Memorial looks to avenge last season’s frustration

Mustangs want to make postseason after barely missing last year

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer

Andrew Picatagi and Matt O’Brien were eager to get back in the gym for Brick Memorial’s boys basketball team and leave behind the frustration of last year’s injury-riddled team that missed out on the NJSIAA and Shore Conference tournaments.

“It feels good to be back in the gym,” said Picatagi, a 6-foot-4-inch forward who has been accepted by Wilkes University and also is looking at Susquehanna and Washington.

O’Brien, a junior, said that despite losing a number of players to graduation, including guard Colin Przybylowski, it “feels good. We’re confident about the season. We should be a pretty good team. We’re playing like a team right now. It’s a pretty good atmosphere.”

Picatagi said he is working on his post moves and rebounding as well as foul shooting. O’Brien said he is refining his drives to the basket.

“Matt cuts through the defense and slashes to the basket. He finishes strong,” said Picatagi. “And he’s a great shooter.”

And both have a good supporting cast of players who saw spot action, such as seniors Christian Lagnese and Kyle Cherrick, or who come up from underclassmen teams as they prepare for next weekend’s opening action.

Ray Bickel, a 6-foot-6 senior, provides size underneath along with 6-foot-1 junior Brian Rushalski, who played on the junior varsity team last season, and 6- foot-4 sophomore Alex Sliazis, who played on the freshman team last season.

Also up from the JV are senior guards John Hansen and Greg Penta as well as seniors Taylor Vogel and Chris Kears.

“We’re just stressing that we need everybody to succeed,” said Ed Sarluca, who embarks on his second season as head coach. “There’s a feeling of a lot of positives.”

“We’re a lot more athletic this year,” said Picatagi. “It’s a fast-break style of offense we started having last year, which gets a lot more points than the half-court offense we had played.”

As a result, Picatagi said, the team needs to better finish off its scoring threats – and stay healthy.

“We have to get teams while they’re down and shut them down,” said Picatagi, who missed part of last season with an injury, as did O’Brien and Przybylowski, who is at Lehigh University.

“I think since we played so much together over the summer, we’re executing better as a team,” said O’Brien. “Last season, we missed layups and had turnovers and didn’t make our open shots. I think we’re mentally prepared to have a big season.”