Blue Devil JV Boys' Hoops Improves
Shots didn't always drop for the Huntington junior varsity boys' basketball team this past winter. The Blue Devils finished with a 5-7 record in league play, 6-9 overall.
Coached by Ed Lein, the 15-player team was captained by Alex Castillo and Kiernan McGovern. "The team gelled together and developed a rapport that will continue over the years," Lein said. The Blue Devils were a competitive bunch and jumped off to a fast start, going 5-2 in the first seven league games.
"This season focused on fundamentals and learn how to be a basketball player," Lein said. "The improvement the players showed when it came to this area was evident as the season progressed. The players recognized the importance of growing their knowledge of the game in order to benefit the program in the years to come."
Some of the top players included McGovern, Castillo, Connor Birchard, Kenny McCarthy Lee Reiver, Jake Freitag, John Vanderschuyt, Sam Johnson and Kevin Montefusco.
"Because of the need for players on the varsity team, two starters were called up," Lein said. "This gave other JV players more of an opportunity and they handled the situation well. They used their new role to develop experience for the years to come."
One hurdle the Blue Devils faced was the lack of a solid inside presence, which proved to be a real burden during the second half of the season, "but the team did work hard to stay competitive during this time," Lein said.
"The camaraderie the team had with one another was impressive," Lein said. "Everyone was always there to help one another. The team has very capable younger players who will lead the team next year."
The strongest aspects of Huntington's play included its outside shooting and transition game, but the Blue Devil defense needed a little bit of improvement.
David Casey and Devon Nelson led Huntington during the first half of the season. "David exhibited a strong sense of leadership by running the point and Devon dominated on defense and the low post," Lein said. After Casey and Nelson were called up to the varsity, McGovern, Castillo, McCarthy and Birchard "filled the leadership role nicely," the coach said.
Expect the nucleus of the JV squad to settle into varsity slots before too long. It's a competitive group that is close to being able to dominate.