Westmoreland Senior Spotlight: Derry’s Tyson Webb

By: Anthony Difilippo
Monday, December 20, 2021 | 11:45 AM

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Last season, Derry’s basketball team had a historic year, finishing third in Section 1-4A and capping it off by winning the first playoff game in program history in the preliminary round against Southmoreland.

The team that ended last season and the team on the court this season will look vastly different. Eight seniors departed after last year, and four of those seniors were starters.

Senior Tyson Webb, the lone remaining starter, isn’t too worried about that.

“We have a lot of good, skilled, players that are very talented,” Webb said. “They can do their roles just as (well) as the kids last year.”

To prepare for the season, Webb got into the gym and went to work.

“I just got into the gym and shot. Shot and dribbled,” Webb said. “I wanted to get better at every aspect of the game.”

Webb is unsure of what he wants to do in the future as far as basketball goes, but he wants to study engineering in college.

With the season starting, Webb took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with basketball?

I just started going to my brothers’ practices and playing on the side hoops. I just really started falling in love with it and playing it every day and going to practices every day with my brothers. That just got me into it.

How do you think you could build off of last season?

I just feel like we could use what we did last year to inspire us to do better this year, make us want to do better and get further in the playoffs and do better in the section. We’re rebuilding, so we just want to surprise everyone. Everyone’s doubting us right now, thinking we’re not going to do (well). I feel like it’s a boost to make us go further, go harder.

What is your biggest strength?

This year it’s going to be my confidence. Just going out and playing hard every second, going out and trying to win the game, playing defense and just going out as hard as I can.

Is there an area where you could improve?

I just always want to improve on defense. On defense you always (have) to get better. I want to improve my rebounding too, because rebounding is our biggest deficit right now, and we just (have to) get better at it. We just have to get all the boards we can.

How is it to have such an experienced coach (Tom Esposito going into his 18th season)?

He brings a lot of intensity. He wants us to work, wants us to get better and wants us to be there every day. Our defense, he wants to make us better defenders. Because we’re small this year, we have to play full court and play fast. He pushes us to get better a lot.

What do you feel you have left to accomplish?

Going further in the playoffs and winning the section. We haven’t won the section in how many years? A long time, so winning the section is definitely the biggest accomplishment for us this year.

What is one thing that people may not know about you?

I would probably say that I love the outdoors. That’s the one thing that people may not know about me.