New-Look Legends Looking For Continued Success

It will be a new look for the Lancaster High School boys basketball team, which graduated four of five starters from last year’s successful squad. But plenty of talent remains on this season’s team and the Legends feel they have what it takes to make a third straight trip to Buffalo State College.

With the bulk of last year’s offense graduated, the Legends are still trying to compute that winning formula. But optimism remains high.

“We’ve got to find an identity right now, we don’t really know where we’re at,” Lancaster coach John Otto said. “I think we’re a very talented team, we have to get down to the nitty gritty and do little things to make us a really good team.”

Lancaster lost the top three scorers from last year’s team, which finished 14-7 and finished third in the ECIC I race, a game back of co-champions Jamestown and Williamsville North. Lancaster split with each of the co-champs in the regular year.

The names will mostly be different for the Legends this season. Senior guard Vito Fulciniti is the team’s lone returning starter after scoring 9.1 points per game as a junior, ranking third on the team. The top three scorers, Alex Konst (13.6 points per game), Joe Powers (12.3 ppg) and Alex Damiani (11.1 ppg) have graduated.

But some returning players expected to see an increased role this season got a look a year ago and will need to build on that this season. That group includes senior center Noah Speyer, who scored 2.3 points per game a year ago and senior forward Tim Molik, a soccer co-captain who scored 1.3 ppg as a junior.

“We have some guys that saw a little bit of time last year but they showed they can be successful at this level,” Otto said. A huge re-addition for the Legends is that of senior forward LG Castillo, a record-breaking wide receiver in football and University of Oklahoma commit in baseball. Castillo didn’t play basketball last season after scoring 5.9 points a night as a sophomore at Lancaster but his return this season has Otto grinning proudly. “He is probably the best athlete I’ve ever seen,” the coach said.

The Legends have their sights set on returning to the Section VI semifinals at Buff State. Lancaster got there in each of the last two seasons – but once there, perennial powers Jamestown and Niagara Falls proved to be too much.

Lancaster is no longer content with simply getting to Buff State – the ongoing goal is now a sectional title. And despite the graduation losses, the Legends have their sights set on a title.

“Last year, the goal was not only to get there (to Buff State) but to win as well and unfortunately we didn’t do too well there,” Otto said. “But that’s still the goal this year. We still feel we have a talented team.”