By ANDREW McCLURE
West Hempstead won its’ last three regular-season matches this spring to clinch the fourth seed in the Nassau Class B playoffs, and didn’t stop until they were knocked off by eventual county champion Bellmore-JFK in the semifinals. The Rams finished with an overall record of 11-6.
Coach Andrew Wilson is proud of the team’s turnaround. “To go from no wins to 11 is a great accomplishment,” Wilson said. “While it didn’t result in wins last season, the boys actually played very well and were very competitive. They never got too down. This was a wonderful season.”
With their record hovering just above the .500 mark, the Rams went on a three-match winning streak to close out the regular season. First they knocked off Lawrence, paced by junior Danny Minto’s 16 kills and five blocks, and senior Jordan Jackson’s eight kills and three blocks. In a four-set victory over Hewlett, the Rams got 16 kills and three blocks from Jackson, and six kills and six blocks from senior Zach Steiner.
In the regular-season finale, Jackson, who amassed 225 kills and 36 blocks for the season, had 15 kills and three blocks, and Minto added 17 kills and seven blocks to lead a sweep of Bethpage. The victory not only clinched the fourth seed, it also assured the Rams of hosting a playoff match. Minto finished the season with 219 kills and a team-high 77 blocks. Steiner added 68 kills and 64 blocks.
West Hempstead took on a familiar foe in the quarterfinals, conference rival Floral Park. The teams split two matches during the regular season. After dropping the first game, the Rams rebounded to take the next three. Jackson had 12 kills and six blocks, Minto added 11 kills and three blocks, and Steiner had eight kills and six blocks. Junior Ben Abelido, who led the team with 498 assists for the season, had 25 helpers over the four games.
Though the Rams would be swept by top-seeded Bellmore-JFK in the semis on May 27, they put forth a tremendous effort, dropping a thrilling first game by a score of 34-32. Jackson was name to the All-Tournament team, while Minto picked up honorable mention for the tournament.
West Hempstead’s success on the court meant a nice number of post-season honors. Jackson was named an All-County recipient, with Minto receiving All-County honorable mention. Abelido, senior co-captain Jean-Carlo Arvelo, and junior Danny Boehm, who was second the team with 120 assists, were all named All-Conference. Arvelo had 70 kills.
Despite losing some key seniors, Wilson is optimistic about the future. “We’ll return three or four starters, and nine players overall,” he said. “Some of the boys will be playing over the summer to continue to improve. I’m looking forward to next season.”
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