Liberty Independent – Jesus Lozada

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

The New York Rock Exchange

Closing Bell (Buzzer) Signals Profitable Sullivan West Win Over Tri-Valley But Both Teams Yield Valuable Dividends From Investment Of Hard Work In Hotly Contested Non-League Fray

Sullivan West 58, Tri-Valley 48

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

Bull or Bear Market? Scenes from the Sullivan West non-league victory over Tri-Valley (Clockwise)Tri-Valley's Dave Donovan looks to dribble around Sullivan West's Sawyer Erlwein, SW's Patrick Pierce opens the second half by tying the game and then giving his team the lead. He scored a game-high 18 points on the night. Sullivan West cheerleaders pay close attention as the game gets dicey and close in the fourth quarter. SW senior E.J. Franskevicz cans one of his two treys on the night. Tri-Valley's James Pugh fires a three over the head of Matt Cardona. T-V's Jesus Lozada cans one of his two three-pointers. E.J. Franskevicz dribbles as he is guarded by James Pugh.

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY—To some people, basketball and the stock market may seem as unlike as apples and oranges .But in fact the seemingly disparate worlds are actually quite analogous. Both involve investment with the potential for gain or loss and both are subject to a variety of influences that can lead to positive or negative trends.

For those not familiar with the terms, a Bull market is one that is defined by an upward trend, while a Bear market is one seemingly hampered by a downward trend. Stocks go up and down as each day brings a certain degree of uncertainty as to the outcome. Fluctuation is a natural part of the economy as it is with basketball teams whose stock seems to rise or fall based on the acquisition of valuable wins or their troubles in doing so.

One day on the Stock Exchange is only part of a larger picture. Barring a crash such as the momentous one of 1929 or the more recent miasma of 2008, one day’s loss can be offset by the next day’s gain. Similarly the outcome of a particular basketball game is not a life or death matter unless it is requisite to making the playoffs or to the continuance of play in the tenuous life of the postseason.

Sullivan West's Sawyer Erlwein looks to pass the ball as he is closely guarded by T-V's Cody Exner.

What coaches and players hope is that their continued investment in their system, their commitment towards hard work and a bevy of talent will yield dividends in the long run.

Savvy coaches teach their teams the right investment strategy including what moves to make, when to make them and which ones to avoid.

It’s an ongoing process and for players who return to the sport from past campaigns, the accumulation of priceless knowledge and skills is bankrolled from one year to the next.

While basketball is a winter sport in high school, interrupted by subsequent athletic endeavors in spring, summer and fall, it has an ongoing life from year to year. The Tri-Valley community remembers like it was yesterday when they traveled to Westbury L.I. to watch their Section Nine Class C Bear fall one game shy of going to Glens Falls in 2007.

Likewise many Sullivan West denizens hearken back to the glory days of 2004 and 2005 playing in the Sectional finals against Red Hook and Burke.

Though they lost both of those games, they were subsequently crowned 2005 champs when Burke had its victories vacated for using an ineligible player. Unfortunately it was after most of the team had graduated.

Tri-Valley’s girls won the Section Nine title last year and that was indeed more than momentous but for both schools the realm of boys basketball has been rather bleak.

It wasn’t just Tri-Valley that had a “Bearish” season a year ago with its insufficient accrual of wins, the same held true for the Sullivan West Bulldogs whose one win was anything but “Bullish.”

Tug of War: Sullivan West's Sawyer Erlwein and Tri-Valley's Conor Walsh have exchanged their football ferocity for basketball and neither one will give an inch as they tug at a loose ball.

But this is a new year and things are looking far brighter for both teams. Needless to say their non-league clash on January 4 was going to result in a win for one and a loss for the other but regardless of the outcome, which ultimately fell in Sullivan West’s favor, there would be priceless experience from the rigors of the fray that both teams can profit from once their league seasons get underway one week hence.

Sullivan West came in with a 3-3 record, while the Bears who were 3-2 were still relishing the newfound feelings of being .500 or above, something they didn’t achieve a year ago. A rich rivalry in football, baseball, golf and track has made encounters between the schools events that bring fans out in force despite the 80-mile roundtrip excursion between the two schools.

Bears Get Out To The Early Lead

Tri-Valley’s Conor Walsh controlled the tip against Sullivan West’s Patrick Pierce and a quick dish from Greg Swarthout to Walsh netted the first points of the game. A steal and bucket by James Pugh made it four-zip as the Bears used early quickness to the basket to their advantage.

Tri-Valley's Shatik Smith drives by Sullivan West's Brad Hemmer who would have his own shining moment by hitting a turnaround jumper to widen the Westies' lead late in the fourth quarter.

A three-pointer by E.J Franskevicz made it 4-3 but the Bears would take advantage of early SW defensive laxity to fire up a quartet of treys in the opening stanza enroute to a 21-10 first quarter lead. Those long-range missiles came from Pugh, Jesus Lozada, Cody Exner and Dave Donovan. Moving well without the ball and coming off screens, the Bears poured it on as Westie defenders failed to close on shooters beyond the arc.

Sullivan West Coach Bruce Nober knew exactly what was wrong as he would later note, “We werent’ playing good defense, not closing on shooters or hedging screens. Nor were we in the passing lanes. It’s easy for teams to run their offensive stuff when there’s no ball pressure or help defense,” he averred.

Good teams make adjustments and Sullivan West was going to need more offense than the ten points it had mustered in the opening eight minutes six of which had come from a pair of Franskevicz threes and a bucket apiece from Pierce and Andrew Parsons.

Change of Polarity

When the buzzer sounded to start the second quarter it signaled a polar shift. Not only were Tri-Valley’s shots failing to fall, but the Bears got away from what had worked early on and settled instead for what Coach Brian Tingley would later describe as just “passing and cutting.” Those aspects are a part of T-V’s offensive strategy but far from all of it. Sullivan West upped its defensive verve as it jumped the passing lanes and closed on shooters.

The result was a 14-5 SW scoring advantage in the frame reducing Tri-Valley’s lead to a mere two at 26-24 by halftime. Half of the Westies pointed came from an enlivened Pierce who had a trey as part of his onslaught. Two points each from Sawyer Erlwein and Matt Cardona coupled with a bucket and a free throw from Andrew Parsons. Erlwein fired a shot from beyond half court that threatened to go in as the buzzer sounded the end of the first half.

Tri-Valley coach Brian Tingley draws up a scheme during a timeout while his players look on with rapt attention.

Tingley counseled his team to get back to what they know how to do well. He fully expected the Bears to come out and reassert themselves and had to be shocked as his team was outhustled on two straight plays by Pierce who tied the score and then gave the Westies the lead they would never relinquish.

Eight straight Bulldog points were the second half welcome they extended to the Bears who couldn’t buy a shot until Swarthout finally scored halfway through the period. Holding the Bears to eight points in the quarter, the Bulldogs scored 18 to pull ahead 42-34 heading into the final frame.

The Bears inbounded the ball but Pugh promptly turned it over. Far from an auspicious start but the Bulldogs would make their fair share of mistakes too as this game got close. Pugh made amends with a trey to cut the lead in half at 42-39. Tri-Valley turned it over again but Parsons picked up his fourth foul, the team’s fifth.

T-V’s Devin Donnolly missed a potential game-tying three and at the other end of the floor Franskevicz went baseline and scored a valuable bucket to push the lead to 44-39. Pugh missed a trey but Pierce traveled as nails were being bitten on both sets of bleachers by anxious fans who knew this game was up for grabs.

With starting senior point guard John Masten out sick, Nober had to rely on other people to handle the ball, something Masten does well. One of those people was Brad Hemmer who proceeded to can a turnaround jumper that was huge as it extended the lead to 46-39. The Bears countered with a trey from Cody Exner. Speaking of missing players, the Bears were without tall tree Alex Brown who was out sick.

Slash and burn: Sullivan West's Matt Cardona slides along the baseline and sends in two off the glass. The fiery junior was quiet in the first half with just two points. He poured in 11 in the second half to make up for it.

Games are often won or lost on the free throw line and the Bulldogs would soon get a chance to control their own destiny from the charity stripe. In the fourth quarter they shot eight for 12 on their way to a 12-for-19 night for a 63 percent success rate. The Bears had only six attempts on the night of which they made two for 33 percent. Do the math: the ten point SW margin of victory was akin to their edge at the stripe.

The Bulldogs outscored the Bears 16-14 in the final quarter for the 58-48 win which improved their record to 4-3. The Bears fell to 3-3 and with a home league game against powerful Seward on January 7 they run the risk of dropping below .500 for the first time this season. The Bulldogs will look to add to their winning ways as they take on Chapel Field.

Aside from Pierce’s 18, the Bulldogs got 13 points from Cardona, 11 of which came in the second half. Franskevicz contributed 12. Pugh led the Bears with ten, while Lozada and Exner had eight apiece.

“We’re a better defensive team than we showed tonight,”said Nober who noted the improvement after the first quarter but who avers there’s much better play to be shown by his squad.

Tingley summed things up thusly: “We had a good start, going to the basket but we stopped setting screens or using other people as screens. This was the first team that played us man-to-man all night but we knew that coming in,” he said. Tingley used a mix of man and zone defense and admitted his team was caught betwixt and between a couple of times when he called for a shift a bit too late.

Sullivan West turned the ball over 20 times on the night (eight and 12 in the two halves respectively). The Bears turned it over half as much (six and four). The Bears had eight treys in the game with two each from Pugh, Exner, Lozada along with one apiece from Rodney Jester and Donovan.

Fans will continue to invest their hope in the ongoing ascendancy of their beloved teams. As for this writer, I’m Bullish on both squads and plan to see the Bears in the Class C playoffs as well as the Bulldogs in the Class B postseason wars. Ante up your enthusiasm people. It’s a sound investment that will bring great rewards no matter what the final outcome.

For an album of photos visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com

Brave New World

Tri-Valley Returns To The Ethereal Afterlife Of Postseason Contention Behind Its Commanding League Win Against Defending Champion Millbrook; Once Hapless Bears Now Figure To Be A Fierce Foe As They Evince Newfound Efficiency To Go Along With Existing Heart and Grit

Tri-Valley 31, Millbrook 20

Field of Dreams: Tri-Valley celebrates its 31-20 Homecoming Night playoff-clinching win over Millbrook (Clockwise): Players erupt in jubilation at the game's conclusion. Millbrook's Henry Cardinal gives the Bears and their fans an initial sense of concern with his 65-yard TD run just 46 seconds into the game. Tri-Valley senior cheerleaders (left to right) Jackie Wallace, Stephanie Hyzer, Amber Buley, Brittany Rennison, Jessica Lee and Amber Watch. Wide-eyed and filled with emotion, Conor Walsh and Greg Swarthout listen to Coach John Rusin extol the play of the team and encourage them about the road ahead. The Bears burst through the homecoming banner. Greg Swarthout scores one of his two TD's. T-V senior gridders pose for a photo. Names are all listed in the story.

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—It’s not unlikely that many denizens of the local football world were stunned upon waking up early in the morning on October 22 to learn that Tri-Valley had made the playoffs; that the team many had come to regard as the reincarnation of the “Bad News Bears, had beaten a tough Millbrook team up and down the field in a momentous 33-20 win consigning the defending Class C champs to be observers of the coming playoff rounds they ruled a year ago.

You can't say enough about the heart and toughness of Joe Mickelson. Out for weeks with a hairline fracture to his tibia, the senior returned when it mattered the most. His work over the past two league wins has been immense. This game: 21 carries for 155 yards.

Tri-Valley’s 2-1 league mark would now carry them back to a milieu many figured would be lacking their presence this season, namely a chance to vie for a Section Nine Class C Championship in the coming playoffs.

But those of us who have been close to this team and know these boys and their coaches, never doubted whether they could indeed pass through that magical portal.

We knew that the Bears’ losing record was not a true reflection of the team’s talent and drive, and that should they qualify for the big dance, that they would be a fearsome adversary for any of the teams they had to face,.

That said, Tri-Valley’s record prior to its two recent league wins against Fallsburg and now Millbrook was a dismal 1-5. As Coach John Rusin put it, he was tired of opposing coaches telling him how tough his team was, how they had pushed their teams up and down the field and how they were the best 1-5 team in Section Nine.

That and $2.50 will get you a ride on a NYC subway to the end of the line.in other words.. to nowhere. Now the reborn Bears are going for a ride with an entirely new destination, aboard an express train which they are conducting. Warning signals are flashing up ahead to teams in their way: T-V’s express has no brakes.

What a difference a day makes.

Tri-Valley players and coaches will be the first to admit that for much of this season they had been a train wreck. After all, when your positive game highlights are overshadowed by countless turnovers and blunders, you don’t show up on anybody’s radar as more than a benign blip.

But the Bears knew that were it not for those weekly slip ups, that they could easily have been 5-1 and regarded as fearsome Grizzlies by Section Nine teams instead of being considered….well…..dare we say it.. Teddy Bears to be played with and cast aside.

Rusin knew his team had talent, toughness and heart. What they needed was to play nearly flawless football to show what they were made of.

A picture's worth a thousand words: Greg Swarthout shows his excitement after a rushing TD. He carried the ball 15 times for 102 yards and completed 2/5/33 yards including a TD pass to Cody Exner.

And so it was that after losing to O”Neill, he told his team that they had destiny in their hands. That if they beat division foes Fallsburg and Millbrook, they’d be in the playoffs with a zero-zero record just like O’Neill, Sullivan West and Burke, a trio of teams that profited by T-V mistakes to marshal victories.

Moreover, he told them, they’d be a dangerous foe, potentially lethal. But first they would have to take care of the business at hand and defer their dreams about paying two of the aforementioned teams back in spades.

Fallsburg could have been regarded as an easy mark, but the Bears did not take the Comets lightly. Playing a team in search of its first-ever win on its Homecoming Night, on a field that was a muddy mire had more than enough potential for a disastrous slip up.

But the Bears who had upended themselves against Chester, Sullivan West, O’Neill, Eldred and Burke were done sliding in the standings, though there was plenty of slippage on the mud at Morningside Park.

Steady Joe Mickelson took the ball 16 times for 175 yards and scored two TD’s, his formerly broken tibia now a distant memory. Greg Swarthout, Brendan Tierney and Shatik Smith scored as well and Anthony Beale added five PAT points as the Bears rolled to a 41-14 road win over the Comets..

Now would come the acid test.

The Bears and the Fiery Millbrook Blazers were each 1-1 in Division II coming into this do-or-die clash. The winner would advance to the playoffs, while the loser would have its title contention hopes abruptly terminated.

Millbrook's Lucas Lehmkuhl races for an 11-yard TD in the third quarter. The Blazers pulled within a TD and two-point conversion before Anthony Beale iced the deal with a late field goal.

Seniors in particular, would be devastated by such a tragic finale to their high school careers.

The Bears won the toss and elected to defer, daring Millbrook to reckon with its fierce defense .

Egged on by the capacity home crowd the Bears burst through the cheerleaders ‘Homecoming banner to rally around their beloved coach.

The sounds of the pep band, the cheerleaders and the rabid fan base filled the night.

Tri-Valley fans adore their team no matter what the season. Years back nearly every denizen of the community traveled to Westbury, Long Island to watch the Bears play Friends Academy in a boys basketball regional final. Had they won they would have filled the stands at Glens Falls. Last year they packed Mount St. Mary College to watch their Section Nine girls champs vie against Haldane bound and determined to head to Troy if they had advanced.

But back to the present.

At last the long wait was over. The kick went up and the Millbrook blaze ignited forthwith. On the second play from scrimmage tight end Henry Cardinal dashed 65 yards up the left sideline at 11:14 to draw first blood. Devon Jackson kicked the PAT and the Blazers were on the board with a 7-0 lead.

Jackson kicked off and the Bears took over at their own 35. Joe Mickelson took a steady diet of carries interspersed with advances by Cody Exner. In just four and a half minutes the Bears marched 65 yards in eight plays as Greg Swarthout capped off the drive with a one-yard TD at 6:43. The PAT failed and the Blazers held a narrow 7-6 lead.

Cody Exner cruises into the endzone. He carried the ball 9 times for 62 yards, rushed for a TD and caught a pass for another.

Millbrook began its next quest at its 34with an 11 yard run by Lucas Lehmkul. It soon became evident however that the Bears were getting great backside penetration on Millbrook’s attempted sweeps with tackles from Jesus Lozada, Troy Rossi and Brendan Tierney. Millbrook got as far as the T-V 44 before the Bears held firm and took over on downs.

As the quarter waned it was Mickelson carrying the load again with a first down and Exner getting it to the Millbrook 45. Two plays later Swarthout took off on a keeper for a 35-yard TD run at 11:13 of the second quarter. Mickelson ran in the two-point conversion and the Bears led 14-7.

Henry Cardinal was tagged for a loss by Rossi as was Brad Pitz as the Bears were now extinguishing the Blazers blaze by forcing a punt. The short kick gave T-V the ball at the MB 40. A pitch to Exner netted nine but a penalty made it a first and 15. After two failed run attempts, Swarthout uncorked a 30-yard TD pass to Exner at 6:36 of the second quarter to make it 20-7. Beale punctuated it with a PAT and the Bears now led 21-7.

As Millbrook Coach Sean Keenan would later point out, Tri-Valley disrupted Millbrook’s run game by penetrating from behind and causing loss after loss. “Their kids fly to the ball. We knew this was going to be a war. We didn’t do our best job of blocking and they just ran underneath our blocks and dismantled us,” he said.

That defensive efficiency resulted in a three and out on the Millbrook series following the Bears’ most recent score. T-V took over on downs and made a stalwart stand on a fourth and seven play on an advance that had taken Millbrook all the way to the T-V 16. “Get a stop now,” yelled Rusin and his team took him at his word.

Halftime verve! T-V cheerleaders rev it up with a great show of skill, flexibility and spirit.

The Bears got it back on downs, got off a nice weaving run by Exner but the half ended and the seniors got ready for their introduction and flower rendering ceremony to their parents and loved ones.

The following football seniors were called forth and posed for pictures with their family, friends and loved ones:: Greg Swarthout, Conor Walsh, Anthony Beale, John Monforte, Andrew Malone, Tyler Lopez, Joe Mickelson, Shawn Markle, Troy Rossi, Rafael Ramirez, Jonathan Edwards, Jameshenry Osterhoudt and Fred Dumond, Senior cheerleaders included Jackie Wallace, Stephanie Hyzer, Amber Buley, Brittany Rennison, Jessica Lee and Amber Watch.

The cheerleaders performed at the half much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd.

The Bears received to start the second half and within three plays, they were on the board again, this time behind a 25-yard TD run by Swarthout at 11:17. Beale’s PAT made it 28-7 but you knew Millbrook wasn’t going quietly.

On the next series, the Blazers responded with a series of powerful runs by Lehmkul and Pitz and a pass reception by Jackson. Lehmkul capped off the drive with an 11-yard TD run at 8:19. Jackson kicked the PAT and the Blazers had closed the gap to 28-14.

They punctuated that by forcing a three and out on the Bears next series.

With 5:03 left in the third quarter the Blazers began at their own 21 but three plays later, a Lehmkul fumble was recovered by Walsh and with 1:59 remaining in the period.

T-V safety Shatik Smith makes sure Millbrook's Jonathan Crane stays down after his pass reception. The Bears defense yielded two TD's in the second half but held firm when it mattered for the win.

The Bears did not capitalize on the takeaway however as they began with a delay of game penalty. The quarter ended with them facing a third and eight at their own 40.

The fourth quarter began with what appeared to be a 60-yard TD pass to Exner but it was called back on a holding penalty. The series fizzled and the Bears punted.

In the next Blazers’ series, Millbrook compensated for a couple of run losses by garnering a 26-yard TD pass from Crane to Lehmkul at 9:04. The PAT sailed wide right but the Blazers were now a TD and two-point conversion within tying it up as they trailed 28-20 with plenty of time left.

Tri-Valley’s temporary reversion to its errant care of the football afforded Millbrook another try as a fumble on a pitch was recovered by Lehmkul at 6:22 at their own 38. Jonathan Edwards was hurt on the play and didn’t return for the remainder of the game. Soon he’d have company on the bench as John Anzano would join him with an injured ankle. Exner had sat out following his 60-yard callback.

Millbrook couldn’t make hay out of the takeaway. They began with a holding penalty and two snuffed running plays as the Bears were heeding Rossi’s impassioned call: “WE ARE GOING TO SECTIONALS,” he barked to his fellow defenders.

The Bears responded by stopping Millbrook on a fourth and ten play at their own 28.

The Bears got it back on downs with 3:42 remaining in the game. Mickelson marshaled one first down but the Bears found themselves facing a fourth and four at the nine. Rusin called a time out and decided on a field goal try.

Beale kicked it from the 25 straight through the uprights for the game-clinching 3 points as the Bears now led 31-20 with just 1:27 remaining in the game.

The clock and season ran out on the Blazers as the Bears celebrated the victory with hugs, smiles and a few tears of joy.

Keenan had loads of praise for Tri-Valley:

“We’ve watched them two or three times. They’re a big, physical team and they play hard. John and his staff did a great job. We never show our team film of the opponent but this past week we did it twice so they would know how good these guys were,” he noted.

Millbrook lost to Burke on a fumble recovery earlier in the season which put the Blazers in the same boat as the Bears.

Players listen to their coach John Rusin as he extols their play and tells them to enjoy their weekend safely and wisely. This week's preparation is all about O'Neill.

Rusin praised his troops before turning to talk to this writer, “You executed, limited turnovers and special teams were an asset. I’m so proud of you. You took responsibility. Everybody did what they wre supposed to do. It was a total team effort. Your record before doesn’t mean anything. Do you want the next one?” he barked. The answer from the team was deafening in its unison call of yes.

“It was so frustrating earlier in the season to see so much talent not actualizing its potential. We have senior leadership, a solid line, a good backfield, smart quarterbacks and our defense is tough. It’s a matter of putting things together, limiting mistakes and other teams’ big plays and special teams have to be a big part of it too,” he asserted.

“Millbrook is extremely well coached and they bring an offense you dread to play against. If any of your defensive 11 has a lapse they will exploit it. You just simply have to outscore them. We’ve scored 58 points in a game against them and lost.”

He went on to say, “Our guys did a good job of moving the ball and that allowed our defense to play and not have to worry about every play,.” Looking ahead to the playoffs, Rusin noted that teams will be more prepared the second time around given the fact that all of the other teams in the playoffs played T-V this year.

If the Bears beat O’Neill they’ll face the winner of the Burke-Sullivan West game in the title game. Last year they lost to Burke in the semifinals. The Bears won the Class C title in 2007 when they defeated Sullivan West 18-6.

The seniors linked arms and walked across their home field to cherish the memory of their last home game. As they walked, I strode alongside to listen to their thoughts and to soak up the final vibrations of a special night.

Here’s what was on their minds:

Greg Swarthout: “It feels so good to get a win at our last home game. I ‘ve got to give a lot of credit to the line. They were shuffling in and out with injuries and switching positions from guard to tackle. Millbrook is a really good team. Their system is tough. They give you fits. We worked extremely hard on extending our ends and clamping down on their jet sweeps,” he observed.

Anthony Beale

Anthony Beale: “The last two field goals I tried I missed but this time I was pretty relaxed. Now every time I try to think of it as an extra point and not worry about the distance. Football is so much fun. I’m just a kicker but these guys accept me and I love how they play with a lot of heart, as does my soccer team. I wouldn’t trade either sport for the other. I’m blessed to have the teammates I have on both squads,” he averred.

Conor Walsh: “It feels absolutely great. I’ve been with most of these seniors since Pumpkin Patch prekindergarten. We’ve grown up together. I used to wrestle with Greg in the hallway. Tonight feels ecstatic. I couldn’t want anything more than to go into the playoffs with my fellow seniors who I grew up with.”

Conor Walsh

Joe Mickelson:“Playing Millbrook was insane! They play great. Their coaching is great. They knew every play we were calling. I could hear them calling them out. I have to say this was the best defensive game Brendan Tierney has had in his career, penetrating that back side. As a senior I’m excited we’re going to the playoffs,

Joe Mickelson

Now we’re looking to run the table.”

Tri-Valley plays O’Neill at Middletown’s Faller Field on October 28 at 4;00pm.

Tri-Valley Stat line:

Mickelson 12/155; Exner 9/62 with one rushing TD and one 30-yard TD catch; Swarthout 15/102 with a TD; He completed 2/5 passes for 33 yards and a TD;

Leading tacklers included Jesus Lozada, Troy Rossi, Brendan Tierney, John Monforte and Joe Mickelson. Tackling statistics were not totally tabulated so numbers are not listed.

Happy Berth Day Lady Bears!

T-V senior keeper Erin Smith goes aloft for an electrifying save against Fallsburg.

Tri-Valley needed just one more win to make it to sectionals and they had hoped to garner that honor under the lights on October 21. But due to the calamitous collision between Fallsburg’s Arturo Perez and T-V’s Hunter Kennedy that had brought an end to the boys game and postponed the girls clash, the game was deferred to the next afternoon.

Fallsburg was about to unveil what Coach Mike Geller would term his team’s best play under his watch. Indeed, it was a highly competive match, even more so in the second half wherein Fallsburg had the lion’s share of the possession. Tri-Valley got two goals in the first half. The first one came at 17:17 as junior varsity call-up Ashley (A.J) Johnson picked up a pass from Mareena DiMIlia and lofted it over the head of Comet keeper Brooke Rappaport for the 1-0 lead.

At 28:00 T-V sophomore midfielder/striker Amanda Tyndell added another goal on an assist from Colleen Jones. With T-V’s staunch defense heading off Fallsburg’s runs that rarely reached keeper Erin Smith, the Lady Bears were able to marshal the needed victory. Smith made an electrifying save, one of her six on the day, as she went aloft to punch a ball skyward out of harm’s way in the upper right corner of the box.

Fallsburg’s Brooke Rappaport would have nine saves on the day and also showed her defiance of gravity on one of those nixes.

“The first half was much better than the second half,” noted T-V Coach Mary Feusner. “I think that everybody that was out there contributed in a good way for us. We were getting our shots off. Sometimes we needed to have a little bit more patience before shooting. In the first half we got to get to the battle of the net and that’s what did it for us,” she observed..

The Bears improved to 8-7 (4-7 OCIAA) and will play S.S. Seward at home on October 25. Sectional seeding will be revealed on October 27.

Mike Geller noted that his team was doing exactly the kinds of things he has taught them. They hustled, and vied to win every 50-50 ball. Geller had immense praise for Rappaport in the cage.

Fallsburg fell to 4-8 -1 (1-8-1 OCIAA).

For albums of photos, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com

On A Mission

Bears Fall To Playoff-Bound Raiders As Turnover Woes Continue; Non-League Game Could Well Be A Preview Of First Round Playoff Tilt As Bears Control Their Own Destiny; Raiders Vow To Hone Their Edge To Facilitate Successful Playoff Run

James I. O’Neill 29, Tri-Valley 15

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

Scenes from the Tri-Valley vs. O'Neill non-league clash..perhaps a preview of a first-round playoff game if the Bears win out over Fallsburg and Millbrook (Clockwise) O''Neill's Matt McCarthy hauls in a four--yard TD pass from Keegan West after the Raiders capitalize on a T-V fumble of a kickoff. Another Bears miscue leads to a second TD in the first half as Amon Gerber returns a punt for a TD to regain the lead. Tri-Valley's Shatik Smith intercepts a pass intended for O'Neills' Chris Olave and T-V's Cody Exner races for a 60-yard TD to give the Bears the lead back in the third quarter.

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—For all the apparent difference in their relative success and the lack thereof, 5-1 O’Neill and 1-5 Tri-Valley have several things in common. While the Raiders are already booked as the number-one seed from Division One for the October 28 playoff opener and the Bears must now run the table against Division II foes Fallsburg and Millbrook, the mission is the same: Make fewer mistakes, sustain drives and sharpen up or else….

O'Neill junior workhorse Jerry Nasi applies a straight arm to Tri-Valley's Conor Walsh. Strong, fast and tough to bring down, Nasi is a lethal weapon. In this game it was a workman-like 113 yards on 25 carries and a TD.

For O’Neill Coach Anthony Finochio that “Or else” meaning elimination in the playoffs, can be avoided by his team looking even sharper and avoiding mental errors. “If we want to make a run through the playoffs we have to nix those in the bud and play flawless football,” he said following his team’s 29-15 win over a tough, physical Tri-Valley team that held leads at two separate times in this game including a 15-14 edge midway through the third quarter.

The “Or Else,” for Tri-Valley is infinitely more daunting.

The Bears turned the ball over three times in this game, thereby shooting themselves in their bullet-ridden feet yet again as Coach John Rusin described this day’s somber outcome as an ongoing sore point. “ A “broken record. It’s week in and week out,” he noted as the talented Bears continue to neutralize their fine play at times with costly errors.

Now in the eleventh hour of their season the Bears have no margin for further error as they prepare to play a pair of league games against Fallsburg and Millbrook.

To make the playoffs Tri-Valley must win both of those games and if they do, it will be O’Neill they will face in the first round of the playoffs. If this game is any indication, that could be an all-out war as both squads know what they’re up against.

Rusin believes if his team gets to the playoffs that they could “Make some serious noise.” I’m sure Finochio and his Raiders won’t take that challenge lightly…or else…

Rusin hammered the message to his troops following this latest loss that followed the same script. “We are turning the ball over way too much. Minus three is the story of this game. We moved the ball well, played good defense as we have throughout but we can’t keep giving people short fields and we can’t stall drives with turnovers,” he stated emphatically.

They don't build them any tougher: Joe Mickelson, back from a hairline tibia fracture rushes the ball from the fullback spot. Mickelson brings the right stuff for T-V to win but mistakes must be minimized to do so.

Rusin believes in his team, but eschews the notorious distinction of being the “best 1-5 team in Section Nine. “I’m tired of hearing the other team’s coach tell me we’re the toughest team they’ve played all year and that you beat us up and down the field and that we’re going to give next week’s opponent hell. Those are direct quotes,” Rusin avers but they are not the words he relishes in the least.

Yet for all of the heartbreak and the mélange of miscues, Tri-Valley is in position to benefit from the requirements of playoff contention, namely to emerge with a positive league record, thereby rendering all of these past weeks defeats meaningless.

Much has and will be said about this process whereby teams like Liberty could easily be 6-3 by season’s end, having lost two league games by a single point and find themselves on the outside looking in. You can be sure that the entire system will be scrutinized severely as it renders most of the games teams play as insignificant in terms of playoff entry.

Tri-Valley won the toss and elected to defer, a logical choice given the fact that its defense has consistently been its strongest suit all year. “Let’s set the tone! They’ve come here to try and pound us but don’t let them dictate the tempo o f the game,” Rusin implored.

Tyler Lopez, returning from his absence since the Pine Plains game, kicked the ball out of bounds and the Raiders set up at the 35. As expected the first carry went to junior workhorse Jerry Nasi, his first of 25 on the day, this one for a nine-yard gain. He took it again for a first down before Joe Mickelson tagged him for a loss.

Mickelson’s return from a hairline tibia fracture was a plus for the Bears. In his absence fellow senior Greg Swarthout has been calling the signals. Mickelson would play fullback in this tilt and would make a fine showing therein, but here on defense he showed his aggressive verve had not been dulled by his inactivity.

O’Neill committed a pair of offsides penalties, giving credence to Finochio’s contention about his team’s lack of mental focus at times. That doomed this first series and after an incomplete pass to Matt McCarthy, the Raiders got set to punt.

When it comes to spirit there is none greater than that exuded by the Tri-Valley cheerleaders.

The Bears’ elation about their fine defensive stop was short-lived as Shatik Smith fumbled the punt and the Raiders recovered it at the Bears’ 20. Troy Rossi stopped Nasi in his tracks on first down. Nasi wove in out and for five before being dropped by Jesus Lozada bringing up third and five at the 15.Nasi met Brendan Tierney and Rossi on his next attempt.

The Raiders went to the air on fourth down as quarterback Keegan West hit McCarthy for the 15-yard TD at 7:08. O’Neill surrendered five yards on the PAT attempt by dint of their third offsides penalty and kicker Jordan Baskerville’s kick sailed wide right as the Raiders now led 6-0.

Mickelson carries brought a first down as Finochio called a time out after yelling, “Trips,” seeing a trio of T-V receivers in a formation he felt his team was unprepared to defend against. The Bears soon penetrated into Raider territory with their ground game. The chains kept moving as the Bears marched on with runs by Swarthout, Mickelson and a pitch to Lopez.

The drive continued as Swarthout converted a third and two run from the 25 to the Raiders’ 19. The Bears were moving the ball at will as they garnered a first and goal from the nine with 2:09 to go in the first quarter. O’Neill stiffened as the Bears faced a fourth and goal at the two as the quarter ended.

Pass defense will be needed to beat O'Neill whose running game sets up strikes like the one that beat Sullivan West. Here T-V's Shatik Smith defends against Chris Olave as the ball falls for an incompletion.

Mickelson was stopped and the Raiders took over at the three. Furious at having squandered their attempt to take the lead the Bears’ defense bore down on O’Neill looking for a safety. The Raiders barely avoided such on the first carry by Nasi. On a third and 11 it appeared they had Nasi in the end zone but the officials said no.

The ensuing punt was a short one giving the Bears the ball just outside the ten. Smith caught a ball coming back across the grain to bring the ball to the three. Cody Exner ran it in from the one at 7:44 to tie it at six- all. Anthony Beale gave the Bears the 7-6 lead with his PAT.

Lopez fired an onsides kick that was rolling loose before the Raiders recovered it. A flag signaled a late hit by T-V’s Aric Boyes affording the Raiders fine field position at their own 47. O’Neill tried a sweep with Kyle Kilner carrying but Rossi snuffed it out after a yard. The ball came loose but it was ruled to be after the play.

Facing a fourth and five the Raiders went to the Power I formation and Nasi got the needed yardage to the T-V 36. After an incomplete pass to McCarthy, West went to the air again but it was Smith who came up with the ball as he dove to take it away from intended receiver Chris Olave.

A jubilant Smith was lifted aloft by Brendan Tierney but as it would turn out, the Bears failed to capitalize on the break. Instead, their drive stalled and in a dramatic turn of events, they allowed O’Neill’s Amon Gerber to return a punt all the way to the house. Nasi ran in the two-point conversion out of the “Power I” formation to put the Raiders in the drivers’ seat to the tune of 14-7 with 2:37 left in the half.

The Bears worked to get the lead back with a run by Exner and a reception of a halfback option pass by the stalwart junior but a Mickelson fumble was recovered by O’Neill’s Zach Trainor to extinguish the threat. O’Neill carried the 14-7 lead into halftime after the Bears’ defense stymied O’Neill’s final drive that ended with a sack of West by Fred Dumond and Rossi and a trio of incomplete passes.

Rusin’s address to his troops at the half must have been a stern one given the turn of events.

The Bears began the second half with a return to the 33 by Exner. A big run by Exner was brought back by a block in the back. After a short gain by Tierney, Exner broke loose for a 60-yard TD run at 10:15 to make it 14-13.

O’Neill was called for offsides and Rusin replaced his PAT array with his offense to go for two. Mickelson took over at QB for this play and effected a sneak for the 15-14 lead.

Jesus Lozada denied Gerber a kickoff return as he zoomed in on the quick sophomore determined to not allow him game-breaking runback.

The Raiders went back to a steady diet of Nasi who soon had the chains moving in the Raiders’ favor to the O’Neill 41. With a fourth a three to go at the O’Neill 49, Nasi got the first down as officials issued a sideline warning to the T-V coaches.

McCarthy snared a pass as he ran in between Smith and John Monforte just moments after defensive coach Joe Porcaro had yelled for Smith to drop back. The ball now sat at the T-V 20 with 5:45 to go in the third quarter.

On a third and two, West hit McCarthy with a 12-yard TD pass at 4:20 for the 20-15 lead. Nasi carried it in for the two-point conversion to make it 22-15.

Again the Bears were moving the ball on the ground but an option pitch to Conor Walsh was recovered by Kilner snuffing out yet another T-V drive. Kilner carried it to the Bears’ 40. Nasi came up short on a third down play giving the Raiders a fourth and two at the Bears’ 28 as the quarter expired.

West got the first down on a keeper. The Bears worked assiduously to hold the Raiders out but Nasi twisted and turned his way to the 11. Lozada knocked Nasi back to the 14 on the next play. On a third down play the Raiders used effective trap blocking to spring Nasi for the nine-yard TD to the outside at 7:41 for the 28-15 lead.

A snap infraction on the center pushed the ball back on the PAT but Baskervile split the uprights anyway for the 29-15 lead.

The Bears began at their own 24. A roughing the passer penalty availed the Bears extra yardage as the Bears moved it with a pass and a reverse to the O”Neill 31. Down by two the Bears got another first down at the 20 with 3:58 to go but the clock was moving as Swarthout was caught behind the line of scrimmage by Chris VanSkyock. Facing a fourth and long back at the 27 the Bears failed to convert on a screen pass to Mickelson as the Raiders took over on downs with 2:22 to go.

O’Neill kept it on the ground to run out the clock. The Bears used their last time outs to no avail as they were unable to thwart a final fourth and inches. The game ended with O’Neill in possession of the ball and the victory.

Nasi took the win in stride acknowledging the fact that there is much yet to do. “We still have a lot of work to do. Tri-Valley was physical and fast, “ he said giving props to the Bears, “but we’ve got to get better each week.”

Finochio had already stated as much in his comments that began with praise for Nasi. “he finds the seams and does a good job. When you have a great running game it does open up passing lanes too,” he noted referencing the TD catches from McCarthy.

“The formula has been working and we’re trying to get better week to week,” he said. Asked if he had held anything back anticipating that the Bears might be the team the Raiders would face in the playoffs, Finochio quickly replied, “No, we play to win every game.”

Rusin’s words conveyed his disappointment, while he continued to cite his team’s toughness and work ethic. “Am I proud of them? Absolutely. Do I want more them? Absolutely. They’re a much better football team than their record shows but the left column is all anybody ever looks at. Repeating the mantra he will stress each and every day over the coming week, “We control our own destiny. But if we turn the ball over three times to Fallsburg, we will lose.”

Tri-Valley’s mission is to dampen the Comets’ Homecoming by garnering the win. If they do that, they will then turn their attention to talented Millbrook whom they host on their own Homecoming the following week to determine which team will face O’Neill on October 28.

O’Neill plays Livingston Manor Roscoe and Ellenville in its final two tune ups.

Tri-Valley stat line:

Rushing: Exner: 7/93 2TD’s; Mickelson: 16/60 2PT conversion; Swarthout: 9/34; Lopez: 2/7;Tierney: 1/2; .Total: 35/196.

Passing: Swarthout: 3/5 32YDS; Mickelson 1/1 13YDS.

Receiving: Exner: 2/21; Lopez: 1/15; Smith: 1/8.

Defense: Mickelson: 10 Tackles 6 Assists 1 Sack; Lozada: 9 Tackles 1 Assist; Tierney: 5 Tackles 4 Assists.

For an album of photos visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com

Between The Lines

Burke Clinches Division Title With Win Over Gritty Tri-Valley; Bears’ Heroic Defensive Effort Cannot Overcome Offensive Miscues And Missed Opportunities

John S. Burke Catholic 21, Tri-Valley 7

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

There's more here than meets the eye: Scenes from the gritty division showdown between Burke and host Tri-Valley (clockwise) Burke's Tom Sullivan catches a 46-yard pass on the Eagles' first play from scrimmage from quarterback Robert Pezzullo as T-V junior Shatik Smith does his best to break it up. Smith slipped, Sullivan raced on and the Eagles led 7-0. In the fourth quarter Smith scores on a halfback option pass tossed by Conor Walsh. Smith is pursued by Burke's Mat Cino. Burke Coach Ed Van Curen Jr. tries to fire up his team's lackluster first half effort during a time out. Mat Cino heads up field as he is pursued by T-V's Jesus Lozada. T-V cheerleaders add spirit, allure and vibrancy to the overcast day as they cheer on their beloved Bears. T-V players raise their helmets in anticipation of the coming fray. Burke's Steve Tomaszewski scores on a 12-yard run. The scoring came as Burke capitalized on an interception by Tom Sullivan. Patrick Joyner returns the second half opening kickoff 85 yards for a score to give Burke a 14-0 lead.

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—Face it. We live in a fast-paced world where events are often reported to us in sound bites, ten-second highlight reels, headlines and briefs. Rarely do we get the complete story, nor does it seem that most people want to take the time to uncover it.

But in racing to just grab the skinny on what takes place, whether it’s about a complex news issue or a game that contains much more than can be gleaned from a final score, we lose far more than we gain.

A fine run by Tri-Valley's Greg Swarthout comes to an airborne conclusion as he is upended by Burke defenders in the early going.

I suppose that’s why when I was contemplating a name for my nascent photojournalistic enterprise three years ago, I decided to call it Sports Insights. From my perspective, the larger meaning of high school sports requires a thoughtful, in-depth analysis, not just a laundry list of game details, but more importantly , an assessment of the lingering lessons such engagements impart to its participants.

As the saying goes, “The devil is in the details.” To that end, it is my hope that in the reading of this piece about the Burke-Tri-Valley football game readers will come away with a distinct picture of the day’s proceedings and the possible ramifications thereof.

Burke’s 21-7 Class C Division II win over Tri-Valley gave the 5-0 (3-0 Class C) Eagles the Division II title and punched their ticket back to the playoffs. The Eagles’ persistence, particularly in the second half was emblematic of a fine and battle- tested football team, a squad ably coached by Ed Van Curen Jr.

Tri-Valley, a team hampered by injuries, beset by inexperience and a lack of size, was nonetheless about to unveil what amounted to a herculean defensive effort that would slow the mighty Burke machine down to a crawl in the first half limiting them to a sole score, a 46-yard TD catch by senior Tom Sullivan, abetted in part by the slippage on the wet turf from T-V safety Shatik Smith. For the rest of the half, Burke moved the ball a mere 26 yards against the undaunted Bears.

Truth to be told, when Burke junior quarterback Robert Pezzullo tossed that initial strike to Sullivan on the Eagles’ first play, that quick score raised the specter of a potential rout. To their credit, neither team perceived things as such and took things in stride.

After blockers dispelled the last of T-V's would-be tacklers, Patrick Joyner continues his run to the end zone behind his 85-yard kickoff return to start the second half. Gone he is, along with the Bears' amped up spirit to start the half down only 7-0.

For the Eagles whose roster contains an uncanny 20 seniors in the fold, experience has been a dear teacher. Losing last year’s championship game 20-19 to Millbrook stung favored Burke and led to an off-season avowal to make amends in 2011.

Burke is the odds-on favorite to do just that, but winning a Section Nine title means overcoming adversity, evincing incredible persistence and will and fighting with all you’ve got on every down and in every game.

Having played Tri-Valley twice a year ago, Burke knew it was up against a gritty adversary; a team that would carry a strong belief in itself despite its disadvantages in a relentless search for an upset victory.

Tri-Valley Coach John Rusin is an impassioned leader who inspires his players to summon every fiber of their reserves to battle opponents, no matter what that team’s assets, reputation or record.

On this cloudy October 1, that gritty relentlessness was best personified in the play of junior safety/wide receiver Shatik Smith. Were Smith to step on the scale with rocks in his pockets, he might get the needle to tip at 125 pounds. “That’s generous,” quipped injured T-V quarterback Joe Mickelson.

What Smith lacks in height and weight, he more than makes up for in heart and in that sense, he embodies what Tri-Valley football is all about. It wouldn’t be long before Burke would glean the fact that on this overcast day on a sodden field, they were about to be engaged in a fight far more daunting than they probably anticipated. More than once they’d look up and see that little guy in the number 2 jersey making a big play on both sides of the ball.

The Bears won the toss and elected to receive. With Mickelson still sidelined with a hairline fracture to his tibia, Greg Swarthout would be calling signals again. The snap on the first play sailed over Swarthout’s head. He recovered it but that doomed the first series and the Bears punted. As it would turn out, that initial miscue would prove to be a harbinger of struggles for the Bears on the offensive side of the ball.

Pezzullo uncorked the aforementioned strike to Sullivan as Smith played him perfectly but slipped. Smith was giving up about ten inches in height to Sullivan who then raced for the score at 10:23 Andrew Nutt kicked the PAT and Burke led 7-0.

Swarthout had a nice run on a keeper but an ensuing fumble by Brendan Tierney was recovered by Burke. Turnovers have plaqued the Bears this season and this one would not be the last in this fray.

Tri-Valley junior Aric Boyes makes great headway as he bursts through the first tier of Burke's defense before being impeded in the secondary. The problem was T-V could not sustain any offensive momentum.

Burke set up at the T-V 42 but the Bears were about to make the first of many stands on the day as they forced the Eagles into a three and out. The Eagles faked a punt on fourth down but Pezzullo’s pass to Patrick Joyner was incomplete .

Offensively the Bears continued to sputter with a big loss on first down that would soon lead to a futile series and another punt. Burke was getting good field position but not making much use of it as Jake Morganstein returned Conor Walsh’s punt to the Bears’ 39-yard line. Troy Rossi hit Mat Cino for a loss after the Bears yielded five yards on an encroachment penalty. Good defense by Tierney and Fred Dumond forced another Burke punt.

Nutt’s punt pinned the Bears at the 12. Not only were the Bears unable to move the pigskin, Walsh couldn’t get the punt off and was tackled by Trevor Reynolds at the one-yard line. Another Burke score seemed inevitable.

Raffy Ramirez sacked Pezzullo for a loss and Christian Ward was brought down by Jesus Lozada as the Bears refused to accede any ground. A tackle by Tierney made it fourth and goal at the six as the quarter ended.

“You’re doing an outstanding job,” Coach John Rusin barked to his troops. Nutt’s field goal went wide and the Bears took over on the five after a momentous stand.

Burke’s interior defense was tough to penetrate but Cody Exner found room to turn the corner for a first down and a personal foul by Burke moved it ahead to the Bears’ 44. The Bears failed to convert on a third and five as Burke got the ball back on an interception by Steve Tomaszewski. Pezzullo threw a fourth down pass to Sullivan for a first down to the 30 with 6:05.

Another first down, this one a pass to Cino at the 16 had the Eagles threatening again but the Bears held fast again as they stopped a run for a loss and withstood a trio of incomplete passes for another big defensive stand.

The Bears had the ball at their own 22 but their offense was just not firing. A complete pass to John Monforte gave the Bears the ball at their own 44 but the half ended with nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Burke led 7-0 at the break.

Joyner received Anthony Beale’s kickoff at the 15 and raced 85 yards behind a wall of blockers for the score at 11:45. Nutt’s PAT made it 14-zip.

Shatik Smith is wide open on this halfback option catch as Burke bit on the pitch to Conor Walsh who then threw the strike to Smith for the Bears' lone score of the game.

Aric Boyes had an electrifying run on the second play of the Bears’ first series. A holding call on a Burke defensive back gave the Bears a first down. The ball was first spotted at the three but then was moved back as officials placed it at the 25 as they marked off yardage from the line of scrimmage. But Burke would take over on downs as Swarthout’s fourth down pass to Exner was incomplete.

Burke continued to accrue penalties. A big run by Cino ended as the ball sailed out of his arms only to be recovered by Smith at the Tri-Valley 35. Once again, the Bears failed to capitalize on a Burke miscue and had to punt.

The Eagles offense wasn’t doing much better but a booming punt by Nutt pinned the Bears inside the ten yard line. Then Sullivan picked off an errant Swarthout pass on the Bears’ first play of the series. After a few losses on run attempts, Steve Tomaszewski carried it in from the 12 to make it 20-0 with 1:03 to go. Nutt’s PAT made it 21-0.

The score would remain as such until late in the fourth quarter when the Bears got on the board as Walsh took a pitch from Swarthout and heaved it to a racing Smith for a 42-yard TD. Smith, who earlier in the second half had leaped skyward to knock a ball away from Sullivan, would prove himself to be the hero in the Bears’ losing cause. Beale’s PAT made it 21-7, which would prove to be the final score.

Rusin would extol Smith in his post game comments. “His whole body must be heart. He has incredible legs and toughness on every single play offensively and defensively. I’d be comfortable putting him any place on the field. Even on that TD catch he was in outstanding coverage. He’s an excellent football players, the kind of kid you love to have on your team.”

Rusin had begun his postgame reflection by talking about his team as a whole. “I was pleased with the defense. They kept us in the game,” noting that the offensive guys were essentially the same players. “Offensively we have to do a better job. We keep shooting ourselves in the foot, especially on early downs and we are not the kind of team that overcome that,” he averred.

I commend my team’s efforts and I know they left it all out there on the field today but we have to be a more crisp team if we’re going to have any chance at the playoffs. We cannot turn the ball over , especially against a quality team like Burke.

Eyes on the prize. Burke senior Captain Spiro Nanakos waits to shake hands with the Bears. Now it's on to bigger things for the Eagles who lost last year's title game to Millbrook by one point. For the senior-laden squad there is no such thing as next year's quest.

We have to do a better job of protecting the football and answering scores. Over the years we’ve proven ourselves to be a pretty formidable team offensively. We’ve got to work together-linemen, receivers and backs to get on the same page to put together some drives. Defense will keep us in games but we need our offense to win.

I love this team with all of my heart,” said Rusin.

Burke Coach Ed Van Curen Jr knew his team had been up against a tough opponent. “They played very well today,” he began.

“This was a tale of two halves. We’ve been coming out and playing effective offense this year. Tri-Valley is a great team and they’re well-coached. They now us well. We saw them twice last year and we may well see them twice again. Class C is turning into really fine football.

In the first half we kind of sleep-walked so in the second half we knew we had to come out and get our offense working. They played great defense against us. They were forcing us into three and outs . Our special teams did a great job though of pinning them deep.”

Asked about the sodden field and its impact on his team’s effectiveness, Van Curen noted, “We’re two running tams. We throw the ball out of necessity but this field certainly slowed us down. As for Tri-Valley, they’re a Wing-T team which relies on its ability to make cuts to get upfield.”

Runners like T-V’s Cody Exner were certainly hampered by the field as well as Burke’s excellent lateral pursuit.

Burke plays Fallsburg for its last league game of the season, while Tri-Valley (1-4, 1-1 Class C) must defeat Fallsburg and Millbrook in order to make it to the postseason.

Tri-Valley Statistics.

Rushing: Cody Exner 10/29; Greg Swarthout 11/37; Brendan Tierney 7/21; Aric Boyes 9/49; John Monforte 2/-1. Total 39/133

Passing: Swarthout 1/14/36 with two interceptions; Conor Walsh 1/36 TD. Total passing 4/15/72

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

Fallsburg Boys Prevail: The Comets’ Tale

The Kids Are All Right: Stamina And Crisp Execution Fuel Lady Bears Victory

The New York Rock Exchange

Closing Bell (Buzzer) Signals Profitable Sullivan West Win Over Tri-Valley But Both Teams Yield Valuable Dividends From Investment Of Hard Work In Hotly Contested Non-League Fray

Bears Get Out To The Early Lead

Change of Polarity

Brave New World

Tri-Valley Returns To The Ethereal Afterlife Of Postseason Contention Behind Its Commanding League Win Against Defending Champion Millbrook; Once Hapless Bears Now Figure To Be A Fierce Foe As They Evince Newfound Efficiency To Go Along With Existing Heart and Grit

Happy Berth Day Lady Bears!

On A Mission

Bears Fall To Playoff-Bound Raiders As Turnover Woes Continue; Non-League Game Could Well Be A Preview Of First Round Playoff Tilt As Bears Control Their Own Destiny; Raiders Vow To Hone Their Edge To Facilitate Successful Playoff Run

Between The Lines

Burke Clinches Division Title With Win Over Gritty Tri-Valley; Bears’ Heroic Defensive Effort Cannot Overcome Offensive Miscues And Missed Opportunities

Red Cross Thanks Community Partners for Assistance Following Grandview Palace Fire

I’M BORED: LibertyBikeTrail.org

Honing The Edge

Voters approve 2012-2013 LCSD Budget, cuts on the way

Grandeur and Grace

League Lore 2012

BOCES LPN Students Reach Milestone and Receive Caps

Glory Days

In Loving Memory

Police Roundup – May 16th 2012 Edition

Skate Park: Location Raises Questions, Answers, and Activism

Red Cross Thanks Community Partners for Assistance Following Grandview Palace Fire

I’M BORED: LibertyBikeTrail.org

Honing The Edge

Voters approve 2012-2013 LCSD Budget, cuts on the way

Categories

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

Fallsburg Boys Prevail: The Comets’ Tale

The Kids Are All Right: Stamina And Crisp Execution Fuel Lady Bears Victory

Closing Bell (Buzzer) Signals Profitable Sullivan West Win Over Tri-Valley But Both Teams Yield Valuable Dividends From Investment Of Hard Work In Hotly Contested Non-League Fray

Bears Get Out To The Early Lead

Change of Polarity

Tri-Valley Returns To The Ethereal Afterlife Of Postseason Contention Behind Its Commanding League Win Against Defending Champion Millbrook; Once Hapless Bears Now Figure To Be A Fierce Foe As They Evince Newfound Efficiency To Go Along With Existing Heart and Grit

Happy Berth Day Lady Bears!

Bears Fall To Playoff-Bound Raiders As Turnover Woes Continue; Non-League Game Could Well Be A Preview Of First Round Playoff Tilt As Bears Control Their Own Destiny; Raiders Vow To Hone Their Edge To Facilitate Successful Playoff Run

Burke Clinches Division Title With Win Over Gritty Tri-Valley; Bears’ Heroic Defensive Effort Cannot Overcome Offensive Miscues And Missed Opportunities

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