New Milford varsity boys basketball coach Al Tolomeo
NEW MILFORD, Conn. — The 2021-22 high school basketball season is rapidly approaching, and the Green Wave varsity team has reloaded with a crop of exciting talent. Coach Al Tolomeo is excited to see his squad in action.
Last year was a difficult year for just about everybody, including the New Milford varsity basketball team. The Green Wave compiled a record of 3-10 while navigating through all of the COVID-19 protocols.
However, Coach Tolomeo anticipates rebounding this season as he welcomes a mix of returners and newcomers to his roster. Junior guard Cam Perez is expected to contribute heavily alongside backcourt mate and incoming transfer Christian Acosta.
Tolomeo recently sat down with BVM Sports to discuss his projection of the upcoming season, which of his players are flying under the radar, what style of play he expects to see and how grateful he is to once again play in front of cheering fans.
With the 2021-22 season approaching, what are your thoughts on the roster and the seniors that you’ll have this year?
“We have a solid group of seniors coming back. Not much varsity experience, but the JV team’s been very successful the past year so we’re looking for that leadership to carry over. We also have a transfer coming in from Ossining, New York, named Christian Acosta, so we’re looking for him to make some contributions as well.”
Do you have any underclassmen who you believe will make an impact this year?
“Absolutely. Cam Perez started last year and he was an honorable mention All-League. He’s a junior for us this year. Then, Nicco Colinari played a little bit of varsity last year, but he led the JV team in scoring so he’ll probably be playing a lot for us as well.”
When you envision your teams, what style of ball do you like to play?
“Traditionally, we’re up and down the court. We like to run, we like to press, we don’t really hold the ball much. Generally, we’re very aggressive, in your face pressing, run it type of team. With the depth we have this year I can’t see that stuff changing much.”
What were the difficulties of last season, playing with the COVID-19 protocols?
“I’ve been coaching for 16-17 years and last year was the toughest season I’ve ever had. It’s not about the wins and losses. It’s about all the differences with practices and protocols we had to follow. Really, just getting the kids back in the gym was something that our athletic department and myself wanted to make it as good an experience as we could for them.”
How nice will it be playing in a packed house of passionate fans once again?
“One of the things I love about our school is we definitely have a home-court advantage with our fans. Even the layout of the gym is a lot of fun. There’s a lot of energy. I tell people if you’ve got nothing to do on a Thursday or Friday night, come to the gym, you won’t regret spending the five dollars. You’ll have a ball.”
Everyone begins each year with a clean slate, what are you looking forward to most about this particular season?
“I’m looking forward to the return of normalcy number one. Also, the growth of the players. Getting competition back at the forefront and competing with a purpose.”
How gratifying is it seeing the growth of players over the course of a season?
“Oh, it’s awesome. It seems like we always have guys who never had varsity experience step up for us. We’re blessed to have great numbers as far as engagement from the youth community all the way up through tryouts. I mean I had 75 kids come out for tryouts. There are always surprises who are either late developers or are blocked by somebody or prefer a different type of style, but then they get the chance and they shine.
“Three years ago, we had a bunch of seniors who nobody ever heard of and we were two games away from going to Mohegan Sun. That’s what I love about this, I love the challenges, I love the engagement. Playing hard for us isn’t an option, it’s kind of like breathing.”
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
