Thursday, October 1, 2026
Heading down the stretch of the Conference AA-III boys’ basketball season, Mepham knew exactly what it needed to earn the program’s first playoff berth since the 2003-04 campaign — a hot streak to put the team over the top.
The Pirates got exactly that, winning four of five games before the regular-season finale and earned a berth in a play-in game with No. 12 Hempstead on Feb. 11. The Tigers, who battle in Conference AA-I ran out to a 19-point halftime lead and came away with a 79-43 victory.
The Pirates’ late surge in the win column helped them finish over .500 both overall (11-9) and in Conference AA-III (7-5) with all four victories coming by at least seven points. “It was just a very positive experience,” head coach Pat Fallon said. “The kids put in a lot of work and a lot of time. They got better as the season went on.
“They had a sense of urgency and knew there was a chance to make it [the postseason]. They knew what they needed record-wise.”
Leading the way was senior All-County honoree Yoni Zigdon, Mepham’s leading scorer who averaged nearly 15 points per game. A strong slasher and finisher around the basket, Zigdon had a knack for taking over games late, including a 57-44 win over Calhoun on Jan. 19 that kick-started the Pirates postseason run. He scored a game-high 25 points in the win converting seven shots from the field and eight free throws.
Senior Jon Amon started the campaign as a strong perimeter shooter but ended it as a more complete player and took home All-Conference honors. “He started playing better and going to the basket,” Fallon said.
In fact, Amon was one of the Pirates top free-throw shooters, and his ability to create off the dribble put him in position to finish off a 48-41 victory over Great Neck South on Feb. 2. He scored four points from the free-throw line in the final minute in the win that clinched the playoff berth. Junior Jordan Jones scored consecutive baskets earlier in the fourth quarter to give Mepham the lead for good.
While the leadership of senior Zack Egland will be missed, the return of sophomore Nah’jel Sands, an All-Conference honoree, gives the Pirates a solid building block to work with. An athletic scorer who can get to the rim, Sands had a season-high 13 points in a 46-37 win over MacArthur on Feb. 6. Jordan will also return next season along with juniors Jeremy Lissade, Ricky Derosena and Jake Santiago. “It is pretty important for the older players to end their careers [with a playoff berth] and for the younger guys [to be a part of it],” Fallon said.
Along with new faces, there’s going to be new opponents on Mepham’s schedule next winter, as New York State has redrawn the conference lines. The Pirates will be playing in Class A along with rivals Great Neck South and MacArthur, though the complete alignment of the 34 teams is still to be determined.
