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12/13/2014 11:00 PMWhile the Guilford boys’ basketball team may head into this winter short on in-game experience, the Indians certainly have length with respect to a crop of athletes that want to bolster both themselves and the team.
Guilford comes off a standout 17-6 overall campaign that saw the Indians earn a home game in both the SCC and state tournaments. Head Coach Jeff DeMaio, who enters his sixth season as Guilford’s bench boss, knows that even though much of that squad’s offense departed, he holds a roster filled with players hungry to earn their stripes in helping to bridge that scoring gap.
“We graduated about 95 percent of our scoring from last season, and the schedule has stiffened a bit for sure, but the preseason has gone well so far,” said DeMaio, who will be assisted by JV coach Jim Lamb, freshmen coaches, Cliff and Craig Yerkes, along with volunteer coach Eric Hedberg. “The boys continue to work hard; the effort, attitude, and enthusiasm are all excellent. We lack some size and some varsity game experience, but we have tough kids who believe in the process. So, we shall see how all this translates once of the grind of the season begins.”
Two returning players that did perform under the varsity spotlight last year are senior co-captains in Shaun Ross and Chris Rogers. DeMaio added that their leadership skills both on and off the floor will have a huge bearing on Guilford’s fortunes of success.
“Both of them play an important role as they have a big job, because even with seven seniors, we don’t have a lot of varsity experience,” DeMaio said. “I’m hoping for them to come through with that experience in terms of game leadership, which will be a huge part of this year for our team.”
Within the senior class, the Indians also house another pair of potent plugs in Tony Pensa and Tyler Donlan with each member of the tandem bringing their own unique strength to the table.
“Tony has looked good in the preseason and he is a tough kid, so we will rely on him a lot and expect him to get major minutes,” said DeMaio. “We hope for Tyler to be a leading scorer for us as he shoots the ball well and smoothly.”
Additionally, Guilford will look for seniors Max Ehrlich, Rob Heller, and Pierre Weber; junior Mark Healy; sophomores Jordan Krause, Nick Zoarski, and Ben Cousins; plus freshman Noah Rubino to contribute toward the Indians’ court production.
“I know I am optimistic for this year and so are the players. We look to qualify for states and, through that, also SCCs,” DeMaio said. “Those two are our main goals so far, and we haven’t looked beyond those just yet.”
Within the SCC Hammonasset Division, Guilford will entertain foes in reigning conference runner-up Hillhouse (away on Friday, Jan. 16; home on Thursday, Feb. 12) and rival Hand (home on Tuesday, Jan. 20; away on Tuesday, Feb. 17), along with pivotal interdivisional clashes against Branford (as host on Tuesday, Jan. 27; visiting on Monday, Feb. 23) and Shelton (home on Wednesday, Jan. 14; away on Friday, Feb. 20).
“We certainly have a tough schedule. In our division, Hillhouse is projected as the cream of the division, plus we always circle games with Hand on our calendar,” said DeMaio. “Over the years, we’ve had those swing games with teams that are kind of similar to us with clubs like Branford and Shelton, which can all be significant for us.”
While there may be some uncertainties with new faces in fresh roles, DeMaio knows he can count on dedication of both his Indians and their fan section.
“Our kids will play hard and an exciting, aggressive style of basketball. I don’t know what that will relate to as far as wins and losses, but the product will be enthusiasm by our team,” DeMaio said. “We also look for a good atmosphere in the Guilford gym. We hosted both an SCC and state tournament game here last season, and the fan, community, and student body support was great, so we hope it continues this year.”
The Indians get it going on opening night with a home contest against West Haven at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17.