The Toll Gate boys basketball team is having a breakout season after moving down to Division III this winter. The Titans have rolled out to a 5-1 start in the division and a 6-2 record overall.
The Titans have been led so far by their two bigs up front in captain Brayden Healey and transfer Damola Oremosu, who have each averaged over 10 points per game scoring and over seven rebounds per contest.
“Brayden Healey and Damola Oremosu, they’ve had a lot of success in the paint this year. They can get better, too. I don’t think they’ve grasped their potential this year. It starts with them. We’re returning four of our five starters, we moved down, so that’s really helped out,” said Toll Gate coach Richard Grenier.
The team has used three returning guards to fill out the rest of the starting lineup and Grenier likes the balance across the board as the Titans have found success in attacking opponents in a variety of offenses.
“Liam Leahy really has upped his game this year. He’s been a one-man machine weaving through presses. Jack Colvin and Will Goodine give us the offense from the outside which allows us to stretch the defense and open things up for Liam, Brayden and Damola,” said Grenier.
The Titans have also begun working out their rotations off the bench in recent games.
“Our bench is a work in progress. Nick Napolitano is a physical player off the bench, he has that toughness we’re looking for. Anthony Merola is really fast, he’s good when we do our full court press, that’s the game he excels in. Brian Tombs is our 3-point specialist. He knows his role, he’s a zone threat,” said Grenier, who has also given Ryan Enos, Jaden Roache, Jack Larrivee and freshman Aidan Tourangeau minutes as well.
Although Toll Gate is well-positioned in fourth place, Grenier hopes to see the team continue to improve down the stretch this season, focusing primarily on defense in the paint and improved shooting from both the field and at the line.
“We need to take care of the ball. We just need to be tougher in the paint. We have the skill, we just need to have the confidence when going against guys that are bigger than us,” Grenier said. “If we limit the turnovers, play tougher and start hitting our shots, especially at the foul line, we’ll win these games.”