Rebounding fuels Kennedy's fast start

A well-balanced attack has carried Kennedy to a 7-2 start on the hardwood, and more impressively, a 5-1 mark in Conference AA-III that had the Cougars in a three-way tie for first place at the start of the week.

Great Neck South, also 5-1, snapped Kennedy’s five-game Conference AA-III winning streak with a 60-55 victory last Friday. The Rebels took advantage of several turnovers to rip off a late scoring run in the final two minutes that snapped a 50-50 tie. The Cougars closed the gap to 58-55, but Great Neck South eliminated any potential tying shot at the buzzer by converting a pair of free throws.

The biggest key for the Cougars to date has been rebounding on both ends of the floor, whether it’s coming from senior Brian O’Gorman, who’s pulling down nine per game and adding four blocked shots, senior Adrian Rose (six per game) or senior Jason Champagne (five). “We’ve been pretty good at limiting teams to one shot,” coach Rory Block said.

O’Gorman, in particular, has been a key figure under the basket, because they Cougars are able to take advantage of his 6-10 frame in a variety of ways. On top of pulling down boards, he also commands defensive attention that opens up space on the perimeter, and when he gains position in the paint, he can finish with easy layups. He’s second on the team averaging 13.5 points per game and topped out at 25 points and 15 rebounds in a 60-44 win over Valley Stream Central on Jan. 4.

“He [helps] open up the outside because teams don’t have that size,” Block said. “He sees a lot of double teams, they try playing in front of him and playing behind him.”

Senior point guard Joey Karo leads the way on the scoreboard, averaging 15 points per game, and he had a game-high 14 last Friday, while senior Mike Teich had 11. “We predominantly play seniors,” Block said. “Of our first eight players [in the rotation], they’re all seniors.”

Of the seniors, Rose may have the biggest role, even if he’s not the biggest factor in the scoring column, because the three-year varsity player brings plenty of experience. “When he’s not on the court there’s a noticeable difference,” Block said.

But with the seniors providing so much production, that doesn’t mean the juniors haven’t contributed. In fact, Ben Canarick scored nine points off the bench against Great Neck South.

The Cougars have a key Conference AA-III rematch at home against Elmont on Friday with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The first time the teams met on Dec. 17, Kennedy scored the final eight points on the way to a 52-48 road victory. Senior Will Colon scored a career-high 13 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute.