Young North Tonawanda basketball team looking to win this season

High Schools

December 1, 2012

Young North Tonawanda basketball team looking to win this season

By Matt Parrino The Tonawanda News The Tonawanda News Sat Dec 01, 2012, 02:33 AM EST

Tonawanda News — North Tonawanda boys basketball coach Ryan Mountain has adopted the mantra, “Now is the time.”

”The perception has been that this is a nice young team and next year we’re going to be really good. We want to get away from that,” he said. “That goes against everything we believe in.”

It’s going to be an adjustment early on for the Jacks, who graduated three first team All-NFL players in Corey Mis, Ryan Bradt and Corey Pietkiewicz. Last year’s team won 13 games and lost in the sectional quarterfinals.

Things got even tougher when returning starter Ian Gilhousen received the news he’d be out of action until late December. So Mountain is hoping his young squad — highlighted by sophomores Chris Woodard and Nehemiah Stone — can steer the ship until Gilhousen returns.

It all starts on the defensive end, where the Jacks play an intense style. Players try to clog passing lanes and the team’s quickness allows them to turn the tables quick and get out on the break.

”It’s chaos, any way you look at it. Any good defense you want to create chaos and we do that, we just do it in a different way,” Mountain said. “Ian is a huge loss for us. When he gets a weak side rebounds we’re gone. He runs a 4.3 and he can come down and flush it. It’s going to be tough without him.”

But Mountain is excited about this young group of players. Usually he has to go out and get all his players motivated to play summer ball — last summer his players came to him. He said that if they can develop a rebounding mindset and dedicate themselves on the defensive side of the ball, they should be a tough group to deal with.

”We must play within ourselves and we must remain confident,” he said. “That confidence must remain real, it can’t just be a mood.”

Mountain is excited about Woodard’s potential and the way he carries himself on the court.

“We’re extremely impressed with Chris’s leadership and mental toughness,” he said. “He doesn’t carry himself like a sophomore, he carries himself like a senior. He has a natural feel for filling an areas and knows where he needs to be. ... There isn’t much he can’t do at this stage, but I believe he can get better and the sky is the limit.”

Stone is a speedster and he’ll run the point for the Jacks. He plays with a lot of energy, his motor never stops, Mountain said. Joining Stone in the backcourt is junior Joe Piotrowski who played in a limited role last season as the backup point guard.

Junior Christian Lemke and one of two sophomores — Donovan Book and Adam McNeil — should round out the starting lineup, but Mountain is expecting a number of his young players to contribute. Senior Tyler Walker comes off the bench and Mountain said his leadership skills are invaluable. Juniors Michael Awad and Alexander Bille will also see playing time this season.

2012-13 NT Boys Hoops Schedule Nov. 30 at Amherst Tournament TBA Dec. 7 Tonawanda 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 Cleveland Hill 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 Niagara Falls 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at Ken West 7 p.m. Dec. 21 Ken East 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4 at Lockport 7 p.m. Jan. 8 Nia.-Wheatfield 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at Lew-Port 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15 Grand Island 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at Niagara Falls 7 p.m. Jan. 25 Ken West 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at Ken East 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 Lockport 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at Nia.-Wheatfield 7 p.m. Feb. 8 Lew-Port 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Grand Island 7 p.m.

Contact Sports Editor Matt Parrino at 693-1000, ext. 4117 and find Tonawanda News sports on Twitter @tonanewssports.

Text Only

High Schools

NT girl's track team set for NFL meet The North Tonawanda girl's 4x4 relay team is really good. So good, in fact, that Lady Jacks coach Sean Kibrick has a loaded deck when it comes to the 4x4 relay team -- six girls that are ready to blaze around the track whenever any one of their names are called.
May 22, 2013 1 Photo
Palladino's passion runs through THS softball A walk down the halls of Tonawanda High School leads to a staircase that goes down to an illuminated basement, where batting cages are full of players taking practice swings.
May 22, 2013 1 Photo
LeMar's win NFL doubles championship After completing perfect seasons in singles competition for the North Tonawanda tennis team, Andrew and John-Michael LeMar joined forces on Friday in search of their third straight Niagara Frontier doubles championship.
May 18, 2013 1 Photo
NT's Brosius leading way in late-season surge by Jacks It's been a long and, at times, trying year for the North Tonawanda baseball team. The Lumberjacks have only managed three Niagara Frontier League wins and despite good stretches, the team just never seemed to put it all together.
May 18, 2013 1 Photo
Donhauser pitches no-hitter for Ken West Shelby Donhauser never expected she'd end her high school softball career as a Kenmore West Blue Devil, but that made the feeling all the more surreal on Senior Night.
May 15, 2013
Lowery doubles up to lead Jacks to victory
May 14, 2013 1 Photo
MSM wins historic 100th MMA game The stage was set on May 10 for the Mount St. Mary lacrosse team to chase the program's 100th Monsignor Martin Association victory, but mother nature had other ideas.
May 13, 2013
Tonawanda claims third ECIC IV title in four years Read full Monday high school roundup inside.
May 13, 2013
Mirabella's set for battle of Kenmore Lina Mirabella knows tonight's East-West double header at Sheridan Park will be special. Not because it's her first, but because it's her brother John's last.
May 10, 2013 1 Photo
MSM seeking 100th MMA win Since the inception of the Monsignor Martin Association girl's lacrosse league 10 years ago, Mount St. Mary has dominated it like few other Western New York teams, in any sport.
May 10, 2013 1 Photo
More High Schools Headlines

High Schools

Search Results

Young North Tonawanda basketball team looking to win this season

Site Map

Contact Us