When Matt Reilly graduated from Mahopac High School in June 2026, one of the most versatile basketball/football players in school history left for The Phelps School to continue his basketball career. Replacing a player with his all-around impact won’t be easy, especially as Mahopac turns the page to the 2027 season.
But if the Mahopac Summer Hoops League is any indication, Coach Matt Calabro’s Wolf Pac won’t spend the winter rebuilding. Instead, the program appears ready to build on last year’s success, with players and coaches believing another deep postseason run — and a trip to the County Center Final Four — is well within reach.
“We have played well all summer,” Calabro said. “Some of these guys have been in two years’ worth of big games, and that continuity will be something we lean on.”
The Wolf Pac — which went 8-0 in the regular-season summer league to earn the No. 1 seed — will center its 2027 identity around senior guard Ethan Dedvukaj, a physical, multi-positional force on the court and a versatile athlete off it who will start at quarterback for Mahopac football this fall.
“Ethan was a man among boys this summer,” Calabro said. “He is poised for a great year.”
But even with Dedvukaj out visiting colleges during the stretch run, Mahopac was still able to secure the summer league title by defeating Yorktown, 55-29, in the quarterfinals before a 42-30 win over John Jay-CR in the semifinals. The Pac then polished off an undefeated season (11-0) with a 39-35 championship win over Lakeland in the July 30 title game.
“The kids stepped up when we were without him,” Calabro said.
Dedvukaj headlines a deep group of veterans with meaningful varsity experience, including seniors Ryan LaRue, Justin Beberman, Sal Garufi, Nijal Newman, Bobby Egan, Ryan Myers and Nick Lucia.
“LaRue has been awesome; the kid is everywhere,” Calabro said. “Beberman has been balancing attacking and making others better. Nijal, Bobby, Sal, Myers and Lucia are all returners, with Grady coming up late last year, too. I’m excited about the improvements being made and we can’t wait to get back at it.”
While the 12-team summer league was very competitive, the Wolf Pac preyed on its foes, building a plus-151 point differential over all opponents.
The team has already come together as a unit, and that cohesion gives Mahopac reason to believe it can withstand the loss of Reilly.
Replacing a do-everything star rarely falls on one player, and this group knows it. Reilly’s departure leaves a void, but not a vacuum.
Mahopac’s returning core has logged significant playoff minutes, endured the heartbreak of an overtime 2026 regular-season quarterfinal setback to rival Yorktown, and built chemistry through repetition and shared experience. The 2027 Wolf Pac may not have a single Reilly-level Swiss-army-knife talent, but it has something just as valuable: depth, continuity and belief.
“Everyone has played their role and we’re really meshing,” Garufi said. “We’ve basically played solid basketball and our point differential is +151.”
Replacing Reilly won’t be easy. This current unit has the potential to do so, but it’ll take a village.
Lakeland (5-3) and Carmel (5-3) also played well this summer. RCK (5-3) and Panas (5-3) showed some talent as well. Summer teams can be sketchy due to vacations, etc., but this Mahopac-based league is a solid local gauge for what to expect this winter.
“Summer league is a good opportunity to get some running in, and we have a good thing going here with the Mahopac Summer League,” Calabro said.
Dedvukaj said the summer on the hardwood has produced a solid foundation for the Wolf Pac to build upon.
“This year should be a big one for Mahopac,” Dedvukaj said. “We are looking to come in and just dominate. We have a group of veteran guys from last year and also young guys coming up and giving us good minutes. This year our main goals are to win the league and our main priority is to win the section. I feel like the way we play as a team there is no doubt about it that we have a team to be the best in the section.”
Mahopac has never won a sectional title on the hardwood; this squad may have what it takes to make history.
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