High School Girls Basketball

BY ADAM RONIS

Everyone seems to have a silly superstition. When I wear a sock with a hole in it, I tend to write my best stuff. For Hampton Bays, it's purple and white striped socks. Coach Dave Goodman suggested the team wear them, but the players didn't like the idea.

"We didn't like it at all," Kelly Cavallo said. "Now, we like it."

The players wear just one sock up to their knees. Since they adopted the new look, Hampton Bays is 10-0, including a 68-56 win over Wyandanch today to win the Suffolk Class B championship. Wyandanch won three of the last four titles before this season.

Goodman went 0-7 against Wyandanch the last three years. Even with the addition of Cavallo, Wyandanch won 60-51 on Jan. 10. But Hampton Bays won the second meeting, 72-41, on Feb. 8.

Wyandanch raced out to a 22-8 lead today and led 22-10 after one. Hampton Bays couldn't get past the press and Cavallo barely touched the ball. It changed in the second quarter and Hampton Bays tied the score at 36 to end the half. Cavallo had 28 points over the second and third quarters. After that first quarter, Hampton Bays held a 58-34 advantage.

Cavallo shot 16-for-26 to finish with 35 points, 21 rebounds and four blocked shots. Senior point guard Genna Kovar added nine points and 10 assists. Kovar said the practiced against a six-player press in practice that helped them prepare for Wyandanch.

Goodman said it was Pete Meehan's idea, the Hampton Bays boys coach, who has assisted Goodman since the boys team had its season end. Meehan has also directed the team for one hour of the two hour practices. Goodman thought it was a good idea that team hear a different voice.

"He's my closest friend and he has given me a lot of help," Goodman said.

Cavallo played with Hampton Bays in eighth grade before attending Westhampton for more than three years. She transferred in late December and changed the complexion of Hampton Bays.

"Kelly will change any team," Wyandanch coach Warren Fuller said. "Sami Krantz and Genna Kovar have been the foundation of that program for many years. They have earned this."

Hampton Bays will play Stony Brook on Tuesday 5 p.m. at Center Moriches in the Class B/C qualifier.