Thursday, March 27, 2025
The South Side boys’ basketball team finds itself in position to win a share of a conference title.
The Cyclones have won five consecutive games and are 16-3 with an 11-2 record in League AA-5 play. Head coach Jerry D’Angelo is in his 23rd season at the helm. He has built a program that now has an opportunity to win what would be its second Nassau Class AA championship in the last three years.
“The guys have just been playing harder,” said D’Angelo when asked about what the biggest key to success has been. “We have been forced to battle through some adversity thanks to injuries but we did a great job powering through.”
In the last five games, the Cyclones have been nothing but dominant, winning each game by double digits. The win streak started with 60-37 wins over Clarke on Jan. 24 and Kennedy on Jan. 27. There have been contributions from multiple players as junior forwards John Pericolosi and Ryan Schmitt each led the way with 15 points in the victory over Clarke, while senior forward Sean Arnott finished with 11 points against Kennedy.
“John deserves to be an All-County player for how he’s performed this season,” D’Angelo said of Pericolosi. “He really does it all for us and has stepped up big time as of late.”
Schmitt and Arnold not only can be key factors on offense, but also in other areas on the floor. “Ryan is a big rebounder for us,” D’Angelo said. “And our defense would not be nearly as good without Sean Arnott or Connor Erickson.”
Senior Connor Fernandez led South Side in scoring with 17 points in a 67-56 win over Roslyn on Jan. 30. “He has really found his stroke over the last couple of games,” said D’Angelo. “He has been really important to our success.”
The Cyclones then took care of business Feb. 3 with a 58-35 blowout over Bethpage, followed by a 66-51 victory over Manhasset three days later.
D’Angelo also made sure to praise South Side’s depth, noting it can go nine deep in the rotation. “Pat Sweeney gives us a huge energy boost,” D’Angelo said. “I can always count on him to make an impact.” With the contributions from juniors Robert Griffo and Jack Mullin along with senior Charlie Munro,
When a team is having as good of a season as South Side, it is crucial for the players to remain level headed and avoid becoming too overconfident.
“The reality checks we had earlier in the season were really important for us during the process of trying to get better,” said D’Angelo. “When we lost to Elmont, it showed our players that if we do not play our best, we can lose on any given night. There are some really good teams in Nassau County so we are going to have to play our best come playoff time.”
The Class AA quarterfinals are Feb. 19 and the semifinals are Feb. 28 at Farmingdale College.
