By Zack Richner
The Cyclones will next face four-time defending state champions Amityville on Friday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. at SUNY Old Westbury for the Long Island championship. A win would give South Side its first Long Island championship since 1978 and the chance to play for a state title.
The county championship, South Side-s first since the 1997-98 season, was an objective that the team has had since December. My goal at the beginning of the season was to be playing for a county championship, D-Angelo said. Now my goal is to win a Long Island championship.
Who would have ever thought that just four years after notching a 6-12 record, South Side would be one of the elite teams in the state? D-Angelo believes that the team-s success is due to the commitment of its players. I have never had a team so dedicated, he said. I have never had a team where the players work out as hard, or participate in as many off-season leagues, or weight train as much as the players on this team do.
Led by senior co-captain Alex Anderson, the Cyclones can no longer be taken lightly by anyone. The team demonstrated this with its convincing win over Jericho.
South Side had prepared for the game for a full week. An important part of its game plan was stopping Jericho-s point guard from scoring and its center from rebounding. The Cyclones were successful on both counts, as the Jericho point guard was held to only 10 points and the center to only three rebounds.
South Side was first to score, and Anderson scored 7 of the team-s first 9 points. It appeared that Anderson was poised for a huge night, but late in the first half, he rolled his ankle, which needed to be taped at halftime. However, because South Side-s greatest strength is its depth, the injury to Anderson, who didn-t have to leave the games, was only a minor setback for the Cyclones, who have other players who can carry the scoring load.
Senior Nick Castro hit three 3-pointers as he and Anderson led the team with 15 points each. Senior centers Nate Smith and co-captain Tom Walsh each had solid games, scoring when needed and grabbing tough rebounds. Senior co-captain Mike Cove contributed two 3-point shots.
Heading into the fourth quarter, South Side led 50-39. The Cyclones were able to increase their lead without scoring a single field-goal in the quarter. As the final buzzer blew, junior Doug Finkelstein heaved the ball into the air and the celebration began.
The co-captains Anderson, Cove, senior Matt Simoneschi, and Walsh were honored in a ceremony at center court. Then each team member received a plaque to commemorate the victory.
Rockville Centre Athletic Director Michael Heller was proud of not only the team-s victory, but also of its character. This is a team of no real stars, Heller said. It-s a team of great players who came together. There are no egos on this team. They all play as one.
The team suffered a lot of injuries early in the season and could have quit, Heller continued. But they didn-t; they got through the injuries and I-m proud they stuck through them.
The win has created a buzz among the students at the high school. Fan Armand Vella, a junior who attended the county finals, said, There-s a lot of interest among students in the basketball team. This isn-t something you see every day. I just feel lucky that I have the chance to see something like this while attending this school.
South Side now must prepare for Amityville, which is led by A.J. Price, a two-time Suffolk County Player of The Year who-s headed to the University of Connecticut. In the Suffolk County finals, Price, suffering from a sore back, came off the bench to score 34 points, grab 11 rebounds and dish out 12 assists, as Amityville beat Kings Park 76-58.
So how do the Cyclones expect to stop Price, the No. 9 recruit in the nation? A.J. who? D-Angelo says jokingly. While acknowledging the great play of Price, D-Angelo said, We will prepare for the team, not the individual.
The underdog Cyclones plan to throw many different defensive sets Amityville-s way, and believe that an upset victory is a distinct possibility. D-Angelo feels that Amityville may not take the Cyclones seriously due to Amityville-s recent domination of Nassau County teams. The Cyclones are also confident because their shooting rivals that of any team on the Island, with Anderson, Castro and Simoneschi all capable of scoring 20 points in a game. And South Side has tremendous depth. D-Angelo can go 10 deep on his bench and still put a competitive team on the floor. Amityville, conversely, has a team that is only six or seven deep.
The Cyclones will devote almost two weeks of intense practice to preparing for the biggest game of their lives, in which many fans aren-t giving them the slightest chance of winning. Though many team members play spring sports, which began Monday, these athletes will remain with the basketball team until the end of the season.
I tell my players when you get into a tournament playoff, anything can happen. Just look at the NCAAs, D-Angelo said. You just never know.
