Elcano Leading Bulldogs to Banner Year

The (12-3, 3-0) have dominated the hardwood this season and are fresh off a win-streak of four in a row and seven out of their last eight games. The team is just one win shy of its 13 victories from the 2010-11 season, with plenty of basketball still left to play.

Why the big turn around? Well, senior Zach Elcano is one ‘giant’ reason the Bulldogs seem the team to beat in the Concorde.

The 6-feet-11 inches, 245-pound center leads his squad in scoring with an average of 13-points per game. Elcano said he took it upon himself in the off-season to become more physical to help lead the Bulldogs in a shot at bringing home championship banners this year.

“We definitely needed someone to step up and be a leader,” said Elcano. “I decided I was going to try and do that, with a couple others. This is my senior year, so we just have to go all out.”

in the second round in late December. But since that game, Elcano and his teammates have rolled through four straight opponents, including three from the Concorde district. They now stand-alone at the top of the district at 3-0, with seven games left in the regular season. The star center said he believes they have a more than favorable chance at winning the gold.

“Every game we’ve been making steps forward,” said Elcano. “We’re playing the best we have in a while and hopefully we’ll keep getting better. I definitely think we have the potential to win the district, the region and make a run at states.”

Elcano has always been tall but said he began hitting the weights just two years ago to bulk up. He stood 6-foot-nine when he started playing varsity at age 15, but weighed just 210 pounds. But now 35 pounds of muscle later, he said his favorite aspect of the game is getting physical down low in the box.

“I can be a lot more physical and take over the post, being more physical and stronger,” Elcano said. “Even if I catch an elbow to the face, I don’t really care. I just enjoy being physical.”

That physical presence has been a big reason for many of the Bulldogs’ dominant wins in 2012. Elcano racked up 15 points in the paint during Westfield’s gashing of rival Centreville last week, 64-35. But Elcano refuses to take all of the credit and said his senior-led team has found the proper chemistry on the court, which has led them to the top of the district.

“We’re happy where we are and are glad we started out so well,” Elcano said regarding the team’s current standing in the Concorde. “We’re making a statement so if we can go on and win the Concorde that would be great. That’s our goal.”

The senior recently signed a letter of intent to play basketball for American University in Washington, D.C. Elcano said he has enjoyed playing for Coach Doug Ewell for the past three years and will find it strange without him as his coach, once in college. Yet before he makes his move downtown, Elcano knows he must finish what he started with Westfield. Next up on the schedule is . And Elcano said the team plans to stay on track with what has worked all season.

“We know they’re a good basketball team and we have to go out and execute,” he said.

Westfield travels to Herndon on Friday, Jan. 19. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.