader and also put in extensive work to impr ove defensively during the of fseason. “She takes pressure off of the other gir ls [with her shooting]

Carey @ Herricks Kennedy @ Elmont @ G.N. South Long Beach @ Westbury @ Carey

Long Beach @ Westbury

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January 3 6 10 12 17 20 27 31

@ Carey Herricks @ Kennedy Elmont G.N. South @ Long Beach Westbury Carey

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@ Herricks Kennedy @ Elmont @ G.N. South

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KYLE WESCHLER because teams can’t help [on defense],” Mulv ey said of the spot-on spot-on outoutside shooter.

In ter ms of defense, senior Alexa Rinaudo Rinaudo,, the varsity soccer goalie, goa lie, brings aa physical presence, and eightheighthgrader Ally Murphy, the f astest player on the team, is a str ong on-the-ball defender. Freshman Nicole Moccio ma y also make her mark on the defensi ve side of the floor, while sophomore Erica Miller is working to g et into the r otation in the paint.

Junior Alexis Lemanski, fr eshman Alexa Morris and eighth-g rader Taylor O’Brien are also vying for time in the playing rotation.

NICOLE CASTALDO

Photos by Jeff Wilson

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

SAILORS

Schedule BOYS December

Oceanside runs with big dogs again

By TONY BELLISSIMO

T

hough built around defense and rebounding, coach Dan K eegan believes the Sailors can pla y at a faster tempo than last season w hen AllCounty point guar d Gene Gara y was always a step ahead of the competition.

Garay averaged 23 points per g ame, but Oceanside still fell shor t of reaching the Nassau Class AA pla yoffs thanks to a br utal conference schedule. “Not making the playoffs was disa ppointing,” said Keegan, “but it was mor e of a pr oduct of playing in the toughest confer ence in the county.

Every game is like a playoff game.”

The competition hasn’t changed. Uniondale, Freeport, Farmingdale, Hempstead, Massapequa and Syosset will put the Sailors to the test once a gain. “We have our work cut out, b ut we have playoff potential,” Keegan said. “We’re untested in the backcourt and nobody’s going to score 23 a night for us, but we have more experience and our scoring will be balanced betw een the perimeter and post.”

Oceanside boasts a str ong inside pr esence in the f orm of 6-foot-7 center Hunter Sabety, a junior w ho last season a veraged seven points and se ven rebounds. “Hunter’s very athletic and played a ton during the offseason,” Keegan said. “He’ s excellent in transition and in the half-cour t game. He’s as good of a shot-blocking presence as I’ve seen in 10 years.”

Junior forward Jonah Kaplan is a textbook defender and rebounder, and his footwork and left-handed touc h in the post equips him with dif ferent ways to put the ball in the bask et. “Last season ’s experience should serve him well,” Keegan said.

Junior forward Brian Lau is one of the top athletes in school and a tenacious rebounder, and senior R ob Aiello can crash the boards.

In the bac kcourt, senior Dennis T reanor will start or provide fireworks off the

16

@ Massapequa

7:00 p.m.

January 3 6 10 13 17 20 31

bench. “He’s a str ong perimeter shooter who hustles all o ver the place ,” Keegan said. Senior Eddie Lall y and sophomor e Casey Kelly can both r un the point, senior Jimmy Keane is an acti ve defender who brings energ y, and senior Brandon Katzman can play either guard spot.

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Lady Sailors will rely on experience

Freeport @ Farmingdale Hempstead Syosset

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GIRLS December

A

fter a better sho wing the second time around last y ear’s Conference AA-I schedule, the Lad y Sailors will look to use their experience and siz e to their advantage and push for a playoff spot.

“The biggest thing w e struggled with was handling pressure,” coach Jason Manning said. “It took some time to adjust to the speed of Conference I. We bring bac k a lot of players and I’m confident our defense will keep us in games.”

The roster features a mix of returnees and youthful newcomers. Oceanside’s strength is up fr ont with junior W oodlyn Daniel, who has ear ned All-County and All-Class accolades over the past tw o seasons, and senior captain Ashley Artus.

The 5-foot-11 Daniel averaged 12 points and 10 r ebounds per g ame and fea tures a nice outside jump shot and a ggressive moves to the rim. “She’ s tough to guar d and a strong rebounder,” Manning said.

The coach noted Ar tus, a tr ue center along with Ma ggie O’Keefe, has made the biggest improvement over four years in anyone he’s seen. Artus hit a c lutch gamewinning shot to bea t Syosset last season and will be a serious f actor if opponents try to lock down Daniel. O’Keefe, a junior, will also contrib ute at both ends of the floor. She has good bac k-to-the-basket moves and rebounds well.

At guard, sophomore Jeanne Callalan is the top candida te to r un the point after serving as the bac kup last season. She’ s the team’s best pur e shooter, Manning said, and also has the No . 1 handle. “She has a lot of responsibility for a sophomore,

Uniondale @ Freeport Farmingdale @ Hempstead @ Syosset Massapequa @ Uniondale

22

Massapequa

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@ Uniondale Freeport @ Farmingdale Hempstead Syosset @ Massapequa Uniondale

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@ Freeport Farmingdale @ Hempstead @ Syosset

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ASHLEY ARTUS and she’s been c hallenged in practice ,” Manning said. “She has the a bility to handle it.”

Junior Emily Doherty has solid of fensive tools and ma y bring the ball up the floor at times, while senior Me gan Carey has made major strides as an outside scor ing threat. Senior Deanna Viola will bring defensive intensity and leadership.

“We want utilize our size and be able to score more than we did last season,” Manning said.

HUNTER SABETY

Photos by Kathy Leistner

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21

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

INDIANS

Schedule

New coach to lead Sewankaka

22 29

By ANDREW McCLURE

6 10 13 17 20 27 31

S

S

ewanhaka has posted bac k-to-back winning seasons, and last y ear pulled off an upset of New Hyde Park in the opening round of the Nassau Class A pla yoffs.

For head coach Alex Soupios, each year is about taking another ste p forward. With an experienced g roup of upperclassmen, and a talented b unch of newcomers, the Lady Indians should be a team to be r eckoned with in a conference comprising Lawrence, Hewlett, Bethpage, Plainedge, and county finalist Division.

Soupios is ex cited about the r oster.

“We’ve got a nice mix of veterans who know how to win, and some talented, young players who are ready to ste p in,” Soupios said. “The program is right where we want it. Winning that first playoff game was big for our growth as a team. It’s exciting to have all this experience, and then to have the young girls waiting in the wings .

It could be a special year for us.”

Point guard Celine Jolicoeur will be the go-to girl for the Lady Indians. The senior captain can slash her wa y to the bask et with the best of them, and has impr oved her mid-range shooting. Expect J olicoeur to emerge as one of the confer ence’s top scorers. Freshman Daniella Ford, the point guard of the future, should learn plenty as Jolicoeur’s understudy.

Hard-working junior ca ptain Rachel Wisniewski, the team’s top threat from the perimeter, and athletic junior guard Shantell McCall ar e solid on both ends of the floor. Freshman Michelle Niles is a fearless performer who can beat defenders of f the dribble and take it hard to the rack.

In the frontcourt, senior captain Jackie Wisniewski is the ca talyst. Wisniewski brings tremendous energy especially on the defensive end. Senior ca ptain Tima Faison provides strength and smar ts.

Junior forward Katlyn Dempsey is a versatile player with a knack for scoring. Junior Danielle Georges is a solid r ebounder

Floral Park @ Mineola

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January

Lady Indians continue to grow

ewanhaka has had some tr emendous success on the bask etball court over the past fi ve seasons, including winning its first lea gue title since the la te 1950s.

But it’s a ne w day for the Indians as first-year head coach Jay Allen takes over a relatively inexperienced team. W ith a new philosophy and a slew of new players, the Indians will look to be competiti ve.

Expect Lawrence and He wlett to be the class of Conference A-III. Allen hopes his team will ada pt to his style. “We’re going to look to pla y manto-man defense and utiliz e the full-cour t press a little mor e than the team has done in the past,” Allen said. “W e don’t have a ton of scorers, so w e’re going to need to get points of f our defense. With some big bodies inside, we’ll look to w ork the ball inside, and open up the perimeter game.”

Kareem Are, a 6-f oot-6 gridiron star, will be the big man in the paint. The senior captain is solid on the defensi ve end, and is a handful f or opponents to deal with.

Senior Mike Cothias may be Sewanhaka’s most versatile player. The 6-1 forward is a good post player who can also scor e from the perimeter. Allen will look f or rebounds and blocked shots fr om 6-7 senior J osh Wilchombe. Pierre Presume gives the Indians depth in the frontcourt.

Senior captain Corey Jones will r un the show. Jones is a slasher w ho likes the up-tempo game. He has a knac k for taking the ball to the hole and g etting to the line .

Sophomore Jabryl Chin, an intellig ent player who shoots well from the perimeter, will also see time at the point.

Hard-working sophomore Phil R epalone will be look ed upon to car ry the scoring load from the perimeter. Expect Repalone to c heck opposing team’s top thr eats.

Junior Sean Rust is a versatile player with a nice ste p-back jumper. Junior captain Matt Lugo can play both the point and twoguard.

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December

@ Hewlett Division Plainedge @ Bethpage Lawrence Hewlett @ Division

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@ Plainedge Bethpage @ Lawrence

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GIRLS December 22 29

@ Syosset Carle Place

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Hewlett @ Division @ Plainedge Bethpage @ Lawrence @ Hewlett Division

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Plainedge @ Bethpage Lawrence

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COREY JONES

who has impr oved her scoring touc h. Talented eighth-grader Casey Hayes will push the veterans for playing time.

CELINE JOLICOEUR

Photos by Kathy Leistner

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

CYCLONES

Schedule BOYS December 27 28

South Side has a winning formula

By TONY BELLISSIMO

S

uffering an upset loss in the first round of the Nassau Class A pla yoffs on the heels of a conference title made for a long of fseason for South Side, however with every starter back from the playoff defeat to Gr eat Neck North, the Cyclones are reloaded and r efocused and likely to make a lot of noise.

“We’ve got a hungry team,” coach Jerry D’Angelo said. “The playoff loss stung and stayed with everyone for a little bit. It was one of those things where you’re reminded any team can bea t you if you don’t play your best.

“Now we’ve got a new set of conference opponents that I think ar e going to mak e for an inter esting season,” he said. South Side’s up in Conference A-II and will tangle with the likes of Jericho, Roslyn, Wantagh, New Hyde Park and Garden City.

The new rivals may not enjo y dealing with the Cy clones’ 1-2 punc h of seniors Darren Nickelson and R yan Spadaford, both All-County selections w ho figure to create plenty of chaos.

Nickelson, the point guar d, is a g reat decision maker with the ball, a tenacious defender, and all-ar ound filler of the boxscore. He a veraged 13 points , seven rebounds and se ven assists last season.

D’Angelo believes Spadaford, a power forward who can scor e from anywhere on the floor and averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds, will draw more double teams and allow the perimeter shooters open opportunities to do damage.

Senior guards Kevin Coyle and R ob Pichioni can fill the bask et from the outside and in tur n allow Spadaford to tak e advantage of one-on-one misma tches.

Seniors Nick Bruno and Brian Caulfield will also contribute in the backcourt.

Senior Justin Rhodes pr ovided fireworks off the benc h last season and will be asked to do the same as a star ter. “He’s

Tournament Tournament

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January 6 10 13 17 20 28 31

a good shooter w ho also a ttacks the basbasket,” D’Angelo said. Senior centerrBob by Bobby Akeson can rebound and shoot, andd runs the f loor well, and senior Tim Gangedeen will be a defensive presence in the paint.

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February 3 7 10

Lady Cyclones set for new challenges

@ New Hyde Park @ Garden City Jericho

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GIRLS December

F

inding different ways to scor e and offensive balance are two keys it’ll t’ll take to crank the Lad y Cyclones’ engine ngine aa season after they reached the Nassau au Class A semifinals.

A bump to Confer ence A-I makes es playoffs a dif ficult goal to ac hieve, but ut coach Katelyn Dunn has her sights set on ona atop top four finish and a return to the postseason. eason.

“We’re absolutely a different mold old than last season,” Dunn said. “W e can’t n’t just pack into our half-cour t offense.. We’re going to need to g enerate more offense off the pr ess and g et some scoringg fr om from everyone.”

South Side doesn’t return any fullulltime starters, but the r oster isn’t ’t void of experience. Guards Cait-lin Wallace and Ali Bannon w eree solid members of the backcourt and d ready to assume star ting assignments nts on a regular basis. Wallace is a str ong outside shooter, can drive the lane and g et to the foul line. Her quic k feet also come in handy on defense. Bannon, w ho runs the point, came along nicely last season, Dunn said, and got a feel f or the type of pressure opponents will bring. “Ali has more control and confidence,” Dunn said.

Wallace, Bannon and Ma ggie McGowan will provide important senior leadership for an o verall youthful team. McGo wan, a forward, has made larg e strides since last season and brings all the intangib les it takes to help a team be successful. She’ s an outstanding rebounder who shoots and passes well, and sets screens. “Maggie does whatever it takes,” Dunn said.

Sophomore guard Julianna Pellegrini

@ Roslyn @ Wantagh New Hyde Park Garden City @ Jericho Roslyn Wantagh

14 22

Bethpage Carle Place

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January 6 10 13 17 20 28 31

@ Roslyn Wantagh @ New Hyde Park @ Garden City Jericho Roslyn @ Wantagh

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New Hyde Park Garden City @ Jericho

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MAGGIE MCGOWAN

has been impr essive and could crac k the starting lineup. Up fr om the JV, sophomores Bridget McFadden and Hannah Merrifield give the Lad y Cyclones some size in the frontcourt.

Dunn said she’s excited about the move to Conference A-I, which includes defending county c hampion Garden City, Wantagh, Roslyn, New Hyde Park and Jericho.

“We have some jelling to do ,” she said.

“We’re going to be scra ppy, and if we get our press working well we’re going to be competitive.”

DARREN NICKELSON

Photos by Jeff Wilson

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

EAGLES

Schedule 16 20

V.S. Central sets sights on playoffs

By TOM JORDAN

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January 3 6 10 13 17 20 27 31

the next step despite a bump in conference. nce.

Baldwin, the heavy favorite, has made the the Class AA final fi ve years in a r ow. MacArcArthur also figures to be tough.

East Meadow @ Hicksville MacArthur @ Plainview @ Port Washington Baldwin @ Calhoun @ East Meadow

February

Lady Eagles on the move

3 7 10 13

T

GIRLS December

he Lady Eagles are a young team in in a new conference, but that hasn’tt diminished their enthusiasm an y, and it surely hasn’t altered their goals.

Coach Mary P arisi thinks her crew, which includes eight under classmen, can be a pla yoff team despite its r elative inexperience and despite a mo ve up to Confer ence AA-II. She sa ys the team’s immediatee challenge, even before opening the reguular season a gainst two-time defending ng Nassau Class AA c hampion Baldwin n on Dec. 16, is to find a way to blend all of their heir new talent with their experienced performormers.

“But our goal is still to mak e the playoffs,” she said.

The Lady Eagles fell just shor t of the pla yoffs last season, finishing fifth in Confer ence AA-III with aa 5-9 5-9 record. With a str ong nucleus returning, headlined by Christine Rivera and Nikole Williams, they look lik e a good bet to g et to the postseason this time ar ound. That task has become mor e difficult with the conference switch, but Parisi is interested in results and not excuses.

“We have good senior leadership and we have talent,” she said. “Ev erybody on the team kno ws that whether they pla y three minutes or thr ee quarters, they’re going to ha ve a c hance to contrib ute.”

In addition to Ri vera and Williams, the Eagles will rely on sophomore forward Brianna Hendrick, senior forward Leslie Williams and sophomore point guard Chynna Scott. Katie Dascher, in her second year on the varsity, is a c lutch shooter, and eighthgrader Mikala Casimir will g et some time at guard. Sophomores Nia Outlaw and Kal

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MICHAEL RUSSO

lie Demas, and seniors Lheia Doc k and Jennifer Mayhew, add de pth. Demas, an excellent soccer player, is playing varsity basketball for the first time . She fits into Parisi’s style because she is f ast and a thletic. The Lady Eagles do not have tremendous height, but Parisi hopes to generate a lot of points on the fast break.

After hosting Baldwin, the Ea gles play at Calhoun on Dec. 18. They split with Calhoun last season w hen both were part of AA-III.

CHRISTINE RIVERA

Photos by Susan Grieco

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alley Stream Central coac h Hayward Alfred is a plainspok en man.

Ask him w hat he hopes to accomplish this season and he tells y ou, straight out, “Our goal is al ways to compete f or a county championship.” Ask him a bout his method and he sa ys, “We have to be the hardest-working program.” Ask him w hat kind of players he f avors and he sa ys, “I want players who compete. I want a har dworking team.” There’s no beating around the bush with Alfred.

So when the ball is tossed up f or the opening tip a gainst defending Nassau Class A c hampion Manhasset in a nonleague game, it will signify the star t of a journey that Alfred believes will tak e his team to the final f our. Along the wa y, Alfred will count on big things fr om senior Mike Russo, an ex cellent shooter and expert ball handler. He’ll expect a lot out of Johna Grimsley, a 6-2 shooting guard with a soft shot and long ar ms, a finisher at the basket. He’ll want contributions from 6-foot senior combination guard Jalen Cobb, and f orward Eriq Williams and guard Kwesi Harrison. Williams is a 6-4 sophomor e with a nice touc h and a good handle. Harrison, the quintessential athlete, plays quarterback and shor tstop and point guard. He’s also got some leadership skills.

Then Alfred will look to his benc h for contributors, guys w ho want to pla y defense, guys with a hot hand, guys w ho give him a ma tchup he wants. Mostly he’ll look for guys willing to w ork hard. After hosting Manhasset, the Ea gles play at perennial power Baldwin, one of its ne w Conference AA-II rivals, on Dec. 16, home against Calhoun and then East Meadow.

The Eagles finished 4-11 last season, losing three straight in ear ly February before finishing up with a f our-point win over Carey. Now Alfred wants them to take

@ Baldwin Calhoun

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December

2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

SPARTANS

Schedule BOYS December

Pieces in place for V.S. North

14 16

Island Trees Clarke

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January

By TONY BELLISSIMO

size, strength and quickness, and the a bility to dominate in the paint. Irving’ s mantra is defense, but his of fensive game has improved, Jara said. Junior Ayo Fagbemi is the top forward off the bench.

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Lady Spartans seek playoff return

@ Seaford North Shore @ Mineola

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GIRLS December

O

ff their second Class A playoff appearance in thr ee seasons, the Lady Spartans bring bac k seven players including a cor e group that’s played together for a n umber of years. Based on c hemistry and f amiliarity with the competition, second-year coach Geoff O’Connell’s team has a goal of returning to the playoffs and earning a seed higher than the lo west available — No. 16.

“We’re going to try to utiliz e what worked well for us last season and incor porate some new things based on the opponent,” O’Connell said. “As a coach, I know a lot mor e about the competition. T he surprise factor has been elimina ted and I think we’ll be better off for it.”

Senior Madeline Nelson is the dri ving force for North, which will battle newcomer North Shore, Clarke, Roosevelt, Island Trees and Seaf ord in Confer ence A-IV. North Shore won A-III last season. An AllCounty guard, Nelson averaged 15 points and 3.5 assists last season and is someone who makes others around her better. “She has a knack for finding an opening and hitting [her shot],” O’Connell said.

At the point, senior Elyse Zappia comes off an All-Class campaign and can tak e the scoring b urden off Nelson. “El yse stepped into her r ole last season and ran with it,” O’Connell said. “She had a b unch of big games and her confidence g rew as a result.”

Junior forward/center Alexis Contr eras will see a considera ble uptick in minutes and will be counted on to rebound and chip in some points. She and junior guard/ forward Dana Morg ante provided sparks off the benc h last season. O’Connell said

@ Roosevelt Seaford @ North Shore Mineola @ Clarke @ Island Trees Roosevelt

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Roosevelt @ Seaford North Shore @ Mineola Clarke Island Trees @ Roosevelt

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MADELINE NELSON

the pace of games will automa tically increase when Morgante’s on the floor.

Athletic sophomores Danielle Ev angelista, Sarah Miller and Chelsea Alexander-Taylor are all in the mix to contrib ute either as a starter or top reserve.

“We lost some r ebounding and suppor t in the low post, but we’re going to pla y at a fast tempo and hopefull y make it up in transition,” O’Connell said. “We’re excited to get started and pic k up w here we left off.”

ANTHONY MARTELLI

Photos by Jeff Wilson

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here’s a b uzz around the Athletics Department at Valley Stream North, and the Spartans will try to k eep the success going on the har dwood after the fall teams made plenty of noise in the playoffs.

“Expectations are very high,” coac h Fabian Jara said. “We reached the second round of the playoffs with a y oung team and the kids kno w where the bar stands .

Two of our goals are to win the conference and go deeper in the playoffs.”

Jara is looking f or the team’s speed to make a dif ference and k eep Conference A-IV rivals Seaford, Island T rees, Roosevelt, Clarke and Nor th Shore a ste p or two behind. “Everyone we have can move well,” he said. “We also have good size and shooting ability, and I think w e’ll be tough to defend.”

The likely starting lineup will consist of junior Anthon y Martelli and f our seniors: C.J. Byron, Marvin Ev eillard, Corey Jacques and Dondr e Irving. “We have great chemistry with this g roup and they know what it takes to win,” Jara said.

Martelli, a three-year starting shooting guard, averaged a team-best 16.3 points per game last season while earning All-Conference honors. “He’s an intellig ent athlete who knows how to use his str engths to his advantage,” Jara said. “He’ s so w ell-conditioned. He can go 32 min utes if we need him to.”

Eveillard’s athletic ability is also of f the charts. To go with his outstanding quickness, the point guar d grew a fe w inches during the of fseason and will pr esent a considerable matchup problem most of the time. Jacques likes to slash his wa y to the bask et and brings intensity to the defensive end as w ell, while junior Cur tis Mensah provides depth in the bac kcourt and can run the point if necessary.

Bryon, an All-Confer ence forward, has

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

FALCONS

Schedule

V.S. South seeks playoff spot

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issing the Nassau Class A pla yoffs on tiebr eaker criteria was a tough pill for Valley Stream South to swallow after it w on 10 g ames in Ma tt Johnsen’s first season as coach.

“Six of our losses came to teams tha t reached the semifinals,” said Johnsen, who noted the postseason success of Conference A-III ri vals Manhasset, the county champion, Floral Park and Gr eat Neck North. “We’re in the toughest ‘ A’ conference. We have five returning players and our JV went 15-2, so our goal is to make the playoffs.”

The Falcons boast a nice b lend of outside shooters and inside siz e, and Johnsen is looking for them to play unselfishly and at a fast pace. “We’re going to pressure the ball on defense and g et out ther e and r un with it when we can in transition,” he said.

Keeping up with South’ s quickness in the backcourt won’t be easy for the competition. Senior Jeyson Jones has earned AllConference honors in back-to-back seasons and is a handful a t both ends of the floor.

He can get to the rim or knock down a shot from the perimeter, and he’ s also a loc kdown defender. “Jeyson can be a 15-point, eight-assist player any given day,” Johnsen said. “He’s always been a str ong point guard who creates openings for others.”

Jones can move to the tw o-guard when talented eighth-grader Dana King r uns the point. King, w ho plays year-round, is pushing f or a star ting spot and has a strong all-around game. Also r eturning is junior Die go Maldonado, a sniper fr om long range who was called up to v arsity at the midway point last season. “ All Diego needs is a little bit of space,” Johnsen said.

Senior center T homas Meaney will do the g runt work in the paint and be among the confer ence’s leading r ebounders. He’s one of a number of big bodies on the roster. Senior J ack Pallsechi (6-foot-6) and junior Andr ew Castano can c lean the

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glass, and junior Nnamdi Nwaigwe will see action at guard and forward.

By TONY BELLISSIMO

December 15, 2011 — BASKETBALL PREVIEW - Herald Community Newspapers

BOYS December

Lady Falcons share scoring burden

@ West Hempstead G.N. North @ Manhasset @ Glen Cove Floral Park Manhasset @ Lynbrook West Hempstead

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he Lady Falcons return all b ut one starter from last year’s team tha t finished .500 in Confer ence A-III and lost a first-r ound playoff game to e ventual county c hampion Garden City. However, the g raduation of leading scorer and rebounder Ugo Nwaigw e, now at Wagner, means it’s all hands on dec k for coach Dan Drumm.

“Anyone can be our leading scor er any given game,” Drumm said. “We need everyone to contribute, and we’re going to ha ve to get steals and score in transition.”

Senior point guar d Angela Aragona, an All-Conference selection last season, will assure South plays at a fast pace. “She might be onl y 5-feet tall b ut she al ways finds a way to get her shot of f and score,” Drumm said. “She lo ves to push the ball and we have players able to run with her.”

Senior forward Christie DeMar co gets up and down the cour t very well and can fill the score sheet with transition b uckets alone. She’ll also draw the toughest defensive assignment in the fr ontcourt and be asked to c hip in with r ebounds and avoid foul trouble.

At 5-10, junior Erin Meaney is another key up fr ont. She possesses a left-handed shot, rebounds well and hustles all o ver the court, Drumm said. Under classmen Alana Williams and Janise Hernandez will see plenty of action as w ell. Williams, a freshman, started every game for the JV squad last season and is a str ong defender and shot-blocker. The athletic Hernandez, a sophomore, stands to benefit fr om last year’s varsity experience and can pla y multiple positions.

Senior Jessica Liberato is the team’ s best pure shooter and someone w ho needs to provide consistent scoring. She can hit from the outside as well as drive to the rim and finish.

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JEYSON JONES

Drumm said r eturning the pla yoffs with a seed higher than last season’s No. 15 is a goal. “W e brought a good cr ew back,” he said. “We have a ton of quality athletes and more depth. It’ll be a ma tter of how fast we can mesh.”

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2011 - 12 HERALD High School Basketball Preview

RAMS

Schedule BOYS December

Athleticism key for West Hempstead

By ANDREW McCLURE

W

est Hempstead not onl y replaces seven seniors fr om a team tha t lost a hear tbreaker to e ventual county finalist Lawrence in the opening round of the Nassau Class A pla yoffs, but it is also dealing with a lack of skyscrapers on the roster, and a key injury to a starting guard.

In a confer ence that comprises defending county c hampion Manhasset, F loral Park, Great Neck North, Lynbrook, Glen Cove, and Valley Stream South, the Rams will be in a do gfight for one of the f our playoff slots.

With no siz e to speak of in the fr ontcourt, coach Ed Cosg rove knows utilizing the team's best attributes will be the key to success. “What we don't have in siz e, we'll have to make up with athleticism and hard work,” Cosgrove said. “Size will be a pr oblem for us, but we have athletes. We'll need to play a bit big ger than we are, and make opponents work hard for every shot they get. The goal is to be one of the top four.”

Junior Tyree Glascoe r eturns to handle point guar d duties. Glascoe, who has increased his str ength and lea ping ability, will be a handful f or opposing defenses. He's a pla ymaker who gets teammates involved, and pla ys outstanding on-ball defense. Senior guar d Ray Alexander’s ability to light up the scor eboard makes him a ter rific complement to Glascoe in the backcourt.

An injury to junior guar d Tayvon Hall during football could force him to miss the entire basketball season. Senior Dann y Sheeler, who missed the entir e 2010-11 season with an injury, is a thr ee-sport athlete who gives the Rams ex cellent court sense and another threat from the perimeter.

In the fr ontcourt, senior P at D'Haiti is a solid rebounder and shot blocker. D'Haiti has also impr oved his perimeter g ame.

Darren Davy plays above his 6-foot-2 frame.

The Rams will look f or the sophomor e

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forward to play beyond his years as well, and they’ ll need contrib utions from senior Dimetri F rancis is and juniors Vinny DiLorenzo and Mike Mike Petrizzo.

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Lady Rams’ focus is on defense

@ Glen Cove Floral Park @ Manhasset Lynbrook

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GIRLS December

C

oming off a disappointing season on that that yielded just four wins, a young, athletic team will take the floor for thee Lady Rams in 2011-12.

With just tw o seniors on the rroster, oster, coach Chris V an Kovics will need ed the the underclassmen to adapt to the varsity y level quickly if they’re to ca pture one of of the conference’s four playoff spots. Thee Lady Rams will ba ttle with L ynbrook, Floral Park, Great Neck North, Manhasset, North Shore, Glen Co ve and Valley Stream eam South.

Van Kovics hopes his team is up up for the challenge. “It’s a matter of folollowing the b lueprint and stic king with the plan,” Van Kovics said. “We have ave to take care of the ball, put up good shots shots,, and play good team defense. We’re going oing to mix it up on defense , and use some tric ktrickery. I like to think we’ll compete for a playoff spot.”

Twin sisters Nicole and J ackie Chris Christenson provide the Lady Rams with v ersatility, scoring ability, and strong basketball IQ. Both ar e three-sport athletes who can play guard, forward, or center. Nicole is not afraid to g et into the paint and mix it up in the post. J ackie can shoot fr om the perimeter or take it to the rack.

Van Kovics will use a pair of point guards with different skills. Senior captain Amanda Gabayan is a har d-nosed, athletic player who likes to drive and dish. Sophomore Kara L ynch, who will also r un the offense for the Rams, provides a little more scoring ability. Lynch is one of West Hempstead’s perimeter threats. Junior Miranda St. Hilaire is as quick as it gets. She should be an impor tant factor in the defensi ve press.

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AMANDA GABAYAN

Senior forward Kelly Walsh will be counted on f or rebounds and put bac ks.

Jamie Rodriguez, a 5-f oot-9 sophomore, is athletic and as tough as nails . Van Kovics likes the way Rodriguez reads, reacts, and gets after it. Ashley Someria and J ackie Tartaglia can both hit the open shot.

Rachel Pallas and Cind y Davis provide depth.

PAT D'HAITI

Photos by Susan Grieco

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