Pierson Boys Basketball Starts Its Next Chapter; Girls Show Promise After First Game

The Pierson boys basketball team’s memorable run last season to the New York State Final Four was a historic one for the program, and while it fell just short of winning its second state title since 1978, a path was laid by the departing senior group for future teams to realize their full potential.

The next chapter of the team’s history started this week, when the Whalers traveled to Class AA/League I Northport for a nonleague game on Tuesday night.

The general thought around the county is that Pierson might take a step back this season, having graduated eight players, including all of its starters, from last year’s Suffolk County, Long Island, Regional Final champion and state semifinalist team. That group included Wilson Bennett, Charlie Culver, Dan Labrozzi, Cecil Munshin, Brandon Winenga, Brendan Burke, Regional Final hero Leo Butler and co-captain Pierre du Plessis.

But counting out the Whalers might be opposing team’s first mistake.

Pierson head coach Will Fujita implemented what was basically a full-team rotation throughout last season, and while some coaches may shrink that rotation down come postseason, he didn’t. Different players came off the bench in seemingly each postseason game not only to contribute but at times to take over games — and that late-season experience for his bench is going to pay dividends for the team this season.

As the season gets underway, Fujita basically has an 11-man rotation to start, and it includes senior guards Logan Hartstein and Fritz Desir, junior guards Dominick Mancino and Keanu King, and junior forwards Aven Smith and Charlie McLean. Again, all of them got playing time during the team’s run last season. Hartstein scored eight points in the state semis, King had a memorable game in the Regional Final against Alexander Hamilton, Mancino had spurts throughout the postseason, and even Smith, who missed much of the season with an injury, scored in the state semis.

Pierson also got two shots in the arm this offseason when the Seltzer brothers returned to the district after a two-year absence. Luke is a junior forward and Kyle is a freshman forward. Fujita then only called up three players from junior varsity, junior forward Lance Schroder, junior guard Aidan Schmitz and sophomore guard Henry Butler, the younger brother of the now departed Leo Butler.

Fujita is certainly not one to make any bold predictions. Instead, he’s looking for his team to take what it learned last season and grow throughout this season.

“I think that this team is going to be very appreciative of not taking any of last season for granted, creating a program that sets high expectations,” he said. “That being said, I think that we are just looking to grow and find a new identity as the season progresses.”

Although it is now League V, as opposed to last year’s League VII, the set-up is very similar to last season, when Pierson finished second only to Southampton, which is once again the favorite to win the league this season. Class B teams Babylon, Center Moriches and Mattituck will continue to play in the league, along with fellow Class C teams Southold and Port Jefferson, and Class D teams Bridgehampton, Ross, Shelter Island, Smithtown Christian and Greenport, the latter of which was a “C” team last year but has since moved down.

After playing Northport this week, the Whalers open their league season this Wednesday, December 7, at Port Jeff at 6:15 p.m.

“We’re going to play to try and win every game,” Fujita said. “I think that with the way the league is set up, it’s good for us get to play schools bigger than us, especially against those larger B schools — it allows us to get a read as to who we are. I think Southampton is a really good team. Coach [Herm] Lamison does an incredible job with them. I also think every team in the league this year has an opportunity to beat anyone on any given night.”

Pierson/Bridgehampton girls basketball head coach John “Woody” Kneeland was expecting a quick one-year rebuild of his program starting last season, but after graduating one player, Mickey Wilson, and when two other players surprisingly opted not to play basketball this season, Kneeland initially reeled back those expectations.

But after the team’s first game on Monday night, he may go back to his initial thoughts.

Playing at Class A large school Eastport-South Manor on Monday night, the young Whalers jumped out to a commanding 16-3 lead on the host Sharks, and led, 21-9, at one point in the game. ESM made a strong second-half push, but, still, Pierson was clinging to a one-point lead with three seconds left.

It was going to take a last-second heave for the Sharks to win — and that’s exactly what they got. Ashley Langdon, who led all scorers with 22 points, made a deep three at the buzzer to give ESM the 37-35 victory.

“It was a brutal loss, but we came out of the game like we just played in the Small School Championship,” Kneeland said. “It was like coaching a playoff game — it was crazy. And for our young kids to play the way they did, it was awesome.

“I’m excited about the season,” he continued. “I thought we were going to have to rebuild — we still are in a rebuild [technically], we’re a year away from being a playoff team for years to come — but the good news is, they all come to play. They’ve all been coming to practice with the right attitude, and they’re working hard and their chemistry is getting better.”

Pierson started three eighth-graders in Monday’s game, and it was Coco Lohmiller who broke out, scoring a team-high 21 points in what was her first official varsity game. Kneeland said Lohmiller has the potential to quickly become one of the best players on the East End and is just one player of what is a very talented crop of underclassmen, which largely makes up the team currently.

The only returning senior is starter Riley Roesel. Junior Lyra Aubrey, who had 10 points in the loss to ESM, also is a returning starter, while sophomore Cali Wilson also is returning. She didn’t start last year but played quite a bit and will be the team’s starting point guard this season.

Sophomore Ani Bedini also is returning, along with junior Ava Garabedian and sophomores Harper Craig, Milla Compomar and Greylynn Guyer.

Like the boys, the girls will also play in League V this season, which includes Class B teams Babylon, Center Moriches, Mattituck, Southold/Greenport and Southampton, reigning league and Class C county champion Port Jefferson, Class D schools Smithtown Christian and Shelter Island, and East Hampton, which was alternatively placed in the league and is playoff ineligible.

Kneeland said that if his team plays the way it did on Monday night, it could hang with any team in the league.

“I think we’re a very competitive team in this league if they can bring that competitiveness every single game,” he said. “We’re certainly not an easy out.”