A Feeling of Deja Vu for Bellringers

It was a year ago that the East Hampton boys’ basketball team headed to Morgan with seven victories. Win and they qualify for the postseason. Lose and they would have one final chance, but against one of the top teams in the Shoreline Conference and the eventual Class S state champions, Valley Regional.

With five wins, Morgan presented the Bellringers with the opportunity to take care of business. On paper, perhaps they should have. On the court, East Hampton was blown out, losing 54-28.

Fast forward to Monday night and the situation for East Hampton (7-11) is the same. Sitting on seven wins, Valley looming to close out the season and a Morgan team standing in the way of a postseason berth.

The one big difference is that the game will be at home and it is Senior Night.

Last year’s loss to Morgan wasn’t anything the team was dwelling on at practice on Sunday, but two seniors remembered it well.

“Last year, I think we were under prepared for our second Morgan game,” Jeff Pratt said. “We did a lot of running for unnecessary reasons the day before. Our coach didn’t take it seriously. He thought we were going to go in there and beat them up, too. And we ended up going down there on their Senior Night, so momentum kind of went their way. I’m hoping [Monday’s game] that me and my other seniors can come out and completely put the team away and give them no chance to even breath.”

For the record, that coach, Bob Freitas, is no longer with the team, replaced by Parker Strong.

Kyle Adams saw things similarly.

“Last year I remember Coach wasn’t worried about it,” Adams said. “We ran the whole time the day before. Morale was real low. We wanted the game, but everybody was pissed off. … I remember their best kid was out and we just came in thinking we’re big and tough, we’ll just smoke them again.”

With so much at stake, the team seemed loose on Sunday. That the game will serve as the Bellringers’ Senior Night, should provide them an edge and help ward off any over confidence or lack of focus that they entered last year’s game with.

“I’m pumped up it’s our Senior Night and Jeff’s pumped up, I think we have a lot to prove,” Adams said. “For myself, I refuse to lose. It’s my team. Last year on Senior Night, I did everything I could against Valley, the best team in the state. I know I played my heart out and it wasn’t my Senior Night, I just loved the guys above us. So I’ll do everything I can to win.”

Despite a loss to Coginchaug on Friday, Strong was pleased with his team’s effort and focus.

“I feel pretty good,” he said. “Coginchaug just played incredible.”

As for Morgan (4-14), a young team that hasn’t quit on its season after starting 0-7, Strong hopes his team doesn’t take them lightly.

“They’ve improved steadily throughout the year,” he said of the Huskies. “They beat North Branford on Friday. They lost to Coginchaug by eight, they hung tough with them. Morgan has done really well recently. Maybe not in the win column, but they’re hanging tough.”

And they lost to Valley Regional by only five on Feb. 14 – in Deep River. Since Jan. 12, both teams are 4-7.

“If we come out here thinking were going to walk all over them, they’ll beat us,” Strong said. “There’s no question in my mind.”

The two teams met on Jan. 31, with East Hampton winning, 54-49.

“Morgan as a team shot 50 percent from the floor, which is awful defense,” Strong said about the first meeting, singling out the Huskies' Tyler Anglin and Jake Ward, who hit five three-pointers in the game. “We’ve preached defense, but it hasn’t really improved as much as we would have hoped.”

One of the differences in that game, which the Bellringers will look to exploit again, is their height advantage.

“We outrebounded them by 12 the first time, so we have an advantage there,” Strong said. “If we can take care of the basketball, make them take tough shots and execute our offense, we should have a favorable outcome, but we’ll see.”

East Hampton last appeared in the state tournament in 2009 with a 9-11 record.

"It’s definitely not going to be an easy game, but we feel really good where we’re at," Strong said. "You’d think Senior Night we’d be ready to go, but that’s to be determined. We’ll see how we respond."

Game time is 7:30 p.m., but get there early for the Senior Night ceremony, which should start about 7:15 p.m.

The Bellringers will close the regular season at Valley Regional (15-3) on Wednesday.