A year ago, the St. Dominic Academy basketball program was devastated with the news that head coach David Wunsch had to resign with three games to go in the regular season, because he didn’t have a proper teaching certificate after an incident in Leonia forced him to relinquish the certificate.
At the time, the school turned to John Hester, the father of one of the team’s players, to take over the coaching duties for the final games and the NJSIAA Non-Public A state tournament, a game that the Blue Devils won.
So after the dust had cleared, the school’s administration decided to turn the program over to Hester full-time, removing the interim tag.
Now, after guiding the Blue Devils through the offseason and working with them on a regular basis, Hester is comfortable with being the head coach – and the team is subsequently fine with him leading the way.
“After we spent the whole summer together, it’s definitely my program,” Hester said. “They’ve been great about it. They’ve all connected with me. I just talk to them about respecting the St. Dominic way, respecting the crest both on and off the court. It’s more than just basketball. They understand that.”
The Blue Devils have started the new season with a 3-2 record, having defeated Snyder, Hudson Catholic and Union City, while suffering losses to Union and Dwight-Englewood in the Union City Soaring Eagle Holiday Tournament.
The last win against host Union City was a thrilling one, with the Blue Devils rallying from a 32-25 deficit with 2:40 remaining to come back and win on a basket by Hannah Johnson with just 6.6 seconds left.
The 5-foot-8 Johnson, a Hudson Reporter All-Area First Team honoree last year, is being asked to do a lot with the Blue Devils this season, her senior year.
“Hannah is a dynamic athlete,” Hester said. “We’re asking her to run the point, go to the basket, rebound, defend and do a little bit of everything. She has a lot of talent. She’s learning about when we should run and when we should slow things down. She does a lot of reacting to the game. She’s trying as hard as she can.”
Hester believes that Johnson is a college player.
“No question, I think she’s a Division I talent,” Hester said. “We’re just trying to find ways to have someone else have the ball. We don’t want Hannah with the ball all the time. We want someone to deliver the ball to her and let her go to the basket.”
Johnson averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game last year. She might not reach those numbers this season, but her importance is all the same. So far this season, Johnson is averaging 15 points and eight rebounds, with a 16-point, 10-rebound, eight assist and eight steal performance in the win over Hudson Catholic and a 15-point, seven-rebound, four steal game in the win over Union City.
“We’re doing some things differently with Hannah,” Hester said. “We’re still learning.”
Sophomore Mary Kate Cannito is a 5-foot-3 guard who is learning how to play the point guard slot on the fly.
“She’s improving with every quarter she plays,” Hester said. “She’s athletically gifted and gaining more confidence handling the ball.”
Junior Gabby Fortune is a 5-foot-4 shooting guard with good touch from the perimeter.
“She’s a good spot-up shooter,” Hester said. “She can handle the ball well and can be a good scorer for us. She has also gotten significantly better.”
Hester’s daughter, Shannon, a 5-foot-8 senior, is one of the team’s premier inside players.
“She’s a good rebounder and she’s finding ways to score,” said Hester of his daughter, who had 18 points in the win over Snyder and 13 against Hudson Catholic. “She’s going up against some legitimate big players and has become a scoring threat for us.”
Casey McIntyre, a 5-foot-10 senior, has emerged as an inside presence.
“She runs the floor well for a big girl, but we’re trying to get her to be just a little quicker,” Hester said.
Sophomore Allie Duran, a 5-foot-5 guard, joined the basketball team after playing soccer in the fall.
“She just started playing basketball, but she immediately became one of the more athletic kids we have,” Hester said. “She can run.”
Senior Christina Mezey, the Hudson Reporter Pitcher of the Year in softball last spring, is making her mark in basketball.
“She really has stepped up,” Hester said of Mezey, whose father Rich was a standout basketball player during his days at the now defunct St. Aloysius High School. “She’s been very good on the boards, getting nine rebounds in each of our wins.”
Junior Madison Galvin is a 5-foot-4 guard who Hester calls his “defensive stopper.” Sophomore Sara Awad is a 5-foot-6 forward who helps out with rebounding and defense down low.
“She fundamentally knows the game,” Hester said of Awad.
Hester believes that his team can be competitive throughout the remainder of the season.
“I think I’m still learning a little about them and about coaching,” Hester said. “But they’re interested and they’re intense. That’s a good sign.”
It’s also a good sign that the powers-that-be at SDA turned the program over to an energetic good guy like John Hester. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.