2022-23 SouthCoast high school boys basketball season preview
With 14 of the SouthCoast's top 16 boys basketball players from a year ago returning, expectations are high among local teams as they look to build on last year's experience.
Here’s a glimpse at SouthCoast’s nine teams entering the 2022-23 season:
APPONEQUET
Head coach: Jim Cabucio (23rd year)
Last year’s record: 9-12
Top returners: Josh Keller, Sr. F; Nate Levesque, Jr., F; Jackson Gagnier, Sr., G; Logan Miller, Sr., C; Marcus Kuriscak, Sr., G; Harry Lemieux, Sr., G; Will Levrault, So., PG; Caiden Cyr, Jr., F; Jeremy Marino, Sr., F.
Key newcomers: Lucas Tremblay, So., F; Harrison Goyette, Jr., C; Conor Tripp, Jr., F; Seth Richards, Jr., G.
Outlook: Last year the Lakers had no returning experience on varsity. That’s not the case this year. “I’ve got 56 points coming back after 0 points coming back last year,” said Cabucio. “The strength is experience. Last year that was our weakness.” Apponequet returns a strong core led by Levesque, a SCC All-Star in 2021-22, who averaged a double double with 12.8 points and 11 rebounds. Other impact players that are back are Keller, Gagnier, Miller and Levrault. “We’re looking to push the tempo this year and we feel we can defend,” Cabucio said. “The guys we’re putting out there are athletic and can defend. We’re going to compete in all of our games. Last year getting into (the playoffs with) the power ranking when we were 9-11, we’ve got a competitive schedule. We had a lot of turnovers early in the season last year. This year our main emphasis is to get out of the gate with not many turnovers. The conference is going to be very competitive.”
GIRLS BASKETBALL2022-23 SouthCoast high school preview
BISHOP STANG
Head coach: Colbey Santos (ninth year)
Last year’s record: 9-13
Top returners: Michael Golden, Sr., C; Sage Baptiste, Sr., F; Frank Vollaro, Jr., G; Jackson Tingley Prince, Sr., G; Talbot Lown, So., G; Gavin DeMoura, Jr., G.
Key newcomers: Daejon Gibson, Sr., G; Joe LaRoche, Sr., F; Tyron Gomes, Sr., C.
Outlook: For the first time in Santos’ nine years at the helm, the Spartans will feature a ton of height thanks to Golden, Baptiste and Gomes. “We’re pretty big, which I’ve never experienced at Stang,” he said. “We can have some fun with that. I like this team a lot. It’s an exciting team.” Stang returns its leading scorer from a year ago with Vollaro, who averaged 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds to earn Catholic Central League All-Star honors in 2021-22. Baptiste, a senior forward, is also back and has developed a nice inside-out game in the offseason. Stang will benefit on both sides of the ball from the addition of Gibson, a senior transfer from Wareham that averaged 14 points and three assists a year ago. “The impact of Daejon right away is obvious,” Santos said. “Everyone is getting easy shots.” Santos believes the Spartans can compete in the CCL since they are not playing everyone twice. “St. Mary’s is the top dog,” he said. “If you pull off the game, it becomes wide open.”
COACHING CHANGEDartmouth High hires one of its top boys basketball players to take over program
DARTMOUTH
Head coach: Nick Simonetti (first year)
Last year’s record: 8-12
Top returners: Hunter Matteson, Jr., C; Aiden Smith, So., G; Dylan Gomes, Sr., F; Jake Chiquito, Sr., G; John Emile, Sr., F.
Key newcomers: N/A
Outlook: Under first-year head coach Simonetti, Dartmouth is looking to make the postseason for the first time since the 2019-20 season. “The tournament is the goal,” Simonetti said. “We have the right pieces. It’s just being able to finally put it all together.” Dartmouth returns some key players, including 6-foot-6 Matteson, who averaged 22.6 points and 10-3 rebounds last year, earning a spot on the Standard-Times Super Team. Smith was pulled up to varsity midway through last year and enjoyed a strong freshman campaign, averaging 10.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists to be named a Southeast Conference All-Star along with Matteson. Simonetti is also expecting big things from a trio of seniors in Gomes, Chiquito and Emile. “I think this is one of the taller teams Dartmouth has had in some time,” Simonetti said, adding that Emile is 6-foot-5. “Everyone hovers around the six-foot mark.” Dartmouth has a challenging string of games in the middle of the season. “We have some tough ones this year,” Simonetti said. “It's about playing hard throughout the whole entire time and overcoming adversity.”
FAIRHAVEN
Head coach: Jason Antonio (sixth year)
Last year’s record: 11-9
Top returners: Tyler Chang, Sr., PG; Caden Letendre, Sr., F/G; Jack Cunha, Sr., F; Isaac Petruski, Sr., F/C.
Key newcomers: Ryan Ptaszenski, Jr., G; Hugo Suprenant, Jr., PG; Owen Benoit, Sr., G; Hansen Zhao, So., G/F; Cam Burke, So., G; Jacque Barios, Sr., F.
Outlook: Even though the Blue Devils graduated a scoring machine in Peter Joseph (19.3 PPG), they have a number of strong players back as they look to build on last year’s success. “Losing Peter you’ve got to find somebody to make up 20 points a game somewhere,” Antonio said. “I think that could be from multiple players instead of one player. I have some returning players from last year's team who were pivotal players in our success last year. I have experience. It’s key.” Fairhaven will turn to the senior leadership of Chang, Letendre, Cunha and Petruski. Chang has great vision at point guard while a versatile Letendre can play both guard and forward. While Petruski will look to dominate the post, Cunha can play both inside and out. The addition of Ptaszenski, a junior transfer from New Bedford High, will give Fairhaven depth at the guard position. “The potential is to be determined,” Antonio said. “I believe we can be a tournament team. The success of last year and the way we ended our season really motivates the players that are returning. We lost by four points to Abington in the tournament and everyone felt we should have won that game. It left a bitter taste in our mouths.”
GNB VOC-TECH
Head coach: Rob Delaleu (second year)
Last year’s record: 12-12
Top returners: Curran Farnworth, Sr., G; Camden Morin, Sr., F; Serrone Ramos, Sr., F; Matthew King, Sr., G; Jhaden Reis, Jr., F; Adamir Tavares, Sr., F/C.
Key newcomers: Jhoan Valdez, So., F; Christian Cordeiro, So., F; Demetrious Baptiste, So., G; Mason Alexion, Jr., G; Cameron Mercure, Jr., G; Brady Fries, Jr., G/F; Malik Pires, So., F.
Outlook: The Bears enjoyed their best season in two decades in Delaleu’s first year at the helm as they qualified for the playoffs and captured their first playoff win in more than 20 years. Delaleu believes last year was just the beginning. “Year number two we’re looking to take a step forward,” he said. “We had our first playoff win in 20 years, but that’s only the start. I don’t want that to be our ceiling. I want us to be able to make some great runs in the tournament.” Voc-Tech has a strong core led by seniors in Farnworth, Morin and Ramos. The trio were impact players last year and will look to take their games to the next level. Farnworth is a playmaker at the guard position while the 6-foot-5 Morin is a force down low and on the outside. Ramos, a four-year varsity player, has the potential to average a double-double. "We do have some on the court experience. That is our strength,” Delaleu said. “Three seniors have been on varsity for three years. We’re an athletic team, more athletic than last year.” The Bears not only have a number of young up-and-coming players that should contribute, but also welcome Valdez, a sophomore transfer from New Bedford High. “We’re looking at our additions and if guys buy in, we can really have a fairly successful year,” Delaleu said. “I’ve got a lot of nice young guys. We’re loaded up with a few sophomores and juniors.”
NEW BEDFORD
Head coach: Matt Hill (fifth year)
Last year’s record: 2-17
Top returners: Craig Baptista, Jr., G; Javion Lloyd, Jr., G; Anthony Diakite, Jr., F; Tyler Mills, Sr., F/G; Desmond Brunskill, Jr., F; Jensen Farnworth, Jr., G; Colin Rodrigues, Jr., G.
Key newcomers: Devery Butler, Sr., F; Joseph Goodine, Jr., F; Jerren Goodine, So., F; Januel Acosta, Sr., F; Joseph Anderson, Jr., G; Evan Avila, Jr., F; Demarius Roberts, Jr., G.
Outlook: The Whalers are looking to put last year’s struggles behind them as they gained valuable experience. “I think there’s a lot of potential there to make the tournament if they play the way we want them to play,” Hill said. “The rough year that we had they can use those lessons. They are more mature and they have more experience. Now it’s trying to figure out how they win.” A junior-heavy New Bedford team will rely on returning players Baptista, Lloyd, Diakite, Brunskill, Farnworth and Rodrigues while Mills, a senior, is also back with experience. The Whalers welcome some more athleticism with their large group of newcomers, which includes Roberts, a junior guard, who didn’t play last year after being on varsity as a freshman. “Our depth and speed can be a strength,” Hill said. “If we rebound, we have an opportunity to do something special, but if we give a lot of second chance opportunities that’s a lot of time on the defensive end. It slows the game down. We want to play fast.”
OLD COLONY
Head coach: Matt Trahan (10th year)
Last year’s record: 9-11
Top returners: Ryan Scott, Sr., G/F; Max Finney, So., F/C; Chris Egan, Sr., C; Aven Beauchemin, Jr., G; Matt McGuiggan, Sr., G; Trevor Taveira, Sr., F; Luke Meelia, Jr., F; James Simoes, So., G/F.
Key newcomers: Chase Lafountain, So., PG; Chris Darcy, Jr., G.
Outlook: The Cougars just missed out on qualifying for the playoffs a year ago, making that one of the top goals for the 2022-23 season. “We just missed the playoffs for the first time I’ve been doing it,” Trahan said. “It left a sour taste in my mouth. The goal first and foremost is to grow as a team, but we also want to win our league, do well in the vocational tournament and do well in states.” Leading the way for the Cougars will be Scott, a four-year varsity player that has stretched his game as an attacker and shooter. He averaged 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2 steals and 1.7 blocks per game last year on his way to being named a Mayflower Athletic Conference All-Star. After an impressive freshman campaign in which he scored 268 points, Finney is back and will complement Scott on offense. Trahan is also expecting big contributions from McGuiggan, Taveira, Egan, Beauchemin, Meelia and Simoes as well as newcomers Lafountain and Darcy. “Matt and Trevor are going to play a huge part. This year they seem laser focused,” Trahan said. “Chris Egan had a phenomenal fall and he’s strong. He’s been a monster on the glass. We’re big, strong and physical. We have good size this year. We want to play fast but under control.”
OLD ROCHESTER
Head coach: Steve Carvalho (18th year)
Last year’s record: 16-7
Top returners: Sawyer Fox, Sr., F; Liam Geraghty, Sr., G; Braden Yeomans, Jr., G; Jacob Smith, Sr., G; Robert Spenard, Jr., F; Dylan Hartley-Matteson, Sr., F; Chase Besancon, Jr., F; Aiden Lamontague, Sr., G; Gage Beauchemin, Sr., C; Gavin Martin, So., G.
Key newcomers: John Butler, Jr., F; Zack Mourao, So., G.
Outlook: The Bulldogs reached the Div. 3 Elite 8 a year ago and have potential to make another deep tournament run with the return of Fox, Geraghty, Yeomans, Smith and Spenard among others. “I’ve got some veteran pieces in place,” Carvalho said. “We want to get out and run and shoot the three when we can. Our senior leadership and experience is our strength.” A year ago, ORR won its last eight games to wrap up the South Coast Conference Blue title. “I think it’s a team that’s been through some battles,” Carvalho said. “The SCC is tough.” The biggest hole to fill is in the post after the graduation of Standard-Times Super Teamer Steve Morrell, who averaged 12.1 points and 10 rebounds. “We need to rebound,” Carvalho said. “That starts everything.”
WAREHAM
Head coach: Steve Faniel (eighth year)
Last year’s record: 17-8
Top returners: Ajay Lopes, Jr., G; Diego Mello, Jr., G; Aaron Cote, Fr., G; Antoine Crosson, Jr., C.
Key newcomers: Jaron Pittman, Jr., G; Jakwon Pittman, Jr., G; Elijah Carrion, Sr., F; Jayce Travers, Jr., G; Kyle Susko, Jr., G; Jace Lapointe, So., G; Will Halloran, Jr., G; Taj Lewin-Pina, Jr., G; Juni Suarez, Sr., G.
Outlook: The goals are lofty for Wareham and for good reason. The Vikings reached the Div. 4 Elite 8 last year and return a strong core of players from that team as they look to defend their South Coast Conference Gold title and make another deep playoff run. “It’s always the goal,” said Faniel of winning the conference. The Vikings are known for the up-tempo play and success behind the arc, but appear to have added an inside presence this year with the development of Crosson, a junior center. “We’re going to get out and run,” Faniel said. “Antoine came a long way from the beginning of the year to the end of last year. I think we’ll have a post presence. We’re a year bigger and stronger. We had a young team last year. I think we can be more physical. We expect more physicality on the defensive end of the ball.” Look for Lopes to lead the way after an impressive sophomore campaign in which he was named The Standard-Times Boys Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 17 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He’ll be accompanied by Mello, a junior, and Cote, a freshman, in the backcourt. Mello knocked down 70 3-pointers a year ago while Cote became the first eighth grader to play varsity at Wareham and connected on 47 3-pointers. Some newcomers that are expected to contribute early on are the Pittman brothers, Carrion, Travers and Susko.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Guide to 2022-23 season for Southcoast high school boys basketball
