Winter Sports Preview 

Last season, the varsity basketball team won the CHSAA "A" championship for the first time in 14 years. Though many players graduated from last year’s team, including four members of the starting lineup (three playing at the collegiate level), the team has a talented group of players who are ready and excited to succeed. Senior point guard Ryan Kennedy ’15 is the sole returning starter, and with three years of varsity play he has demonstrated leadership on and off the court by helping lead practice and making sure the younger players become acclimated to a new system. Perhaps the most noteworthy characteristic of this team is youth; many of the varsity players are underclassmen, several of them sophomores. From the get-go, they will be expected to contribute to a successful tradition of Xavier basketball. Some of the players to look out for include Joe Santangelo ’15, Christian Raslowsky ’16, Douglass Stapler ’16, James Barnett ’17, Malik Fisher ’17, and Khalil Hyde ’17. Assistant coach Greg Dolan ’89 said that that once the season is fully underway, the players’ cohesiveness and maturity will prime them for success.

The 2014-15 Varsity Basketball season opens on Friday, December 5, when the Xavier Knights take on the Crusaders of Archbishop Stepinac High School at 7:30PM in the Xavier gym. Coach Joe McGrane’s 2014-15 Knights will be led by senior Ryan Kennedy, the one returning starter from last year’s squad that went 24-4. Fresh off Xavier’s strongest cross-country season ever, a 4th place team finish in the New York State Federation Championships, junior Christian Raslowsky returns for his second year of varsity play as do junior Doug Stapler and senior Joseph Santangelo. The varsity game is the conclusion of a Friday triple-header that begins with a 4:30 freshmen tip-off. Check out the complete season schedule.

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J.V. basketball will begin the season on Tuesday, December 2 in a non-league game against Salesian. As many players were on the championship-winning J.V. football team, which finished its season only a week ago, the team has not been able to practice with a full roster until recently. However, the team was very successful last year, making it to the city championship, so it stands to be seen that the team is as good as ever. Rory Kinsella ’17, Joe Morelli ’17, and Terence Navin ’17 will play important roles in the team’s success, and the towering Luca Ross ’17 will make a big impact in his Xavier basketball debut for the J.V. Knights. Head coach Rich Duffell is looking forward to the season. He said, “With our talent, we should be in very good shape.”

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Freshman basketball is excited for the upcoming season. Having never played together as a full unit, the team has been practicing nonstop, working hard to see what works, and figuring out how to best make use of their individual and collective talents. The team has performed well in initial scrimmages, so the forecast is promising. Head coach Mark Curley said, “The team is filled with talented and hard-working players. I am excited to see them play and I am confident that they will do well.”

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Matt Erhard '16 hopes to help lead Knights back to the finals

Last year, varsity hockey won the CHSHL-B championship. The team lost ten seniors to graduation, which took away a healthy part of the team’s constituency. Nevertheless, as the team returns to the rink this winter, expectations are high that this team has what it takes to challenge for the championship once again. Head coach Al DiMauro believes that talent-wise, the team is as good as ever, saying, “We have a strong nucleus of returning players. Returning forward Tyler D’Agostino ‘15, who led the CHSHL in scoring and was a first team All-City selection last year, and goalie Matt Erhard ’16, who was stellar in the net throughout the playoffs, will be the cornerstones for this team to build its destiny on.” The rest of the team is also quite skilled, a mixture of players from last year’s championship team and new guys coming up from J.V. Returning players include David Kelly ’15 and Brian Ostrander ’16 and new players include Al Kulikowski ’17 and Pat Keenan ’17. Despite the challenges and expectations that come with winning a championship, the team is ready to surpass them. Coach DiMauro surely thinks so. He said, “When you graduate 10 seniors, you would think that you are facing a rebuilding year, but the coaching staff doesn’t feel that way at all. We have the skill and talent needed to compete. Now we need to find out if we have the determination and drive to win.”

Hockey Schedule

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Mr. Dormer hopes for continued success

As runners return to the track for the indoor season, one can wonder how they could possibly improve upon their past successes. The Xavier harriers have been setting school and league records long before the current freshman class stepped into the halls of 30 West 16 Street. There is good reason to believe, however, that this year’s team is bigger and better than ever. Most of the cross-country team, which was one of the best teams in the state, will return to compete indoors. After a season’s respite, the sprinters will also return to the track, and the many runners coming from the football and soccer fields look to make huge contributions. In addition to those who ran cross-country, including John Rice ’15, who will run for the University of Texas Longhorns next year, some of the returning seniors include Oliver Moe ’15, Charlie Lambert ’15, Stephen Sgarlato ’15, and Frank Clarke ‘15. Some of the many promising underclassmen include Andrew Kiarie-Mumbi ’17, Dom Ronan ’16, and Raphael Oettl ’18. Their season begins soon, and over the next few months the team will work hard to create its own legacy. Check out their schedule.

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Wrestling had a successful season last year. Though the team missed the CHSAA league playoffs, it was only by one point. Furthermore, the senior class—having since graduated—led the way with a strong work ethic; several team members qualified for and performed exceptionally well at the state championships; and above all else, improved. Looking forward, Xavier’s wrestlers are confident that the team will perform even better than they did last year. The two captains, Mike Bivona ’16 and Collin Scanley ’15, are adjusting to their new leadership positions well and helping to lead the way alongside coaches Joe Guglielmo and Johanna Tanzman. Mike Bivona, Andrew Piccione ’16, and Dylan Ebanks ’17 are among the several Knights who qualified for states last year and hope to improve upon their previous finish. Coach Guglielmo is particularly excited for the upcoming season. He said that the team had spent many months preparing for this year by staying in shape and improving their wrestling acumen at camp. The team has a lot of talent this year, and with their preparation one can imagine that they will succeed by leaps and bounds. Check out the wrestling schedule.

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Varsity swimming has already won its first two meets of the season against Archbishop Molloy and Holy Trinity. As Xavier competes in the CHSAA  "A" Division, arguably the most competitive in New York State, this is a promising start. The roster has more than forty eager swimmers and divers who are ready to face off against tough competition. With only six seniors, and several freshmen moving up to the Varsity, the team is very young, but also very talented. During the season, one meet of particular distinction will be when the team travels to Houston, Texas in mid-January to compete against Lamar High School and Strake Jesuit. When the team last made this trip several years ago, they had a successful tournament, and all are looking forward to it this time around. Team members are also excited to make a run for the league championship and to compete against talented schools throughout the region. 

Swimming Schedule

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Best of luck to all of our winter Knights as they begin their respective seasons!