Learning Experience for Finley-8 Boys’ Basketball
The J. Taylor Finley Middle School eighth grade boys’ basketball team went through growing pains this winter. The 17-player squad finished the season with a 3-7 mark under head coach Phil Lowe.
The Falcons were captained by John Caputo, Alex Castillo and Kevin Montefusco. Lowe said Finley was “very talented athletically and basketball IQ-wise.”
The highlight of the year came in a two-point loss to Lindenhurst-8. Lowe said his players made a “valiant effort” led by Caputo and Jacob Watkins, who each scored 10 points and Montefusco, who added another six points. The Falcons, who went on a 25-14 run in the final period, grabbed 26 rebounds and tallied 23 steals.
Caputo, Montefusco, Watkins, Castillo, John Shea, Joe Caciato, Lee Reiver and Y’majesty Allen were the top players on the squad, according to Lowe, who called Caputo “the floor leader and a tough defender.” He can score from anywhere on the court.
Despite the losing record, the team did have a talented roster. Allen averaged seven points, seven rebounds and two steals a game from his forward position. “He’s very quick and fast and has jumping ability,” Lowe said, adding that Allen possesses “raw talent.”
Castillo, Finley’s point guard, was the “best dribbler on the team, with strong right and left hand skills,” Lowe said. “He’s a tough defender and gets everyone involved on the floor.”
Montefusco’s inside presence was quickly noticed by opponents as he repeatedly pulled down rebounds. He also has good footwork and hands and finishes nicely off a teammate’s pass.
“The team came together in the middle of the season,” Lowe said. “They gained confidence in their ability and played the second half of the season more focused and more aggressive.”
The coach is looking forward to the future. “The seventh grade team looks talented and loaded with a good deal of athleticism,” Lowe said.
Finley Facts: Caputo averaged 10 points, five rebounds and two steals per game . . . Montefusco averaged six points and seven rebounds per game . . . Lowe said that Casciato “can dribble well with both hands and penetrates well”. . . The coach described Shea as a “good defender and good outside shooter”. . . Lowe called Watkins a “penetrator” who “can score inside and out, with quick feet and hands”. . . Reiver averaged six points per game and shined as an outside shooter and defender on the perimeter.
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