PD Old Forge Sports

old forge boys’ basketball

By Rick Notari rnotari@psdispatch.com
Pittston Sunday Dispatch Staff Writer

Coming into the season many questions surrounded this year’s Old Forge boys’ basketball team.

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Pictured above, the 2008-2009 District 2 Class 1A champion Old Forge Blue Devils. First row, from left to right, ballboys Brandon Nee, Brendan Mozeleski and Ben Grochowski; second row, Deion Aldubayan, Tyler Cornell, Matt Rava, Tony Goodall, Matt Mischello, Kiel Eigen, Connor Fultz, Billy Nocera, Mike Avvisato, Mario Martinelli and Dom Eremo; third row, Matt McGrath, Dom Avvisato, Corey Hodick, Ryan Janesko, Gabe Wilson, Angelo Conforti, Anthony Koulavongsa, Terry Tate, Andrew Mailen and Brian Palma.

photo by rick notari

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At left, Mario Martinelli takes a shot against Mansfield in the PIAA Class 1A playoffs. Martinelli will be one of three returning underclassmen with varsity experience next year.

photo by bill tarutis

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• How would the Blue Devils replace four departed starters that had combined to play in over 300 varsity games in their careers?

• Who would lead them on the offensive end of the floor with over 80 percent of their scoring lost to graduation?

• Could Old Forge compete in the brutal Lackawanna League Division II and defend its two-year stranglehold on the District 2 Class 1A title?

Those questions were emphatically answered by a group of inexperienced seniors and some hard-nosed underclassmen as the Blue Devils continued its reign as District 2 Class 1A champions and upped its streak of double-digit win seasons to seven, while posting a winning record for the sixth consecutive season.

Led by seniors Matt Rava, Corey Hodick, Gabe Wilson and Anthony Koulavongsa, Old Forge recorded 14 victories, including seven in the LLD2 – two of which came in overtime against arch-rival Riverside.

Rava, the only returning starter from a year ago, ran the show from the point and distributed the ball to whoever had the hot hand.

The 5-foot-7 senior was part of a quintet of scorers who led the Blue Devils in scoring throughout the season.

Most nights it was forward Corey Hodick leading Old Forge in scoring. Hodick averaged 13 points per game for the Blue Devils and scored in double-figures 17 times during the season. Old Forge was 2-4 when Hodick didn’t reach double-figures in scoring.

The 6-foot-2 senior shot 40 percent from the floor, and was among the leaders in free throw shooting in the Lackawanna League at 78.5 percent. He also was second on the team with 121 rebounds and 48 assists. Hodick led the team with 35 three-pointers and 36 steals.

When Hodick wasn’t filling up the basket with points, Wilson, Koulavongsa and Rava stepped it up on offense.

Rava was second on the team with 8.2 points per game and had a knack for knocking down the big shots when the Blue Devils needed them most. Twice this season, Rava scored 10 points in the third quarter of play as his teammates came out of the locker room cold. In Old Forge’s home victory over Riverside, Rava scored all 10 of the Blue Devils points in the opening period of the second half.

The winner of 32 games over the past two years as the team’s starting point guard, Rava led Old Forge in assists this season with 54. He also had 28 three-pointers, 24 steals and shot 84.4 percent from the free throw line on the season.

Koulavongsa saw some limited varsity action as a junior, but his final season was his first in the starting lineup.

The 6-foot-1 forward responded by averaging 6.9 points per game and scored in double figures 10 times during the season. Koulavongsa started every game for the Blue Devils and also contributed 3.1 rebounds per game and 1.0 assists per game. He also shot an even 50 percent from the field.

Wilson was the surprise of the season.

After not seeing one minute of quality varsity time during his junior season, the 6-foot-4 senior earned a starting spot and on many nights carried Old Forge to victory.

Wilson averaged just 7.8 points per game but scored in double figures 10 times with the Blue Devils winning six of those games. Old Forge’s first true center since Pat Mischello, Wilson pulled down almost six rebounds per game and shot nearly 60 percent from the field. He also handed out 30 assists and was second on the squad with 34 steals. Wilson also led the team with 25 blocked shots. His play inside opened things up on the outside both offensively and defensively for Hodick, Rava and Tony Goodall.

Just a sophomore, Goodall rounded out the starting lineup and showed he could score double-figures when needed, twice posting double-digit scores. The 5-foot-10 guard averaged five points per game and shot 72.7 percent from the charity stripe. Goodall was solid from the stripe down the stretch, making 38-of-50 in the fourth quarter and overtime periods during the season. He will be the top returning outside threat for the Blue Devils after dropping in 14 triples during the season. Goodall also grabbed 69 rebounds while handing out 26 assists.

Junior Mike Avvisato was the sixth man for Old Forge this year and became one of the Blue Devils defensive stoppers late in the season. The 5-foot-6 guard struggled on the offensive end while averaging just 1.6 points per game. But Avvisato has proved in the past that he can be a streaky shooter. He could step up to be an offensive contributor as a senior next season.

Senior Matt Mischello played in 23 games and sophomores Mario Martinelli and Dom Avvisato logged valuable minutes that will give them an edge on securing starting positions as juniors in 2010.

The Blue Devils could be in rebuilding mode again next season when practice begins in November as Coach Al Semenza will once again need to replace four starters and over 80 percent of his team’s scoring. But if this season proved anything it’s that Semenza and the Blue Devils will come up with answers to everyone’s questions.

After all, tradition doesn’t graduate.