After a solid 12-7 regular season and a promising playoff run that ended in the Class AAA semifinals, Farmingdale boys’ basketball faces a new challenge heading into the new campaign.
With several key seniors having graduated -- including standouts like Jake Mangio and Eric Kubelka -- the Dalers will look to reload rather than rebuild. Despite these departures, head coach Jimmy Pastier is confident his team can continue their winning ways.
“We knew who was coming back and had a great offseason, no surprises,” Pastier declared. “There’s always a little adjustment period [with] timing and confidence and the lights are on a little more now. Practice is practice, but the game is the game, so they’ll be all right.”
The Dalers return a core group of seniors who will play pivotal roles, including three-year starter Mateo Morales. A physical and energetic player, Morales will lead the team with his strong defense and leadership.
“He’s a great team leader,” Pastier said. “[He has] a lot of energy, a lot of effort, great defense, the physicality he brings to the table. He’s our kicker. He’ll make our team go.”
Joining Morales in the starting lineup will be seniors Ben Mears, who gained invaluable experience in last season’s playoff games, and Dylan Coleman, a versatile center with the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting. Seniors Brandon Mears, a swingman, and point guard Jace Ebanks round out the starting five.
Ebanks, in particular, will be asked to control the game’s tempo and distribute the ball. “He could shoot well,” Pastier said. “He has a nice mid-range jumper.”
Farmingdale’s bench will also feature contributors like juniors Amari Powell, an athletic leaper, and 6-foot-5 Colin McNamara, a tough, versatile forward.
“We’re going to have more balanced scoring this year,” Pastier said.
Pastier said the focus will also be on unselfish play and moving the ball to find the best shots. Defensively, the team is expected to be tough, with a commitment to communication and physicality.
The girls’ team enters the season looking to push past the program’s recent pattern of hovering just above .500. The Dalers went 10-8 overall and 6-5 in Conference AAA1 play last winter before a first-round playoff exit to Freeport — their fourth straight postseason loss since 2019.
But with a core of young, athletic returners and an extra year of experience, head coach Dave Stein believes this group is ready to make a meaningful jump.
“I’d say definitely a step forward for this group,” Stein said. “[We have] a lot of returning players, and this is going to be one of the more athletic teams that we’ve ever had.”
The offense will likely run through sophomore point guard Izzy Aristy (team-leading 8.8 ppg) and freshman guard Molly McNamara, who burst onto the scene as an eighth-grader last winter by averaging just under eight points a game.
Stein praised McNamara’s poise and versatility.
“She came in with a lot of ability,” he said. “She’s such a coachable kid and we asked her to do a lot of different things and she worked hard in doing what we asked her to do.”
Stein tabbed junior Regan O’Connor as an important piece of the team because of her defense and durability.
“She gets the toughest defensive assignment every game we play, and she never lets us down,” Stein said. “We really could not survive without what she does.”
Versatile junior Juliann Brzeski, a versatile defender whom Stein called the team’s “swiss army knife,” is slated for a larger role.
Players in the mix for the final starting spot include sophomore Emma Lembo, juniors Emma Adamo and Kelsey Brosnan, and senior newcomer Gianna Recine.
With more experience throughout the roster, the Dalers aim to break through in the postseason.
“Even though we’re young, there’s a lot of experience out there,” Stein said. “A successful season is to try to get in the playoffs and see if we can win a playoff game this year.”
Dec. 11: Hicksville, 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 15: @ Hempstead, 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 18: Uniondale, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 7: Freeport, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 10: @ Plainview, 11:45 a.m.
Jan. 13: Syosset, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 16: @ Massapequa, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 23: @ Hicksville, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 26: Hempstead, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 29: @ Uniondale, 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 4: @ Freeport, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 7: Plainview, 7:00 p.m.
Feb. 10: @ Syosset, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 13: Massapequa, 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 9: @ Westbury, 6:45 p.m.
Dec. 11: Hicksville, 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 18: @ Uniondale, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 6: Port Washington, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 10: East Meadow, 11:45 a.m.
Jan. 13: @ Syosset, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 15: Herricks, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 23: Baldwin, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 26: V.S. Central, 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 2: Massapequa, 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 4: Freeport, 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 7: @ Plainview, 11:45 a.m.
Feb. 10: Oceanside, 5:00 p.m.
