Up-tempo game key to success
as Falcons enter basketball season

By Larry Austin
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, December 1, 2005

Niagara Wheatfield's Byron Mulkey (right) tries to dribble around Wilson's Andy Harrington during a preseason scrimmage on Nov. 22.

As Niagara Wheatfield begins the boys basketball season today at the Sweet Home tournament, coach Joe Casale hopes his forwards grow.

Not grow as in gain a few inches in height, but grow as players. After losing Kevin Cuddahee to graduation, the Falcons are looking for solid frontcourt play to complement a strong backcourt of guards.

“So far so good,” Casale said last week after scrimmaging Wilson in a preseason tune-up. “We’ll be as good as our big guys, our young big guys.”

Byron Mulkey, a 5-11 guard, returns for his fourth and final varsity season and remains the one constant on the team. Mulkey broke the school career scoring mark midway through last season.

“I’ve got good guards. Byron is going to be Byron,” Casale said. “Obviously he’s going to be the quarterback of everything we do, but Joe Kephart started last year and is a very good guard.”

The team will miss Stefan Marzahl a 5-11 senior, who is out with a lacerated spleen suffered in the season-ending football game.

“He’s my shooter,” Casale said of Marzahl, who showed the ability to make the three-point shot consistently last season. “So we’ve got to hold the fort for him, but you’ve got Aaron Foote and you’ve got Jeff Bissell and Josh Kilgour, so I feel good about the guards.

“It’s the big guys, the four and five spots that are the unknowns.”

Those unknowns include senior forwards Frank Nalls (6-1), Nick Doyle (6-7), Matt Haseley (6-4), Josh Kilgore (6-2) and Tyler Lekki (6-2).

Junior forwards on the roster include Charles Jacobs (6-3), Ted Klettke (6-1) and Tom Sheehan (6-2). Aaron Foote (5-11) and Jeff Bissell (6-2) are junior guards. Justin Gilmore (5-9) is a backup point guard in his sophomore year.

“The thing I like about this team is that everybody’s quick. We’re going to be an up-tempo team this year,” Casale said. “We’ll get out and run the floor a little bit, so we’ll be an exciting team. Even our big guys are quick.”

The team can count on Mulkey for scoring in the half court offense, but is looking to supplement his output.

“We’re going to full court it and we’re going to get after people to try to score off our defense,” he said. “They’re starting to play some unselfish ball offensively and they’re starting to see how much fun they can have defensively.”

Niagara Falls is playing an independent schedule again this year, leaving the other seven Niagara Frontier League schools to battle for the league title. Niagara Wheatfield considers themselves one of the contenders.

“You’ve got some very good teams this year. It’s going to be a good league,” Casale said. “You’ve got Lockport, who’s probably the favorite, and Kenmore East is very good this year.

“These guys are setting their goals high. They want to try to win the league. We’ll have to grow a little bit and play pretty well.”