Picture Perfect
Fallsburg’s Girls Remain Unbeaten Overall As They Rack Up Their First Division Win; Sullivan West Boys Stay Perfect In Division Play As Teams Vie Under Overcast Skies, Brisk Temperatures And Gusty Winds
Boys: Sullivan West 238, Fallsburg 258
Girls: Fallsburg 166, Sullivan West 190
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Photos at www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Some but not ALL of the golfers on the greens (sorry you didn't all fit!) clockwise: Fallsburg's Richie Elliott, Danielle Stratton, Charles Marsden, Sullivan West's Ally Ellmauer and Todd Roeder, Fallsburg's Braiden DeGraw, Brooke Rappaport, Zak Steingart, Melissa Melko, Sullivan West's Drew Billard, Daphne Muzuruk and Jimmy Finn
FALLSBURG, NY—Dark clouds, cool temperatures and a gusty wind made it feel more like March than late April on the greens at Tarry Brae and Lochmoor as Fallsburg hosted Sullivan West’s boys and girls in division golf matches on April 26.
Looking to keep their unbeaten league season continuing as such, the Sullivan West boys looked to marshal their depth to offset the fine golfing they knew they’d see from defending OCIAA Champion Richie Elliott. And depth is what Sullivan West has going for it as it marches on towards trying to attain its ninth consecutive year of Division IV supremacy, a streak that is becoming a story unto itself.
With the graduation of Mike Scuderie, Fallsburg lost its potent number two golfer to augment Elliott’s leadership. Now it’s up to golfers like Charles Marsden, Braiden DeGraw, Zak Steingart ,Sundar Pratt and Aaron Schmidt to fill in the gaps. Schmidt and Steingart played last year but lack of experience is a factor for the Comets who would love to break into the top level of the division wherein the Westies, Tri-Valley and Eldred are jockeying for supremacy. The trio of teams tied for the division title last spring but with a wins in hand over both Tri-Valley and Eldred, the Bulldogs are in the driver’s seat at the moment.
Sullivan West senior Drew Billard did his best to offset Elliott’s two over-par 38 on the front nine at Tarry Brae by shooting a 39. That one stroke Fallsburg advantage was obliterated by Sullivan West’s number two through five golfers as Jimmy Finn shot a 45, Ryan Reinshagen posted a 49, Ryan Graham added a 50 and Todd Roeder shot a 55 to undercut Fallsburg’s two through five golfers by 21 strokes. An impressive long put by Steingart on the fourth hole drew accolades from his playing mates.
Here are the scores and current team records:
OCIAA Division IV: Boys: Sullivan West 238, Fallsburg 258
Sullivan West: Drew Billard 39; Jim Finn 45; Ryan Reinshagen 49; Ryan Graham 50; Todd Roeder 55.
Fallsburg: Rich Elliott 38; Charles Marsden 52; Braiden DeGraw 56; Zak Steingart 56; Sundar Pratt 56.
Records: Sullivan West 5-2 (5-0 OCIAA); Fallsburg 2-2 (2-2 OCIAA).
Lady Comets Pick Up First League Win To Remain Unbeaten
When it comes to experience and a record of success, Fallsburg’s Lady Comets have it going on with veterans like Danielle Stratton, Melissa Melko and Brooke Rappaport. Even with the graduation of standout state qualifier Cassie Orlan, Fallsburg remains the team to beat in their division. With Sullivan West losing standout Jillian Fife to graduation, the Lady Bulldogs are young but working hard to progress along the learning curve early on in this season.
But against Fallsburg’s killer trio, the Ladies of the West were quite a bit off the pace. With their winter hats on and their golf game a bit more tepid, Fallsburg was paced by Stratton’s modest 51. She’s seen much better days on the familiar greens and will no doubt rise to the occasion when greater challenges present themselves. Melko and Rappaport played through their struggles with smiles and a relaxed air for they knew that while their scores weren’t burning up any headlines, Sullivan West’s struggles were even greater.
Here are the girls results of the day.
OCIAA Division IV: Fallsburg 166, Sullivan West 190
(at Lochmor, front nine, par 36)
Fallsburg: Danielle Stratton 51; Melissa Melko 56; Brooke Rappaport 59.
Sullivan West: Kassie Thelman 64; Daphne Muzuruk 63; Ally Ellmauer 63.
Records: Fallsburg 4-0 (1-0 OCIAA); Sullivan West 1-5 (1-1 OCIAA).
For an album of photos visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Picture Perfect
Fallsburg’s Girls Remain Unbeaten Overall As They Rack Up Their First Division Win; Sullivan West Boys Stay Perfect In Division Play As Teams Vie Under Overcast Skies, Brisk Temperatures And Gusty Winds
Boys: Sullivan West 238, Fallsburg 258
Girls: Fallsburg 166, Sullivan West 190
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Photos at www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Some but not ALL of the golfers on the greens (sorry you didn't all fit!) clockwise: Fallsburg's Richie Elliott, Danielle Stratton, Charles Marsden, Sullivan West's Ally Ellmauer and Todd Roeder, Fallsburg's Braiden DeGraw, Brooke Rappaport, Zak Steingart, Melissa Melko, Sullivan West's Drew Billard, Daphne Muzuruk and Jimmy Finn
FALLSBURG, NY—Dark clouds, cool temperatures and a gusty wind made it feel more like March than late April on the greens at Tarry Brae and Lochmoor as Fallsburg hosted Sullivan West’s boys and girls in division golf matches on April 26.
Looking to keep their unbeaten league season continuing as such, the Sullivan West boys looked to marshal their depth to offset the fine golfing they knew they’d see from defending OCIAA Champion Richie Elliott. And depth is what Sullivan West has going for it as it marches on towards trying to attain its ninth consecutive year of Division IV supremacy, a streak that is becoming a story unto itself.
With the graduation of Mike Scuderie, Fallsburg lost its potent number two golfer to augment Elliott’s leadership. Now it’s up to golfers like Charles Marsden, Braiden DeGraw, Zak Steingart ,Sundar Pratt and Aaron Schmidt to fill in the gaps. Schmidt and Steingart played last year but lack of experience is a factor for the Comets who would love to break into the top level of the division wherein the Westies, Tri-Valley and Eldred are jockeying for supremacy. The trio of teams tied for the division title last spring but with a wins in hand over both Tri-Valley and Eldred, the Bulldogs are in the driver’s seat at the moment.
Sullivan West senior Drew Billard did his best to offset Elliott’s two over-par 38 on the front nine at Tarry Brae by shooting a 39. That one stroke Fallsburg advantage was obliterated by Sullivan West’s number two through five golfers as Jimmy Finn shot a 45, Ryan Reinshagen posted a 49, Ryan Graham added a 50 and Todd Roeder shot a 55 to undercut Fallsburg’s two through five golfers by 21 strokes. An impressive long put by Steingart on the fourth hole drew accolades from his playing mates.
Here are the scores and current team records:
OCIAA Division IV: Boys: Sullivan West 238, Fallsburg 258
Sullivan West: Drew Billard 39; Jim Finn 45; Ryan Reinshagen 49; Ryan Graham 50; Todd Roeder 55.
Fallsburg: Rich Elliott 38; Charles Marsden 52; Braiden DeGraw 56; Zak Steingart 56; Sundar Pratt 56.
Records: Sullivan West 5-2 (5-0 OCIAA); Fallsburg 2-2 (2-2 OCIAA).
Lady Comets Pick Up First League Win To Remain Unbeaten
When it comes to experience and a record of success, Fallsburg’s Lady Comets have it going on with veterans like Danielle Stratton, Melissa Melko and Brooke Rappaport. Even with the graduation of standout state qualifier Cassie Orlan, Fallsburg remains the team to beat in their division. With Sullivan West losing standout Jillian Fife to graduation, the Lady Bulldogs are young but working hard to progress along the learning curve early on in this season.
But against Fallsburg’s killer trio, the Ladies of the West were quite a bit off the pace. With their winter hats on and their golf game a bit more tepid, Fallsburg was paced by Stratton’s modest 51. She’s seen much better days on the familiar greens and will no doubt rise to the occasion when greater challenges present themselves. Melko and Rappaport played through their struggles with smiles and a relaxed air for they knew that while their scores weren’t burning up any headlines, Sullivan West’s struggles were even greater.
Here are the girls results of the day.
OCIAA Division IV: Fallsburg 166, Sullivan West 190
(at Lochmor, front nine, par 36)
Fallsburg: Danielle Stratton 51; Melissa Melko 56; Brooke Rappaport 59.
Sullivan West: Kassie Thelman 64; Daphne Muzuruk 63; Ally Ellmauer 63.
Records: Fallsburg 4-0 (1-0 OCIAA); Sullivan West 1-5 (1-1 OCIAA).
For an album of photos visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Picture Perfect
Fallsburg’s Girls Remain Unbeaten Overall As They Rack Up Their First Division Win; Sullivan West Boys Stay Perfect In Division Play As Teams Vie Under Overcast Skies, Brisk Temperatures And Gusty Winds
Boys: Sullivan West 238, Fallsburg 258
Girls: Fallsburg 166, Sullivan West 190
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Photos at www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Some but not ALL of the golfers on the greens (sorry you didn't all fit!) clockwise: Fallsburg's Richie Elliott, Danielle Stratton, Charles Marsden, Sullivan West's Ally Ellmauer and Todd Roeder, Fallsburg's Braiden DeGraw, Brooke Rappaport, Zak Steingart, Melissa Melko, Sullivan West's Drew Billard, Daphne Muzuruk and Jimmy Finn
FALLSBURG, NY—Dark clouds, cool temperatures and a gusty wind made it feel more like March than late April on the greens at Tarry Brae and Lochmoor as Fallsburg hosted Sullivan West’s boys and girls in division golf matches on April 26.
Looking to keep their unbeaten league season continuing as such, the Sullivan West boys looked to marshal their depth to offset the fine golfing they knew they’d see from defending OCIAA Champion Richie Elliott. And depth is what Sullivan West has going for it as it marches on towards trying to attain its ninth consecutive year of Division IV supremacy, a streak that is becoming a story unto itself.
With the graduation of Mike Scuderie, Fallsburg lost its potent number two golfer to augment Elliott’s leadership. Now it’s up to golfers like Charles Marsden, Braiden DeGraw, Zak Steingart ,Sundar Pratt and Aaron Schmidt to fill in the gaps. Schmidt and Steingart played last year but lack of experience is a factor for the Comets who would love to break into the top level of the division wherein the Westies, Tri-Valley and Eldred are jockeying for supremacy. The trio of teams tied for the division title last spring but with a wins in hand over both Tri-Valley and Eldred, the Bulldogs are in the driver’s seat at the moment.
Sullivan West senior Drew Billard did his best to offset Elliott’s two over-par 38 on the front nine at Tarry Brae by shooting a 39. That one stroke Fallsburg advantage was obliterated by Sullivan West’s number two through five golfers as Jimmy Finn shot a 45, Ryan Reinshagen posted a 49, Ryan Graham added a 50 and Todd Roeder shot a 55 to undercut Fallsburg’s two through five golfers by 21 strokes. An impressive long put by Steingart on the fourth hole drew accolades from his playing mates.
Here are the scores and current team records:
OCIAA Division IV: Boys: Sullivan West 238, Fallsburg 258
Sullivan West: Drew Billard 39; Jim Finn 45; Ryan Reinshagen 49; Ryan Graham 50; Todd Roeder 55.
Fallsburg: Rich Elliott 38; Charles Marsden 52; Braiden DeGraw 56; Zak Steingart 56; Sundar Pratt 56.
Records: Sullivan West 5-2 (5-0 OCIAA); Fallsburg 2-2 (2-2 OCIAA).
Lady Comets Pick Up First League Win To Remain Unbeaten
When it comes to experience and a record of success, Fallsburg’s Lady Comets have it going on with veterans like Danielle Stratton, Melissa Melko and Brooke Rappaport. Even with the graduation of standout state qualifier Cassie Orlan, Fallsburg remains the team to beat in their division. With Sullivan West losing standout Jillian Fife to graduation, the Lady Bulldogs are young but working hard to progress along the learning curve early on in this season.
But against Fallsburg’s killer trio, the Ladies of the West were quite a bit off the pace. With their winter hats on and their golf game a bit more tepid, Fallsburg was paced by Stratton’s modest 51. She’s seen much better days on the familiar greens and will no doubt rise to the occasion when greater challenges present themselves. Melko and Rappaport played through their struggles with smiles and a relaxed air for they knew that while their scores weren’t burning up any headlines, Sullivan West’s struggles were even greater.
Here are the girls results of the day.
OCIAA Division IV: Fallsburg 166, Sullivan West 190
(at Lochmor, front nine, par 36)
Fallsburg: Danielle Stratton 51; Melissa Melko 56; Brooke Rappaport 59.
Sullivan West: Kassie Thelman 64; Daphne Muzuruk 63; Ally Ellmauer 63.
Records: Fallsburg 4-0 (1-0 OCIAA); Sullivan West 1-5 (1-1 OCIAA).
For an album of photos visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
The Great Divide
In A Rare Day Of Home And Away Sectional Border Wars Fallsburg’s Boys Defeat Neighboring Tri-Valley In Quarterfinal Clash While Tri-Valley Girls Prevail Over Lady Comets In The Nightcap; Teams Expend Enormous Effort In Riveting Two-Act Drama Of Advances And Noble Exits
Boys: Fallsburg 58, Tri-Valley 41
Girls: Tri-Valley 68, Fallsburg 54
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Photos at: www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Day and Night Quarterfinal Drama: Left panel top to bottom: Fallsburg boys erupt in joy following their 58-41 win over Tri-Valley that advances the Comets to a semifinal road clash against Pine Plains. Rakkir Watson dribbles the ball up the floor as Tri-Valley's James Pugh looks for a steal. Michael Robinson is poetry in motion as he swishes a pair of free throws: Right side: Tri-Valley girls enjoy the moment as their fans laud them with applause following their 68-54 win over Fallsburg. Falsburg's Sheryl Pinder looks to drive the ball up the floor as Celia Garcia sets a pick. Sabrena Smith looks to defend. Tri-Valley's Katlynn Greffrath hits the game's biggest shot with 3.1 seconds remaining in the third quarter off a double screen play drawn up by Coach John Tenbus. The lead burgeoned to 13 at the buzzer and the shot proved to be the dagger in the heart to the courageous Lady Comets.
FALLSBURG AND GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—There is no way to describe the sea of emotions that swirl through players and coaches standing on the precipice of uncertainty before a do-or-die sectional encounter.
Nerves aside, the most salient current that courses through each and every one is the desire to win and advance. To even ponder the end of one’s long season of trials and efforts is unthinkable. And so invariably, the intensity of play evinced in sectional games is characteristically beyond the pale and incredibly dramatic.
Game changers: Fallsburg's Braiden DeGraw, left, fires in two of his game-high 16 points. Tri-Valley's Caroline Martin and Katlynn Greffrath tie up Fallsburg's Celia Garcia to garner an extra possession.
With the arduous regular season behind them and the wonderful accomplishments of being one of the 30 Section Nine teams about to enter the frenzied fray from which only one will be left standing in each of the five Classes of teams, the agenda of the moment is to exert the last full measure of skill, devotion and effort, coupled with unselfish teamwork and indomitable will, in order to earn the privilege to play again.
To marshal a victory under such circumstances is to cross the Great Divide, that unchartered field of battle from which only one of the two teams engaged will emerge unscathed. Victory is akin to imbibing The Nectar of the Gods; defeat is disheartening beyond measure.
Despite the canon of countless games of this ilk that I have borne witness to and tried to recreate afterwards with all of the words I can summon to approximate their dramatic unfolding, it is always new, always fresh and always special.
That Fallsburg and Tri-Valley would come to engage in a rare day-night double header of boys and girls quarterfinal clashes in a home and away rare two-act enterprise, made February 25 memorable and historic for the two schools and the communities they represent.
As neighboring rivals who had played each other twice during the regular season, this third and most important clash would pack the gyms with fervid fans bent on providing unbridled spirit to further the cause of their beloved teams.
Michael Robinson looms large to the left, while Katlynn Greffrath and Celia Garcia vie intensely for a ball on the right.
The Fallsburg boys and Tri-Valley girls had won both prior encounters with their rivals. On several occasions the oft-quoted adage of “It’s hard to beat a team three times in a season,” was advanced by fans from both sides as they pondered the impending outcome of the most important 32 minutes of the season to date.
By night’s end that maxim would be proven false as the Fallsburg boys used their speed, unselfish teamwork and impeccable skills to marshal a 58-41 win over Tri-Valley.
Heading into the nightcap, the Lady Comets with their cadre of seniors vowed to rectify the flaws that had twice barred their hoped-for victories against the Lady Bears.
To their credit, the Lady Comets put forth their best effort of the season, particularly in the first half but nonetheless fell short of the mark as the defending champion Lady Bears triumphed 68-54.
Each game had its own unique script, its requisite heroes and defining plays. Tough as it is for the 12-7 Tri-Valley boys team and the 10-9 Fallsburg Lady Comets to see their seasons end, particularly for the seniors who summoned their all in the quest, both squads made enormous strides this season and both have much to be proud of. Much more needs to be said on this subject and will be forthcoming as this narrative unfolds.
To the victors belong the spoils and in this case the 14-5 Comets earn the right to test their mettle against number-one seeded Pine Plains on the road. “To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” and so for a squad comprised of mostly seniors looking to go out on the most positive of notes, there is no bigger stage than the impending semifinal on February 28.
Should they unveil the kind of play they evinced in this quarterfinal, they have the weaponry and the will to ground the Bombers and emblazon a stunning chapter in Fallsburg’s once-storied hardwood history. All of this from a school that rendered a stultifying 0-20 record just a few years back. This is Fallsburg’s third consecutive year making a sectional run and they hope that the adage which claims that the “Third time pays for all,” will come to fruition.
For the 17-1 Tri-Valley Lady Bears, the challenge of playing Tuxedo for the third time in what amounts to the all-important rubber match is what Coach John Tenbus and his team have envisioned and worked assiduously towards all year long.
The recent deflating loss to the Lady Tornadoes, coupled with the fact that it was Tuxedo that defeated Tri-Valley in the 2009 finals only adds fuel to the fire, though the cast of players is entirely different from that fray and John Tenbus was only the assistant coach that night two years ago.
The Coaches: Tri-Valley's Brian Tingley, Fallsburg's Pete Dworetsky, Fallsburg's Daniel Redmond and Tri-Valley's John Tenbus
Since his ascendance to the helm, his team now comprised mostly of youngsters, has authored an uncanny 35-3 record.
That Tenbus guided his team to a Section Nine Class C title in his first year made him the 2011 Coach of the Year in this writer’s estimation, though that view was not shared by other print maven pundits.
Rarely do I make such pronouncements about Most Valuable Players or Coaches of the Year as they are often subjective judgments that invite criticism. When I do, I stand by them with all of the weight and credibility of my award-winning journalistic career.
With the graduation of Jakki Pugh, “The Eternal Flame,” many pundits figured that the Lady Bears would be a far easier mark. But great teamwork, the coach’s wizardry and his demands for rigorous conditioning have combined with his players’ talent level and competitive spirit which is second to none.
All of which makes Tri-Valley’s success story an ongoing one. To wit, one might recall Mark Twain’s famous words as they apply to the 2012 Lady Bears,“Rumors of my own death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Vanquishing feisty Fallsburg brings the Lady Bears to the next Great Divide, the wide semifinal chasm, and crossing that one will be its greatest challenge to date.
While etiquette asserts “Ladies first,” the chronology of the day warrants the opposite:
Fallsburg Boys Prevail: The Comets’ Tale
Tri-Valley senior Greg Swarthout goes up for a shot as Fallsburg's Rakkir Watson looks to not foul him in the process.
When Tri-Valley lost to Fallsburg on February 15, T-V Coach Brian Tingley carefully assessed the 75-62 defeat in terms of what his team needed to do toin order to reverse the dynamics. “They scored 51 of their 75 points off fast breaks and second chance opportunities. We’ve got to get three guys back on defense,” he averred prior to this sectional encounter.
Fallsburg’s speedy transition games had also fueled its January 61-39 “Transit Authority” win and Tingley was bent on slowing the streaking Comets down.
Relentless defense, patience and timely shooting would be key in authoring the upset Tingley felt his team was in a position to record and for the first quarter at least, the plan was working. A few tweaks including the personnel and method of inbounding the ball were part of Tingley’s thoughtful script.
For his part, Fallsburg Coach Pete Dworetsky wasn’t about to take Tri-Valley lightly. “It’s all about today,” he averred prior to the game hinting at a few new wrinkles but mostly the same strategy. Dworetsky fully understands the mantra, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Amidst the posting of the colors from the Fallsburg Police Department Honor Guard and the sonorous rendition of the National Anthem sung by Fallsburg principal Mike Williams, the special proceedings got underway.
Tri-Valley’s Conor Walsh and Fallsburg’s Michael Robinson got set for the tip as the winter sun streamed in through the windows bathing the floor in an unusual suffusion of natural light. Fallsburg controlled the tip but committed a turnover on its first possession which fueled a T-V drawing of first blood as Cody Exner sent the ball across the lane to a charging James Pugh.
Unfazed, Robinson slid the ball into Braiden DeGraw who tied it up forthwith. On its next set, Pugh kicked it out to Steve McInerney and T-V reclaimed the early lead. Back-to-back shots from DeGraw and Robinson changed that early landscape. Both teams were rebounding well but Rakkir Watson added to the lead with a floater.
Members of the Fallsburg Police Department present colors prior to the game.
Pugh countered with a three to make it a 9-8 Tri-Valley. Dworetsky fumed at the missed coverage that had given him the open look. His admonitions to his team would prove efficacious as it was the only trey Tri-Valley would register in the game.
The decibel level in the gym was steadily rising. Another T-V bucket preceded Fallsburg’s miffing on a trio of offensive put backs before DeGraw was fouled by Walsh and hit both. Then a steal by Jimmy Bertholf and his subsequent lay up put Fallsburg back on top. They’d never trail again.
With 1:53 remaining Robinson hit two from the stripe to make it 14-11. Sam Didinsky’s trey from the corner made it 17-11. Bertholf fouled Jesus Lozada on an attempted three. Lozada hit all three from the line as the quarter would close with Fallsburg leading 17-14. Each team had turned it over three times.
The Bears inbounded to start the second quarter as Lozada scored on a put back. Russell Corley kissed it off the glass to widen the lead to 19-16. Fallsburg got a crisp pass from Corley to Dustin Foertsch for two more.
Fallsburg’s cheerleaders used time outs to amp up the crowd. The Bears’ cheerleaders were not present as a number of them were at the indoor track state qualifier.
Action continued as the Comets built a six point lead before Walsh cut it back down with a great backdoor cut and bucket with 4:19. DeGraw slashed the lane for two more enroute to his game-high 16 points.
Robinson made it 27-18 as he rose up strong. T-V’s Alex Brown got an easy bucket as Fallsburg miffed on its weak side help. When the dust settled at the half, Fallsburg led 30-20. Pugh had seven of T-V’s first half points, while DeGraw authored a third of Fallsburg’s first half points with ten.
Fallsburg inbounded and Corley took it straight to the rim. Exner answered. Corley muscled great position under the boards and scored again. Tri-Valley looked a bit stressed as it failed to inbound the ball in the allotted five seconds. DeGraw’s turn around jumper had the Comets’ fans in a tizzy as the lead burgeoned to 36-25.
In this critical nexus of the game, Tri-Valley needed to get stops and show patience. It did neither well enough to forestall a 10-5 Fallsburg run to close out the stanza affording the Comets a 46-30 lead after three.
In the third quarter Fallsburg got scoring from six players living out Dworetsky’s precept of “It’s not who scores, it’s that we score.” Corley led the way with six of his eventual eight points. Watson, Didinsky and DeGraw each contributed a bucket as did Daniel Justiniano.
Tri-Valley countered with ten points as it got three from Pugh to go along with two apiece from Swarthout, Exner and Shatik Smith. Walsh hit one of two from the line.
With a comfortable lead in place, Fallsburg played out the string in the fourth quarter, its play not nearly as crisp as it had been prior to that. Even so they still outscored T-V 12-11 in the final stanza to evince the 58-41 victory.
In addition to DeGraw’s 16, Fallsburg got ten from Robinson and Watson. They shot 11-for-19 from the line for a lukewarm 58%. Pugh led the Bears with 13, while Smith had ten. The Bears were 12-for-20 from the stripe for 60%. Turning the ball over 14 times fulfilled one of Tingley’s ongoing goals. Fallsburg had 18 turnovers in the game.
Tingley summed things up thusly: “I thought we moved the ball well and gave them some things they weren’t expecting in the first quarter and we stayed with them. Defensively we played okay. We held them in the 50’s but offensively we got a little stagnant in the second quarter in particular. We only scored six points. It’s hard to come back when you have a drought like that,” he averred.
“We wanted to really go to the basket today but instead we settled for the one shot though we did get more paint looks today especially in the first half.” In terms of the agenda of getting guys back quickly on defense, Tingley felt his team did a good job until the end when Fallsburg was getting a lot of quick stuff as it felt it could gamble on defense given its large lead.
Tingley credited Fallsburg’s play. “They looked good,” he noted while positing the idea that he felt they might have a tough time with Pine Plains.
In terms of the 12-7 season overview, Tingley smiled. “At the beginning of the season James Pugh said, so we’ve gotta beat three and I thought Oh My God, if we only get four wins. I wanted a lot more. We had to get those early ones because I knew we were inexperienced. We could get good by the end of the season but it would take us awhile to get there. We couldn’t afford to throw away games early in the year and expect to make it up later,” he posited.
“We’ve got a lot of people returning next year and those returnees have played a lot. We would play ten guys pretty regularly. For the most part we got everybody in every game. This year the juniors and sophomores got a lot of minutes.”
Looking ahead to the summer Tingley said, “We usually try to get into something. If Liberty has something we’re going there but if they don’t maybe we’ll start something. We usually put together a team to go down to play some games in Seward,” he added.
Dworetsky credited his team’s unselfish play and the rewards that have come from such. “These kids have worked way too hard the last couple of years to just walk away. We knew Tri-Valley coming in here was going to be tough but we executed really well. Once or twice we tried to force it down the lane and we had one possession on defense that I wasn’t thrilled with (the open three),” he offered.
Turning to thoughts of Pine Plains, Dworetsky feels his team will be ready to execute its game plan. “We have one goal in mind and that’s to be playing at New Paltz on Friday.” Dworetsky is counting on his team’s defense to put enough pressure on the Bombers so that “good things can happen.”
The Kids Are All Right: Stamina And Crisp Execution Fuel Lady Bears Victory
Tri-Valley's Caroline Martin shoots over Fallsburg's Kelsey Moody.
With only 48 hours between their last highly emotional encounter won by Tri-Valley 70-45 which assured the Lady Bears of home court and a share of the Division V title and a snow storm cancelling school to boot, Fallsburg got permission to use its gym for a practice Coach Daniel Redmond knew his team needed if it was going to alter the existing dynamic with the Lady Bears.
Two 25-point losses that involved melt downs, turnovers and as he saw it, squandered opportunities to pull off upsets, had Redmond and his all-important seniors vowing that enough was enough.
This time, they’d come with a new attitude and seek to avoid the miscues that could fuel another Tri-Valley “track meet.”
For senior starters Sheryl Pinder, Shanice Mack and Celia Garcia in particular, this was the biggest game of their careers and they were determined to pull out all stops to garner the win.
Junior transfer Nyasia Blakney looked calm and confident. Behind her 23-point flurry two days prior, she intended to do her part to secure the victory.
As the teams took their warm ups, Redmond paced anxiously up and down. Tri-Valley Coach John Tenbus expressed his usual nervousness but managed to be adept at not showing it. He was confident that his defense could hold the Lady Comets’ lethal weapons l Pinder and Blakney sufficiently in check to win.
But to do that his girls would have to take care of the basketball, use their quickness and stamina to wear Fallsburg down, make key shots to offset the expected runs and for heaven’s sake, make free throws, something which has been a bugaboo all year long.
Each team looked to establish the tone. Fallsburg hoped to unnerve Tri-Valley with a strong start, something they were about to unveil with a rain of threes in the first quarter as Celia Garcia buried a pair and Pinder hit her first of two taking advantage of Tri-Valley’s failure to close on perimeter shooters.
With teams that feature bigs like Mack, Blakney and Kelsey Moody, the expectation is that they will try to deploy their height advantage inside to score in the paint, get the lion’s share of rebounds and block shots.
Guarding Sheryl Pinder does not mean stopping her. Pinder had 29 points in the final game of her illustrious high school career.
The last thing Tri-Valley expected was a powerful Fallsburg perimeter arsenal but over the course of the night as the Lady Bears did what was necessary to see that diminished, Tri-Valley’s speed, its relentless defensive verve and its more diversified offensive balance would prove effective to marshal the 68-54 win that would advance them one step closer to their avowed purpose…”Not just defending the championship, but pursuing another.”
Moody and Tri-Valley senior Erin Smith got set for the tip as the “Red Sea” of Tri-Valley fans made their presence felt on one side of the gym while diagonally opposite, a large host of Comets fans including the victorious boys team and their coach looked forward to a Fallsburg sweep.
The Comets controlled the tip but promptly turned it off, an inauspicious sign for Redmond who was no longer masking his emotions. Tri-Valley junior Mareena DiMilia scored from the wing for that all-important first bucket.
When T-V sophomore Katlynn Greffrath was fouled and went to the line, a hush fell over the crowd. That silence soon turned to a roar as she hit two-for-two from the stripe for the 4-0 lead. Erin Smith scored and hit one from the stripe as well for the 7-0 lead and nearly built on that behind a Greffrath steal but T-V couldn’t convert the points off the turnover.
Pinder blanked on a chance to put the Lady Comets on the board as the Comets cheerleaders barked, “You’ve got to get loud.”
With Tri-Valley leading 8-0, Garcia finally broke the drought with a trey. Erin Smith showed her senior leadership as she ambled through the lane to make it 10-3. By night’s end she’d share a team-high accrual of 15 points with Caroline Martin but Smith was even more important with her aggressive play, rebounding and indomitable will to prevail.
Despite its height advantage, Fallsburg was ineffective in boxing out. Proof in point was made as diminutive Sabrena Smith scored on a third put back attempt surrounded by infinitely taller Lady Comets for the 12-6 lead.
After a palming call on Garcia gave the ball right back to the Lady Bears, Sabrena Smith ripped through the lane uncontested to score again. Greffrath had a steal but travelled with 3:03 remaining. Tri-Valley was getting steals as Caroline Martin heisted a Fallsburg inbounds pass but the Lady Bears weren’t converting those into points.
At the other end of the floor Garcia pulled up for her second three to make it 14-9. Fallsburg got to the line behind a foul by Erin Smith but the first of two lane violations on the night nixed the free throw by Blakney.
The battle of the fans: Tri-Valley (top) and Fallsburg (below)
Martin dished it to Erin Smith in the post for the 16-9 lead but lethal Pinder would close the quarter with five straight points including a trey and a layup off a Tri-Valley turnover as the Comets closed within two at 16-14 as the first quarter ended.
Tenbus calmly reorganized his troops during the periods, while Redmond extolled his girls and encouraged them to build on what they were doing. Getting close to Tri-Valley was nothing new; surpassing them was another matter.
The Lady Bears began the quarter with two points from Nicole Bradley who had come in to give Erin Smith a breather. Fallsburg then threw it away as Redmond implored his team to play defense.
Martin missed a shot but a Tri-Valley rebound re-routed the ball to her at the top of the key as the freshman hit her first big shot of the game for the 20-14 lead.
Fallsburg was squandering trips with missed shots and then lost a rebound to Martin who came up with the ball seemingly out of nowhere.
Martin raced up the floor with Greffrath on the opposite side. At the last second she dished it to Greffrath who scored to the tumultuous cheers of the Red Sea horde with 2:14 to go. Fallsburg converted a three point play behind a made free throw and a Moody put back of a miss from the stripe to cut the lead to 22-19. Martin came up huge again as she canned a three.
Every time Fallsburg closed the gap, Tri-Valley would widen it back. All of this was consuming energy but Tri-Valley’s conditioning advantage was its ace in the hole. Blakney hit one from the top of the key to cut it to four at 25-21 with 5:06. Each team travelled before Garcia picked up her second foul. Fallsburg was over the limit and Greffrath stepped up for a one-and-one.
She hit both to make it 27-21 and Garcia was flagged for travelling again. After a T-V miss Moody threw it away. Cumulatively, these unforced turnovers were taking their toll. Sensing the need to elevate her game even further, Pinder hit her second three to make it 27-24. Blakney fouled Erin with 3:28 but she missed both.
Caroline Martin looks to pass while Nyasia Blakney guards her closely. Below, Blakney fires in two of her ten points. Martin ended up with 15. In the previous game just two days prior both led all scorers with 23 points.
Pinder looked to tie it with a three but the ball caught nothing but air. Coming up the floor with a chance to close within one or to tie, Fallsburg was suddenly looking the other way as Martin had stolen the ball and scored for the 29-24 advantage.
Flustered, Fallsburg committed a backcourt violation as Redmond fumed and called in his troops for an emotional talking to. Tie ups were affording alternating possession arrows as players from both squads looked to wrest the ball from each other.
With 1:09 to go and closing the gap, Fallsburg had possession of the rock, Greffrath got a key steal and was fouled before the shot. Greffrath hit both from the stripe to make it 31-27 with 52.4 seconds. Blakney and Pinder both missed close in. Tri-Valley had the last word of the half with a lay up to carry the 33-27 lead into the half.
Tenbus schooled his team on the importance of the first minutes of the third quarter. They had withstood Fallsburg’s runs and would look to rectify the issues with the Lady Comets’ open threes as 15 of Fallsburg’s 27 points had come from long range.
Fallsburg would never score from out there again for the rest of the night.
Blakney opened the second half with a floater from below the key to cut it to four. A missed three by Martin was rectified by an alert Greffrath who grabbed the ball and put it through the cylinder. Time and time again, Tri-Valley answered Fallsburg’s bids to draw close.
Tri-Valley led by six which soon became nine as Sabrena Smith slashed the lane and hit a free throw. Pinder hit an off-balance shot to make it 38-31 and a Moody offensive put back cut it back to six. Again the Lady Bears counterpunched with two more points.
Ominously, Erin Smith picked up her fourth foul and had to come out as Mack went to the line and hit one before a lane violation nixed another. Bradley came in for Smith as the score hovered at 40-34. Martin drove the lane to widen the gulf to eight with 3:55 to go. Pinder countered with a bucket but missed the accompanying free throw.
Martin pushed it right back to eight with a pair of made free throws. Was this the same team that had looked clueless from the stripe?
How sweet it is: Mareena DiMilia and Katlynn Greffrath enjoy a victory hug. They hope they'll be more occasions for such this season before all is said and done.
With 3:20 to Tri-Valley poured it on as the red-hot Martin dished a nifty pass to a scoring Bradley. Blakney cut it to six again but a runner by Greffrath provided yet another answer. Tri-Valley led 46-42 with 1:17 as the game remained tight.
Greffrath hit one of two from the stripe but Bradley put back the missed second one to push the lead back to seven with 1:07. With 44.2 seconds to go Greffrath travelled.
Pinder picked up her third foul as Sabrena Smith scored and hit a free throw. Martin came up with a huge steal with nine seconds remaining. The Lady Bears were in possession with 3.1 remaining as Tenbus called a time out and set up a double screen looking to free Greffrath on the right wing beyond the arc.
The play worked like a charm as the Wizard of Wonderland’s strategy had designed it so that the deft sophomore had just enough space to bury the trey. It was the dagger for Fallsburg as it gave T-V a 55-42 lead heading into the final quarter.
Despite the gulf, Pinder would refuse to quit. More than anything else, the talented guard who has come to define Fallsburg girls basketball would uncork her final effort though it would prove to be too little; too late.
Pinder would score all 12 of Fallsburg’s points in the final frame, nearly equaling the Tri-Valley team output of 13. It was a noble effort from a player who deserves the highest regard.
Tri-Valley continued its fine free throw shooting down the stretch as the Lady Bears iced five of six from the stripe in the fourth quarter enroute to an 18-for-27 (66.6%) high water mark as Erin Smith hit three of four and Martin was two for two in the stanza. Back to back steals and buckets from Sabrena Smith sent the crowd into delirium. DiMilia added a bucket for good measure. Sabrena Smith stalled the final possession until the end.
When the final buzzer sounded the Lady Bears hugged one another with boundless joy while the tearful Lady Comets made a quick exit to the locker room to try and reckon with the impact of this season-ending shock.
Pinder held her head up high and listened as this writer extolled her play and her career. “I want to thank my teammates. I thought we gave 100 percent out there. I played my best game and tried to give it my all,” she said.
Pinder ended with a game-high 29 points for the 10-9 Lady Comets. Blakney had ten and Garcia had nine via her trio of treys. Fallsburg shot seven-for-16 from the line for 43.7%. Martin and Erin Smith led 17-1 Tri-Valley with 15 points apiece. Greffrath had 14 and Sabrena Smith had 12.
The Lady Bears will look to return to the finals via a hoped-for home win over Tuxedo on February 28. The Lady Tornadoes bested Rhinebeck 40-31, while #1 seeded John A. Coleman Catholic bested #8 Pine Plains 58-38. They will play #4 Millbrook which bested #5 Chester 59-35.
Tenbus agreed that free throws were huge and that Fallsburg came into this game with its best effort. “Sheryl being a senior was going to do everything she possibly could to keep her team in it and try to win. She played a heck of a game tonight and Garcia did two. They were the two players we were manning in our triangle and two the whole game and they did a good job of screening for each other.”
Tenbus went on to say, “We stepped back as opposed to edging out to try and force them back so we could recover. They knocked down quite a few and those shots were big.” Talking about Greffrath’s miracle shot at the end of the third that really was the defining play of the game, Tenbus noted, “We were in our four high set and we set two double screens for her. The outside girl goes to screen the big block and the girl on the elbow holds the guard in and Katlynn loops and we hope she gets a good look. I said Katlynn, you’re tired, make sure you put a little more on it and did she ever.”
Tenbus said that he had told his girls, “The most important part of the game are those minutes right after halftime. You’ve got to take advantage of those minutes and we did a great job and got it up to 13. At halftime I told them we’ve got to be a little bit more patient on offense. We’ve got to look for the best shot, not necessarily the first shot. Defensively, this is why we run in practice so we can stay in shape and continue,” he noted.
“A lot of the other team we play get tired and when they do they lose their focus and start making mental and physical mistakes and that’s when we try and turn it up a notch,” he averred.
Tenbus lauded subs Bradley and Sarah Schneyer. That’s what we need. They all know their role as far as what they should do.” Tenbus looks forward to playing Tuxedo. “Hopefully we’ll play better this time. We’re on a nice roll at the end of the season with a couple of good wins against Eldred and Fallsburg. That carried over here and momentum at this point is huge.”
Tenbus extolled Erin Smith’s play and her assertion at trying to get to the basket. “That was huge because when they’re playing their 3-2 and we’re working the ball around, the middle is wide open and I give Erin a lot of credit because she turned and looked at the basket right away.” Fallsburg went from a 3-2 to a 2-3 and added in a man defense. We stayed with the triangle and two quite a bit and just went man-to-man the rest of the time.”
“Fallsburg is a talented team. One of their girls is always going to put up big numbers whether its Sheryl or Blakney, Garcia or Moody. You kind of pick your battles.”
A despondent Redmond emerged from the locker room where he had tried to console his team. “I’m very happy with the progress we made in the last two days. That was a totally different team that we had out there tonight. I thought the last game we played lethargically. This game I felt we put everything on the line and I have to give a lot of thanks to my seniors. They put forth their best effort and just came up a little short.”
Redmond felt his team’s biggest dilemma was its inability to box out. “I’ve been trying to teach the girls not just to jump for the ball but you’ve got to put your body on somebody,” he noted.
Redmond also acknowledged that fatigue became a factor towards the end. “They make it into a track meet which I thought we slowed down the first two and half quarters as we slowed down the tempo and played the way we wanted to play. We kept the game close until they did one of their patented runs.
All the credit goes to Coach Tenbus and his team. They’re not 17-1 for no reason but I felt like the progress we made from the first time we played them to the second time and tonight was tremendous. We had the game..a few points here and there where we could tie the game but we didn’t take advantage of it.”
As to Pinder, Redmond said, “She told me at the beginning of the day that she wanted to leave it all out there and she proved that to me. I told her that I needed her leadership and she put the team on her back and we ran as she ran. She pretty much kept us in the game. I really thank my seniors for all their contributions and all I can wish is that we’ll come back next year. We have a lot of work in front of us but I’m looking forward to the challenge.
The team was hurting after the loss. That sting will last for awhile but for them to come into a hostile gym I think it’s a credit to how hard they worked and how hard they practiced,” Redmond concluded.
For albums of photos from both games, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Transit Authority
Fallsburg Rides Its Fiery Defense and Speed To Marshal An Authoritative League Win Over Visiting Tri-Valley; Rakkir Watson Excels At Both Ends Of The Floor With Game-High16 points and Commanding Defense
Fallsburg 61, Tri-Valley 39
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Two trains running trying to reach the sectional roundhouse as Fallsburg's express bypasses Tri-Valley (Clockwise): Tri-Valley's James Pugh gets a layup after stealing the ball. T-V's Rodney Jester scores over Fallsburg's Jarrett Madison, Michael Robinson elevates for two of his 15 points on the night. Comet cheerleaders soar in spirit and style. Tri-Valley's Conor Walsh is surrounded by Fallsburg's Rakkir Watson and Dustin Foertsch. Dustin Foertsch scores two of his eventual ten points in the game. Rakkir Watson posts two as he rises above Greg Swarthout. Watson led all scorers with 16 points and played great pressure defense.
FALLSBURG, NY—All aboard for the Fallsburg express which bypasses teams as it races through the season. Tougher than tough on their home floor, the Fallsburg Comets streaked by Tri-Valley on January 12, another Division V opponent that entered their station seeking to derail them.
Like the Eldred Yellow Jackets a few days prior, the Bears were unsuccessful in slowing down the hurtling Comets who, when they get up to full speed, are a blazing juggernaut.
Fallsburg's Braiden DeGraw looms large as he looks to block a shot by Tri-Valley's James Pugh. He was successful on several such attempts and scored eight points including a pair of treys. Pugh did his share of damage too as he led the Bears with 11 points.
Newton’s first law of motion applies to the current Fallsburg phenomena:
“Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.”
To date, out of the eight games they’ve played, Fallsburg has denied opponents’ successful application of force to stop its forward motion. The exception being an overtime loss to S.S. Seward and a prior early season loss to Walton.
The Seward defeat was a wakeup call for the Comets who would love to end this season as the Number One train in Division V. But after their heart-rending overtime loss down at Seward, they currently display the Number Two light as they rumble along towards Grand Central Station also known as the Section Nine Playoffs.
Intent on staying on track, Fallsburg was respectful and wary of gritty Tri-Valley.
Two years ago the Bears nearly knocked Fallsburg off its sectional-bound track when Dean Winters hit a last second trey on the Comets home floor. Scouting Tri-Valley as it dispensed with Tuxedo, Fallsburg Coach Pete Dworetsky saw the Bears perimeter lethality against the Tornadoes’ zone.
Man-to-man it was going to be for the Comets. But to maintain that agenda they’d have to be quick and get good rotating help. Fueling that, they’d need good rebounding, shot blocking and players who could pick pockets to set up easy transition buckets at the other end of the floor.
Tri-VAlley senior Greg Swarthout had great success early on including this slash to the rim. He scored six of his ten points in the first quarter affording the Bears the early lead.
Fallsburg, at least in this encounter with the Bears, proved they had all of the above going as they did against Eldred a few days prior. On the offensive end, they feature an arsenal of weaponry with great depth. Mention Fallsburg and it’s Michael Robinson that is the first player everyone mentions and rightfully so.
Robinson is the heart of Fallsburg’s engine but there are other cylinders clicking too and when those pistons are firing in synch, it’s poetry in motion.
Rakkir Watson, Braiden DeGraw, Dustin Foertsch, Sam Didinsky, Russell Corley and Jim Bertholf are integral parts of the Fallsburg machine, abetted at times by the insertion of Jarrett Madison and Austin Halchak who can keep things running.
Tri-Valley is talented too and before all is said and done, the Bears look to pick up speed and catapult themselves into the sectional roundhouse.
A coming fray at Eldred will be key to that agenda as will rematches with Tuxedo. The Bears will also look to pay Fallsburg back when they visit them later this season but for Coach Brian Tingley, it’s one game at a time and getting five Division V wins onboard by the end of the regular season line means a green light for admission to the big dance, something the Bears missed out on a year ago.
They’ve got the shooters to do it in James Pugh, Greg Swarthout, Shatik Smith, Jesus Lozada, Conor Walsh, Cody Exner, Dave Donovan and Rodney Jester. With size from Alex Brown, Steve McInerney and Devin Donnelley, they have the potential for a tough inside presence as well.
Defensively, the Bears played admirably in this game. Rather it was their poor shooting that derailed them, in particular a horrendous four-for-18 from the charity stripe for a nightmarish 22 percent. When you lose by 22 points as the Bears did in this 61-39 affair, blanking on 14 freebies proves to be a toxic pill.
Fallsburg’s got off to a slow start after Robinson controlled the opening tip against Pugh. Robinson missed on his first two attempts, traveling on the second of these. Blanks by Watson and Corley preceded a Pugh bucket as the Bears drew first blood at 5:41.
Corley answered with an underhanded scoop to tie it up but Greg Swarthout took advantage of Fallsburg’s initial laxity on defense to slash the lane for two. Corley drew an offensive foul as the Comets continued to look more like a local than an express.
You've heard of the Reuben Sandwich, how about the Smith Sandwich? Here Shatik Smith is hemmed in by Rakkir Watson and Jim Bertholf as the ball is about to come loose into Watson's hands for an easy transition bucket the other way.
Swarthout cut through for another deuce before Watson answered to cut the Bears’ margin to 6-4. Tingley looked on with rapt attention as his team was executing the game plan to a ‘t’, while Dworetsky did not like what he was watching in these early minutes. Substitutions were imminent including a sit down for Robinson for reasons he chose not to share.
DeGraw got a block of Pugh but the Comets traveled. He blocked Pugh again on the next possession. Swarthout penetrated uncontested again for the 8-4 lead but the Comets soon proved they could withstand a few early jabs as they counterpunched with an 8-2 run to close the first quarter leading 12-10. In the quarter they got four each from Watson, Foertsch and Corley. The Comets assumed the lead at 1:39 of the first quarter.
Defensive pressure was working for the Bears as Bertholf and Watson sandwiched guard Shatik Smith causing the Watson steal and layup.
Once the Comets bypassed Tri-Valley, they never trailed again.
The Comets cheerleaders stepped to the floor to add their spirit. The largely home crowd was feeling the vibe.
Robinson returned to start the second quarter and quickly scored. McInerney hit one of two from the stripe before incurring the Bears’ fourth team foul as the score remained 14-11 with 5:11 to go. Watson hit a trey to make it 17-11. At times the Comets tried to a look a bit too fancy and it cost them. After a steal, Bertholf threw away a no-look pass when the Comets had numbers for an easy layup.
Other times players looked to ram through traffic instead of making the extra pass resulting in travelling violations. Simply put, Fallsburg still has plenty of work to do to tune up for the blistering pace of the sectionals. Two more league wins will get them a berth but merely getting there this year for this senior laden squad is far from the main agenda.
Robinson profited from another steal to take it to the rim as the Comets raced further ahead with a DeGraw trey that made it 22-13 with the throttle still not pushed all the way. Six more points would be forthcoming as Fallsburg used its 17-7 switchback to take a 29-17 lead into the half.
Tri-Valley's Cody Exner is a potentially lethal three-point shooter but on this night his trey's were off. He had some open looks like this one but found the Fallsburg rim unwelcoming. Look for him to light it up on the Bears' home floor in the rematch.
Here’s the second quarter summary: Fallsburg got six from Robinson and Watson, two from Foertsch and three from DeGraw. Tri-Valley got two each from Swarthout, Jester and Pugh and one from McInerney.
Tri-Valley had its best performance in the third quarter as they outscored Fallsburg 14-13 to cut the deficit to 11 at 42-31. In that stanza it was a balanced attack that abetted the Bears with four from Pugh, two each from Swarthout, Donovan and Walsh. Jesus Lozada hit one of two from the stripe.
Tri-Valley’s third quarter featured six points from Swarthout, a bucket from Pugh and two made free throws from Jester. The Comets countered with five from DeGraw that included his second trey, four from Watson, two from Foertsch and a pair of made free throws from Corley.
Fallsburg pushed the throttle all the way up in the fourth quarter as they created a T-V train wreck by outscoring them 19-8. The Bears showed signs of fatique with errant shots while Fallsburg looked fresh from substituting as incoming players fed right into the speedy mix.
Robinson scored eight of his eventual 15 in the final frame including a trio of made free throws.Buckets from Foertsch, Watson and Didinsky coupled with three points from Madison and one point from Halchak. Tri-Valley went 0-for-eight from the stripe in the stanza and managed only lone buckets from Exner, Lozada, Smith and Donnelley.
Pugh led the Bears with 11, while Swarthout had 10 by night’s end.
The buzzer that sounded the 61-39 Comets’ win advanced Fallsburg’s record to 6-2 (3-1 OCIAA), while Tri-valley fell to 4-5 (2-2 OCIAA). The Bears won the turnover battle, committing 15 to Fallsburg’s 20, 11 of which came in the second half. The Comets were an impressive 12-for-15 from the line for a lofty 80 percent. That accuracy would have propelled them to a win at Seward but that night they had a dreadful time from the line.
Tingley summed things up this way in terms of his team’s early success. “We did well with Michael in there as we got out to an 8-4 lead. Oddly when he went to the bench, that’s when they tied it up. I suspect we’ll have a different game the next time we play them. We had only one three point shot for the many we took. We don’t usually shoot that poorly,” he averred.
Loud and proud: Fallsburg cheerleaders let you know how they adore their team.
“In addition I was telling the boys we were four-from-18 from the line. Even if had 70 percent of those it’s kind of a different game. Fallsburg never took their foot off the pedal at the end and we had our subs in there and were still kind of staying with them. I think Steve did a good job on Michael. Our defense played okay. Sometimes when they drove through we tried not to let the usual suspects hurt us and we played them tough.”
He went on to say, “We talked about this game being a measuring stick at about halfway through the season. We’re putting this 61-39 score on the board and we’ll try to improve that the next time we see them at our place. Rebound-wise in the first quarter we were a machine. We didn’t give up the second and third shots just to keep it close.
Our Eldred game is big since that would get us back to .500 overall and 3-2 in the league. Then you’d need two more wins in five more games,” he posited.
Needless to say Dworetsky was pleased with the with the victory. “We didn’t pick up full court pressure right away and that contributed to Tri-Valley’s early run. Once we picked up our full court pressure game our intensity takes over. Braiden and Rakkir played great defense tonight and Dustin had another great game. They bring more and more defensive pressure. Tonight we only gave up one three. That was a huge focus in practice yesterday, not giving up the open look.”
He went on to say that he felt that the Bears weren’t comfortable even when they had open looks. “Defense is our focus. We can shoot the ball all day but if we can’t stop people…..like I said we’ll go as far as our defense will take us.
I thought Rakkir brought great pressure up top and he didn’t allow shooters to get any time. Pugh lit us up last year but we made them work very hard.”
Fallsburg travels to Tuxedo and then hosts Chester on January 20. “We can’t sleep on anybody,” said Dworetsky.
Sleeping will have to be reserved for late at night as each of these fine teams looks to stay bright-eyed and fresh for the coming challenges of the ensuing weeks. I fully expect both to be in the sectionals when all is said and done and we all know that once you’re in, anything can happen and it usually does.
For an album of photos, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Play It Forward
Wallenpaupack Reclaims Hawley Rotary Title As Monticello Comes Up Short In Attempted Three-Peat Bid; Fallsburg Boys Win Hambletonian Classic Championship Vs. Sullivan West While Lady Comets Top Lady Westies In Consolation Match Up As All Aforementioned Teams Look To Parlay Tourney Experience Towards Improvement For The Grueling Challenges To Come
14th Annual Hawley Tip Off Classic Championship Game: Wallenpaupack 47, Monticello 35
Boys Hambletonian Classic Championships: Fallsburg 45, Sullivan West 29
Girls Hambletonian Classic Consolation Game: Fallsburg 40, Sullivan West 23
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Scenes from the 14th Annual Hawley Tip-Off tourney (Clockwise) Monticello's Rob Riley scores the first points of the game. Monticello's Anthony Gray electrifies the crowd with this athletic lay up and drew the foul to make it a three-point play. Monticello's Naquan Holman rises up for a shot and is closely defended. Tournament MVP Jake Brown had 24 points in this game and 26 in the first one against Mountain View. The Buckhorns pose with their trophy which was in Monticello's possession for the past two years. Jake Brown shoots over Anthony Gray. The trophy is back at the Big Lake.
WALLENPAUPACK PA AND CHESTER, NY—“The past is history, the future is a mystery but today is a gift, that ‘s why we call it the present,” goes the adage which reminds us that our lives are comprised of three separate domains: what was, what will be and what is.
For basketball teams reckoning with the here and now challenges of the game at-hand, the degree to which they execute their game plan, work together cohesively and deal with the inevitable adversity that comes within the context of a game is all that can be controlled.
That said, what went before, particularly when teams have a history with one another as well as a consciousness of their own prior successes and the lack thereof, the imprint of what came before lurks strongly below the surface. That is particularly true for coaches and the veteran players returning to the fray from past seasons.
Teams that won before want to do so again, while those that came up short in their quests are motivated to turn the tide in their favor.
To put it succinctly, when that tip goes up as it did in this year’s 14th Annual Hawley Tip Off Classic Tournament between cross-river rivals Wallenpaupack and Monticello, the present is all that matters. Gone now was Monticello’s senior-laden team that edged out Wallenpaupack 41-40 for its second straight title a year ago and its fifth straight victory on the Buckhorns’ home court.
For Monticello Coach Chris Russo, that night which authored the story on this website entitled “In a New York Minute” http://74.220.215.54/~sportsi2/in-a-new-york-minute/, was a memorable milestone in a remarkable season. By comparison for Wallenpaupack Coach Rich McGinnis, it was a lost opportunity to close out a game he felt his team should have won and an augur for a struggling 5-18 season in the daunting world of Quad A Pennsylvania basketball.
But no matter what the outcome of the past or present encounters, basketball teams are always forward-looking as they know that no matter what has transpired, it’s what they do tomorrow, next week and the weeks that follow that will determine their fate and what kind of legacy they’ll leave for next year’s team to follow.
To wit, the Buckhorns put last year’s loss and the 2009 one as well in the rearview mirror and looked to parlay their easy 45-23 semifinal victory over Mountain View into the real goal of bringing home the trophy and title they dearly sought.
Monticello returned two veterans to the fray in junior Rob Riley and senior Anthony Gray. Both had played in last year’s tussell but they’d have to approach this year’s quest for the three-peat without the likes of Kenny Sanders Jr, Jesse Kapito, Austin Billig, Billy Cargill and Juan Peña. With as many sophomores on the team as seniors who at present lack the kind of experience only gained from the crucible of big game pressure, the Montie veterans hoped they could carry the team.
To be successful against Wallenpaupack, the Monties would not only have to deal with their size, quickness and cohesive play, but most importantly with standout junior guard Jake Brown who had scored 26 of the Buckhorns’ 45 against Mountain View. Gray was confident that his defensive verve would shut down the AAU-schooled guard. Gray’s messianic approach may have been a bit too enthusiastic as it netted him a trio of first half fouls and consigned him to the bench while Brown continued his showmanship on his way to a game-high 24 points.
Life is about the learning. As legendary UCLA Coach John Wooden noted, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” There would be lessons aplenty for both teams to carry forward from this tournament; lessons that would resonate with meaning long after the memory of this emotionally charged night faded into the realm of what was from the resonating intensity of what is.
In last year’s piece I chose to write a blow-by-blow description of the action, something I eschew this time out for two reasons: First, this game was not the nail-biter of a year ago. Aside from its 10-9 first quarter lead, Monticello trailed the rest of the way sometimes closing the gap to two or three but never able to get the critical stops it needed or to make its offensive trips up the floor consistently profitable.
There were too many one and done shots, too many misses and too much deviance from the kind of efficient basketball that had seen the Monties overcome early lack of focus to devastate Western Wayne 61-39 in the semifinal clash the night before.
Wallenpaupack was an entirely different animal and the Monties were going to need their ‘A’ game to keep pace with what would amount to a Class AA school were they based on the New York side of the river.
Wallenpaupack’s William McLaughlin controlled the opening tip against Riley but the Buckhorns failed to convert. That honor became Riley’s as he pulled up for an early jumper. Brown would soon tie it up with a put back of his first attempt. A blocked shot by Monticello junior Naquan by McLaughlin sent an early message about the rigors of shooting in the paint.
Brown would score seven of his team’s nine in the opening stanza with the other two coming from junior Nick Tereschak. The Monties got four from junior Latique Liles including a trey, as well as a pair of points from Gray and Riley to marshal the 10-9 lead.
Early foul trouble would force the Monties out of their intended array as Gray picked up his second and then third foul in the ensuing second quarter. Brown also had two fouls by the end of the second quarter.
Wallenpaupack began the second quarter with a pair of steals, one by Brown and the other by junior Alex Moit. The latter gave the Buckhorns an 11-10 lead. They’d never trail again. They outscored Monticello 10-6 in the second quarter to take a 19-16 lead into halftime. Brown had four as did Tereschak to go along with a bucket from McLaughlin. The Monties had gotten within one at 13-12 but Brown had a pair of pull up jumpers to push the margin to 17-12.
Monticello got four of its six from senior co-captain Ros Djombalaj including the last points scored in the period.
Russo implored his team to return to what they do best: play aggressive defense and to keep that intensity past the first rotation of the basketball. But Wallenpaupack was patient using the lack of a shot clock to rotate the ball and to often find easy backdoor penetration or points in the paint. Late rotation by the Monties put the Buckhorns on the free throw line.
Both teams had their most productive output in the third quarter as the Monties got 15, while Wallenpaupack scored 19. The Buckhorns had nine free-throw attempts in the quarter and they made seven of them on their way to an 11/17 night from the line for a 64.7% success rate.
The key to Wallenpaupack’s success in the frame was its distribution of the basketball as evidenced by the scoring balance. Brown had six points, Tereschak had five, Moit had four as did Antony Bouselli.
Monticello answered with four from Gray, Holman and Ben Kapito, two from Riley and one from Djombalaj. Wallenpaupack led 38-31 heading into the final frame wherein they outscored the Monties 9-4 to ice the 47-35 win. Brown was selected as Tounament MVP. He had 24 points in this outing netting him 50 for the tournament. Rob Riley was selected to the All-Tournament team along with Adam Gillis from Western Wayne, Joel Madas from Mountain View, as well as Moit and Tereschak from Wallenpaupack.
Buckhorns’ coach Rich McGinnis was visibly pleased with his team’s accomplishment. “Monticello is very quick. They can be very exciting in the open court when they get the ball in transition. We knew that coming in. I give credit to my seniors, the guys who have been here before and made it an objective to bring this trophy back to the big lake. I give them credit for the poise that they showed,” he noted.
McGinnis talked about Brown. “Jake is a special player. He’s phenomenal. But the kids have to realize that he’s not a one-man show and that we’re going to need other kids to fill certain roles. Some kids emerged in this tournament including sophomore Anthony Bouselli. He got rebounds, put backs and defended.
Everybody is starting to settle into their roles and that’s what the pre-season is about.
Asked about his expectations for the year, McGinnis noted. “We play in a very tough league but my hope is that each night these kids come out and find a way to compete. I think if we keep our poise good things will happen. Team chemistry is important and I’m not worried about that,” he averred.
McGinnis noted that his 5-18 team of a year ago struggled against the daunting competition. We’re hoping to learn from our experiences last year, compete and stay in games. Wallenpaupack is on the low end of the quad-A school. They have just over 500 boys from grades 9-12 and less than 500 girls. “We’re competing against schools that have upwards of a thousand boys or even 1200 once you get into the larger districts. Scranton won the league and district last year. “They’re absolutely electric. But we’re going to play some schools that are similar to us like Delaware Valley, North Pocono and Honesdale. It should be exciting,” he noted.
Russo noted “Our early foul trouble hurt us. What we said to the guys was we didn’t respond to the runs that they made at us and when the game got sloppy and physical we kind of took a step back. That’w what ‘s disappointing that we didn’t put that fight in. We got into too much one on one and people got away from what we had practiced doing,” he offered.
“This is a young team. We have as many sophomores as we have seniors and one of our seniors never played before. We have to adjust and go back and re-teach to make sure guys are in the right spot because when they’re not that’s when we get in trouble. It was disappointing because we didn’t’ execute or defend the way we should.”
Russo went on to say, “We did get a bit too concerned about things which are outside of our control. We wrote that on the board at halftime. We were focusing on some of those things he noted. In the locker room after the game Gray took a lot of the responsibility on his own shoulders for losing his focus and promised the team that things would be different from here on out.
“That’s a sign of maturity,” noted Russo who reminded the team that it was a collective onus, not just on one person.
Needless to say the entire conversation with Russo and the demeanor of the team was a far cry from the night before when the Monties overcame some early defensive lapses to overwhelm Western Wayne 61-39 after trailing 16-15 at the end of the first quarter. Outscoring the Wildcats 32-20 in the second quarter was a product of great defense and running effective offensive sets. Playing at that level, Monticello looks highly competitive. Riley had 15 points in that win while Gray had 13. Djobalaj chipped in 12. That win was Monticello’s sixth consecutive victory on the Buckhorn’s floor. The first one had come while Russo was still an assistant to Dick O’Neill three years ago.
Russo effusively praised the hospitality extended by Wallenpaupack. “They treat us great here,” he noted.
Monticello (1-1) host Sullivan West (1-2) which is coming off of its 45-29 championship game loss to Fallsburg in the Hambletonian Classic tourney in Chester.
Comets Defeat Sullivan West In Hambletonian Classic Final
Scenes from Fallsburg's Hambletonian Classic Tournament championship over Sullivan West (clockwise) Rakkir Watson scores two in the early going. Sullivan West's Sawyer Erlwein defends as Fallsburg's Jim Bertholf looks to pass. Erlwein was selected to the All-Tournament team. Suliivan West's John Masten goes up for two. All-Tourney team member Braiden DeGraw and tournament MVP Michael Robinson. Sullivan West gathers in a huddle in the pregame. Sullivan West's Matt Cardona goes up to score. He led the Bulldogs with seven points. Fallsburg Comets pose with tournament trophy and plaques.
For the second time this season Class B Sullivan West faced off against Class C Fallsburg, this time in the championship game of the Chester Hambletonian Classic Tournament. Fallsburg defeated Chester while Sullivan West had easily downed Chapel Field in the prior weekend’s opening round tilt. Fallsburg had come from behind in their prior fray with the Westies at the Walton Tournament for the 61-57 victory.
This time out it was far less competitive. Fallsburg scored the first four points as Rakkir Watson and Michael Robinson connected but Sullivan West put on a 9-0 run with four points from John Masten, three from Andrew Parsons and two from Matt Cordona. Watson’s three pointer at the buzzer allowed the Comets to come within two at 9-7.
From then on Fallsburg blanked Sulllivan West entirely in the second quarter while scoring 13 of
their own for the 20-9 halftime lead. Robinson had seven in the stanza, while Watson, Jarrett Madison and Jimmy Bertholf had a bucket apiece. That said, Fallsburg’s shooting was off as well as they were only 9/30 from the floor in the first half and had accrued a trio of offensive fouls.
Sullivan West (1-3) had major shooting issues as the third quarter progressed as they managed only eight points in the third quarter to Fallsburg’s 13. The Comets led 33-17 after three quarters. Each team scored 12 in the final frame. Robinson ended up with 16 and was named the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Braiden DeGraw was quiet with seven points in this game but his prior game onslaught of 27 points enabled him to be selected to the All-Tournament team along with Sullivan West’s Sawyer Erlwein who had five points in this outing. Erlwein played well defensively and stood in to take a couple of charges.
The Bulldogs travel to Monticello on December 15 to take on the Monties in “The Pit.”
Fallsburg coach Pete Dworetsky felt his team played well defensively. “When we played up at Walton we made some bad decisions and mistakes but today to give up only nine points in a half is impressive. We didn’t give up a basket in the second quarter. We did miss a lot of shots. Shots that were falling the other night in close didn’t go in. Basketball is like that.”
Fallsburg is off for the next 11 days before they play Livingston Manor. “They’re a tough team and they’re well-coached. Fallsburg’s one-point loss to Chester in the last game of the regular season last year cost them a share of the Division V championship. They beat Seward at home but lost to them in Florida and again in the sectionals. The Comets bring their entire team back this year and look to make a serious run in Class C.
Sullivan West first-year coach Bruce Nober had this to say about his team’s subdued performance. “We just couldn’t put the ball in the basket today. We shot terribly from the foul line too (2/9=22%). Nober noted that Fallsburg outrebounded his team.
We’ve just got to compete. We competed the first quarter today and then we didn’t compete the rest o the game.” Nober noted that it’s been a few years since Sullivan West has won (last year they won just one game) and we’ve got to get over the hump.” Reflecting on this game, Nober noted “if you hold a team to 45 points you should be able to win.”
Lady Comets Garner Consolation Game Win Over Sullivan West In Hambletonian Classic
Scenes from Fallsburg's 40-23 consolation game win over Sullivan West in the Hambletonian Classic Tournament at Chester (clockwise) Sullivan West's Erika Stauch scores from the wing in the early going. She was named to the All-Tournament team. Fallsburg's Sheryl Pinder was also an All-Tournament Team honoree. Sullivan West's Marianne Durkin dribbles the ball up the floor. Fallsburg's Shanice Mack is guarded by Sullivan West's Stephanie Hauschild and Fallsburg freshman Diana Presti scores in her debut.
Sullivan West schemed to contain senior guard Sheryl Pinder and they did just that holding the fiery shooter to just two points in the first half and seven overall. But as it would turn out Pinder was the least of their problems as they were physically bested by the Lady Comets who out-rebounded and out-muscled the young Lady Bulldogs to the tune of 40-23 in the Consolation Game of the Chester Hambletonian Classic.
Fallsburg led 7-3 at the end of the first quarter and extended the lead to 20-13 by the half. Like it did in its prior loss to Eldred, Sullivan West struggled to score. With his entire starting team graduating in June, Sullivan West Coach Pat Donovan knew this team would be young and inexperienced. “We’re just not strong,” he noted following the loss to Fallsburg that put his team at 0-2.
While Pinder was relatively quiet, Kelsey Moody was anything ut. She had 11 points and nine rebounds in the win despite playing on a very sore ankle. Pinder had eight assists but for Coach Daniel Redmond, better news was the debut of freshman Diana Presti who scored eight points along with the performance of Paige Seletsky who was playing in only her fourth varsity outing. Seletsky and Shanice Mack each recorded nine rebounds. Mack scored nine points.
Pinder and Sullivan West’s Erika Stauch were chosen to the All-Tournament Team. Tournament MVP was Chester’s Mardelle Jean who scored 20 points in Chesters 48-20 Championship game victory over Eldred. Chester is now 2-0, while Eldred fell to 1-1.
“We got great rebounding today,” said Fallsburg Coach Daniel Redmond. “We really attacked the boards. Kelsey Moody has been hurt but she’s fighting through the pain. Even though Sheryl struggled when we have our two bigs (Mack and Moody) working down low we can make a lot of good things happen,” he added.
Fallsburg made it to the playoffs last year before losing to Eldred. The Lady Comets hope to go even further this time around.
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Open Fire
Basketball Action Ignites At Chester’s Sixth Annual Hambletonian Classic and S.S. Seward’s Spartan Invitational Tournaments; Chester Girls and Fallsburg Boys Advance To Finals; Seward Downs Liberty In Consolation Game Of Spartan Tourney Won By Millbrook
Girls: Chester 42, Fallsburg 23; Eldred 32, Sullivan West 22; Liberty 28, S.S. Seward 23
Boys: Fallsburg 61, Chester 47; S.S. Seward 55, Liberty 39
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Scenes from a pair of vibrant tournament venues. Left side clockwise: Chester's Lawrence Young looks to dribble around Fallsburg's Rakkir Watson in the early going. Fallsburg's Michael Robinson sinks a free throw as part of his 15-point contribution to the Comets' win over Chester. Fallsburg players gather in a pre-game spirited ritual. Fallsburg's Paige Seletsky rises up for two points. Chester's Mardelle Jean dribbles as she is defended by Fallsburg's Celia Garcia. Right Side clockwise: Sewards Shawn Howells and Anthony Bailey receive the plaque for the Spartans' third place in the tournament. Liberty's Joe Franke rises to the rim. Seward guard Kevin Smith brings the ball up the floor. Smith led all players with 19 points in the win over Liberty. Liberty's Eddie Byrd soars aloft to receive a pass. Byrd was named to the All-Tournament team.
ORANGE COUNTY, NY—It’s only early December but the rock is already rolling as it did at a pair of basketball tournaments at Chester and S.S. Seward. These tourneys featured a number of area teams anxious to throw their hats in the ring as Section Nine contenders in the crowded and talented fields of Class B and Class C.
When it comes to hardwood encounters, it’s where you finish by the end of the season that matters. By that time, these early clashes will be a distant memory but that said, every game in an 18-game regular season schedule matters.
To some, the fiery March games of the Section Nine tournament may seem light years away but truth be told, the basketball season goes by in a New York minute and these early games while providing great game experience also count in teams’ records, especially for those who will need to rely on achieving at least a .500 record overall in order to qualify for sectionals.
Boys Action
Intensity was far from lacking in the Sixth Annual Chester Hambletonian Classic tournament which came right on the heels of the Walton Tournament that had featured the participation of both Fallsburg and Sullivan West. That first week encounter had yielded mixed results for the Class C Comets as well as for the Class B Bulldog boys. Fallsburg lost a 51-49 squeaker to Walton in the opening round of that tourney before edging Sullivan West 61-57 in the Consolation Game.
Sullivan West (0-2) had lost the opening game to Unatego by the score of 55-35 and was anxious to get its first win of the season at the Chester tourney as it got set to face Chapel Field early on December 3. The Bulldogs prevailed against the Lions 50-34 to match their win total from the 2010-11 campaign. They were paced by 12 points from E.J. Franskevicz. They move on to face Fallsburg (2-1) in the tournament title game next weekend in a rematch of their encounter at the Walton Tourney.
Fallsburg returns its entire team minus Russell Corley who is sidelined due to a late season football injury. A year ago Corley suffered a fracture to a bone in his face at this very same tournament so once again, the Comets will have to be without him for an indeterminate amount of time.
The Comets jumped on Chester from the get go as they went on to an impressive 61-37 win over one of their Division V rivals. Braiden DeGraw led all scorers with 27 points and Michael Robinson had 15. Chester’s Lawrence Young had 12 points for the (0-1) Hambletonians who will host Chapel Field in the Consolation Game next weekend.
Robinson had poured in 30 against Sullivan West at Walton to go along with 12 rebounds. In that win he was assisted by guard Rakkir Watson who had 12.
Leaving the Hambletonian Tournament after watching the entire game between the Chester and Fallsburg girls and the first quarter of the boys set-to (More on the girls game shortly), I hastened to Seward to watch the second half of the Consolation match up of the Spartan Invitational Tournament between host Seward and visiting Liberty.
Seward lost its opener to O’Neill 55-54 despite having a late four point lead and with standout Andrew Bailey at the line. A pair of missed free throws, an O’Neill rebound, basket and foul cut the lead to one. The Raiders won the game on a final shot by Jordan Baskerville with 4.5 seconds remaining.
In the other tourney opener, Millbrook downed Liberty 58-31 in a game that first year Liberty Coach Mike Salvia would like to soon forget. The Indians vowed to play better in the consolation match versus Seward and they did, but it was just not good enough as the Spartans prevailed 55-39 led by guard Kevin Smith’s 19 and Bailey’s 18.
Liberty standout Eddie Byrd was relatively quiet with 14 points. He had posted 19 against the Blazers in the tourney opener. Byrd was named to the All-Tournament team along with Bailey. They were joined by O’Neill’s D.J. Dalition and Jimmy Ripa and Millbrook’s Daniel Blayney and MVP Tyler Dahlin. Seward (1-1) will travel to Warwick for its next early season challenge. Liberty has a two-week respite before its next game to work on its offensive struggles.
“It’s early in the season,” said Salvia. “Hopefully we can get back to work and back to basics. We didn’t have much time to prepare,” he said following the pair of losses to two really good teams. “Millbrook came in and jumped us and Seward wore us down the whole way,” he added. “We have Port Jervis on the 17th so we have time to regroup. Our zone offense and our rebounding are what needs the most work. We’re not rebounding the basketball well. It seems like we’re not hungry for the ball,” he averred. “That’s something we’ve got to fix.”
Seward Coach Rob Gravelle said “I thought in the O’Neill game we played really well. We didn’t convert our free throws at the end. We were two-for-eight in the last four minutes. We got a good look to win the game but it didn’t go down. O’Neill is bringing back some good players. I was upset for my kids because they didn’t get a win and I thought they deserved it but I was proud of what they showed in that opener.”
Gravelle gave credit to Jordan Baskerville for making O’Neill’s winning shot.” Seward lost two standout players in David Oliver and Scott Glowaczewski from his team that lost a heartbreaker to Pine Plains in last year’s Class C Sectional final.
But with Bailey and Shawn Howells returning, as well as Isaac and Isiah Rodriguez, to go along with the immensely talented Kevin Smith, Seward looks to be competitive among the “Rough C’s.” “We lost a lot as everyone knows. Anthony Bailey is a great player and there is no kid I would rather go to battle with than Kevin Smith. He’s a gritty, tough and talented player.”
I give credit to my assistants Sal Mineo and Bill Steele. While I’m coaching Little League in the spring they’ve got our kids in AAU tournaments getting them extra games for getting them playing time together.” Seward faces a big challenge as it heads to Warwick on December 6. “You want to build your team and playing these kind of games is how you do it,”said Gravelle who led the Spartans to a state championship title win over Moriah in 2003.
By Gravelle’s estimation, “Fallsburg is the clear-cut favorite this year in Class C. They return their whole team and they beat my team last year which was a very good team. They were all juniors and we were all seniors,” he noted in response to the reminder that Seward beat Fallsburg twice including in the sectionals. “They’ve had a lot of time to play together and I had a chance to coach Michael Robinson in the summer and he’s just a quality kid with a motor that never stops. He’s a great leader for that team. I have the utmost respect for them and they are the favorite,” said Gravelle who realizes that Class C will be a dog fight again. “It always is,” he added looking forward to the Comets’ visit just after New Year’s. “That game is on my birthday,” said Gravelle smiling.
Chester Girls Garner A League Win With A Commanding Dominance Of Fallsburg
In order for Fallsburg to run on all cylinders, it needs its spark plug Sheryl Pinder to be firing smoothly. Pinder had 32 points in the consolation game 53-33 win over Downsville at the Walton Tournament that included eight three pointers. The 1-1 Lady Comets looked to carry that success forward as they faced Chester in what would be their first league encounter. Since Chapel Field is not fielding a girls team this season, Fallsburg coach Daniel Redmond agreed to have this game serve as Chester’s home outing of their regular season two-game league series.
After watching his star emerge with a mere seven points in the lackluster Fallsburg showing that resulted in a 42-23 Chester win, Redmond was sorry he had agreed to the arrangement. Chester jumped out to a 15-1 first quarter lead early on led by Mardelle Jean who would go on to post 11 points, five steals and five rebounds.
Fallsburg outscored Chester in the second quarter as they made it closer at 30-17 but they managed to score only two points in the third quarter to trail 38-19 heading into the final frame. Ashley Georges had 10 points and seven assists and Amanda Shembri had 10 points for Chester (1-0, 1-0 OCIAA) which will face Eldred at 3:00 pm on December 10 in the tournament championship game. Eldred (1-0) bested Sullivan West 32-22 in the first semifinal of the day. Fallsburg (1-2, 0-1 OCIAA) will play Sullivan West (0-1) in the consolation game at 10:00am on December 10.
Chester Coach Peter Rickard was proud of his team’s first outing. Even without his point guard Leanne Jankelunas who is sidelined for a couple of more games, he felt his team played well. “I’m looking forward to playing Eldred in the championship game. They played well,” he noted referencing one of his team’s Division V rivals. Since the game with Eldred will not be a division game, Chester and Eldred will end up playing each other three times in the regular season and could conceivably meet again in sectionals if both teams make it and depending on seedings at that time.
Liberty defeated S.S. Seward 28-23 in the opening round of the Spartan Invitational Tourney behind Olivia Baum’s ten point contribution. The Lady Indians will square off against Goshen in the title game on December 5. Goshen defeated James I. O’Neill 41-22 in the other semifinal.
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