No one is suggesting that the Sachem North boys hoops team is going on a Cinderella run like it did 20 years ago to win the school’s first and only Suffolk County title, but this year certainly feels special.
It took a handful of games for the Flaming Arrows to find themselves. After going 1-3 in non-conference battles, Sachem trailed Ward Melville – coached by former Sachem assistant and alum Alex Piccirillo – by six points at the half on the road. Then something clicked.
The Patriots double-teamed Sachem’s star guard Darius Townsend, opening up scoring opportunities for other players like Brian Czarnecki and Drew Scally. Sachem left Setauket with a 50-48 victory. That was the turning point for the season, Sachem coach Tom Mullee said.
Then in their second league game, this one at home against Commack, the team drilled 14 three-point shots opening the rest of League I’s eyes a bit.
“That’s when we said, ‘wow, we might be pretty good’,” said Mullee.
Townsend and Nakari Nelson are a formidable backcourt duo that run the show for Sachem. They’re electric and each consider their tandem to be one of the top backcourts in the county.
Mullee describes Townsend as a “true leader,” and “like having another coach on the court.”
Often during timeouts, Mullee will speak for 15 seconds and Townsend will get the rest of the time, relaying notes about open holes and schemes that he picked up on the court.
“I like to lead by example and I’m really vocal,” said Townsend, who is averaging 17.2 points per game. “I get on myself a lot. I’m always out there talking and getting everyone’s energy up.”
Against Longwood earlier in the season he took a charge and got cut near his eye. It bled out and stopped the game for nearly 30 minutes. Townsend sat out, but refused to leave the court and go to the hospital. He was going to finish the game along with his teammates, even if that meant putting his warm-up gear on and simply cheering from the bench.
What happened next was pure grit and perseverance from Sachem. Down 11, the Flaming Arrows, without their top player and leader, rallied and forced the game into overtime. Czarnecki drilled a three-point shot in the final seconds of the extra quarter and Sachem won. Nelson, who rose to the occasion as a leader in his own right, scored 24 points as a workhorse that night and Townsend finished with 21.
“It was a huge shot from Czarnecki in a big spot,” said Mullee. “The game ended with guys in tears, a truly emotional team moment.”
“That was our signature win,” added Townsend. “We’ve been down multiple times and we’ve come back. That says a lot about this team.”
Nelson, averaging 15.9 points per game, has had his share of dramatic moments too. Going up for a lay-up against Ward Melville, he was fouled, fell to the floor and smashed his tooth on the wood. It cracked, and hurt, but he spent just 10 seconds off the floor before going back in and finishing with 16 points. Sachem won, 55-54.
The common theme between all of these moments throughout the year is the increasingly important role of Sachem’s depth and bench. When Nelson and Townsend are down, it could be any number of players to step up.
Troy Kohn probably has the best long-range shooting touch of anyone on the team. Steve Anacreone and Czarnecki both play football and bring a different multi-sport approach to their work ethic and leadership principles. Phil Bellomo hustles with the best of them.
Mullee has two sayings written on a white board in the Sachem basketball office, tucked in the corner of Thomas J. Sabatelle Memorial Alumni Gymnasium: “heart greater than height” and “first to the floor.”
“Be the first guy to go after a ball, the first to take a charge, to get a loose ball,” he said. “And also appreciate where we are. There are only 10 varsity basketball players at Sachem North and it’s truly special to be a part of this team. We think about that often.”
With an 11-5 overall record this season when this article was published, Sachem North has equaled its mark for its best season since the district split into two programs during the 2004-2005 school year. With one more win, the Flaming Arrows will ensure its best since 2002-2003 (18-3, trip to county final four).
“Watch out for Sachem in the playoffs,” said Nelson. “We can be down by 10 and come back. We’re going to keep working hard and staying focused.”
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro