Center Moriches’ Bandrowski Eyes ‘B’ Finals, Next Level
Jay Mumford

“Competitor.”

That’s the one word adjective Center Moriches Head Coach Rich Alfano gave when asked to describe Jessica Bandrowski, his senior leader.  “Jessica will put a team on her shoulders when you need her to”, Coach Alfano continued. “Her leadership skills (are great)”.

The 5’5 combo guard lives for the challenge, and all season long she’s been willing to carry the load for the Center Moriches Red Devils when the situation calls for her to. Look no further than the Class ‘B’ semi-final game against league rival Wyandanch, whom the Red Devils can never seem to oust when the stakes are high. Whether you want to cite her 14 point second half, her poise when the game got wild and wooly or her vocal leadership down the stretch, Bandrowski’s fingerprints were all over the program’s biggest win in quite some time. All of the above are evidence of what she can bring to the huddle, the court and the locker room on the next level. Oh, and there will be life at the next level.

“I’ll be attending Keuka College in the fall”, Bandrowski said. “I’ll be expecting to do the same things I do (at Center Moriches), which are be a leader, be vocal and do whatever the team needs to win.” If that’s the case, there shouldn’t be much of a personal overhaul ahead for her arrival at the Division III (NEAC Conference) school in upstate New York’s Fingerlakes region. It also helps that Bandrowski can drill from beyond the arc, be a pest in the passing lanes -she’s averaging 16.7 points and about 5 steals per game- and set the table, but a true competitor is never satisfied. “(Over the summer) I’ll be working on everything”, she said. “Especially my dribbling, shooting and driving to the hole. I want to be better all around (for college).”

“(Keuka Head Coach Dave Sweet) is looking for someone to come in and be their point guard and team leader”, said Coach Alfano. “When Jessica’s on and really committing herself, she’s a pretty damn good player.”

Before Bandrowski treks north to find success with the (Keuka) Storm, she has unfinished business as a Red Devil. The 1,000+ point career scorer wants to leave Center Moriches a champion, and she has the opportunity on Tuesday afternoon when the Red Devils face league rival Mattituck for all the Marbles at St. Joseph’s College.

“I’m really excited for that game”, Bandrowski said. Competitors and leaders tend to get excited. They also tend to excite, it makes perfect sense.