LoPresti still calm

By: Redd E. Patrick
   It’s a good thing Monroe High School boys’ basketball coach Pete LoPresti has been around a while.
   A coach beginning in the early 1970’s, LoPresti knows that things run in cycles. He knows there will be highs and lows along the way.
   Take his own program for example. A year ago, the Falcons posted a 17-6 record, the best in school history, and they were able to compete with everyone on the schedule. Losing four starters and over 40 points per game from that team, the struggling Falcons took an 0-7 record into Thursday night’s encounter with Colonia.
   "I guess I forgot how to coach," LoPresti joked. "Right now, we’re light years away from where we need to be. We lost a lot of talent and a lot of points and we have a lot of holes. We’ve been plugging in different kids in different spots more than we’d like, but at the same time, we’re giving kids a chance to show something. We’ve been searching for the right combinations, but it’s been tough so far."
   Losing Chris Felix (18.2), Matt Gigliello (16.0) and Marcello Henriguez (5.8), the Falcons lost 39.2 points per game, 111 3-pointers, their starting backcourt and a whole lot of leadership.
   "We’re struggling at the guard spot, that’s no secret to the teams who scout us," said LoPresti. "We get 85 percent of our scoring from the low blocks, not too much from the perimeter. We have some young kids like Scott Basarab (sophomore), who has shot well at times, but he’s young and we can’t put too much on his shoulders."
   Despite the losing, LoPresti and the entire team have remained positive.
   "The record hasn’t put a damper on anything," LoPresti said. "The kids know what’s in front of them, they know what they have to do and they know their limitations. We think we’re going to get better. Our division is so balanced and we’ve been in most of the games."
   LoPresti can also dwell on a lot of positives.
   "Peter Grad and Eric Gaston have been two constants," LoPresti said. "They battle every game. Grad is averaging over 12 points a game and at least 12 to 13 rebounds and Gaston has to be averaging 10 points and close to 10 boards a game. We’re getting some solid minutes from A.J. Rudowitz, who’s a freshman and coming along nicely. The kids all work hard and the effort is there."
   Last week, the Falcons were involved in two winnable games. They battled Sayreville before losing 56-44, then dropped a 60-52 decision to Carteret in a wild one.
   "We start the Carteret game ahead 7-0, then they go on an 18-0 run," explained LoPresti. "We cut it to 10, then they go up 17. Then we came all the way back and took a 46-44 lead. But down the stretch, our lack of experience and knowing how to handle certain situations hurt us."
   Grad, a 6-3 senior, leads the Falcons in scoring at 13.7 per game, 6-2 senior Eric Gaston is at 10.2, while Rudowitz is at 8.6. Basarab is averaging 7.0 ppg. and has 15 3-pointers, including at least one in each game. Danny Palma, a senior, is netting 6.5 ppg., while junior Rob Arvidson, who has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, is averaging 4.0.
   "This is a transition year," LoPresti said. "It’s a learning experience, but we feel about this group in the long run."