Boys hoops team has plenty left in the tank

Hopewell Valley boys basketball

By: Mike Molaro
   To say the Hopewell Valley Central High School boys basketball squad was hit hard by graduation would be an understatement.
   Decimated would be more like it.
   The Bulldogs lost 12 players to graduation, including their entire starting lineup, which was the heart and soul of last year’s 18-7 team that lost a one-point heartbreaker in overtime to eventual sectional champion Long Branch in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group III tournament.
   But HoVal has a message to opponents: Don’t get too comfortable, because the cupboard isn’t as bare it might look.
   "The guys on this year’s team can step up and make it happen," head coach Tony Mormile said as he prepares for his seventh season with the Bulldogs. "The team came together real nicely during the summer. We played 22 games and won 14.
   "Last year was the first time we had more than one team over .500. Our freshman and junior varsity teams were both 10-7. Those players will be key for us this season."
   HoVal lost 1,000-point scorer Jeff Molinelli, Brendan Rutledge, Aksel Gungor, Chris Gardner, Dave Coville, Andrew Bruno, Brian Noyes, Ricky Gomez, Nick Passanante, Brad Bartolino, Odeani McBean and Dan Hogan. As a result, the Bulldogs will field a roster that may be short on experience but long on determination and focus.
   Returning seniors are center Craig O’Shea, forward Kevin Osagie, guard Mike Bostwick and forward/center Aaron Feibush. Returning juniors are guards Pat Jablonski, Brian Skevington, A.J. Cassavelle and Steve Marsh and forward Tyler Crine.
   Sophomores who should see key minutes are guards Mike Valcarcel and Will Alton, forwards Judah Mathaney and Derek Miller and forward/center Evan Dinger.
   Only O’Shea, Osagie, Jablonski, and Cassavelle saw quality varsity minutes last season, but the Bulldogs are impressed with the team’s work ethic and willingness to improve.
   "The guys worked on skill exercises during the summer," Mormile said. "They were at the school at 7 a.m. many mornings to practice and improve. They did a lot of nice things to prepare for the season.
   "As a coach, I was prepared for the change."
   Last year, Gungor ran the show as point guard, Molinelli and Rutledge did the bulk of the scoring, and Rutledge was the defensive presence.
   This season, Valcarcel is the floor general, Jablonski will be the go-to guy, Osagie will bang the boards, and O’Shea should be the inside offensive force.
   Different names and a different cast, for sure, but HoVal believes the results will be just as positive.
   "We have a solid backcourt and a solid frontcourt with size," Mormile said. "Valcarcel is one of the most dedicated players on the team. He’s added about 15-to-20 pounds from last year. Jablonski had an excellent summer for us. He’s quick and a good shooter.
   "Osagie is 6-3 and is a unique power forward. He’s athletic and aggressive. He will give us a match-up advantage in just about every game. O’Shea is 6-6 and 220 pounds. He is very rugged and has good hands. When he makes his mind up to go inside, it’s almost impossible for any high school center to stop him from going to the basket."
   What the Bulldogs may be lacking right now is that intangible that doesn’t show up in the stats.
   "We need to work on leadership," Mormile noted.
   HoVal, which opens its season Dec. 16 at Colonial Valley Conference opponent West Windsor-Plainsboro North, has the tools to make some noise in the CVC and the state tournament.
   "We have good ball handling, good team defense, shooters and an inside presence," Mormile said. "We have a lot to offer. We always have three keys every time we step onto the court. We want to play together, play smart and play with pride.
   "My job as head coach is to have all these mesh."
   To prepare for the rugged CVC, the Bulldogs have lined up a tough scrimmage schedule, which began last Saturday at perennial state power Neptune.
   "We scrimmage athletic teams that play similar to teams in our league," Mormile said. "Those games will get us used to what we will see in the CVC."
   Losing 12 players might raise the white flag for most teams, but these Bulldogs are determined to make their mark during the 2005-06 season.
   "I’m definitely looking forward to the season," Mormile said.