Metea nearly upsets Neuqua

The Metea Valley boys basketball team is just another example for the argument that a first-year varsity high school team doesn’t have to have excruciating growing pains.

The Mustangs played host to Neuqua Valley on Tuesday night in Aurora for the first varsity matchup between the schools in boys varsity basketball. Metea lost 70-64, but showed it is capable of making noise in the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division and in the UEC in general.

LaShawn Cargo led the hosts (4-2, 1-1) with a game-high 28 points, including five 3-point baskets, and his play was crucial in the first quarter as Metea led 25-16 after it.

“Wow, that’s an all-conference player,” Neuqua coach Todd Sutton said. “He has my vote.”

Cargo and teammate Kenny Obendorf each had two 3-pointers in the first eight minutes as Metea shot 6 of 7 from beyond the arc and 9 of 13 from the field overall. Obendorf finished with 13 points.

“Our guys have met the challenges they have faced in the first quarter,” Metea coach Bob Vozza said. “But at the same time you knew the run was coming from them (Neuqua).”

Fortunes were reversed in the second quarter as Neuqua (5-0, 2-0) got hot, outscoring Metea 20-7 for a 36-32 halftime lead. Tyler Sutton scored 10 of his personal-high 16 points in that quarter for the Wildcats.

Cargo scored 13 of his team’s 15 points in the third quarter, but Neuqua led after it 51-47.

Neuqua didn’t have control of this game until less than a minute remained. Cargo sank his final 3-point basket of the night with 45.6 seconds left to pull the Mustangs to within 68-64 and Vozza called timeout. But Jim Stocki, who tied for the team-high in scoring with Alex Karkazis with 19 points, sank a pair of free throws with 13.5 seconds left.

“First rivalry game, we knew they were going to come out with a lot of energy,” Stocki said. “We were able to settle oursevles, regain composure and battle the rest of the way out.”

And for Metea, more optimism comes that its inaugural varsity season, while definitely a learning experience, can be successful.

“We are going to be challenged throughout this conference. Every team in our half is going to give us a run. We have to be ready to go. I think we have the players in place and I think they have responded to every challenge I have thrown at them so far,” Vozza said. “We’ll be right there. It’s just a matter of executing.”