Hendricken "A Mountain That's Going To Be Tough To Climb," Says DeMeo

Tonight's game against Bishop Hendricken presents the biggest challenge this season for the boys' varsity basketball team, Head Coach Steve DeMeo said Friday afternoon.

"They will be the quickest and physically strongest team we've played this year," DeMeo explained during a phone interview. "We've got our work cut out for us."

The Panthers are returning to action for the first time since Feb. 26, when The Prout School defeated them in the Division III semifinal game, 51-44. Hendricken has been idle since Feb. 23, after losing in the Division I semifinal to Central High School.

"They haven't played in a long time — close to two weeks now," DeMeo explained, "but we understand that this mountain's going to be tough to climb."

It's the first time in eight years that the Hawks won't hoist a division banner at their Warwick campus, and DeMeo said he expects the Hendricken squad "to be angry and hungry" going into tonight's state championship first-round game.

"We're going to go in there and give it our best — that's one thing I can say about our team, they've played 100 percent, and that's all you can ask the kids to do," DeMeo explained. "They know this is our shot to put Johnston on the map, and after that, anything can happen."

DeMeo also gave credit to Prout for a strong showing, as the Crusaders eventually took the division title after defeating East Greenwich. Cranston High School West of the first round of the state championship on March 3 by a score of 69-61, after staving off a furious second-half Crusader rally.

"I thought Prout did an outstanding job against us," DeMeo recalled of the Feb. 26 contest at CCRI in Warwick. "We kept trying to counter their moves, (but) it was one of those days when they did better."

Tonight's game is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Providence Career Technical Academy.