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04/06/2020 12:00 AMThe Valley Regional boys’ basketball team continued its run of success by posting an overall record of 17-5, while qualifying for the Shoreline Conference and Division V State tournaments during the 2019-’20 season. With nine seniors and some talented underclassmen on their roster, the Warriors were one of the top squads in the Shoreline this year.
After losing three of its first four games, Valley responded by reeling off 15-straight victories. Head Coach Kevin Woods’s squad qualified for states by earning a 51-43 victory over Portland on Jan. 21.
Then in the postseason, the 2nd-seed Warriors picked up a 58-47 win against No. 7 seed Haddam-Killingworth in the Shoreline quarterfinals, then lost a 70-62 overtime decisions to No. 3 seed Morgan in the semis. Valley had a first-round bye as the No. 3 seed in states, but the tournament was canceled before the second round due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Coach Wood feels that the Warriors have plenty to be proud of, even though the postseason ended before they could reach their ultimate goal.
“We didn’t start the season off well, but we strung together 15 wins in a row. If we didn’t do anything else, that was an accomplishment in itself,” Woods said. “We had a good first round in the conference tournament. We didn’t play our best in the semis. I think we showed that we could have bounced back in states. I believe in my heart we could have at least gotten to the final, if not won it all. That’s how much confidence I had in these guys.”
Woods’s players believed in being a stingy, defensively minded group. That began with Valley’s senior captains Cade Ensinger, Gavin Grabowski, Chris Sparaco, and Dylan Sparaco.
“A solid defensive performance is not the stat line kids play for. If you get kids to buy in, it shows that they have more of a team mindset. Steals and blocks are not what people ooh and aah over,” said Woods. “There are a couple of teams that play really good defense, and those are the teams that were around at the end of the season.”
One of the best defenders on the Warriors was Ensinger, and he was no slouch on offense. The point guard posted 12.6 points, 7.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.7 steals per game. Additionally, Ensinger garnered All-Shoreline First Team and All-State First Team honors and was also named to the New Haven Register All-Area Team as well as the Tap-Off Club All Area Team.
“Cade led by example. No one outworked him on the court, in the weight room, or watching film,” said Woods. “He did a great job in school keeping his grades up, and he was the last guy on the court everyday. He got other kids to want to be last on the court with him. He wasn’t rah-rah, but he did the right things.”
Another contributor on the defensive end was Chris Sparaco. The senior big man patrolled the paint and pulled down rebounds. He averaged 10.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
“Chris could see everything on defense. He was important to what we did, and he will be tough to replace,” Woods said. “Chris was the vocal leader. He was the guy who spoke up and said the right things. He was the bridge between the coaches and the team.”
Grabowski’s impact had traditionally been on offense. The shooting guard could catch fire from deep, but he stepped up on defense this year. Grabowski was a regular source of points (12.6), rebounds (4.7), steals (2.9), and assists (2.8), and he earned All-Shoreline Conference Second Team honors.
“This year, Gavin’s points per game dropped by like two or three. So, he didn’t get that first-team recognition like last season from the voters, but he came a long way in terms of his defensive development,” said Woods. “That’s more important to me than individual awards. If you defend hard and have your teammates back, that goes over a lot better in the long run.”
Dylan Sparaco played a key position coming off the bench Valley. He could spell starters without the Warriors missing a beat. Woods was most impressed by the wing’s dedication to making his way back from a difficult injury.
“Dylan’s pretty vocal—I think it’s a Sparaco family gene. He shattered his ankle and had to work so hard to get a chance to play again. He took care of his body and dedicated himself in the weight room,” Woods said. “He coached the summer league and went to every open gym, even when he couldn’t do the work. His teammates saw his commitment. That carried right into the season. Whether he was on the floor or not, he made sure we were better.”
Many other seniors provided meaningful minutes like Macklin Miezejieski, who was a quality big off the bench for the Warriors.
“Macklin came so far this year. He was undersized at six-foot-two, but he was very effective with his back to the basket,” Woods said. “He never started a game, but it didn’t matter to him. He was a defensive presence. He knew how to play a role.”
Senior Jake Grow was an other contributor for the Warriors. Grow averaged 9.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game after coming back from a difficult injury.
“Jake was a weapon on offense. He could shoot and get to the basket,” Woods said. “He would have started if it weren’t for injuries. He could have been the difference for us last year.”
Senior JT Dickson was a skilled backup point guard for Valley, but he was behind Ensinger on the depth chart. Dickson always did what was best for the squad.
“JT would have easily started for other teams, but unfortunately he was playing behind Cade,” said Woods. “It didn’t deter him. He was one of our top guys in the weight room. He’s not a big guy, but he could almost dunk the ball at 5-foot-8.”
Senior John Tibbetts brought expertise to the court while setting a great example academically. Tibbetts averaged 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 points, and 1.3 assists per game.
“Johnny dedicated so much time to basketball, and he’s such an accomplished student,” Woods said. “He really put things together this year, and he was a glue guy. He was versatile. That was a luxury for us to have.”
Rounding out the senior class was Brian Rankin. Rankin was a committed defender who relentlessly pursued rebounds.
“Brian’s like having Dennis Rodman. Every rebound was two-handed. He had his teammates’ back,” said Woods. “He’s unique. He loved defense. He couldn’t care less if he touched the ball, and when he did, he made good decisions.”
Juniors Kyle Montecalvo, Marcus Santamaria, and Keenan Pindar, as well as sophomores James Marsden, Saeger Patel, and Simon Partyka filled in when necessary. One of the biggest surprises was freshman Jeremy Arnum, who averaged 4.4 rebounds per game.
“Jeremy was going to have a big state tournament. He had some really big moments in the regular season. He was tough defensively, he could score, and he could shoot the ball,” said Woods. “Cade said himself that Jeremy’s going to be an absolute beast.”
Next year, the Warriors will be different, graduating nine seniors. Coach Woods believes they will catch the league off guard.
“We’re not going away. The scouting report will say that we have nobody back, but we’re definitely going to surprise some people,” said Coach Woods. “We’re going to be different next year. I’m an a la carte guy. I cook with what I’ve got. It’s not my system; it’s the team’s. I try to put our guys in the best spots based on what we have.”