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01/27/2018 11:00 PMThe Valley Regional boys’ basketball squad posted two lopsided victories last week to clinch a berth in the Division IV State Tournament. The Warriors grabbed their first win of the week by prevailing at Westbrook 74-42 on Jan. 25. The next day, Valley hosted Rockville and won 76-45 to improve to 8-5 and seal its spot in states after missing the tournament last winter.
Head Coach Kevin Woods believes that his players are jelling and starting to play their best basketball at the right time. In the win against Rockville, Woods thought the Warriors put together the best 32 minutes of basketball that they’ve played all season.
“[Rockville] came in with a 10-2 record. They were feeling pretty good about themselves. They’ve been beating everyone they play,” Woods said. “We set a fast pace. Then we opened it up, and got into our bench in the second quarter. We played probably our best game overall, our most complete game. We’ve had really great moments this year, but I don’t think we’ve played a complete game like that this season. That was a statement win.”
Senior Mitch Holdmeyer had a big game for the Warriors by dropping a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Fellow big man Ben Weinstein, a senior captain, followed suit by posting 12 points and 10 boards for another double-double in the victory.
Coach Woods feels the Warriors have a distinct matchup advantage against other teams because of the way his senior duo occupies the paint.
“I can’t say enough about Mitch and Ben. They just keep getting better in every game that they play,” said Woods. “Seniors are usually at their peak. These guys still get better every single day at practice and on the court.”
Senior captain Colin Sparaco was strong on offense by scoring 19 points when Valley routed Rockville. The Warriors’ bench helped pad the lead against the Rams, led by sophomore Cade Ensinger, who notched 10 points with five assists and two steals. Coach Woods thinks that Ensinger has the potential for a big future on the court.
“He’s really matured. The league and the state are in big trouble in the future when it comes to this kid,” Woods said. “He can be one of the best players in the state if he keeps his focus on basketball. He’s one of those guys.”
The Warriors also received stellar play from their bench when they defeated Westbrook the previous evening. Coach Woods said the second unit gave Valley a big boost in the blowout win. Valley held a 19-6 lead after the first quarter that grew to 38-22 by halftime, and the Warriors never looked back.
“Overall, we took care of business. Any given night, any team can play well. We didn’t give Westbrook an opportunity to play well. We played aggressive defense, and we set the pace early,” Woods said. “Then, we wore them down with the bench. We were better when our bench was in. If you can get better and go with your bench, that bodes well. “
Valley pushed the pace regardless of who was on the floor and, as usual, its inside presence was a huge factor. Holdmeyer poured in 24 points, snared 12 boards, and had a steal in the win. Sparaco scored 15 points, and Weinstein had nine points with five rebounds.
“I was proud of the way we played. We dominated inside,” Coach Woods said. “They just couldn’t handle us. They didn’t have an answer for Ben or Mitch. We’re not going to see a better big duo in our league or division.”
Junior Kevin Fasulo had three steals, while Adrian Sperzel grabbed a steal for Valley in the victory. Coach Woods also credited senior captain Ernest Jean-Pierre for playing a great game on defense at the shooting guard position.
Last season, Valley was unable to get the final win that it needed to qualify for states. This year, the Warriors got out to a bit of a slow start, but quickly put it behind them. Coach Woods is excited that the Warriors are playing some quality basketball and feels confident they can make some noise in the playoffs.
“We’ve just been getting better and better as the season goes on. We got off to that 1-4 start, but we’ve gotten much better since,” said Woods. “Nobody remembers the teams that go undefeated in December and January. They remember the teams that go undefeated in March.”
From the Sidelines
• The Warriors have notched wins against Hale-Ray (71-48), Morgan (58-42), Haddam-Killingworth (64-54), Portland (66-54), Old Lyme (58-53), North Branford (59-36), Westbrook (74-42), and Rockville (76-45) this season.
• Valley’s losses have come against East Hampton (91-68), Coginchaug (56-54 in OT), Old Saybrook (62-53), Cromwell (75-56), and East Lyme (67-59).
• Head Coach Kevin Woods’s coaching staff includes assistant coaches Lou Rolon, Anthony Pagano, Brad Piven, and Bobby Sanchez, and along with JV Head Coach Scott Harger.