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It didn’t take Sean Sheridan long to make his presence felt on this day.
Western Wayne hosted Canaan Christian Monday evening in a boys basketball scrimmage ...a contest that the Wildcats just dominated in the early going.
Coach Kenny Hemmler’s lads scored the first nine points of the game, eventually building a 14-3 lead after one quarter.
Sheridan was at the heart of this offensive onslaught. A 6’3” senior forward, Sean dominated play in the paint. He hit a sweet turnaround jay in the lane, then unveiled an array of low post moves that left even Coach Hemmler shaking his head.
“As a coach, Sean Sheridan is everything you could possibly want in a student/athlete,” he told TWI Sports. “He can play every position on the floor well and he’s an outstanding leader. Sean is our floor general.”
Sheridan fought off a nagging injury during the first week of practice, but now appears to be operating at full strength.
For Western Wayne to succeed this season, Sean simply must remain 100% and on the floor at all times.
Looking Back
The ‘Cats suffered through a hellish campaign last winter.
Western Wayne got off to a promising start, playing well in both the Forest City Rotary and Honesdale Area Jaycees Holiday tournaments. However, as the regular season opened, things went downhill in a hurry.
The local lads won just once before the Lackawanna League campaign tipped-off, then suf-fered a clean sweep in Division III competition (0-14).
Elk Lake, Mountain View and Montrose locked up in a three-way battle for division honors. The Warriors went 6-1 in the first half, finishing as runner-up to the undefeated Eagles (7-0). However, Elk Lake captured the second half title and won a special play-off for the all-season championship.
Western Wayne still earned a District Two play-in game, hosting winless Berwick for a spot in the Class AA tourney. Alas for Varden fans, the ‘Cats were eliminated by the visiting Dawgs. The final score was 56-25.
Sheridan led the way for the ‘Cats. Sean scored all but nine of Western Wayne’s points on the strength of six field goals and a 4-for-5 stint at the stripe.
Looking Ahead
Western Wayne looks poised to improve upon its disastrous 2008-‘09 season.
The Wildcats will once again compete in Division III of the Lackawanna League, but this time the deck doesn’t appear to be stacked against them.
It didn’t take Sean Sheridan long to make his presence felt on this day.
Western Wayne hosted Canaan Christian Monday evening in a boys basketball scrimmage ...a contest that the Wildcats just dominated in the early going.
Coach Kenny Hemmler’s lads scored the first nine points of the game, eventually building a 14-3 lead after one quarter.
Sheridan was at the heart of this offensive onslaught. A 6’3” senior forward, Sean dominated play in the paint. He hit a sweet turnaround jay in the lane, then unveiled an array of low post moves that left even Coach Hemmler shaking his head.
“As a coach, Sean Sheridan is everything you could possibly want in a student/athlete,” he told TWI Sports. “He can play every position on the floor well and he’s an outstanding leader. Sean is our floor general.”
Sheridan fought off a nagging injury during the first week of practice, but now appears to be operating at full strength.
For Western Wayne to succeed this season, Sean simply must remain 100% and on the floor at all times.
Looking Back
The ‘Cats suffered through a hellish campaign last winter.
Western Wayne got off to a promising start, playing well in both the Forest City Rotary and Honesdale Area Jaycees Holiday tournaments. However, as the regular season opened, things went downhill in a hurry.
The local lads won just once before the Lackawanna League campaign tipped-off, then suf-fered a clean sweep in Division III competition (0-14).
Elk Lake, Mountain View and Montrose locked up in a three-way battle for division honors. The Warriors went 6-1 in the first half, finishing as runner-up to the undefeated Eagles (7-0). However, Elk Lake captured the second half title and won a special play-off for the all-season championship.
Western Wayne still earned a District Two play-in game, hosting winless Berwick for a spot in the Class AA tourney. Alas for Varden fans, the ‘Cats were eliminated by the visiting Dawgs. The final score was 56-25.
Sheridan led the way for the ‘Cats. Sean scored all but nine of Western Wayne’s points on the strength of six field goals and a 4-for-5 stint at the stripe.
Looking Ahead
Western Wayne looks poised to improve upon its disastrous 2008-‘09 season.
The Wildcats will once again compete in Division III of the Lackawanna League, but this time the deck doesn’t appear to be stacked against them.
Coach Hemmler’s lads are a year older & wiser...and ready to do battle with the likes of Elk Lake, Lackawanna Trail, Mountain View and Montrose.
“I’m really excited about the season,” he said. “We’ve worked very hard in the off-season. And, if we stay healthy, I think we can compete in this division.”
In addition to Sheridan, the ‘Cats boast several returning letterwinners who should provide on-court leadership. At the top of that list are the Brooks Brothers, Dustin & Dakota.
Dustin will be used in many roles during the course of the campaign. He is versatile, tough and a hard worker.
Dakota emerged last year as Western Wayne’s deadliest perimeter shooting threat. Brooks was ignored in the early part of the season...but, opposition defenses quickly learned they did so at their own peril.
“They do a great job for us,” said Coach Hemmler. “Both of them watch out for the younger guys and help them along. I’m expecting big things from Dus-tin & Dakota this season.”
Several youngsters will also receive significant playing time for Western Wayne this year.
Kevin Botjer opens the sea-son at point guard. A talented junior, Botjer will run the Wildcat offense for a second straight year. Coach Hemmler is excited about the prospect.
“Kevin has come a long way in a very short amount of time,” he said. “He took his lumps last year as a sophomore, but he also learned an awful lot. Kevin is going to have a good year.”
Western Wayne is also blessed with a big freshman class that should infiltrate the line-up before very long.
Jake Chabala will most likely be the first of that group to see varsity time. A 6’2” forward, Chabala is a home-schooler who lives for the sport.
“Jake plays basketball every chance he gets,” Coach Hemmler said. “He’s a big, athletic kid with fundamentals. All Jake needs is some experience...and he’s definitely going to get it.”
Over & Out
Western Wayne will have its work cut out for it in an always-rugged Lackawanna League.
The Wildcats are bigger and stronger than they were last year at this time. However, what sets this group apart is its overall athleticism.
“We’re still a little bit under-sized compared to some of the teams in our division,” Coach Hemmler said. “But, we’re quick and athletic. We play in smaller gyms and we’re going to see alot of fullcourt pressure...which I think we can negate with our speed and ballhandling skills”
Coach Hemmler believes that Elk Lake, Mountain View and Montrose will once again be the top teams.
Western Wayne is slated to open its 2009-‘10 season Friday night at the Hawley Rotary Tip-Off Tournament. The Wildcats will also scrimmage Old Forge, then begin a round of holiday tournaments at Forest City and Honesdale.
Varden Garden hoops fans won’t see a home game until the first week in January. The ‘Cats begin their Division III schedule on Tuesday, January 5th at home versus Blue Ridge.
