BOYS BASKETBALL
Hills West Glides To A Smooth Start
Hoops squad nets first two games in hopes of defending championship title

The Half Hollow Hills West boys varsity basketball team is back for another season, this time with their largest roster yet.

The Colts began their season Dec. 7, coming up big with a 78-54 win against Longwood in the East Islip Tournament. All-star Emile Blackman scored a team-high 25 points. Hills West went on to defeat East Islip 57-51 in the finals, thanks in part to Blackman’s 13 points and eight rebounds, and junior Neneyo Mate-Kole’s career-high seven blocks. Senior Denzel Williams also had a career-high, netting 10 points.

Last year, the team went to the states but lost in the semifinals. However, they successfully defended their title of Long Island champions. This year, it seems the team is on the same track.

“We’re doing great. We’re 2-0,” head coach Bill Mitaritonna said.

While the basketball team is off to a successful start, their focus is not only on winning.
“Our goal every year is to control today. That is how practices are run and it transfers over to the games. You never know when things pop up. So this way we take what we have today and we go from there,” Mitaritonna said.

Their strategy will certainly come into play Dec. 28, when Hills West plays Harborfields High School, one of their biggest rivals. The game, which is scheduled for noon at Harborfields, will be televised on MSG varsity.

Going into the game, the Colts already have a strategy to best the Tornadoes.
“We focus on defense and we say that our defense creates our offense, so if we play great defense we get easy opportunities to score,” Mitaritonna said.

Along with a positive attitude and strategy, the team has several key players who fans hope will carry them far.

“Our best player is Emile Blackman. He is a senior captain and if he stays healthy, he will be one of the people who plays the most games for our team. He is a forward. He is a Division I prospect,” Mitaritonna said.

Williams, another captain, was a member of last year’s championship team and will use that experience to his advantage.

However, it is what the team does together that makes them so successful.

“We are together as a family. They do things right on and off the court,” Mitaritonna, now in his 13th season, said. “When I first took over the program 12 years ago it was hard to create that family but I had such great kids in the beginning that it kind of carried over the last 12 years.”

The family he created seems to have expanded over the years. This year, the roster includes 17 players, one of the largest rosters yet.

The team has been practicing every day with the attitude of whatever they do, they do together.

“There are no egos. We win and lose together,” Mitaritonna said.