Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks Boys Basketball Seeks New Identity On Court
/By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com
This year’s Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks boys varsity basketball team is looking to establish a new identity on the court — and it starts with the frontcourt, explained head coach Jason Mercurio.
Where last year’s team ran through its stout guard play, this year Mercurio said he is looking for his big men to take over.
Juniors Aidan Adomaites, Nick Suter and Jack Vavassis lead the charge as co-captains and as one of the collectively tallest units Mercurio has ever coach. Adomaites stands at 6-foot-4, Suter at 6-foot-3, and Vavassis at 6-foot-2.
Adomaites, who averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds per game as a sophomore, has “really matured,” according to Coach Mercurio.
“I’m super excited to see what he can do this year as a junior,” Mercurio said. “I feel like he as the ability to be one of the best players in the county.”
Meanwhile, Vavassis, who has been on varsity since he was a freshman, is the “anchor of our team,” Mercurio said. “He communicates with all the kids and gets everyone in the positions that they need to be in. He’s kind of our leader out on the court this year and I feel like he’s primed to have a really big year.”
As for Suter, Mercurio said, “He’s a tireless worker and gives our team tremendous energy both on and off the court. ... I expect big things from him this year.”
The Seahawks kicked off their non-league schedule on Thursday with a 9-point win at Bethpage. Adomaites led all scorers with 14 points. The team’s first non-league home game is slated for Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. against North Shore.
“We just want to figure out what we have as a team,” Mercurio said. “We have a lot of new people at new positions. We don’t have a lot of experience with this group. I hope that they’re ready and that we’ll have some success.”
Mercurio described this year’s roster as a young and exciting group. “We’re really athletic and we really want to create a lot of havoc and turnovers on the defensive end to lead to our offense,” Mercurio added.
The Seahawks enjoyed plenty of success last season, amassing a 19-3 record and reaching the Nassau A quarterfinals. They’ll look to continue that success on Dec. 19 when Nassau ABC conference play begins with a home game against Wheatley slated for 7 p.m.
“There’s some really good competition in our league this year, so we’re excited,” Mercurio said. “Our priority for the coaching staff is to focus on our guys and focus all of our energy and attention at getting ourselves better because we have just as much talent as anybody.”