BOYS

Coach – Tom DeBenedetto

They dominated the travel leagues.

They finished undefeated as seventh graders.

And now they make up the majority of the Newtown Middle School boys’ basketball team, a group of 12 players who look to have the experience, the speed, the strength and the shooting ability to have a very successful 2006-07 season.

“This is going to be a year with high expectations,” admitted coach DeBenedetto.

The team will be led by co-captains Josh Engler and Matt Datin and the pair can dominate – Engler can play any position, score from anywhere on the floor and has the ability to take the ball the length of the court or post up on the inside; Datin is a big, strong presence in the middle who also possesses a soft touch from the perimeter and should be able to dominate the boards and limit any inside scoring threats.

If opposing teams can get beyond Engler and Datin, they still need to contend with a full complement of exceptional players.

Like …

Sean Devaney, Oliver Powers and Rory Noonan – Devaney and Powers have the size to be strong inside players while Noonan makes up for a lack of size with speed and aggressiveness.

Austin Jones and Tom Coscia – Slotted at the small forward, Jones has an upbeat attitude that has a positive influence on the team and at the same time he can shoot from just about anywhere on the floor; Coscia, meanwhile, is a solid ball handler who can get hot from the perimeter with the ability to drive to the basket.

Sean Maher and Max Brazo – Slotted at the two guard, Maher can strike from long range while providing a strong presence in the zone defense; Brazo is fast and uses dribble penetration to develop scoring opportunities.

Brian Reed, Rob Frangione and Ishan Tatake – Slotted at the point, Reed is a solid dribbler with a nice shooting touch … Frangione is a sparkplug that is deft at handling the ball and penetrating with the dribble … and Tatake is deadly accurate from three-point range and excellent at handling the ball.

The Lions were on the road Tuesday to take on Bethel.

GIRLS

Coach – Will Ryan

By nature, having a strictly eighth-grade basketball team means total turnover every season.

But somehow things keep turning over well for Newtown Middle School girls’ basketball coach Will Ryan. Last season he bid farewell to some talented girls like Kait Marsden, Kate Bowen, Ally Modzelewski and Sara Kelley (all on the high school team this winter), but this season he welcomes a new group of talented players to the floor.

“Last year’s team almost made coaching easy,” coach Ryan said, “but I have a very well-rounded team this year and the girls have really come together with learning a new offense and several new defenses.”

The Lady Lions opened the 2006-07 season on Tuesday against Bethel.

The players:

Jenna Bonaccorso (Forward) – Jenna’s basketball skills have grown tremendously since last year. She knows how to use her body to create opportunities for her teammates and plays very aggressively in the four position.

KellyAnne Brophy (Guard) – KellyAnne is one of the vocal leaders of the team. She has great ball handling skills and plays with intensity.

Maggie Donahue, Co-Captain (Forward/Guard) – Maggie is strong at every facet of the game. She can shoot, run, pass, has great ball handling and defensive skills, and keeps practice interesting with her sense of humor.

Natalie Dunn (Forward) – Natalie is a very unselfish player who listens carefully and works hard to improve. She has come a long way since the season began.

Alex Grant, Co-Captain (Guard) – Alex is basketball. She will be the point guard for the team this season and is an excellent example of the hard working athlete.

Christie Iorfino (Forward): Christie is a versatile player who can switch between the three and four positions. She uses her body well and can be a shooting threat.

Marilyn LaCroce (Guard/Forward) – Marilyn is the inspiration of the team. Her work ethic and intensity speaks for itself.

Breane Lubinsky (Center) – Breane will be a major force under the basket. She plays excellent defense and will be our go-to player for rebounds.

Lauren Meyer (Guard) – Lauren will provide a spark with her ball handling skills and hustle.

Kelly O’Connor (Guard) – Kelly is the quiet one; the player who just puts her head down and works.

Sarah Petteneli (Center) – Sarah is a very well-rounded player who can handle the ball well, rebound, and create opportunities for the team under the basket.