Tough Opener for Par Hills Boys Hoops

The boys basketball team lost to a polished West Morris squad in the season opener for both squads in Parsippany on Friday night,  80-34.

But the score doesn't tell the whole story. The Vikings showed hustle and a fighting spirit, which bodes well for the young team, according to head coach Mark Gibson.

"We have several areas to improve on, but I did feel we got better as the game went on ... we got a little looser,'' he said.  

Gibson pointed out that in the fourth quarter, the Vikings were still outscored by the Wolfpack, but by a much smaller margin than earlier in the game. 

The Wolfpack quickly overcoming an early lead by Parsippany to steal the momentum at the start of the first quarter. 

"The first one you just want a win out of it, you don't care how you win you just want a win." West Morris head coach Wayne Shapiro said.  

Parsippany Hills did manage to score first, and for home fans, it looked like there would be a lot to cheer about. But the euphoria was short lived. West Morris from the start was cool and collected. They stuck to the basics like they were running drills, relaying the ball to each other and displaying accurate shooting while demonstrating sportsmanlike behavior. 

The Wolfpack led 20-11 at the end of the first quarter and never looked back, outscoring Parsippany Hills  in the second quarter, 23 -6, and 30-6 in the third. West Morris senior James D'Angelo dominate, racking up 30 points.

"We made a statement this game," D'Angelo said.

Tom Cabarle also stood out for West Morris with 14 points.

"This was a great win, a great team effort," he said. Everybody played well."

Gibson said his young team showed potential the way it performed late in the game.