Shelter Island School boys varsity basketball team’s season opens
The boys’ varsity basketball team opened its season at Miller Place in a non-league game on Friday, December 4.
Coach Jay Card has worked hard with his players with the Island boys competing in a spring, summer, and fall basketball league.
This season, the Shelter Island varsity team will not be playing Smithtown Christian or the Ross School because neither school will be hosting a varsity level team. As a result, Port Jefferson has moved down into League VIII, providing each team with 12 league games.
The Indians will travel to Centre Moriches tomorrow at 6:15 p.m., host East Rockaway on Friday at 5:45 p.m., and will play at Hampton Bays on Saturday at 4 p.m..
This year’s boys basketball team is led by All-League & All-Conference senior Tristan Wissemann and All-League senior Billy Boeklen. Senior guards Jack Kimmelmann and Peter Kropf, as well as forwards Semaj Lawrence and Luke Gilpin are key players on this year’s roster. Henry Lang, Max Moroz and Will Garrison will also be important members of the varsity squad. Coach Card will utilize Josh Green, Erik Thilberg and Tommy Lenzer with the varsity team when the junior varsity is not scheduled to play.
The team dropped their season opener to Miller Place 71-63. The
Indians were led by Wissemann who scored 38 points, shooting 15 for 24 from both the two- and three-point range. He also grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots. Billy Boeklen added 18 points and a team high seven assists. The team played without its other big man, Samej Lawrence, who did not have the minimum number of practice sessions in order to qualify for play. He will be in the line-up for the Center Moriches game.
The Indians finished the second quarter extremely well and turned a 5-point deficit into a 5-point halftime lead (36-31). The Panthers got hot in the third quarter, led by their leading scorer Max Steele who hit three 3-pointers and finished with 21 points. Miller Place scored 27 points during the third quarter, grabbing a 58-51 lead.
During the critical fourth quarter, the Indians could only get within 5 points with seniors Billy Boeklen and Jack Kimmelmann fouling out of the game.
The difference in the game was simple; Miller Place got way too many offensive rebounds and had a better-balanced attack on offense.
Nevertheless, Coach Card did see some bright spots for his team, including some good shooting and decent ball movement, especially on some out-of-bounds plays against the Panther full court press.
Having Lawrence back on the court will be a big factor in controlling the backboards and getting some more balanced attack on offense.
It’s early in the season and Coach Card has high hopes for this year’s team.
