Expectations are very high for a team that is loaded with league all-star talent and experience.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR ARLINGTON CAGERS
There are few, if any, high school basketball coaches in the state with more reason to be excited right now than Arlington’s Boys varsity coach, John Bowler. He welcomes back ten players including a deeply experienced core of starters from last year’s squad that went unbeaten in Middlesex Liberty Division play, compiled a gaudy 21-2 record, garnered a one seed in the tournament and took ultimate state champ Brighton into the final minutes before succumbing in the North Semi-Finals.
To make matters even brighter, seven of them played on Arlington’s championship soccer team this fall. A smiling Bowler said, “They come to me already in shape, and they know something about winning.”
If there is any bad news, it is/was the graduation of brilliant point guard and captain Colin McNamara. “We’ll miss Colin. He was the league MVP. He’s definitely a big loss,” Bowler said. “But we have two league all-stars back (senior Dom Black and junior James Gascoigne) and two more starters (junior guard Nick Karalis and senior big man Ben Wasco) so we’re in pretty good shape.”
And this doesn’t even account for the return of super frosh, now super soph, Bensley Joseph. “Bensley can easily slide into Colin’s spot,” said Bowler. “He has a ton of ability. He handled the ball a lot last year. He’s ready to go.”
Joseph will likely pair with the quick Karalis and Black in the backcourt, making the Spyponders difficult to press. In Black though, Bowler has something special, a basketball Swiss Army Knife. “Dom is so versatile. He can play all five positions on both offense and defense. Whatever we want him to do, he can do, and do it well.”
While the frontcourt is not particularly big, Wasco and Gascoigne are experienced, quick and athletic and able to take their often larger opponents outside into uncomfortable territory. Bowler doesn’t see a lack of height as a problem. “We’re used to it,” he said. “What we lack in height, we make up for in agility and quickness.”
Loaded and experienced as they are, there is the weight of expectation on this team.
“People think we should be good, but we’re fine with that,” the coach asserted. “We’re happy that our program is respected. Now every time we come into a gym teams are up for giving us their best shot. And that’s what we want. Our kids love to compete. We want nothing but everyone’s best shot.”
Indeed, the Spyponders will not have it easy. They will be tested by their competitive Middlesex League foes and some heavy non-league tests against Division 1 powers Needham (with a college Division 1 commit), St. Johns Prep and Somerville.
Bowler is looking forward to the tough schedule. “We have a schedule that will prepare us for where we want to go at the end of the season. There’s a lot of tough teams in division 2,” he added. “We’ll be ready to play any of them.”
Arlington opens its Middlesex Liberty title defense at 7 Friday night December 15, at Stoneham. Let the games begin.