Success isn’t something that comes naturally in the sports world, or any world for that matter. It’s a commitment that you have to work on every day. You have to constantly want to learn and push yourself to get better. Because what good is taking a step if it’s not forward.
Three years ago, Riverhead head coach Dave Spinella put three eighth-grade guards on the floor — not exactly a formula for success. But it didn’t matter to him at that point. What did matter was getting the experience of playing against opponents so much better than you that you have no choice but to up your own game and most importantly learn. Two sophomores joined them; tall, gifted athletes with a knack for getting to the rim and finishing.
Together they didn’t look much of anything at first. A few wins and mostly losses, a lot of them being blowouts. It was only the first step however, the first step of the master plan in building a champion.
Because what Spinella is best at is identifying potential. He knew the three 8th-graders — Faith Johnson-DeSilvia, Kate McCarney and Kim Ligon — were going to be great. And he knew that with patience, proper teaching techniques, and real game-time experience, they would in time develop to quality players. He did it all before. He started the process the same way with the two sophomores at the time, Sam Dunn and Dezarae Brown, bringing them up to varsity at a young age.
It was no different when Shanice Allen, Naysha Trent, Jalyn Brown and Melodee Riley were coming up. And they became Long Island Champions.
Today, the five girls are still together. They’ve started every game. Each player provides a different element to the mix.
Sam Dunn is a senior now, coming off of an All-County junior campaign, and is almost always the best player on the floor. She’s got an engine that just never shuts off and completely fearless when it comes to scoring in the paint. But don’t discount her outside game because the moment you back off, she’ll make you pay. She’s a quick-thinker that comes up with timely steals and big-time blocks. She’s unselfish. She’s the heart and soul of the team and there’s no arguing that. There’s a reason she’s continuing her career at LIU Post next year. The same university Jalyn Brown currently plays for.
Then there’s her senior counterpart Dezarae Brown. I’ve seen her evolve from a 6’1 timid giant into the most dominant post presence in the league. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone out-jump her. What she was lacking in her game before was her offensive production but she’s come out this year with a full repertoire; finishing at the basket, shooting from the outside and passing with excellent accuracy. She can dominate the offensive side of the ball for any stretch of the game but it’s her defense that brings the ultimate intimidation.
Sophomore Faith Johnson-DeSilvia gets better every time I see her play. Her vision is unlike any other. A lot of her passes remind me of many pass-first point guards in the NBA. I saw her sling a one-handed bounce pass from half court to set up a layup on a fast break. She’s so creative and smart in the way that she can draw a double team and find an easy layup for someone else. Sometimes her passes are so unreal that her teammates don’t even expect it coming. She rarely turns the ball over and more often than not comes up with at least five steals a game. There’s not much else you can ask for a point guard. Oh yeah, she can score with the best of them, too.
Sophomore Kate McCarney is quickly evolving too. Everyone knows she can shoot. She always could. There’s no doubt about it. When she gets some open space, get ready for a Steph Curry-like splash. When she was younger it seemed like she was a bit scared to pull the trigger unless she was wide open. And in basketball, you’re rarely that open. With the encouragement of the coaching staff, she’s beginning to realize she doesn’t need much space to let it fly. And once she gets it going, watch out. She can get on fire. For a team that dominates inside it’s crucial to have a deep-ball threat handy.
Sophomore Kim Ligon is the glue that holds the team together. She does what she has to do for her team to win. She’s not flashy because she doesn’t need to be. She understands her role. She’s an accurate shooter, efficient passer, fantastic defender and can be relied upon in pressure situations. Every team needs a player like Ligon. Unselfish to the highest degree and can produce whenever her number is called. She’s one of those players that would rather win than fill up the stat sheets.
Mary Reiter and Maddie Batista have been big surprises this year coming off the bench. Both have the ability to impact the game the moment they step onto the floor. Reiter, a transfer from McGann-Mercy, is usually the first off the bench to replace one of the guards. She’s got a fantastic jumpshot and plays defense amongst the best. She has no problem taking on the best player on the opposing team. She routinely finds her name in the scoring column by the end of the game as well.
And Batista, a sophomore, has come on very strong as of late. Spinella calls her the next Dezarae. She gets rebounds and putbacks constantly and defends at a very high level. Spinella has been flirting with the idea of keeping Dunn, Brown and Batista on the court at the same time with Dunn playing the small forward position. Batista’s height and effectiveness would certainly allow the Blue Waves to dominate the rebounding category of any given game with three players over 5’10 on the court at the same time.
Though some of the big names may get most of the glory, it’s important to mention those players who may not always contribute in the game but are crucial parts of the overall scheme. Because practice makes perfect. Success wouldn’t be possible without the likes of Angie Graziano, Ashley Colombus, Regan Montefusco, Mackenzie Palmer, Kristina Dunn and Damionna Henderson.
And when you have a coach like Dave Spinella, who’s been as successful as any Riverhead coach has ever been, it’s hard not to buy into what he’s selling. Spinella knows what it takes to win. He knows how to motivate his players; how to bring the best out of them. Spinella pours his life into this job for the girls. He wants to see them succeed beyond their high school years. It’s what makes him who he is. He doesn’t do it for the money because for the time he puts in, it ends up being pennies for every hour on the job.
You can’t argue with the results.
Riverhead (13-1 League III, 15-3 overall) finished league champions on Tuesday with a 69-30 victory over West Islip. They were awarded the No. 7 seed in the Suffolk County AA bracket and will host No. 10 Half Hollow Hills East on Friday at 5 p.m. There’ll be a $4 admission fee.
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