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01/16/2022 11:00 PMAs Frank Lyon entered his first year as the head coach of the East Haven boys’ basketball team, he inherited a roster that featured eight returning seniors. Now, with the Yellowjackets off to a 5-2 start to their campaign, Coach Lyon described those seniors as the driving force that’s steering East Haven to success.
“We have eight seniors. I coached five of them their freshman year when I was the JV coach. I was familiar with a lot of the guys. Six out of the eight are four-year guys,” Lyon said. “We had a good foundation of seniors to really coordinate and get a lot of these guys ready for preseason and workouts. They helped guide that and made my transition much easier.”
East Haven played a trio of home games last week, taking a loss to 65-25 loss to West Haven on Jan. 11 before earning a 51-30 win versus North Branford the following day and then defeating Career by a 63-45 score on Jan. 14.
Senior Ron Calderon scored 12 points for the Easties in the North Branford victory. Senior Tim Case and junior Theo Rawls both scored 9 points, while senior captain Chris Bagnoli and fellow senior Hassan Ali added 5 points apiece.
The Yellowjackets had four players score in double digits when they notched their win versus Career. Senior Kyle Cusano scored 16 points, and senior captain Shea Carasone had 14 points in the victory. Calderon and Case each scored 10 points, and Rawls chipped in with 8 points for Coach Lyon’s club.
“We’ve been getting better every game, every practice. A lot of these guys are putting in work and doing the right thing,” said Lyon. “West Haven is the defending Division I champs. We competed very hard. We were down seven in the first half and were a little flat in the second half, but we ended the week on a high note, winning two consecutive games. We go into this next week playing our best basketball yet.”
When East Haven defeated Wright Tech on Dec. 18, Coach Lyon felt that there was bad body language on the bench and that his team wasn’t playing cohesively. After losing their subsequent game, the Yellowjackets responded by winning three of their next four, capping off the stretch with last week’s 18-point win over Career.
Late in that game, junior Rocco Lombardi, who hadn’t seen much varsity playing time, got into the contest and made a shot. The gym erupted, and Coach Lyon said it was the loudest he’d heard East Haven’s home court since he played for the team. Everyone on the bench was excited and jumping up and down after Lombardi hit his basket. Lyon credited the change in demeanor to the seniors and said that everyone on the squad is starting to jell and strive for the same goals.
“The strength of this team is experience. We have a lot of leadership,” Coach Lyon said. “All eight guys have really contributed in the growth of the younger players. They’re really trying to continue on the right path of what last year’s team accomplished.”
East Haven’s three senior captains are Carasone, Bagnoli, and Michael Capozzo. Coach Lyon said that his captains, who are all four-year players, have worked hard to help the program keep growing. Lyon said Carasone has played a pivotal role for the Yellowjackets over the years and that his experience will pay dividends as the season rolls on. He added that Bagnoli is the “heart and soul” of the team whose hard play on the court is only matched by the great attitude he brings on a daily basis. Lyon credited Capozzo for the energy and passion that he brings to every game, calling him a great leader and who sets an excellent example for the underclassmen.
Cusano is currently East Haven’s leading scorer, and Coach Lyon said that the senior is always a threat from deep. Lyon added that Case, a four-year player, has made major strides this season and that his best basketball is still ahead of him.
Ali is also a four-year player who’s made huge improvements, and Lyon said that he’s one of the hardest workers in the program. The same goes Joe Verderame, another four-year player who’s been improving each week and knocking down some big shots for the Easties. Standing at 6 feet, 5 inches, Calderon is East Haven’s big man and has already racked up three double-doubles with Lyon calling him a gifted offensive player.
Outside of the seniors, Rawls, a junior, is starting at point guard for East Haven. Lyon said that Rawls has stepped up big time and adapted nicely into his role of floor general. Fellow junior Dom Salato has started a few games for East Haven and is making the most of his minutes.
Juniors Angelo D’Amato and Josiah Perez are currently on the scout team. Coach Lyon said that both players are working hard and doing a great job of challenging the starters. Furthermore, Lyon credited Lombardi for his work ethic and how he’s ready to compete every day.
As East Haven looks to continue its strong start, Coach Lyon said that he has high hopes for some potential postseason success this winter. However, regardless of how the season plays out, Lyon’s top priority is making sure that the Yellowjackets are growing as people just as much as they are as basketball players.
“On the court, I’d like to make the SCC and State tournament. I’d like to win the SCC and State tournament,” said Lyon. “But overall, I’d like these kids to leave the gym better people than when they came in the first day. I want to help them any way I can going forward.”
The East Haven boys’ basketball team’s roster features senior captains Shea Carasone, Chris Bagnoli, and Michael Capozzo; seniors Tim Case, Joe Verderame, Kyle Cusano, Hassan Ali, and Ron Calderon; juniors Dom Salato, Angelo D’Amato, Theo Rawls, Josiah Perez, Radames Roberts, Niyel Cornelius, and Rocco Lombardi; sophomores Brian Velez, Greg Poplizio, and Gadiel Alvarez; and freshmen Israel Ramos, Nick Johnson, Brendan Sturges, Anthony Fazio, Trevor Archambault, Rocco D’Amato, Billy Barthel, London Garcia, Caden Moore, Ajani Davis, and Matthew Corriveau.
Coach Lyon is joined by assistant coaches Jeff Petrillo, Mike Ortiz, Conor Reynolds, and Anthony Perrotti. Lyon said that all of them have been crucial in the team’s success and maintaining the culture left by Ricky Narracci, the team’s previous head coach.