Thursday, October 1, 2026
It was just a matter of time before North Shore boys basketball proved it could be dangerous despite its youth.
After a slow start due to a menacing non-league schedule and injuries, the Vikings may have found themselves after two straight sensational conference-rival victories.
On Jan. 6, the Sea Cliff/Glen Head school beat Friends Academy, 63-56, and then took down Locust Valley, 46-40, on Jan. 9. The Vikings moved to 4-1 in Conference 7 — knotted in a three-way tie with Malverne and Seaford.
North Shore (4-8 overall) plays at Seaford this Thursday at 7 p.m. in a mammoth conference showdown. Seaford ousted The Maroon from the playoffs last season.
“We lost to them in the playoffs,’’ North Shore senior captain Grady Butler said. “That hurt a lot because we beat them both times last year in the regular season. The guys remember that. We’re playing them for first place in the conference halfway through. It’s huge for us and it will set the tone for the second half of conference play.’’
The Friends Academy/Locust Valley triumphs have given North Shore a new aura.
“Obviously we had a lot of injuries and didn’t have our whole team together early on,’’ said Butler, a 6-1 small forward. “There was discouragement from that. But to get two big wins against two big rivals, it shows what we can do as a team and what we can do moving forward.’’
The Friends Academy win was spearheaded by sophomore reserve guard Anthony Martini, who finished with 3 steals, 2 deflections, 7 points and was a plus-11.
“He changed the whole game because of his defense in the fourth quarter,’’ head coach Ryan Berglin said.
The star sophomore guard Marco Camps also erupted for a season-high 20 points. Camps, fellow sophomore guard Del Neal and Butler each drained key free throws late as the Vikings outscored Friends Academy, 21-8, in the fourth quarter.
Camps is averaging 15 points per game while Del Neal is at 11 points and 2 assists. Del Neal is considered the point guard but Camps and Butler also handle the ball. In fact, Butler leads the team in assists as a point forward and averages 7 points.
Butler will graduate this spring while Camps/Neal still have two seasons left after this one along the shores of Hempstead Harbor.
“They’re a dynamic backcourt,’’ Berglin said. “As sophomores, what they’re able to do is not easy thing. In big games and moments, they’re coming up clutch.’’
In the Locust Valley victory, defense was the calling card. The Vikings forced 22 turnovers and held Locust Valley to under 30 percent shooting.
“It brought us back to the 1970’s,’’ Berglin said. “When you score 46, you have to rely on your defense and it was phenomenal.’’
The Vikings will need to score more to top Seaford. Another weapon is 3-point shooter, Fin Duffy (7 ppg), as he spreads the floor. Jackson Seneca is also contributing, averaging 6 points and 6 rebounds, as is Matt Marinello (5 points, 5 rebounds.)
And now Seaford awaits.
“It’s a huge game for us to prove to the whole conference we’re out here to win the whole thing - not just make the playoffs,’’ Butler said.
