If Norwich is sticking to its five-year plan, a third Section IV championship should be in order tonight at 6 p.m. at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
The Tornado won their first sectional championship in 2001, won a second five years later in 2006, and can add the third – a Class A crown – when it plays defending sectional champion Maine-Endwell.
The Spartans have served as somewhat of a thorn in the Tornado’s side the past few years, although NHS second-year coach Josh Bennett likes his team’s chances. “If we execute and follow our game plan, I think we have a very good chance of winning,” Bennett. “Maine-Endwell is definitely a talented team and we have respect for them, but we think we can beat them. We’re a good team, too.”
Maine-Endwell narrowly lost in the state playoffs a year ago to Lakeland, who went on to reach the state championship game. Many players from that Spartans club are holdovers this season including 5-foot-11 senior Lauren Kozlowski. Kozlowski leads the Spartans (11-8) in scoring at 9.2 points per game, and there isn’t another player in the M-E lineup that scores as many as seven a game. Instead, the offense is spread evenly down the line with Julie Yacavoni scoring around 6.7 points per game, Jenna Felice tossing in 6.2, while Emily Birchall and freshman Victoria Dean are averaging just shy of six points.
It’s an offense that often scores off of its defense. For 32 minutes, Bennett expects in-your-face man-to-man full-court pressure from the Spartans and their mentor, Sonny Spera. “It’s kind of their mantra: 32 minutes,” Bennett said. “They will try to create some havoc with their press, and they like to get out and run. We haven’t had a lot trouble with their pressure because there isn’t a lot of trapping. We just get it to our point guard (Hannah Runyon), and get out of the way. If you have someone who can handle the ball, (the press) won’t cause a lot of problems.”
Runyon is coming toward the end of the best of her three varsity seasons. She is scoring 16.8 points per game, and has been in double figures scoring in each of Norwich’s 19 games this season. Junior Bryn Loomis has also racheted up her offense of late averaging close to 15 points per game over her last four contests, and 11.4 per game this season. Norwich averages just over 51 points per game, and gets steady offensive contributions from senior Molly DeMellier, third for Norwich in scoring at 6.3 points per game. DeMellier’s three-pointers are down from a year ago, but she hit a pair of outside shots in the closing minutes of a sectional playoff win over Owego.
“I got lucky when I stepped in (to the job) last year,” Bennett said. “There was a ton of talent here, and we have a ton of talent coming up. We definitely want to finish this season with a sectional championship and to go beyond. This group is very hungry, and it wants to avenge the losses (to Maine-Endwell) from last season.”