By TONY BELLISSIMO
"We'll give teams problems once we get healthy. With the press and run style that we like to play, we need at least 10 healthy players to carry out the system. Once we get that going, we'll be able to wear teams down."
The Marines are led by returning senior starters Pat McCann and Chris Calabrese. The only other seniors on the roster are Warren Soriano and Kola Owadolu. The latter is one of the injured.
"I don't know how long it's going to take some of these kids to get their basketball legs, so to speak," Williams said. "I'm not a doctor. I just want them to get the rest they need and come back as soon as possible."
The Marines are expected to be at full strength in time for the Malverne Tournament on Dec. 26 and 28. They open conference play at Hicksville on Jan. 5. One positive that could result from the early season injuries is better depth. Coach Williams has always gone 10 deep, and he'll look to Gerard Burns, Matt Taylor, Lorenzo Pitts, Tenard Solomon, Alex Sharpe and Garland Johnson for consistent contributions.
Girls Basketball
Back-to-back non-conference victories over Hempstead and Bethpage should
have the Long Beach girls basketball team fired up for its conference opener against Mepham on Dec. 20.
New coach Pamela Bankey likes the team's makeup and says that youth will
be served this season as Long Beach makes a run at the playoffs.
"There are a lot of new kids on the team this year and I expect them to give us a boost," said Bankey, who coached Hicksville for four seasons. "I think we have good balance and depth and that can be a big factor in the up-tempo style we want to play."
The Lady Marines outscored Bethpage 20-12 in the fourth quarter on Dec. 12 to claim a 52-48 victory. Junior center Melanie Andorfer scored six of her eight points in the fourth and sophomore point guard Tiera Smalls added a game-high 18 points.
"It was a wacky game," Bankey said. "We were up by 12 points in the first half and down by as many as four in the second half. The girls showed a lot of composure down the stretch."
Andorfer and Smalls are two of the team's eight underclassmen. Junior guard Lauren Moriarity had a game-high 18 points in Long Beach's 39-29 win over
Hempstead on Dec. 8.
Eight-graders Tia Grant and Antoinette Diamond provide the Lady Marines with depth in the backcourt. Sophomore Jackie Dugan is in her second season at the varsity level, while newcomers Krista Yulfo, Antoinette Cataldi
and Jaclyn Borneman all played key roles in the team's solid start.
"We have many girls who can do the job," Bankey said. "We'll look to
utilize the press and force turnovers."
Coach Bankey also has plenty to work with up front. Senior captain Nilka
Almonte and senior Sandy Medina will be counted on to contribute at both ends.
Long Beach hosts Glen Cove, Beach Channel and Division in its annual
Holiday Tournament on Dec. 28-29. The tourney final is scheduled for Dec. 29 at 1 p.m.
Wrestling
Unlike recent seasons, the Long Beach wrestling squad has some questions
to answer. The Marines, the Nassau runners-up last season, will look to their senior leadership to lead the way in the most challenging conference in the county.
"Aside from our veterans, we have a lot of young kids who I think are very tough," Coach Ray Adams said. "Our goal is to finish among the top eight teams in the county. If we can do that, I'll be happy."
Senior and defending county champion Derrick Fontaine is the Marines' No. 1 competitor. Fontaine finished fourth in the state at 103 pounds and will move up to 112 or 119 in his final season.
Six All-League returnees make Long Beach one of the teams to beat again. Senior Colin Camac (125) was sixth in the county a year ago, while senior Mike Jiminez (119) is a three-time All-Leaguer. Senior Henry Chan (189), sophomore Deone Williams (119), sophomore Harry McNeary (103) and sophomore Mark Kosta (135) are coming off All-League campaigns.
"We're in the toughest conference and we have a few weeks to get ready for teams like MacArthur and Kennedy," Adams said. "Three of the four teams in the Final Four last season were from our conference, so that gives everyone an idea of what we'll be up against."
Coach Adams is expecting key contributions from Joe Tangney, Kmar Wilder,
Tom Murphy, Stephen Jones, Jose Rodriguez, Taureen Nicholas and last season's Middle School state champion Andre Morris.
The Marines open the dual meet season on Jan. 5 at Valley Stream Central.
