Sports Preview: Winter is Coming 

By Billy Malewich '12

With the calendar turning to December, the winter sports season at Xavier is upon us. Teams have begun playing scrimmage games, getting ready for the long 2+ month grind of the CHSAA season. With that in mind, it’s time to preview all the winter sports Xavier has to offer.

We begin with basketball, where each team will look to continue last year’s success, when each team posted at least 14 wins. Varsity head coach Joe McGrane P'20 has led the Knights in four straight winning seasons, winning the division title in 2013-14. Head JV coach Rich Duffell P’92 ’94 has seen his fair share of success as well, boasting winning records in three of the past four seasons (with the outlier being a .500 season). The freshmen will look to at least match last year’s 14-7 record.

Up next, the Xavier hockey team, which has been on one of the hottest streaks in recent memory. They have won the last three “B” division titles, each year posting at least 18 wins in the regular season. Led by head coach Al DiMauro and assistant coaches Scott Erickson, Frank McGrady, Lenny DiMauro, and John Cosenza, the Knights look to make it a four-peat in the “B” division of the CHSHL.

Continuing with the indoor track and field team, the Knights look to build upon a promising 2015-16 season. With the varsity team finishing third in the CHSAA Intersectionals meet last year and the sophomores winning their division, the team looks to make strides towards an indoor Intersectionals title. Giancarlo Cipri ’17 looks to extend his fantastic running into the indoor season, where he posted the third best time in the 3200-meter race. The throwing team, led by Patrick Heaney ’18 and Chris Yuresko ’18, will look to join the exclusive 40+ ft. club for indoor shot put.

Next is the varsity swimming and diving team, which has also had a successful run in recent years. Each of the past few seasons has seen steady improvements from the year before, with an impressive 5-0 start in 2014-15. The Knights open the CHSAA season on December 13 against Chaminade.

Finally, the varsity wrestling team will look to make their impact in a highly competitive league. Former state champion Dylan Ebanks ’17 will be one of the lead upperclassmen on the team, finishing in the top of his division each of the last two seasons. Coaches Julio Chacon and Joseph Guglielmo will continue to make the wrestling team better as the season progresses.

To stay up-to-date with Xavier athletics, visit www.xavierhs.org/athletics.