Printer Friendly Version - Warriors Hoops Showed No Quit, All Guts Despite Defeats

Pictured from the Valley Regional boys’ basketball team are (front) Conor Quinn, Owen Livingston, and Max Nickel; (back) Dylan Brown, Olivia Cunningham, Paul Giantonio, and Jack Driscoll. Photo courtesy of Kevin Woods

Senior Jack Driscoll earned recognition with Honorable Mention honors to the All-Shoreline Team and averaged 10 rebounds a game this season for the Valley Regional boys’ basketball team. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Courier

The Valley Regional boys’ basketball team certainly had to endure some setbacks and tribulations throughout the 2023-2024 campaign and did not qualify for postseason play. Yet each member of the club conducted themselves with the class and heart of a champion all season long.

For the regular-season slate, Valley came away with four victories in its 20-contest schedule. While the Warriors did not hit the heights they envisioned when they set out on their journey this season, it certainly was not due to discouragement or lack of determination, per Head Coach Kevin Woods.

“Our goals this year were to make both the Shoreline and state tournaments,” said Woods. “Unfortunately we came up short on our goals, but the kids worked hard and never gave up, even after our goals were not attainable.”

A huge feat of the club this year was the emergence of senior Olivia Cunningham. She made the most of her send-off season after needing a home court to play upon when the girls’ hoops program was unable to field a team this winter.

“One of the major accomplishments was Liv Cunningham's contributions to our team. She made a huge impact on our program, received statewide attention, and was selected to the JCC School Girls Classic,” said Woods. “This was our first selection for this all-star game, and we have had some really amazing players come through our program.”

Additionally on the floor, senior Conor Quinn had some monster nights, starting with a notable 28-point performance on opening night in a win against North Branford. Senior Jack Driscoll had multiple double-doubles throughout the season and even had a 20-rebound night, which marked the first time a Warrior accomplished this since 2011 when Taylor Rioux had a 20+ rebound performance.

Valley was tested on several occasions throughout the slate. Yet no matter what hurdles and challenges each day or contest presented, the Warriors met them head on with a great deal of optimism and persistence to leave it all out there.

“This year was a challenge for a multitude of reasons,” Woods said. “The kids played their hearts out and always strove to be the best they could. They brought a positive attitude on a daily basis.”

In terms of statistical leaders for the club, Quinn paced the group with 15 points and seven assists per game. Sophomore Noah Dolinski contributed 13.1 points per contest, while Driscoll nabbed 7.9 points and crashed the boards for 10 rebounds each night.

Quinn earned a selection to the Second Team All-Shoreline, while Driscoll was bestowed with an Honorable Mention to the All-Shoreline Team.

Each of the terrific trio of Valley’s captains made their mark on and off the hardwood in their own unique ways. Woods explained that they helped make his responsibilities that much easier, with the leaders simply showing their passion to play.

“Our captains all had great seasons. Jack Driscoll was a machine on the boards. Conor Quinn led by example and Olivia Cunningham was the voice of the team,” said Woods. “She was a special leader and ranks with some of the best we ever had. Our seniors were a great group to coach. They just wanted to have fun and were supportive of their teammates no matter their individual roles.”

Despite losing those great senior stewards to graduation, the Warriors certainly set the table for a brighter future, with several underclassmen snaring the spotlight sporadically throughout the campaign. Both facets of the feeder programs to the varsity pipeline also look quite promising heading into next winter.

“We had some great performances from underclassmen this year. Both Noah Dolinsky and Rex Grabowski had 20-plus point games,” said Woods. “Tommy Troy did a heck of a job on defense, and we had some breakthrough performances from Tavis Filacchione. The JV team developed throughout the season, and we have a nice 8th grade group coming up.”

The Valley Regional roster is comprised of seniors Paul Giantonio, Owen Livingston, Maxwell Nickel, Quinn, Cunningham, Dylan Brown, and Driscoll; juniors Troy, Grabowski, Alex Kruzel-Boxwell, and team manager Nathan Rowland; sophomores in Dolinsky, John Finn Heiser, Cody Saunders, Michael Spencer, Mason Fearon, and team manager Tesering Samphel; along with freshmen Filacchione, Ethan Dean, Derek Beaudoin, Riley Diglio, and Kai Carlin.

Woods returned to his 15th season as bench boss for Valley, and he was assisted by JV Coach Lou Rolon (in his seventh campaign) and newcomer Freshman Coach Dennis Rinaldi.