SOMERS, N.Y. - On Friday, Feb. 27, the Somers 7B team opened the Tri-County Playoffs at the high school against Sleepy Hollow knowing exactly what would set the tone.
“We live and die with our defense,” said coach Anthony Morando.
It didn’t take long for the Tuskers to prove it.
Two steals in the opening minute helped Somers jump out to a 7-0 lead, and the team never looked back in a 56-25 victory.
The onslaught began right from the opening tip. Dominic Ferrauto chased down a loose ball and raced to the rim for a layup. On Sleepy Hollow’s ensuing fast break, Tyler Truitt came up with a block, sprinted the floor and knocked down a three-pointer on the other end. Moments later, Colton Gorgone stole the inbound pass and converted the layup, capping seven straight points to start the game.
Sleepy Hollow briefly stopped the run with a free throw, but Somers quickly responded. James Jackson drove and found Jack Rokicki with a bounce pass in the paint for an easy basket — a sequence that highlighted the team’s unselfish play.
“I’m really happy with the way they utilized the extra pass,” Morando said.
With a 9-1 lead, the defense continued to dictate play. Ferrauto added a block inside, and Gorgone turned another steal into a coast-to-coast layup. The guard also battled inside for a putback basket, stretching the lead to 13-1.
Gorgone later drove to the hoop again, showcasing his scoring ability.
“You get to shoot,” he said with a smile about playing guard.
Somers took a double-digit lead into the second quarter, but any thought of a comeback quickly faded. Another steal early in the period led to more points, and the Tuskers kept the pressure on.
Gorgone remained active on both ends, while Ferrauto cleaned up an offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to Morando for a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 17-5.
The full-court press continued to generate turnovers. Truitt helped convert two more steals into four points as the margin steadily grew.
“We practice it a lot, and everyone is good at it,” Truitt said of the press.
Leading 22-7, Somers added to its advantage. With Truitt and Ferrauto pushing the break, Gorgone finished at the rim and later drilled another three-pointer to extend the lead to 20.
Rokicki controlled the paint, contributing rebounds and a post-up basket to maintain the cushion.
“I get the rebounds and put it up and score,” the center said.
Rokicki also ran the floor effectively. After Ferrauto connected from beyond the arc, Gorgone found Rokicki on the break to help close the half with Somers ahead 34-9.
With little drama left in the second half, the Tuskers continued to emphasize teamwork.
“We moved the ball around and had some good teamwork,” Dylan Grodio said.
Gorgone agreed, stressing the importance of maintaining that approach.
“We have to play like we did today,” he said.
Nicholas Comunale summed up the team’s mindset moving forward.
“We’re going to win the championship,” the Tusker said confidently.
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