The Dragons were due to start their season at the Warwick Tip-Off Tournament on Wednesday, Dec. 3. For years, that was a tradition, and the Dragons had a history of success. They won the four-team event several years in a row.
After each victory, the players would pose for a team picture, and use their fingers to show how many titles they’d won in a row. Eventually, they had to use both hands.
The tradition ended when Warwick moved its tournament to late December, and the Dragons had other commitments. Now the event is back at the top of the Dragons’ schedule. A night before the opening game, Coach Tom Howe spoke about this year’s team. He, wisely, made no predictions. But he did admit that he’s been pleased with what he’s seen.
“We have a big core of players coming back,” the coach said. “We have a lot more experience than we had last year, and a good balance of inside and outside players.”
The team looked strong in a scrimmage against Minisink in late November – although, not surprisingly, the coach found a few things that needed work. The hoopsters have four returning seniors: Scotty Brusseler, Dan Malvey, Miles Storms and Bo Vitale. All of them saw action last year during a season that included some overtime games with last-minute heroics.
Juniors Jason Bailey and Kevin Salis played important roles on last year’s squad. Now they’ll be working with some new teammates who have been elevated from the junior varsity – Eli Barnett, Kyle Flint, Will Hartnett and Connor Marlow.
There’s one other junior on the roster – newcomer Malik Smith, who was not a Cornwall student last year. Everyone was due to be available for the Warwick tournament. Bailey and Hartnett got a late start because of the extended football season, but they’ve had enough practices to be eligible.
Coach Howe is optimistic. “I’m impressed,” he said, “by the experience we can put on the floor.”
