Gadawski leads resurgent GI basketball team

by Eric Keppeler Photo by Larry Austin Grand Island Dispatch, December 22, 2006 Dan Gadawski is the elder statesman of Grand Island basketball. He came up to play a few games on the varsity when he was in eighth grade, and he’s been there ever since. The Vikings have had some rough seasons on the hardwood during Gadawski’s tenure, but fate may have been saving its best for his last. Now a senior, he’s the starting point guard for a Grand Island squad that has won its first three games, including two in the Niagara Frontier League after the Vikings upset defending league champion Lockport 56-52 at home Tuesday evening. “It’s definitely fun to be a part of this,” Gadawski said. “I’ve been playing with some of these guys for four years now, and we all want a winning season. Over the last few years, we’ve had a lot of football players on the team. They were focused on a bunch of different sports. This year, we’ve got guys who just like basketball.” Grand Island coach Chris Simpson has watched Gadawski grow from a quiet fellow into a confident and outspoken young man. Now he’s passing on what he has learned to the next generation of young Vikings.

Joe Tanbakuchi soars over Mike Davis for a dunk during the Dec. 8 Grand Island High School pep rally. GI is flying high as well at 3-0.

“He’s been here the longest,” Simpson said. “He’s our vocal leader in practice – he tells guys where to go and what to do. And he’s come a long way from where he started. Even last year, he wouldn’t say a word. He’s become a leader.”

He’s also playing something other than his natural position. Gadawski is a natural shooting guard, but he’s running the offense at the point because that’s what the team needs from him.

And so far, it’s working out well for everyone.

“I’m usually bringing the ball up,” Gadawski said. “Sometimes it gets tiring, but I really don’t mind. I like being in control of what’s going on.”

He doesn’t just run the offense. Through the first two games of the season, he was Grand Island’s leading scorer with 13 points per game.

“He handles the ball, for the most part,” Simpson said. “He’s really a 2-man playing the 1 because we need him to play the 1. I take my hat off to him because he should be running down the floor for open shots instead of bringing the ball up the floor for us. Sometimes he turns the ball over, but in general he’s done a good job for us.”

So the Vikings find themselves in an unaccustomed position at the top of the league. Whether or not they can remain there is anyone’s guess, but, in any case, the Vikings will be battle-tested by the time the Section VI playoffs roll around.

“I think we can go pretty far,” Gadawski said. “I’m not sure if we can win the league because (three-time state finalist) Niagara Falls is back, but we can definitely be near the top. And playing in this league helps gets us ready for playoffs, because then we’re playing schools our own size instead of the bigger ones.”