By Jay Skurski
TOWN OF TONAWANDA — Dennis Weppner realized that if he ever reached his goal of playing collegiate basketball, he couldn’t do it by strictly waiting on the perimeter.
So the Cardinal O’Hara senior dedicated his summer to perfecting what’s easier said than done in basketball, namely making something happen by driving to the basket.
“At all the camps I went to over the summer I worked on taking it to the hoop instead of just shooting,” he said. ‘I gained a lot more confidence.”
As a result, Weppner has added a third scoring option to the Hawks.
“The idea of having other people who can score is going to open things up for Dennis,” sad Sil Dan, O’Hara’s first-year coach. “He’s starting to do everything that’s making him a complete player. It took him awhile, because he was strictly a perimeter player. But he’s done everything he’s needed to do.”
The bulk of the scoring load for the Hawks last season rested with center James Ewing and swingman Garrison Gross. Opposing defenses were able to put two defenders on those players at times. Weppner hopes that won’t be an option this season.
“They’re not going to be able to stop all three of us,” he said.
Dan believes Weppner has the game to play at the Division-III level in college.
“He’s rebounding well, he’s hitting the hole strong ... he’s identified what he needed to get better at and worked at it,” the coach said. “He’s worked hard to get where he is right now. Every game I truly believe he’s going to get better.”
Weppner has averaged 15.5 points this season as O’Hara has started quickly, going 2-0 in its first two non-league games. The Hawks face a tough challenge tonight, though, in the form of the Niagara Catholic Patriots, the team that bounced O’Hara from last season’s Monsignor Martin Athletic Association playoffs.
“We have to play a disciplined game (to beat Niagara Catholic),” Weppner said.
According to Dan, O’Hara’s depth gives his team the best chance to reverse its fortunes against the Patriots.
“We’re going to come at them for 32 minutes,” he said.
Weppner is considering Medaille and Hilbert for college.
Contact Jay Skurski at 693-1000, Ext. 117.
If you go
• WHO: Cardinal O’Hara vs. Niagara Catholic
• WHAT: Al and Rose Pastor Tournament, County Executive Division final
• WHEN: 6:45 p.m. today
• WHERE: Daemen College, Main Street, Amherst
