CNYCentral Athlete- Kara Dattellas
West Genesee isn't especially known for it's hoops so, fittingly enough, it's an All-CNY lacrosse player who is putting the Wildcats on the Central New York basketball map. The girls basketball team beat Fayetteville-Manleus in the Section III semifinals on Tuesday with that All-CNY lacrosse player Kara Dattellas leading the way on the hardwood as a point guard with a steady, consistent, and dependable influence. It is those traits that has also earned her the title of this week's CNYCentral Athlete.
"I took this job over this year, and I knew she was going to be my point guard," says first year Head Coach Dan Hallinan, "and I knew that she's tough as nails on the lacrosse field and she carried it over to basketball this season, and she's just played outstanding."
"We haven't had the history of basketball (at West Genesee)," says Dattellas, "but this year we definitely came alive so I'm really excited, I love the team."
Whether its playing "suffocating defense" and making key foul shots at the end of a close game, or keeping things loose in the locker room off the court, she's become known as someone who makes her teammates better.
"She's so mature, she doesn't get flustered," says Hallinan, "she can miss ten shots in a row and it doesn't bother her. She's singing and dancing in the locker room before every game, it doesn't matter if it's a State final, a Sectional semifinal or if we're playing a team we should beat by 30."
"I just practice with my teammates," adds Dattellas, "and my teammates are my friends so they help me and I help them. I will just hopefully continue to grow."
Dattellas and the Wildcats have one of the toughest tasks of the year ahead of them next week, taking on Brianna Stewart and the C-NS Northstars in the Section II title game at the Carrier Dome. It's the game Dattellas has been leading her team towards all season long.
