It’s been the mantra for first-year Bayside boys’ basketball coach Chris Matesic and the Commodores will have that opportunity Thursday at Elmcor in the Queens Borough Championship game.
By Dylan Butler
“Be a Champion.”
It’s been the mantra for first-year Bayside boys’ basketball coach Chris Matesic and the Commodores will have that opportunity Thursday at Elmcor in the Queens Borough Championship game.
The only thing standing in their way is neighborhood rival Cardozo.
The Judges have plenty of motivation as well. A third win over Bayside this year would solidify the top seed in the upcoming citywide playoffs after both Lincoln and Grady were upset in the Brooklyn Borough Championships.
“The kids know,” Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio said, when asked about what was on the line Thursday. “Based on the regular season, we deserve to be the No. 1 seed but we also know that doesn’t mean anything in the playoffs.”
Led by silky Ryan Leak, who scored a career-high 48 points in a 73-48 win over Campus Magnet Saturday in the semifinals after netting 30 against Far Rockaway in the first round, Bayside (20-6) is hoping to finally put together four solid quarters against Cardozo.
In both losses this year, the Commodores hung with the Judges in the first half before Cardozo took control in the second half.
“When you’re a first-year program, it takes time to get the rotations down, to get the rhythm down and it’s taken the entire regular season for us to get to the level where we can beat a team like Cardozo,” Matesic said. “I feel we’re going to beat them as a team, not on individual talent.”
In addition to Leak, who eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau against Far Rockaway Friday, Bayside is paced by guards Tyrone Dulin and William Garvin as well as Patrick Hazel down low.
Meanwhile Cardozo (22-2) have arguably the best group of guards in the city, led by Vic Morris, Nick Flagg and Dwayne Johnson. Forwards Skyler Khaleel, Drew Gladstone and Theo Davis aren’t too shabby either.
Flagg had 21 points, Gladstone and Davis added 15 points and 10 rebounds apiece and Johnson had 14 points and nine assists in a 73-55 win over Jamaica in the semifinals Saturday at John Bowne.
“They wake up 365 days a year wanting to beat Cardozo,” Naclerio said of Bayside. “Sometimes my kids don’t always look at the opponent and respect them.”
Bayside 85, Far Rockaway 48. Leak had 30 points and Dulin added 13 points and six rebounds for the Commodores while Derrick Gabriel had 17 points for Far Rockaway (16-7) in the first round of the Queens Borough Championships Friday.
Cardozo 80, Flushing 76. Gladstone had 24 points and eight rebounds, Khaleel had 18 points and 15 rebounds, Davis had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Johnson had 13 points and Flagg added 11 points for the Judges in the first round of the Queens Borough Championships Friday.
Campus Magnet 58, Long Island City 52. Thomas Johnson had 15 points, Stephen Brevitt had 13 points, Lavell Sobers added 12 and Keith McAllister had 11 points and 16 rebounds for Campus Magnet (15-4) in the first round of the Queens Borough Championships Friday. Steven Marfe had 23 points and Preston Bell added 14 points for LIC (18-5).
Jamaica 49, Van Buren 47. Brandon Lawley tipped in Kevin St. Pierre’s miss at the buzzer and David Anderson led Jamaica (17-5) with 15 points in the first round of the Queens Borough Championship Friday. Craig Davis led Van Buren (18-4) with 15 points.
Queens Vocational 69, Newcomers 59. Armando Contreras had 20 points and three assists, Jason Brunder had 12 points and seven assists and Matthew Bermudez had 13 points and six rebounds for Queens Vocational (11-11, 7-7 Queens B).
Francis Lewis 51, Lawrence Woodmere 50. Joseph Elinas scored the game-winning basket with two seconds left and Michael Hall and Sean Cooper each scored 14 points for Francis Lewis (3-17).
American Studies 66, Queens Vocational 59. Danial Levent had 23 points, including 11 in overtime, and 14 rebounds and Jose Galeano had 18 points for American Studies (16-6, 14-1 Queens B).
Newtown 54, Transit Tech 41. Rainer Rickards had 19 points and Byron Headley had 10 rebounds for Newtown (17-6).
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
