This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
03/26/2017 12:00 AMThe North Haven boys’ basketball team continued progressing in the right direction in its second season with Head Coach Justin Falcon. After posting a regular season mark of 10-10 en route to reaching the SCC and Class L State tournaments last year, the Indians went one better by finishing 11-9 to return to both postseason brackets this winter.
North Haven stood at 5-9 entering the home stretch, but then rattled off six straight victories to punch its playoff ticket and finish with a winning regular season record. The Indians’ late-season surge was a fitting finish for a group of seniors who’ve helped the program get back on a winning track the last few years.
“I say this to the kids all the time: We’re trying to build something here. And this group has gone in the right direction,” Coach Falcon said. “It’s one small step at a time. We didn’t win any big playoff games or championships, but they need to remember that they were the first step in the team’s progression. I will always say that these are guys that were my first group and helped us get to where we ended up.”
The Indians swept their season series with Hand, Branford, Law, and Lyman Hall this year. North Haven also avenged defeats to Foran and Sheehan by winning its rematches against those teams later in the season. The Indians took a 71-58 loss at Foran on Jan. 4, but came back to beat the Lions by a 73-59 final at home on Jan. 23. North Haven also lost in Sheehan, 51-36, on Jan. 20, but later edged the Titans 55-53 in a home game on Feb. 11. The Sheehan victory came in the midst of the Indians’ six-game win streak and qualified them for both the SCC and State tourneys.
“There were two that stuck out. It was nice to get Foran the second time around. We played very well and had good energy that day,” said Falcon, who was assisted by JV coach Scott Sheeley and freshman coach Mike Lombardi. “It was great to get Sheehan the second time around. That was a big game for us. The first time, we did not shoot the ball well. We played much better the second time around and it was a big win for us, especially our confidence.”
North Haven was led by senior captain guard Jack Steinman, who finished the season by averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Steinman earned All-SCC Second Team recognition and was also named the Indians’ Most Valuable Player.
“We’re going to miss that kid. He’s a leader on the floor and all the kids respected him,” Coach Falcon said. “He’s great with the ball in his hands and I don’t think we subbed him out all year—maybe three times the entire season. It was nice to have a kid that talented start for us for all four years.”
One of the biggest moments of the Indians’ season came when Steinman scored his 1,000th career point during a game in East Haven on Feb. 20. Steinman hit a three-pointer from the corner when the outcome was still up for grabs, and it proved huge in spurring North Haven to the 64-52 victory.
“There was a quiet energy in the gym that day, almost like everyone knew there was an elephant in the room and was waiting for it to happen,” said Falcon. “It was our last game of the regular season and it was a three-to-four-point game throughout and, once he hit that three in the corner, the excitement was there and then we finally started playing and ended up getting the victory. I told the kid after he shot it that I love him and am proud to say that I witnessed every single one of his baskets in the four years he played for us.”
North Haven’s other senior captain was forward Paul Murray, who Coach Falcon praised for displaying great leadership and an unwavering spirit, regardless of how many minutes he saw on the floor.
“Paul is a great communicator who leads by example. Here’s a kid that doesn’t play that much, but he accepts his role, and does it. That’s great and it’s hard for a lot of kids to do that,” Falcon said. “A lot of kids want to play all the time and want to win and this kid wanted to win whether he was in the game or not.”
The Indians featured five other seniors in guards Mike Gagliardi, Tom Myjak, Tom Dodge, and Anthony Beretta, plus forward Preston Young. Gagliardi averaged 6.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals on his way to winning North Haven’s Most Improved Player Award. Young posted an average of 7.3 points and 5.6 rebounds a night, while Myjak averaged 6.6 points a game.
“Mike is one of the toughest kids I’ve ever coached..He led by example, told the kids to listen to what I say and don’t talk back, and played his butt off, and showed people why he deserved to play all the time,” Falcon said. “Preston is a great rebounder. He fractured his ankle against Sheehan and I told him he’s like Superman because they said he’d be out six to eight weeks and he was back in 34 days. He learned a lot from having to watch from the sidelines versus being in the game and he came back and made an impact, especially at the end of the season. Tom hit some big shots for us and is a great kid and competitor with a lot of heart. That kid put in the extra time because he wanted to be in the game and help the team win as much as he can.”
Coach Falcon also discussed the contributions that Dodge and Beretta made during their senior seasons.
“Tom came back off a torn ligament in his hand and that kid stepped up so many times with big threes and, more importantly, defensively when we needed to shut down the other team’s best player,” he said. “Anthony is a kid who’s not afraid to ask questions. No matter what, he works as hard as he can and was clutch for us at the end of the games with his ability to handle the basketball and get to the free throw line.”
North Haven also saw a few juniors contribute to its success this season. Forward Jared Sancho averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game with Coach Falcon calling him “one of the most athletic kids we have who’s a leader on and off the court.” Sharp-shooting guard Jake Lafond saw more playing time as the campaign wore on, while fellow junior Billy VanNieuwenhuyze received the Indians’ Sportsmanship Award. Ethan Okwuosa also made an impact as a freshman guard on the floor for Coach Falcon’s squad.
In his final reflection of his team’s season, Falcon said there’s one word that sticks out above all others: family.
“We wore the word ‘family’ on the back of our team T-shirt and that was the way we ended every practice and game,” he said. “This is a group of kids that looked out for each other, respected each other, and they’ve all grown together, so there is a lot of love in there.”