When the boys’ high school basketball season was still in its infant stages and the Soaring Eagles of Union City were holding a 5-5 record, veteran head coach Drew Morano didn’t panic one iota.
Morano knew that his team was better than the record they produced early on. It was only a 10-game sampling.
After posting a 13-14 record last season, Morano knew that the Soaring Eagles were a much better club this time around.
“We played a tough schedule last year,” Morano said. “At the end of the year, we won a game in the [Hudson] County playoffs and one in the [NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group IV] playoffs. So that was a sign. We lost three games to Hudson Catholic and one to [St. Peter’s] Prep last year. We played our hearts out at Paterson Eastside in the states. We felt like we finished strong.”
So Morano kept his team together during the summer months, playing in summer leagues, getting ready for the coming season.
“We had a good summer together,” Morano said. “We had these kids together when they were freshmen, so we figured they would be ready to have a good year this year.”
The Soaring Eagles suffered a tough loss to Snyder on Jan. 8, falling 52-49, on a 3-point field goal at the buzzer in overtime.
But the Soaring Eagles were staring at the crossroads, at 5-5, headed toward mediocrity once again.
“Honestly, I didn’t get down, because I liked the way we were playing,” Morano said. “We played hard. After we lost at Snyder, I saw it on the bus going home. I saw it in their eyes, their faces. Nothing was going to keep them down. The kids are a pleasure to coach. I knew the potential was there. You never know how a team is going to jell.”
The Soaring Eagles came back and faced Perth Amboy in their Martin Luther King tribute classic at Union City.
“They’re a good team,” Morano said of Perth Amboy. “And we blew them out. When I saw that we could beat a good team like that, I knew that things were going to change.”
The Soaring Eagles beat Perth Amboy, 57-37. They followed the win against Perth Amboy with close wins against county rivals Dickinson and Bayonne.
“After so many years of coaching, you could get a sense that things were going to turn around,” said Morano, who is in his 16th year of coaching varsity basketball in Union City, first at Emerson, the school where his father, Hank, was the long-time coach, and now Union City.
“After that heartbreaking loss to Snyder, I just saw it,” Morano said. “Then the way we beat Perth Amboy. I got a sense that we were going to be a good team. They showed me something.”
The Soaring Eagles went on a gigantic roll, winning five straight. They then suffered a tough two-point loss to Marist, 63-61, when a shot rolled around the rim and fell out at the buzzer.
Undaunted, the Soaring Eagles came back again to win their next seven games, making it a stretch of 12 wins in 13 games to improve to 17-6.
The Soaring Eagles were set to face three-time defending Hudson County Tournament champion Hudson Catholic in the tourney semifinals.
But for a team that flew under the radar and won 12 of 13 in the highly competitive world of Hudson County basketball? That indeed says a lot.
“I think it’s experience,” Morano said. “We have guys with two and three years of experience under their belts. We’re very strong at the guard position. We also have kids who have played a lot of varsity basketball games, many since they were freshmen. That has to help.”
What also helps is that Morano has a totally unselfish team that shares the ball well. There isn’t one prolific scorer. The entire team chips in. There are no egos, no internal strife.
“We are very balanced,” Morano said.
Junior Abraham Feliz is the team’s leading scorer, but he’s averaging only 12 points per game.
“He goes to the basket well and is a good finisher,” Morano said of Feliz.
Senior John Bejar has been the team’s lightning rod. The 5-foot-9 Bejar was inserted as the starter at the point guard earlier this month and the team just took off.
“He’s always been the one to get us going, but lately, I think he’s the best point guard in the county,” Morano said. “He has elevated his game like a senior should and just took over the team.”
Bejar averages eight points per contest.
Junior Anthony Gomez is another solid contributor. The 5-foot-10 Gomez averages 10 points per night.
“He’s been starting since he was a freshman,” Morano said. “He’s lightning quick. He’s also very smart and a good defender. He’s been our rock. We depend a lot on him and have high expectations for him.”
Junior Steven Sanchez is a 6-foot-2 forward who averages eight points and five rebounds per game.
“He’s as steady as they come,” Morano said. “I’m able to bring him off the bench.”
Junior Kenneth Aviles is a 6-foot-3 forward who has the ability to shoot from long range. He averages five points and four rebounds per game.
Senior Luis Solorzano is a 5-foot-9 guard who has scored more than 900 points in his career, but now comes off the bench.
“I just like what he brings us coming off the bench,” Morano said.
Senior Tyreek Ridley is a 6-foot forward who averages seven points and five rebounds.
“He can play above the rim,” Morano said. “He’s been a pleasant surprise. He’s a credit to hard work.”
Junior Adrian Diaz is a 5-foot-7 junior guard and senior Wesley Remigio is a 5-foot-10 guard and another 3-point field goal threat.
“Everyone plays,” Morano said. “That’s a good thing.”
So Morano had faith this would be a solid season. After the Soaring Eagles play Hudson Catholic, they have to prepare for Montclair in the opening round of the NJSIAA North 1, Group IV playoffs. Montclair is one of the teams to defeat the Soaring Eagles earlier in the year, but this is a totally different team now.
The Soaring Eagles received the No. 7 seed in the bracket and will be a tough out for anyone who is overlooking them.
“We had plans to have a good year,” Morano said. “But everyone has plans. We just had to live up to them. We’re happy to be where we are. We were able to make a nice run and want to keep it going.”
Sure would be nice for the Hudson County team that definitely went unrecognized during the course of the regular season. Only Morano knew that his team would turn things around. The rest had to sit and watch with wonder.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.