Friday Night Spotlight

Frank Mantesta February 14, 2022 @ 01:13 PM

This league might not have the D1 players that the city has but you will not find a better rivalry league then the NSCHSAA. Well coached talented players who can play at the next level, they compete on every possession. With the added touch of a passionate fan base the Lon Island Catholic league is a must watch. One of the best rivalries was on display and we were there. Chaminade saw their hopes of a undefeated league season come to an end as St Anthonys thrilled the home crowd with a 64-54 victory. Chaminade is now 9-1 and St Anthonys improves to 7-3. From the opening tap you could tell St Anthonys had something they wanted to prove. Here are the players who stood out. [player_tooltip player_id="1046808" first="Dakari" last="Thomas"] 5”10. 2022 St Anthony’s Dakari along with Jalyke Gaines Wyatt are two of the electrifying players in the Nschsaa. On this night DakarI showed all of his skills. Leading the way with 17 points 5 assists and 4 rebounds. He showed all in attendance that he not only is a flat out scorer but he facilitates on offense. Explosive going to the rim. Excellent body control. He has the ability to change speeds and direction in a flash. Was able to blow by his defender and use a very effective pull up jumper, with good elevation. Defensively his hands and feet work together. Jalyke Gaines Wyatt 5”11 2022 St Anthony’s Nobody could tell Jalyke was coming back from a hand injury. It did not affect him at all. Scoring 14 points and getting 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Also changes speeds and direction unbelievably quick. Even being so fast with the ball his vision is amazing. Gets into the paint and finishes. He uses his strong body to protect the ball without losing quickness. Showed explosiveness in drives off the wing as well has a floater in transition. Ian Strong 6”5 2023 St Anthony’s As good as DakarI and Jalyke are you need your role players to step up when your playing top level competition. That is exactly what Ian did in this game. Finishing the game 12 points and 7 rebounds. Has a nice stroke at the foul line for a big man. He showed to ability to step out and drain a three, but his presence inside is what made the difference. He was able to limit Chaminade to one shot at the same extending possessions for his club. Many times he found the open spot inside off of teammates drives. He is able to alter shots without fouling. Caleb Aurelian. 6”3. 2023. St Anthony’s Caleb usually defends the opponents best player. He is a tough solid defender. Many times he interrupted the weave handoff that Chaminade was running. He also showed his ability offensively as he chipped in 14 points with 2 threes. David DeBusschere. 5”10. 2023. Chaminade The elite shooter could not get his game going because of foul trouble. But you saw what a tremendous shooter he is when he was playing. Has a good handle which enable him to get off his own shot. Very quick release off the catch or the bounce. I was also impressed with the way he stayed low and moved his feet defensively. Mac Kelly 6”2 2023 Chaminade Mac was able to use his strong body to get open for good looks. He connected on 2 threes. Also displayed a nice pull up jumper. [player_tooltip player_id="1046094" first="Greg" last="Cantwell"] 6’2 2023 Chaminade Strong first step to the rim. Initiates contact and finishes. Was able to shoot the pull up jumper off the baseline or in the lane. Gets his pull up jumper off, very quickly off bounce. Deepuk Edmunds 6”6. 2022 Chaminade The senior lefty had 12 points. Good straight up defender in the post but can guard the perimeter as well. Moved well without the ball. Was able to create contact and finish. Showed a smooth stroke off the catch. Has the ability to score inside and out.