New season, new hope for the Island’s basketball team

A few things define a Shelter Island winter. Quiet roads, shorter days, colder weather and, of course, basketball. 

And for the Shelter Island School’s varsity basketball team, coming off a heartbreaking 2–18 season filled with upsets and nail-biters, the players and coaches feel they are, at least for once, building off something.

Varsity practices began Monday, Nov. 17, for Shelter Island’s athletes. This past weekend, the Reporter sat down with Head Coach Michael “Zach” Mundy and Assistant Coach Matt Dunning to discuss their take on the season.

Following a stretch of difficult years for the program, last season — despite the won-lost record – was significantly more competitive, with several single-digit losses and multiple overtime upsets. The team graduated just one senior, and the coaches said last year’s growth was felt on day one.

Instead of reviewing layups, footwork, or basic ball-handling, the boys opened practice by installing offense, a first for the Mundy-Dunning era. “It was the first time we didn’t have to start by teaching someone how to dribble a basketball,” Coach Mundy said. “We could jump right into the real stuff. It finally felt like we were coaching basketball, not introducing it.”

For this season’s roster, it’s been years of playing together. The majority of the roster consists of juniors and seniors, with just one new addition. The roster includes seniors Harry Clark, Daniel Hernandez, and Sebi Martinez; juniors Evan Weslek, Nate Sanwald, Ari Waife, Jackson Rohrer, and Kaden Gibbs; sophomores Ryan Sanwald and Liam Sobejana; and freshman Lucas Reiter.

The sole newcomer, freshman Reiter, has quickly drawn attention from the coaches. As he has yet to play in an organized basketball game (a limited roster prevented a junior high team last season), his skill level and potential have already shown promise. “He’s stepping into a team of guys who’ve been playing varsity basketball for years,” Coach Dunning noted. “That’s a tough adjustment for anyone, but he’s handling it very well.”

Though there’s growth, there’s also a ticking clock for the players. 

Despite immense improvements over the years, the majority of the roster has only 20–40 games left in their high school careers, a number that will fly by. The team feels it’s their last chance to move past competitiveness and into success, and they enter this season with a clear goal. A .500 record, long out of reach, is now a realistic target. So is positioning for a playoff spot if the pieces fall into place.

To get there, Shelter Island must clean up the details that cost them games last season: late fourth-quarter decisions; early foul trouble; excessive turnovers. The coaches said they plan to revisit those moments on film and use them as teaching tools. 

“We’re going to look at the film and ask, ‘Why are we up in the fourth quarter taking a quick three with 25 seconds on the shot clock?’” Coach Mundy said. “Last year taught us a lot. Now it’s about understanding and finishing games the right way.”

The coaches also emphasized how much it means when the community shows up on game nights. Attendance has slowly grown over the past few seasons, and the players feed off it.

“No one wants to play in a quiet gym,” Coach Mundy said. “I want the place loud. The boys deserve that energy, and we appreciate every person who comes out.”

One storyline that will follow the team throughout the winter is junior Evan Weslek’s pursuit of 1,000 career points. Weslek has been part of the varsity roster since eighth grade and enters the season with 737 points.  “You want to see a kid you’ve coached for years reach something like that,” Coach Mundy said. “It’s super special.”

But perhaps one of the most meaningful parts of the program this season comes from a familiar 1st grader who has quietly become woven into the team’s routine. For the past few years, Coach Mundy’s son, Maverick, has spent weekend practices in the gym, dribbling on the sideline, joining huddles, and, in his own way, coaching the team.

The coach said the way the boys respond to Maverick reveals something fundamental about their character. “Every guy here knows exactly how to treat him,” he said. “They’re kind, patient, respectful. And it tells you a lot about who they are.”

For Coach Mundy, though, the moments carry an even deeper weight. He grew up in the gym with his own father, and now, all these years later, sees his son building those same memories. “My dad coached me in basketball, and I loved being in the gym with him,” he said. “To now have Maverick here means a lot, to share that time with him. I think it’s important for the boys to see that side of me. Not just the coach, but the dad.”

The team plays The Ross School in a season-opening non-league game at Ross next Monday, Dec. 1, at 6:15 p.m.