DYING TO WIN: Princeton High girls’ basketball player Catherine Dyevich passes the ball in action last season. Junior forward Dyevich figures to be a go-to player for PHS this winter. The Little Tigers, who are welcoming new head coach Dave Kosa, tip off the 2017-18 season when they play at Lawrence High on December 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Dave Kosa has experience guiding a varsity basketball program at Princeton High, having served as the head coach of the boys’ squad from 2002-07.

Over the last decade, Kosa turned his focus to the girls and expanded his hoops resume, working as assistant coach for the St. Rose girls’ team before stints as the head coach of the Haddonfield and Piscataway girls’ programs.

Now, Kosa, who has remained as a math teacher at PHS, is taking the helm of the girls’ hoops program, succeeding Stephen Hennessy.

“When the position opened for Princeton, it hit me in the heart,” said Kosa.

“Seeing the girls’ basketball banner in the gym with nothing on it, that is something I wanted to change. I have had success elsewhere so it is: let me see if I can use that experience and help with where I call home.”

Kosa is encouraging his players to push things at both ends of the court, as the Little Tigers look to improve on the 6-20 record posted in 2016-17.

“We want to be aggressive both offensively and defensively,” said Kosa, whose team is opening its 2017-18 season by playing at Lawrence High on December 15.

“From a defensive standpoint, I like playing a really good solid man-to-man and then throwing in a press. I think forcing the action and being aggressive really lends itself to helping us offensively, creating points off of turnovers and in transition. We are going to play a motion offense, where everyone is moving, passing, cutting, and sharing the ball.”

That up-tempo approach appears to be resonating with the PHS squad.

“It has been a great welcoming on both ends; I am excited to work with them and they are excited to work with me,” said Kosa, who has been serving as an assistant coach for the PHS girls soccer and softball programs over the last few years.

“They are taking everything in, they are very open, and they listen well. They are open to my philosophy and they really want to learn and get better; that is half the battle right there.”

Senior center Taylor Stone is primed to battle in the paint. “Taylor leads by example and has done a great job for us,” said Kosa.

“I have really relied upon her for leadership. She does a yeoman’s job inside. She is not that tall; she is maybe 5’9 or 5’10, but she is just strong physically. We are going to be relying on her to score in the post and handle the boards for us.”

The one-two punch of juniors Catherine Dyevich and Erin Devine could make PHS hard to handle.

“Cat will probably start off at the three for us and Erin will start off at the four,” said Kosa.

“Cat is very versatile, she can play inside or outside. She creates some advantages for us and some mismatches on the offensive. She is like 5’10, 5’11. Erin is really similar to Cat; she can shoot the three and has good range.”

The Intartaglia twins, juniors Anna and Olivia, give the Little Tigers additional versatility.

“Anna has worked a lot on her shot this year so she can knock down the three as well,” said Kosa.

“Olivia is very versatile. She will shoot the gaps and take the ball to the basket and get her shot off. Both of them are solid defensively. They have good basketball IQ for us.”

Sophomore Shaylah Marciano is emerging as a threat for PHS.

“You throw in Shaylah; she is just a tremendous athlete, playing soccer and lacrosse,” said Kosa.

“She has tremendous vision; she is making these one-handed passes. I can see her on the soccer field throwing them and now it is great to see her on the basketball court doing the same thing.”

The pair of junior Ella Kotsen and sophomore Eva Petrone provide depth in the backcourt. “Ella is a hard worker; she is versatile for us and can play a couple of different positions,” said Kosa. “Eva is a spark plug on the defensive side.”

Looking ahead to the season, Kosa believes that the work ethic demonstrated by his players could pay dividends.

“If we can stay healthy, I think we can surprise some people,” said Kosa. “We just want to play sound basketball and keep getting better as the year goes on. They have a great attitude and they are really bonding well with each other. Going to practice is fun. We are putting in a lot of hard work, but we are keeping it fun for them. It is just a great vibe that we have and we are looking to continue to build on that each day.”