Half Hollow Hills East seeking LI championship…
The clock is ticking for this workforce.
Half Hollow Hills East is trying to rewrite historical past within the Long Island boys AAA basketball championship towards Port Washington on Sunday after being eradicated by buzzer-beaters — one in final yr’s LI title recreation at Farmingdale State College — in every of the previous two seasons.
“When we go in [to Farmingdale], the wound just opens up again,” senior middle Jordan Cador informed The Post after beating William Floyd, 57-40, to win back-to-back Suffolk County titles final weekend.
The Half Hollow Hills East boys basketball workforce huddles up during follow in Dix Hills, N.Y. on March 11, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
“It was a actually close recreation across the half.
We acquired the flashbacks of what might have been and we began to tug away after that, motivated by what we didn’t wish to occur again.”
Two seasons in the past, a first-round recreation towards Floyd started an extraordinarily irritating development when the Red Hawks misplaced on a last-second shot, 57-55. Last yr, after HHH gained Suffolk County over Smithtown West, 43-40, a mighty Elmont squad did the identical and gained the LI championship, 53-51.
“We cut no corners, we wanted to be prepared this year,” coach Mike Marcelin stated of his 20-3 squad, whose season actually started a day after shedding to Elmont final March.
“We’ve been putting in the work [in the] offseason — the guys have been in the gym nonstop. They matured their game on and off the court. We’ve developed, and I think we’re just growing as a team.”
The Red Hawks began with a number of summer season leagues and camps, based on Marcelin, who then deliberately scheduled brutally powerful out-of-conference matchups to check his workforce’s grit.
Brandon Varlack runs a drill during follow at Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, N.Y. on March 11, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
They battled Long Island Lutheran — the place Carmelo Anthony’s son, Kiyan, stands out — and Eagle Academy II of Brooklyn, and fell to a different buzzer-beater towards DeWitt Clinton in The Bronx.
Nevertheless, their solely three losses, which Marcelin referred to as an important dish of “humble pie,” led to double-digit victories in all of the Red Hawks’ playoff video games.
Flocking collectively
Facing a larger degree of competitors isn’t all that’s modified this yr on the North Shore, based on the gamers.
“Last year during practice, you could see a divide … the seniors were having their own thing, the juniors were, too,” Cador stated. “This year, everybody’s on the same page, and that has made us so much better than we were last year.”
Jordan Cador cheers on his teammates during follow at Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, N.Y. on March 11, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
The emotional facet of workforce building additionally has been a precedence of their coach, who, alongside along with his workers, are all alumni of the varsity’s program.
Throughout the yr, Marcelin took his gamers bowling and did different enjoyable occasions to loosen up the blokes and have them bond.
“The freshmen, the sophomores, they all bought in,” senior level guard Brandon Varlack stated. “We even all went to McDonald’s right after we won the Suffolk title.”
Skyler Ellis dunks the ball whereas teammate Jordan Cador appears to be like on during follow at Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, N.Y. on March 11, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
Head for the hills
Members of the Half Hollow Hills East boys basketball workforce together with Jordan Cador, middle, clap during a drill in follow. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
Fun and video games apart, the close-knit crew — they call themselves “East Side” — is aware of there’s mental and bodily work to be achieved earlier than 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Farmingdale.
Cador stated the workforce will need to have watched final yr’s buzzer-beater “a thousand times over” for motivation this time round.
“It’s time to make new memories,” junior taking pictures guard Skyler Ellis stated. “Erase what happened in the past and move on to the present.”
Members of the Half Hollow Hills East boys basketball workforce run drills in follow. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
The week earlier than Sunday’s title recreation, HHH was even dedicating follow time to buzzer-beater drills.
“You have to stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,” Marcelin stated. “We know what it takes to get there now, we know what it takes to win.”
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