The Player Perspective – FHS Basketball Relying on Depth as Playoffs Near
Sean O’Leary (#25) dribbles inside as Geino Scaringello (background) watches on. The two have been integral to Franklin’s success this year. (via Sammy Patel Photography)
February 18, 2022
8 straight wins. FHS Boys Basketball was on a roll, hitting on all cylinders as they rattled off win after win. The streak, which included a dominant 77-48 road win last week against the Kelley-Rex’s best Taunton Tigers, set up Franklin for a shot at the Hockomock crown if they played their cards right. But a nail-biting loss last Friday to Mansfield and an injury to leading scorer Henry Digiorgio have left the Panthers in a tough position. To see what the Panthers think of all this as playoffs near, I caught up with FHS Boys Basketball’s Sean O’Leary (So.) and Geino Scaringello (Jr.):
Ryan Martin: First, let’s go back to last Friday’s game. Coming off a statement win against Taunton, you guys lost a tough one against rival Mansfield 56-55. That game featured 9 lead changes in the 4th quarter. What can you guys learn from that late-game loss to become a better team as playoffs approach?
Sean O’Leary: I think it came down to rebounding late the basketball late in the game. Down the stretch we missed a couple of boxouts; there were plays where they out hustled us for the offensive board. Obviously, with a team like Mansfield, we can’t let them get extra chances on the offensive end and I think that was the difference-maker.
Geino Scaringello: I think one thing we can all take away from the Mansfield loss is that we have to play the full 32 minutes. We can’t be letting up late in-game, especially against teams like Mansfield that will punish you for it. It’s all the little things we need to get done that will make us great.
RM: In the second half against Mansfield, the absence of Hank was felt. Hank’s been your leading scorer this season, and after suffering a high ankle sprain in the first half of the Mansfield game missed Tuesday’s win at Milford and will miss more time before the state tournament. How important is it to have confidence in your bench players to step up when a guy like Hank goes down? How do guys getting more minutes in that capacity translate over to the rest of the season?
SO: It’s hard to replace a guy like Hank, but we have confidence in everyone on this team. Justin [Allen] has started a few games earlier in the year and is filling in for Hank now. We have all the confidence in Justin’s ability to hit 3s like Hank as well as bringing the ball up to run the offense. [Sean] Vinson carried a big load of the scoring when Hank went out against Mansfield. Overall, we’re so deep and really anyone can have a huge impact on the floor. Coach [Neely] always tells everyone to be ready for their number to be called, and with these next couple of games, I know people will be ready to contribute.
GS: It’s important to have confidence in the bench players because they are almost like a “behind the scenes” crew. They’re in practice every day, grinding every possession, making everyone better. It’s important to know those guys will step up and be ready with a special player like Henry injured. Players getting more minutes will give them experience, while at the same time giving them their earned opportunity to show what they can do. This is huge for the rest of the season because it makes us ready for any situation; we all know we got each other’s back no matter what happens.
RM: Tuesday’s 73-53 win against Milford certainly showed the backcourt depth Franklin has, as Caden Sullivan, Evan DaSilva, and Geino all really stepped up to give Coach CJ Neely his 200th career win. Sean, how much pressure does it take off your shoulders in the frontcourt knowing your starting backcourt and reserve guards will consistently get it done?
SO: As I said before, it’s really great having a lot of depth on our team. For me personally, it helps a lot, especially since our guards can all shoot the ball really well. It’s great knowing that if I have it in the post and need to kick it out or on a drive to the rim, I can spray it out to these guys and they’ll consistently knock down open 3s. Not only that, but all our guys put me in a great position with their ability to make the right decisions with the ball; they’re always finding me for open looks.
RM: Geino, As we celebrate win 200, how important has Coach Neely been to the success of this team this year?
GS: Coach Neely has been extremely important to the success of the team this year, no doubt. Nobody sees the countless hours Coach spends with us in the gym getting every aspect of our game better. Coach puts us in the position to be such a successful team: he dedicates hours to watching film off the court while also dealing with us on it.
RM: Looking towards the rest of this season, you guys play at King Philip, Burncoat, and then have the Worcester State tournament to finish the regular season, and right now sit as the 13th seed for the tournament this year. What will the points of emphasis be over these next two games to make sure Franklin’s playing their best basketball entering the state playoffs?
SO: We just have to focus on doing the little, important details that can take us from being a good team to a great one. Coach always emphasizes how little details might not show up in the stat sheet, but they help our team win. If we can stick to just doing the little things at an elite level, we’ll be ready for playoffs.
GS: The main point of emphasis is respecting every one of our opponents. We know night in and night out we need to be giving them our best performance to win. We don’t need to worry about anyone except us; we have to remain humble and take it one game at a time over the final stretch.
Franklin will be in action again this Friday, as the Panthers travel to King Philip in a rematch against the 4-13 Warriors. With only four regular-season games to go, the matchup will be Franklin’s final Hockomock game this season as they gear up for the MIAA D1 Playoffs.
