Three seconds. That’s how painfully close the Riverside-Brookfield boys basketball team was to advancing to its own sectional championship game last season. Unfortunately, Marshall guard Marlon Sykes had other plans, sinking a half court shot to force overtime and ultimately spark the Commandos to an improbable 56-54 win.
“That game taught us never to take a play off,” RB senior forward Watoris Slater said. “It was a tough way to lose, but we’re planning on stepping it up and getting our job done this year.”
Now filed as the game that got away, memories of Marshall have been positively replaced by the Bulldogs’ bid for a perfect ten – as in consecutive conference championships – and another deep postseason run.
Returning starters Ryan Jackson and Slater appear more than ready to shoulder the load for RB, which lost Sean McGonagill (playing basketball at Brown), Billy VandeMerkt and Terrence Reed to graduation.
Jackson, who recently signed with Lewis University, averaged 16 points per game and was the Bulldogs’ leading rebounder last season. The 6-foot-2 senior is an excellent scorer, rebounder, passer and most importantly winner, claiming a 69-9 record during his three years at RB.
“Our expectations are the same as always: win games,” Jackson said after a recent practice.
Slater, nursing a sprained wrist, should be good to go once the season tips off and is an extremely athletic, versatile player for RB.
The Bulldogs’ projected three new starters are 6-8 center Alex Dziagwa, 6-2 guard Nate Hanley and 6-3 Charlie Morrissey. Dziagwa has added 10 pounds of muscle and will be a solid post presence on both ends of the floor, while Hanley and Morrissey are both long-range shooting perimeter players.
“I’ve been working on moves with my back to the basket,” Dziagwa said. “If teams are doubling our shooters, I need to be an option down low.”
Six-foot-3 center Mike LeBeau and 5-10 guard Jake Johnson – a pair of seniors – will battle for playing time off the bench, along with newcomers Luke Nortier and Andrew Hanley.
The buzz around the Bulldogs’ preseason workouts has centered around 5-10 sophomore Damonta Henry. The athletic guard led the RB sophomores to a 20-4 mark last season.
“Damonta is a well-kept secret,” McCloskey said. “A college coach watching our ‘Blue-White’ scrimmage said Damonta is the best unheard of player that will be heard of soon.”