A Special Bond Could Take Westhampton Beach Boys Basketball Far This Season

This Westhampton Beach boys basketball team is near and dear to varsity head coach Tim McDermott’s heart. That’s because he’s worked with many of the soon-to-be graduates since they started their journeys on the district’s middle school courts.

“This group was on the first team that I coached, and we had an undefeated season. It was a fun time,” said McDermott, who is also a Westhampton Beach High School global history teacher. “I currently have a lot of them in class. It makes you appreciate what you do in your job, both as a teacher and a coach, to watch them grow from boys into men. It’s rewarding.

“And they work well as a team — they have fun, but they’re also willing to put in the work, because they want to have a really successful season.”

He will be relying not only on some of those returners but newcomers as well, as the team waits for the return of top-scoring senior Nick Waszkelewicz, who tallied over 100 points in seven games last season but broke his ankle during this past football season.

“Getting him back will be a big thing for us, because Nick is the heart and soul of our team,” the coach said. “But while there’s a little bit of uncertainty, we have a number of players who I expect to be major contributors this season. There’s a lot of depth, from freshmen to seniors, who each bring a different skill set.”

Also returning to the team are senior Cameron DePetris, who the coach called an “unbelievably talented player” who transferred from St. Anthony’s last season, and was also a top point-scorer for the Hurricanes (nearly 100 points in just five games); and seniors Christian Killoran and Owen Spizuoco. Spizuoco also bring a ton of athleticism, especially coming off this past football season.

Killoran, who saw some time during a COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season that was pushed to the beginning of this year, has been working with McDermott on the court and the lacrosse field since seventh grade. “He’s definitely someone that I can trust, and he’s grown a lot in his game,” the coach said. “He’s added some physicality to his game, too, and put on some muscle. He’s very versatile. He can play point guard if I need him to or power forward if I need him to.”

Spizuoco will also be a utility player because of his wide variety of skills. “He can handle, he can shoot, he’s athletic,” McDermott said. “He’s one of those guys I’m looking to be a leader and contributor to the team in a lot of different ways.”

Newcomers Quinn McCormack, a junior, and Dominick White, a sophomore, are two key guards who will see tons of playing time and will be relied on heavily in the absence of some of their teammates. McCormack, who played on the junior varsity team last year, put a lot of time into honing his game during the offseason, according to his coach, and “made some pretty big leaps.” He played in a summer league and attended all of McDermott’s workouts and open gym sessions.

White, the coach said, is a true point guard in every sense, being a vocal leader with a ton of talent.

“He’s shown a lot of tenacity, and he’s a breath of fresh air because of how coachable he is,” McDermott said. “He works very hard on both ends of the floor, wants to get better, wants to improve and will definitely be a big player for us.”

Waszkelewicz, who said he’s nearing the end of his road to recovery, said he’s also excited to compete alongside Jordyn Bennett, Avery Merrihew and Danny Naglieri. “I think we will be a great shooting team that will be strong on the fast break,” the senior said. “And our defense will be an important part of our team.”

Killoran said he thinks that if the boys trust their coach’s game plan the Hurricanes will be able to rely on any of the five players on the court to make a play each and every time. He noted Waszkelewicz’s and White’s abilities to make big moves and defend, DePetris’s solid shooting skills, and he and Spizuoco’s slashing and shot-making.

“We do have some key players out right now, but all that means is that my teammates and I have to step up,” Killoran said. “We have a great mixture of talent all around the floor, and a lot of players who can hold the team down until we are back at full strength. I also think we have a great coach who can use our strengths correctly. So if we trust in that, it should be a fun season and we could go really far.”

The Hurricanes were slated to host Sayville Wednesday. Westhampton has three more nonleague games, beginning with a game against Shoreham-Wading River at noon on Saturday, December 4, and ending with a 7 p.m. game at Southampton next Friday, December 10.