SCOREBOARD

Young Emerson coach tries to finish job his father started

Drew Morano knows how hard it is to win an HCIAA basketball championship. In fact, he knows first-hand. His legendary father, Hank Morano, was the long-time boys’ basketball coach at Emerson High School. In fact, Hank Morano became synonymous with Emerson hoops. He was such a respected and revered coach for many years, but then had to step down due to health reasons.

After a handful of coaches filled in, Drew Morano stepped up five years ago to take over the program that his father nurtured and developed.

Now, as the HCIAA playoffs begin this week, the younger Morano has a chance to get to a place where his father only reached once in his quarter-century of coaching Emerson basketball.

Despite all the success that the elder Morano had, the 400-plus wins, the countless state sectional championships and two overall Group III state titles, the Bulldogs only captured one HCIAA title under Morano’s tenure, back in the 1960s. It’s almost too amazing to even consider.

This year, the Bulldogs rolled back the clock and rolled through the HCIAA Coviello Division regular season without a blemish, going 11-0. They are clearly the favorite to capture the league playoff title, when Super Saturday is held this weekend at Yanitelli Center at St. Peter’s College.

“Honestly, I don’t remember the last time a team went undefeated in the league,” Morano said. “Maybe one of the Marist teams (under coach Mike Leonardo) did it. It’s a little weird for us being the favorites. But after the season we had, it would be a bit of a let down if we didn’t win it.”

Morano knows how difficult it is to take the next step. It was one thing to go through the regular season without a loss. It’s another thing altogether to run the table and never lose a game within the humble confines of Hudson County.

“I feel I have an idea what kind of personnel is needed to be successful in Hudson County,” Morano said. “As far as the team concept goes, we have five seniors who are totally sold to the team. Of course, we need a little luck and have things go our way. But these kids know that they have a chance to do something truly special.”

Since Morano has been coaching at the place his father made famous, he’s watched only St. Peter’s Prep in 2001 win both the regular season title and the playoff title. Every other time, the regular season champ fell in the playoffs.

“I’ve let them know about that,” Morano said. “Anything I can find to motivate them, I’ll use it. I’ll come up with anything, as long as it keeps them focused. But they know who they are. They realize that they are truly a special team and they really want to finish things off the right way in the playoffs.”

Morano is happy that senior swingman Carlos Huertas has been hitting his shooting stride at the right time. Huertas has been averaging close to 17 points per game over the last three weeks, including nailing six 3-pointers in a win over Hoboken last weekend.

“Without question, the kid has come out to play lately,” Morano said. “All year long, he’s been solid for us, but he’s basically been flying under the radar, without anyone noticing. But the Hoboken game, he shot the lights out. I’m so proud of Carlos. He waited for his senior year to get a chance to shine and now he’s really coming through for us.”

With Huertas and Omar Colon hitting outside shots, Danny DeLuca running the floor show and David Morillo and Omar Mieses banging the boards and getting the tough stuff down low, the Bulldogs certainly have the balance that championships are made of.

But anything can happen in the playoffs. The Bulldogs had a semifinal date with Bayonne scheduled for Wednesday evening. Bayonne is only the defending HCIAA Coviello champion. If you’re making a push for the first county crown in more than 30 years, you might as well take on the reigning champ along the way.

“When you get to the county semifinals, anything can happen,” Morano said. “The first time we played Bayonne, they were up 11 on us in the third quarter and we had to fight like hell to come back. For us being the No. 1 seed, getting the defending champ is a tough draw.”

But Morano knows that the Bulldogs have a chance to create history this weekend. He also knows that he has a chance to secure a piece of destiny that his father tried so many times to get.

“There’s no embarrassment in losing to St. Anthony in the county finals five times,” Morano said. “Hudson County has a lot of great coaches over the years and four out of five never won. What about the nine state sectionals and the two overall state titles my father won? I just know how hard it is to win it all. It’s no easy accomplishment.”

But come Saturday night, Drew Morano will either know how hard it still is or will be enjoying the sweet taste of a county championship. More than likely, it will be the latter.