Boys Basketball Confident for New Season

With the dissolution of the Watchung Conference, the Westfield High School boys
basketball team will be facing a slightly different schedule this season. But the
severity of it remains.     

The Blue Devils are now part of the Union County Interscholastic League, so the
tough border rivals remain. Kearny, Irvington, Shabazz and Newark East Side are gone from the team's competition list for the first time.

But two games with rivals Elizabeth, Plainfield, Linden, Union and Scotch Plains-Fanwood remain as does a non-divisional game with nationally ranked and perennial Union County Tournament champ St. Patrick's of Elizabeth.   

"It's a very tough schedule,'' said coach Kevin Everly.   

The Blue Devils finished 10-13 last season -- nine of their rivals were in the
state's Top 20 at one time or another. St. Patrick's was the state's top team.    Everly, who is entering his 12th year, said the team's objectives remain the same.   

"We want to be over .500 and qualify for the states (North 2 Group IV),'' said
Everly, whose team has qualified for the states five of the last seven years, but has
missed the last two with losing records.

Returning starters from last year are junior forward Ryan Hess, senior guard Jaraad Rogers, senior guard Hugo Nolasco and senior 6-foot-6 center Pat Sabatino, who missed several games last year with an injury.    Junior guard Tim Younger, senior guards Max Fusaro and Joe Kacmarsky and junior forward Kadeem Noray will be getting quality minutes.   Westfield lost the graduated Mike Lessner and Tony DiIorio and Chris Sheehan. The Blue Devils ended their season last March with a 56-50 win over Watchung Hills as DiIorio led the way with 12 points and 15 rebounds. The Blue Devils will be looking to continue their efficient style.   

"We won't be running up and down the court,'' said Everly, whose team scrimmages
J.P. Stevens at home Tuesday and Woodbridge  on the road Friday. "Our tempo is in the middle. We want to be patient and play half-court offense and defense.   

"We want to slow it down and if we get a good shot we'll take it,'' Everly said. "Want to take good, unselfish shots.''