By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The Southeast boys basketball team was more than ready to move on from the preseason and welcome in the regular season.

Pirates head coach Matt Dillon admitted that an inspection of the calendar would probably prove that the team’s preseason timeline was no different than previous years, but this year’s build up to Opening Night certainly felt much longer.

And not just to him and his coaching staff, but also for the team.

“On Thursday, we were talking to the team that we felt like this was a much longer preseason than normal and they quickly responded, ‘Yes, we know’!,” Dillon said. “Our practices have been good, but I think our team was just ready to play someone other than ourselves.”

That excitement initially worked against the Pirates in the form of nervous energy in what became a mistake-riddled first quarter.

Midway through the second quarter, though, something clicked for the Pirates.

The game slowed down, decisions were more calculated and the scoreboard started to tilt in their favor.

Slowly at first, but then it turned into an avalanche that the visiting Field Falcons could not stop.

In a stretch that spanned the second and third quarters, the Pirates blew the game wide open with a dominating 35-6 run that paved the way to a 57-28 non-league victory over Field in Palmyra on Friday.

“Things were not pretty early for us, but we are still a young team and with so many young players, I think they were all just a little excited for the first game,” Dillon said. “As the game went on, they settled in, and I think that was a big sign of growth for what our team can do this season.”

The game’s first 13 minutes, the intensity and pace was high, but the efficiency and production was low for both teams.

Then, just as quickly, Southeast (1-0) got hot.

Leading 16-13, despite a pair of turnaround jump shots from Field freshman Mason Fulst, the Pirates finished the first half on a 12-2 run that was spearheaded by junior standout Cohen Richardson.

First, Richardson completed an and-one, then he drilled a 3-pointer, which was followed by Bradley Dillon finding Richardson on the baseline for a short jumper that completed a swift eight-point burst that distanced the Pirates to a 24-15 advantage.

Before halftime, Devyn Miller connected on a pair of free throws and Richardson went at it again with another calm, pull-up jumper in transition that pushed the lead at the break to 28-15.

Sometimes the last thing a team getting hot like that wants is halftime in fear of losing the momentum they had suddenly found.

That was not the case for the Pirates on Friday.
They actually got hotter in the third quarter, opening with a 23-1 run that was like a maroon and gold wave that the Falcons (0-2) could not stop.

Southeast made eight of its 11 field goals in the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, and cashed in on 7-of-10 from the free-throw line, with seven different players scoring in the stanza. 

“At halftime, we told the guys that we thought the first couple of minutes of the third quarter were going to be extremely important,” Dillon said. “Our assistant coaches always do such a great job talking to the team about the adjustments we are looking for in the second half and the team really did a great job of executing those things tonight. They followed the instructions and the scouting report perfectly.”

Richardson finished with a game-high 19 points, with all 19 coming in the second and third quarters (12 points in the second quarter and 7 in the third quarter). He also grabbed seven rebounds.

As a team, the Pirates pulled down a game-controlling 42 rebounds. Miller led the team with 10 and Joe Sharish had nine.

Bradley Dillon also reached double-digits for the Pirates with 13 points. Miller, who was active throughout the game, also scored seven points.

Field shot just 9-of-47 (19 percent) from the field.

Joey Conroy led the Falcons in scoring with nine points.