By Mitch Silver
<<Boys’ Basketball>>
Head Coach Dan Lopez was a Math/Computer Science teacher at Yorktown High School for 18 years. He played four years of high school basketball and a year at Manhattanville College before serving in various coaching positions at Yorktown: Assistant Varsity Coach, Boys’ Freshman and JV Coach, Girls’ Varsity Coach (five years). Last year, he was the Boys’ JV coach at Rye Neck.
James Pape and Chris Mileo are the new assistant coaches. Pape has taught in the Bronx for the past five years, and coached basketball for the past three years. Mileo is in his 12th year of coaching at various levels and in his eighth year of teaching Physical Education.
2016 Record: 5-15
2017-18 Captains: Kol Lewis and Logan Spencer
What/Who Will A Successful Season Depend On? “This collection of athletes needs to believe in each other’s ability and positively contribute to the team dynamic. We need to execute effectively on offense and play smart on defense. In short, a successful season will come from creating a cohesive team.”
What About the Competition? “We have added competitive crossover games. In our scrimmage against Port Chester, we started to feel better about knowing what the players’ roles are and investing into our offensive and defensive strategies. This allows the players to build confidence in the team and, more importantly, in themselves.”
Opening Game: The Panthers host Yonkers December 1 at 4:30 and Dobbs Ferry December 5 before meeting Elmsford in the Alexander Hamilton Tournament December 8 at 6:15 p.m.