By TONY BELLISSIMO
"Looking back at everything as a whole, last season was memorable," Fontana said. "We made the playoffs, which nobody expected us to do, and we gave Westbury a run for its money in the first round. We got a lot of recognition, but now we have to re-prove ourselves and show that last season wasn't a fluke."
Getting back to the playoffs is going to be a tough hurdle, but it's one the Falcons can handle. Most of last season's major contributors graduated, leaving a few holdovers and a bunch of underclassmen that led the JV to a 13-4 finish.
"In a way, we're starting from scratch," Fontana said. "We need some younger guys to step up, but to a degree they experienced success as well with a strong JV season."
South should get a boost from a player who wasn't a part of the varsity or the jayvee's success, Gil Binns, a transfer student from New Jersey. "He's a solid all-around player and he's going to be a big part of this team," Fontana said.
Junior Derrick Coleman starts at point guard and will be backed up by sophomore Willie Lopez. Junior Charlie Viana can play both forward and guard, while seniors Sean Adams and Kevin Tolan will be counted on to win battles in the post. Junior John Ignacio is one player coach Fontana is expecting to provide a spark off the bench.
"We have some quality shooters and we have to create opportunities," Fontana said. "We'll want to play up-tempo. We're a little undersized and that could hurt us in the half-court game."
The Falcons captured the Bellmore-Merrick tournament last week and have non-conference games with North Shore and Seaford, as well as the Hewlett tournament remaining before conference play opens Jan. 4. South's home game versus North Shore on Dec. 19 is part of the Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser. Tipoff is at 7:45 p.m.
Central has great potential
Having experienced its share of growing pains last season, Valley Stream Central is ready to make some noise. The Eagles return seven players from a team that finished 4-14 overall.
"It was a tough year, but these kids are back with something to prove," coach Kevin Steingruebner said. "We should be a playoff team. Anything less than that would be disappointing. We have a tough schedule, but we should pull out more than a few as long as we stay healthy."
The Eagles are seeded fourth in the 11-team Conference II, which is their highest ranking in Steingruebner's five seasons at the helm. Their starting five is the reason why.
Junior guard Danny McMenamin is Central's primary offensive threat, and senior Neil Stewart is a slashing-type that does many things well. Junior John Palladino starts at point guard, while seniors Terence Jordan and Augusto Francis will start in the frontcourt with Stewart.
"We're running a new offense, so the December schedule is going to be important," said Steingruebner, whose team hosts Roslyn this Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the non-conference opener.
The Eagles will participate in the Freeport (Dec. 19 and 21) and Hewlett (Dec. 27-28) tournaments prior to visiting Elmont in the Conference II opener on Jan. 4.
Spartans primed for turnaround
First-year Valley Stream North coach Billy Williams has been pleased with his team's progress through the first three weeks of practice. The Spartans haven't won a conference game since the 1999-2000 season, but there's a great chance that will change.
"I coached the JV last season so it made for an easy transition for both myself and the players," Williams said. "We have solid depth and experience. I've put in a new system and the kids are grasping it well. Our goal is to make the playoffs. We might as well shoot for the stars."
Senior forward Chris Platia and senior point guard Jason Krasnoff are the Spartans' floor leaders. Senior Paul Maywald (6-3) and junior center Ankur Rajput (6-5) are presence in the paint, while sophomore Anthony Forgione and seniors Shomari Leary and Peter Mastroserio round out the team's top seven.
"We'll look to take things nice and slow and steady," said Williams, whose team opens the conference slate on Jan. 7 versus Malverne. "We're not going to go out there and run with the big boys. We want teams to play at our tempo."
