CHSAA boys: Lewis, St. Mary's clear favorites
It was some time last February when St. Mary's boys basketball stood up, tapped the rest of the CHSAA on the proverbial shoulder, and whispered "honey, I'm home."
It's a little hard to believe that a team like the Gaels (20-8 overall) would need that sort of introduction, but with St. John the Baptist tearing up the CHSAA in its undefeated regular season in league, it often seemed like it would be the Cougars or no one. St. Mary's, behind star guard Chavaughn Lewis, chose the unstated third option.
The Gaels won the Catholic title after the Cougars fell to third-seeded Holy Trinity and, this season, there will be no taps, no whispers, nothing but a target on the team that many consider to be the best in the CHSAA.
St. Mary's is led by Lewis, the 6-6 shooting guard who, in addition to a killer perimeter shot, is one of the team's best rebounders and, indeed, one of the best players on Long Island. The Gaels have four returning starters, and, though somewhat undersized, make up for it with speed and athleticism. Coach Bill Harkins suits up four guards and a swingman in Charles McCann and plays to the team's strengths with a knee-buckling man-to-man full court press and an excellent transition game.
They'll need all that to keep pace with Holy Trinity. Only a 5-7 team in league last year, the Titans proved clutch in the postseason and have only gotten stronger. Tyler Seidman, a four-year varsity point guard who led Trinity in scoring for the past two years, will lead a mature and balanced crew that returns six out of its top seven. Guard Nick Ferreiro is also expected to have a big impact.
St. Anthony's, meanwhile, will thrive on depth. The Friars have about a dozen players that can take the court on any day and, though the team is lacking in varsity experience overall, it's impossible to sleep on forwards Marko Peraica and James McKenna, both 6-5, both high scorers.
St. John the Baptist, though young, boasts tremendous talent. The Cougars are led by small forward Dante Thompson-Smallwood, the team's only key returnee. Thompson-Smallwood, 6-7, has only been playing organized ball for 2 1/2 years and is more than making up for lost time. Though a good shooter, he's at his best when driving to the basket. Joined by 6-8 freshman Kyle Williams and Upper Room transfer Keith Williams at point guard, the team is strong, tall, athletic, but raw.
Chaminade is led by 6-8 center Rich Zoller. For a team known for its defensive pressure, fluxing in-game strategies and with Zoller defending the post, the Flyers will be hard to score on. Off guards Kevin Sheehy and Jim McCaffrey are dynamite behind the arc and lead a strong shooting team that could give any number of opponents trouble.
After a shaky season last year, Kellenberg will look to be competitive behind point guard Tom Turner and forward Shakir Moore-Ellis. The Firebirds are well-balanced and unselfish (they recently notched 13 assists in the first half of a non-league game) but the biggest question will be whether this relatively new group can put last year behind it.
Speaking of improvement: St. Dominic. After a 2-22 finish last season, the Bayhawks won two of their first four non-league contests this season. The team is older, more confident, and led by Darren Chew at point guard. Chew, who missed last season after being hit by a car, averages 18 points per game. A three-point shooting team, the offense will be bolstered by the Ryans: Kieran Ryan at two-guard and Ryan Kalan.
