The Guilford boys’ basketball team is off to as good of a start as Head Coach Jeff DeMaio has seen during his time with the program. The Grizzlies have stormed out to a 4-0 record to begin to their season behind three double-digit wins and one narrow victory against a perennial powerhouse.

Guilford started off its season by earning wins versus Lyman Hall (59-46) and Platt Tech (73-22) during the first week of play. In last week’s action, Guilford claimed a 49-48 home victory versus Hillhouse on Jan. 4 and then followed that up with a 66-39 win at Wolcott Tech on Jan. 6.

Junior guard Justin Hess has been one of the biggest reasons behind the Grizzlies’ sensational start. Hess scored 29 points for Guilford when the team defeated Hillhouse and then dropped 27 points in the victory against Wolcott Tech.

“Defensively, he is working much harder and, offensively, he has been able to score in all four ways, whether that be 3-pointers, mid-range, in the paint, or at the foul line,” Coach DeMaio said of Hess. “He’s working incredibly hard on his game in every practice.”

Guilford held a 13-10 lead after the first quarter and was up 25-20 at halftime versus Hillhouse. After both teams scored eight points in the third quarter, the Grizzlies took a 33-28 lead into the final frame. Hillhouse outscored Guilford 20-16 during the fourth quarter, but the Grizzlies were able to hang on for the one-point win.

Junior forward Kevin Goldberg came close to recording a double-double for Guilford in the victory. Goldberg finished the night 13 points, nine rebounds, and four assists for Coach DeMaio’s squad.

“We are off to a very good start, and we had a huge win against a very, very tough Hillhouse team, but we have to keep getting better,” said DeMaio. “It is early in the season, and we have a long way to go.”

When Guilford faced Wolcott Tech, the Grizzlies jumped out to a 15-4 lead after the first quarter and held a commanding 32-11 halftime advantage. Guilford outscored the Wildcats in both the third (14-13) and fourth (20-15) quarters to come way with the 27-point triumph.

Although his team handily defeated Wolcott Tech, Coach DeMaio knows that there is still work to be done in order for the Grizzlies to get where they want to be this season.

“We did not play our best game. We were not as crisp as we should have been. We missed foul shots and we missed some shots we normally make, but we still did enough to win the game,” said DeMaio. “The best part of the team right now is their enthusiasm and their willingness to learn and get better.”

Coach DeMaio said that both this seasons’ captains are integral pieces of the Grizzlies’ success.

“We have two excellent senior captains in Theo Freeman and Cal Bucci,” DeMaio said. “They are four-year program players who know how we want to run our program. They have been outstanding.”

Guilford’s roster for the 2022 season also features senior Brady Lynch; juniors Ryan Alviti, Caden Markovic, Isaac Ott Hill, Brendan Skoglund, Luke Ste. Marie, Riley Swan, and Josh Violette; and sophomores Jaco Corso, Jaden Iannacone, Jake Jahnige, Cole Philbin, Trevor Ridley, Lucca Rivera, and Max Weiss.

Guilford is hoping for an opportunity to make some noise in the playoffs at the end of the season. With the COVID-19 cases continuing to climb in Connecticut, Coach DeMaio remains cautiously optimistic his team will be able to complete and full and healthy campaign.

“COVID is on the rise for sure, but we are doing our best to stay safe. We try not to worry too much. We simply take it one day at a time,” said DeMaio. “We really just want to focus on getting better, working hard, and remaining coachable and unselfish. We hope to stay focused and to compete at our highest level possible.”