Finley Boys’ Basketball Makes a Splash
The fancy play Devon Nelson and Pat Reilly helped the J. Taylor Finley Middle School seventh grade boys’ basketball team overcome a slow start to finish 6-6 this winter under coach Rick Agnello.
Nelson and Reilly were complimented by the strong performances of Mike Hefferin and John Vanderschuyt. Agnello said the highlight of the year came when the Falcons rallied from a seven point deficit to edge West Babylon by three points. Hefferin sealed the victory when he sunk a pair of clutch free throws.
Agnello described Nelson as a “strong, tough kid” with a “good outside shot” that developed into an “excellent post player and strong rebounder.” Reilly “does everything well,” the coach said, adding that he is a “great shooter, good ball handler and finishes well. He’s a very smart defender and very, very coachable with a great attitude.”
Hefferin is another exceptional ball handler. Agnello said his “great change of direction moves allows him to get in the lane and he finishes well. He also did a great hob of drawing the defense and finding the open man. He’s a good shooter, too.”
Vanderschuyt was a fourth key piece in Finley’s puzzle and the coach called him a “very good shooter” and a player that “drives to the basket strong and finishes well.”
Finley opened the year with a 1-3 mark before going 5-3 over its final eight games. Players “were very coachable and had great attitudes,” Agnello said. “They continuously improved throughout the season.”
The roster also included David Casey, Thomas D’Arcy, Robert Fiato, Brent Fitippini, Jake Freitag, Samuel Johnson, Shaheem Lewis, Joshua Long, Jordan Lowe, Kiernan McGovern and Jonathan Wood.
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