Boys Basketball’s New Team on the Come Up

Quinn+and+Avery+on+the+court.

Quinn and Avery on the court.

Quinn McCormack and Avery Merrihew

The Westhampton Beach boys varsity basketball team is in great shape to be a playoff-contending team this season with some new players and returning veterans.

Last year’s ending was one that both head coach McDermott and the players on the team were not happy about. The boys are back in action this season and are feeling positive about how the teams is looking. 

Coach McDermott’s goals for the season is to focus on team building and hard work. “First and foremost, I want to work to build a team that plays the game the right way,” he stated. “For me, it’s about creating a culture where my players always play hard on both ends of the floor, hold each other accountable, play unselfish basketball and consistently work to improve upon our weaknesses and learn from our mistakes. If we can do those things, then the success that we hope to achieve will come naturally.”

The team took the win in their first scrimmage against Pierson. Although the squad was happy with the win, they know there is still a lot of work to be done.

Based on the consistent success of their program, McDermott feels Deer Park will be the toughest competition will be this season. “[But] I have a great deal of confidence in our team,” he affirmed. “I think that if we maintain the right mindset and execute our game plan throughout the season, there’s no reason that we can’t compete with any of the teams within our league.

With the Canes pulling up multiple underclassmen, Coach McDermott is excited to see how they will fare against the bigger competition at the varsity level. The underclassmen are already showing a very promising future for the Canes. Dominick White, a sophomore on the team, started hot in the scrimmage with 14 points in the first quarter alone. 

McDermott also elaborated on the role underclassmen would play. “We have a number of underclassmen who I expect to be major contributors this season,” he explained. “This team consists of players from every grade level who will each bring a different skill set to the team. We have several returning players, whose experience and leadership should mesh well with the underclassmen, who are eager to showcase their abilities.”

Come support the Canes at home this Wednesday against Sayville in their first game of the season – 5:00 start.