Dryden boys look to build off IAC divisional title

When it comes to boys basketball in Tompkins County, Newfield is the cream of the crop, having won multiple sectional titles and its first state championship last season. In the midst of the Trojans’ success, Dryden has quietly built a competitive program to watch out for this winter.

Last time out, the Purple Lions finished with a 12-10 record and just edged out Lansing to win the IAC Large North Division. Heading into their season opener on Dec. 2 against Watkins Glen, head coach Zach LeViere has been impressed with what he’s seen in practice.

“We’ve got a good group of guys that are all high-character guys that enjoy playing basketball, and they enjoy playing together,” LeViere said. “So, practices have been great. Everyone comes into the gym every day looking to get a little bit better, which, as a coach, we preach that almost every day. Some teams enact that, and some teams don’t. I really think with this team, everyone wants to be there.”

Dryden is off to a winning start by taking down the Senecas 66-62 in overtime. The Purple Lions rallied back after trailing by as many as 14 points in the third quarter. Colton Dow led Dryden with 21 points. The reigning IAC First Team All-Star has been on varsity since his freshman year, making him a veteran presence as he begins his senior season.

“[Colton’s] the heart and soul of the team,” LeViere said. “He’s got the ball in his hands the most. I trust him bringing up the ball against just about any defender in the section, and he’s in great shape.”

Dow comes into the winter off the back of a remarkable football campaign, rushing for over 1,000 yards. He has created a productive partnership both on the turf and on the court with fellow senior Xavier Scott, who was named the IAC Large North Division MVP last season. Clocking in at 6 feet 7 inches tall, Scott uses his size to full advantage in the paint.

“You’ve got to have something more than just size to win at basketball, and I think Xavier’s got a motor,” LeViere said. “When he’s on the floor, he’s just going. He works his butt off in practice. He works his tail off in games. When he comes out of a game, it’s because he needs a rest. He doesn’t come out of the game because of mistakes. It’s because, yeah, he’s been working his tail off for 6 minutes straight or a whole quarter straight.”

LeViere continued.

“He [also] has great hands, and I really think that this year, his hands have gotten even better. We saw that with the football season that he had, he was jumping up over defenders and caught a lot of balls. That’s the kind of thing that’s going to translate into basketball. He’s got strong hands but soft hands where he’s able to catch that ball in traffic.”

The Purple Lions have plenty of new faces in the roster after graduating six players, including starter Ryan Wiser and sharpshooter Armando Gonzalez. In addition to retaining starter C.J. Miles, they add three newcomers who played on junior varsity last season: Alexander Scott (Xavier’s younger brother), Peter Nydam and Daniel Murphy. The sophomore trio is expected to see meaningful minutes to help fill in the roles left behind by the graduating seniors.

Dryden’s most highly anticipated matchups this season will be against rival Lansing. They faced off four times last season, but the Purple Lions won the most important one, taking down the Bobcats in the IAC divisional tiebreaker 54-47 to punch their ticket to the IAC Championships. In fact, Dryden’s next game will be at home against their adversaries on Dec. 8.

“We became very familiar with each other last year,” LeViere said. “[With head coach] Joey Volpicelli over there, we know each other pretty well at this point in terms of the personnel that we have on both teams, as well as what each coach tries to do on the basketball floor. I think part of that is looking to scheme against that and try to take advantage of some of those things. I expect Joey will be looking to do the same thing for us.”

As the Purple Lions embark on a promising season, LeViere has two goals in mind: make it back to the IAC Championships and host a sectional game.

“I learned a lot last year in terms of making it to postseason play in our conference and then in sectionals of really focusing on building the team up throughout the year and focusing on that conditioning and intensity piece to make sure that, come February, we’re really reaching our apex at that point and not peaking too early or peaking too late,” LeViere said. “Early to mid-February is when we really want to be peaking as a team.”

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