Thursday, October 1, 2026
Hewlett played well enough in the regular season to win 11 times in 15 games and earn a No. 6 seed in the Nassau County Class A playoffs, but Bill Dubin was less than impressed. Basketball coaches as a rule are a dissatisfied bunch, and Dubin is no exception. He thought his players showed a lack of resolve at times, which prevented them from fulfilling their potential, and made sure they knew it.
“We were too soft,” Dubin said, “and we didn’t always play hard.”
So, in preparation for the Bulldogs’ opening-round playoff meeting with Conference A-II rival Bethpage last Friday night, Dubin and his staff set out to give the squad an attitude adjustment. Recent practices have emphasized a hard, physical style of play focused almost exclusively on defensive intensity.
The Bulldogs responded, clamping down on the Golden Eagles in a 65-38 win. Junior Weldon Irvine led the way with 15 points and 10 rebounds, but he had plenty of help. Sophomore Avery Feldman had 17 points to go along with eight rebounds, senior Harrison Brenner added eight points and four assists and junior Nico Leguillow had four points and six steals. Sophomore Bryan Eckerle contributed nine points and relentless defense.
The Bulldogs outhustled and outmuscled Bethpage. They dominated the boards, constantly pressed on defense and systematically wore the Golden Eagles down.
“It was an eye-opening experience for us,” Dubin said.
Hewlett advanced to host No. 14 Roslyn in the second round, on Wednesday, after presstime, with the winner advancing to the semifinals Feb. 28. Roslyn upset No. 3 Roosevelt, 56-50, in the first round.
After closing out the first quarter with a 16-10 advantage, the Bulldogs turned the intensity up a few notches, holding the Golden Eagles to one basket and just five points in the second quarter. Their fiery play was typified by senior forward Dylan Sasson, who went over an opponent’s back while fighting for a rebound and ended up driving himself into the floor. Sasson rose, adjusted his spine and then went to play some more defense. Moments later his layup on a fast break gave the Bulldogs a 22-13 lead. Consecutive three-pointers by Irvine and Leguillow made it 28-13, and Irvine’s basket on another breakaway increased the lead to 32-15. It was 34-15 at halftime.
Bethpage tried several times to close the gap in the third, but the Bulldogs always had an answer. Feldman’s trey gave the Bulldogs a 41-19 cushion, and later Irvine’s driving layup made it 45-25. Sophomore Dimitri Baptiste blocked a three-point attempt as the third quarter expired with Hewlett ahead 49-30. The Bulldogs won the fourth quarter 16-8.
Hewlett had previously beaten Bethpage twice: 48-38 on Jan. 10 and 52-45 on Jan. 31. They started the season with three wins before losing to Jericho, 63-48, on Dec. 16. A loss to South Side followed. They also lost to Lawrence twice, including 73-52, on February 3. They finished the regular season on a positive note, beating Division 57-49 as Irvine, Feldman and Brenner totaled 42 points.
