Moving from fall to winter, Oswego’s Mariano Velasco continues to be an excellent multitasker.
Velasco, the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Football Player of the Year, stood out as a defensive back and wide receiver as the Panthers earned Class 8A state runner-up honors.
Now, the senior point guard has been providing a steadying influence for Oswego’s boys basketball team while simultaneously taking care of business with his football recruiting.
“It’s always fun playing basketball, even though it’s not my main sport,” Velasco said. “I still have a passion for it. I still want to win. I’m still competitive and I’ve been playing good with these guys.
“And we’re having a winning season.”
That proved to be true again Wednesday night as Velasco was in the middle of the fray, scoring 11 of his 14 points in the first half as host Oswego squeaked out a 59-58 win over Metea Valley.
It was another close encounter of the nail-biting kind for the Panthers (14-7), who moved their winning streak to eight straight as sophomore guard Ethan Vahl made two free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining. Velasco added three steals in the nonconference victory.
It’s the 14th time this season Oswego has had a game decided by single digits, and the Panthers have won nine. They’re also 5-1 in the six games that have come down to the last possession.
“Winning all these close games is only going to make us better and stronger for the postseason,” Oswego coach Nick Oraham said.
Metea (11-10) stayed with the Panthers stride for stride, rallying from as many as nine points down and taking a 58-57 lead on a 3-pointer by junior guard Manny Miller with 9.8 seconds left.
Senior guard Tre Watkins led the Mustangs (11-10) with 22 points and Miller added 18. Junior guard Collin Booker scored 13 points off the bench.
“We’re resilient,” Metea coach Isaiah Davis said. “We made a lot of good, extra-effort plays, especially in the last three minutes. We just came up one play short.”
Oswego’s players, however, had been here before.
“I was kind of upset when he hit that shot, but we can’t hang our heads too long,” Velasco said of Miller’s big conversion. “We still had 9.8 seconds.”
Oswego put the ball in Vahl’s hands. He went the distance, driving the lane and drawing a foul on a contested call.
His free throws gave him a game-high 24 points, with the win being secured when Watkins took a 3-pointer at the buzzer from well beyond the center line that was off the mark.
“Almost half the games we’ve played have been like this,” Vahl said. “I don’t think everybody liked that (call), but I did and it won us the game.”
Oraham confirmed there was no panic.
“Get the ball in Ethan’s hands and see what he can create for himself or others,” Oraham said.
Oraham is also glad to have Velasco available, although he missed two games last weekend for a recruiting visit to Air Force in Colorado Springs. He will travel this weekend to West Point.
“Mariano makes such a big difference,” Oraham said. “He gets his hands on a lot of balls defensively. Offensively, you know that he’s going left and he’s still getting to his spot.
“He’s doing a really nice job of finishing, traffic or not. He hit a big 3-pointer on the left wing.”
With under four minutes left, Oswego extended its lead to 55-45, only to be followed by anxious moments.
“I’ve been starting for three years, so I’m pretty comfortable with the ball in my hands,” Velasco said. “Ethan’s a great player, but whenever he needs someone to take the stress off or he’s getting face guarded or double-teamed, I’m there to get a basket or make plays for my team.”
Velasco is also planning a visit to Butler.
“I have a choice coming soon,” he said. “Wherever I go, I think it’s be a good fit for me.”