With the season coming to a close, the boys varsity basketball team has dominated their division this year with hopes of winning the county championship.    Although the team that fell short last year has not changed much, they are looking extremely sharp coming into this year. 

The boys are led by the 2023 Nassau County Player of the Year, senior Trevor Amalfitano.  He is a crafty player and fights his way through contact to get to the rim.  He is also a problem from outside the arc, averaging multiple threes per game.  

Not only is he helping this team, but New York State Coach of the Year Sean Dooley, has been leading this team into battle.  The Vikings started off the season hot, by winning their first game against Great Neck South with a score of 55-45.  

The next game was the home opener against East Meadow, in which the Vikings flew by the competition with a commanding 35-point win over East Meadow 73-38.  

Next up for the Vikings was the Manhasset tournament.  They got the job done, defeating St. Marys 84-68.  Junior John Spinoso had an outstanding game, falling one point short of a triple- double.   

Other players who stood out in this tournament were Amalfitano, who was named most valuable player at the tournament, as well as junior Jake Vanderputton, who threw down a monstrous dunk in the game.  

The Vikings next game was held at the Nassau Coliseum, where they really got to showcase their talent against a tough Southampton team on a big stage.  They were undefeated going into this game and were looking forward to keeping it that way.  

Following that, the Vikings took on a powerful Chaminade team at Chaminade high school, and unfortunately, they came up short.  

Even though a loss was not what the Vikings were looking for, adversity is a common denominator faced by many great teams.  The next game for the Vikings was at home against Valley Stream Central.  This was a must needed win, and Port did exactly that, cruising all the way to a 34 point victory at home. 

 Port Washington had another home game ahead where they looked to continue to build momentum versus Great Neck North.  Not only did the Vikings have a commanding win over Great Neck 84-47, but Amalfitano also had a stellar performance with a 39-point game.  

Port’s next game was highly promoted as it was the annual Coaches versus Cancer fundraiser.  Since this was a highly attended game, Port knew they had to put on a show.  The team put up a thrilling victory in this game against Plainview-JFK, making their record an incredible 9-1. 

Following that performance, Port Washington played against Portledge at Chaminade, where they picked up their tenth win of the year.  Next, there was a really tough opponent on Port’s schedule.  They had to face Farmingdale in an away environment.  Port picked up their second loss of the season against Farmingdale in a very chippy and physical game.  

Despite the loss, Amalfitano scored his 1,000th career point in his third year on varsity.  Next, Port took care of business against Academy Charter with a big win.  

Up next was one Port Washington’s biggest games of the season: the county championship rematch versus Baldwin.  The Vikings had some extra fuel for this game, going back to their tragic defeat versus Baldwin last year.   Port got their revenge with a big thirteen point win over Baldwin, fulfilling the get-back narrative.  Vanderputton erupted for sixteen points, and continued to show how he is one of the best big men in Nassau County.  

In their next game the Vikings had an impressive win over the Westbury Green Dragons.  The final score of this game was 96-55.  This was a great team win for the Vikings and helped their pursuit of the first seed in the playoffs.  Next, the Vikings played their second to last home game and it was a big one.  Port faced off against Farmingdale and was looking for revenge.

“The number one thing about this team is our defense.  The intensity that we play with is a huge part of our success,” said Coach Dooley before the game started.

This game was a huge win over the Dalers, the second revenge game this season was completed.  Port dominated this game, winning by 20 points with Amalfitano scoring 23 points.  

“It was so surreal to see my lifelong friend Mac Tiger putting it on for the town, posting a double double on senior night,” said senior Andrew Sarchese.  

 In conclusion this is one of the best Port Washington teams in recent history, that is willing to keep pushing, and has not let up.  The team looks to be the first seeded team in the playoff bracket and is hoping to be crowned County champions in a few weeks.