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The Berkshire boys basketball team ended 2016 on a positive note with a 59-42 win over rival Cardinal.
Senior Nick Guarnera returned to the Badgers line-up after missing several games with an injury. His presence helped spark the Badgers (2-5) to a much-needed win over the Huskies (0-6).
Guarnera and the combination of Emil Hess and Ryan Johnson were simply too much for the young Cardinal squad.
“We’ve missed him,” said Berkshire coach Keith Clapacs of Guarnera. “He’s a guy that makes us go. He’s on top of our offense, on top of our defense, and guys fall in line behind him. Guys like Ryan Johnson and Aaron Pawlak benefit from him. He’s our trigger man and we feed off of that.”
The Huskies were not phased by Guarnera’s return and kept the score close early.
A bucket by the Huskies early in the second quarter cut an eight-point Badger lead down to one at 18-17.
Berkshire then embarked on an 8-0 run to take complete control of the game.
“We have matchup problems with them,” said Cardinal coach Jon Cummins when discussing Berkshire’s 8-0 run. “When we go man, and a lot of times we have to go man and mix things up, (we have a matchup problem). With Hess and Johnson, they’re very good athletes and it’s tough for us to matchup.”
For the Badgers, it was about stepping up and playing to their potential.
“Our coach told us to step up and make our plays. We’re the better team, go out there and prove it,” said Guarnera.
When asked to step up, the Badgers did – both offensively and defensively.
Berkshire forced 15 Husky turnovers throughout the game, including seven steals by Guarnera.
In the third quarter, the Badgers held the Huskies to six points, essentially putting the game out of reach.
“We had to match their energy and it wasn’t there in the second half,” said Cummins. “Our offense was stagnant. We tried to run some things, but guys were standing. We’ve got to mix things up. Offensively, we’ve got to get back to the basics.”
Cummins, though, was pleased with the way his squad played in the first half, saying they came out with energy and played hard.
Playing in front of their biggest home crowd of the season, the Badgers win made Hall of Fame night that much more special.
Three state champion track and field relay teams – the girls 1999 and 2000 teams, plus the boys 1987 team – were inducted into the Berkshire Athletic Hall of Fame.
The inductees included Jennifer Woods, Sabrina Woods, Kelly Green, Laura Boatwright, Katie Taylor, Chuck Maneage, Jonathan Tiber, Dan Duplay and Patrick Buddenbaum.
Guarnera said the large crowd helped to fire up the Badgers: “The intensity was up and it made us all play better.”
Johnson led all players with 24 points.
“Lately, everyone has been telling me to go to the hoop,” said Johnson. “Every time I get the ball I try to square up and take it in.”
“I’d like to say it’s all coaching,” said Clapacs, “but my game was never one dribble and you’re at the rim. He has God-given ability and, to his credit, he’s a great student of the game who is thirsty for more.”
Emil Hess added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Badgers. Tim Pillot chipped in with nine points and Guarnera added six points, two boards and seven steals.
Luke Timas paced the Huskies with 13 points. Matt Carney added eight points and five rebounds, while Hayden Cummins had six points and six boards for Cardinal.
Wins have been hard to come by for both teams thus far this season. A new year will provide new opportunities for victories.
The Battle of 87 will resume February 21 at Cardinal.
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