Breaking Through
A Parent’s Perspective On A Team’s Noble Battle Overcoming Adversity To Achieve New Levels Of Success Both On And Off The Court
By SHANNON JACKSON-DANIELS
Editor’s Note: Though basketball season is now over and spring sports loom large on the horizon, the story of one team’s determination to surmount daunting obstacles and prior years’ struggles to win over the hearts and minds of their community is a compelling one that has no definitive timeline or shelf life. To accomplish this turnaround required the patience and commitment of a coach who would accept nothing less than her players’ best effort, coupled with the team’s willingness to do whatever it took to become successful.
The Monticello Lady Panthers overcame great adversity to not just make it to sectionals after years of drought, but to advance to the Class A semifinals.
MONTICELLO, NY– It was almost as if the Monticello girls’ team took a page out of the New York Giants’ book. Everyone doubted that the Lady Panthers would have a winning season much less make it to sectionals. But successful teams persevere through adversity. The Giants would not just make it to the playoffs, they won the Superbowl. And as for the Monticello Lady Panthers, they marshaled their will and desire to to not just make the playoffs for the first time in seven years, but to go on and win their first game.
Just as the city rallied around the Giants, the Monticello community rallied around the Lady Panthers. This year had been a tough outing for the coach and her team. Yet even with all of the struggles the team had encountered, they still managed to stay focused and work hard with a unanimity of purpose and a goal of making it to sectionals. As the regular season came down to the wire, the final matchup between Monticello and Goshen would prove to be a nail biter that would determine if the Lady Panthers would achieve their goal of entering the recently unchartered territory of postseason play.
The hard-fought battle with the Lady Gladiators would go into overtime before Monticello finally prevailed. Coming down the stretch Monticello founds itself mired in foul trouble and had just four players on the court for about 20 seconds. But in the end the Lady Panthers went home with the win by the final score of 74-66.
This particular game was Monticello’s team high in terms of points scored during this season. And by winning, Monticello clinched a spot in the sectionals bracket. Once, the sectional seedings were determined, ironically the Lady Panthers discovered that they would have to face Goshen yet again..
Going into this sectional game, both teams were thirsty for the win, not just to snap the season tie-breaker, but more importantly to earn the right to advance. Come sectionals, no team wants to reckon with the prospect of its season coming to an untimely end. From the start of warm-ups, it was apparent that both teams brought their greatest intensity. As the buzzer sounded at the conclusion of warm-ups, , the visiting Lady Gladiators’ starting line-up was announced..The visiting Lady Gladiators began to chant loudly in unison with the fervent crowd that had traveled to support them. After the Lady Panthers’ starting line-up was called, the Monties formed a circle and begin their team pre-game hype up chant as you could feel the intensity rise in the Pit as the anticipation of the crowd built to a crescendo.
This particular night was as if it was “Written in the Stars” (Tinie Tempah ft Eric Turner). Speaking to Coach Karen Atack the day before the game, I asked her how she felt about facing Goshen in the sectionals. To which she replied, “I have a good feeling” Her premonition would prove to be right.
The Feb 28 sectional game between the Monticello Lady Panthers and the Goshen Lady Gladiators was literally a down- to- the-wire re-match. The game outcome was not decided until the final minute. In the end, the Lady Panthers came out on top 48-42.
That final minute was tense to say the least. Goshen’s Ahxia Stanton made a bucket with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter to even the game at 42-42. The Goshen crowd roared their approval. Then Monticello’s Quasia Walker answered back with a jump shot in the lane 12 seconds later to give the Lady Panthers a 44-42 lead.
With 28 seconds left Sha’mira Moore drove the ball to the hoop and scored extending the lead to 46-42. In the final seconds, Yami Reyes and her teammate Moore each made a free throw to seal the game for Monticello. After the win, Atack said “I’ll take it.”
Goshen had led 12-10 at the end of the first quarter. At halftime the game was tied 21-21. At the end of the third quarter, Monticello held a 35-31 advantage.
The Lady Panthers’ offense was led by Reyes who had a team-high 17 points, while Moore recorded a double-double with 10 points, 14 rebounds and five steals. Zequia Revell, Monticello’s only senior added nine points, 13 rebounds and five steals. Lena Episalla had four steals. Additionally,
\The victory came despite late season adversity that had seen the Lady Panthers reckon with the loss of Junior Arianna Da Costa who had emergency surgery on Feb 14. DaCosta had just received medical clearance to play and this was her first game back.
In addition, Amanda Grobusch was injured in practice Monday afternoon and had gone to the hospital to be examined. Grobusch received medical clearance hours prior to tip-off of the quarterfinal game.
“She had never played basketball before this season,” She is this season’s most improved player. The difference in her game is like night and day,” noted Atack. Despite the uncertainly surrounding the viability of key players, the Lady Panthers qualified for sectionals, something they had not done since 2005-2006. “I am proud of these ladies,” coach Atack said.” They never gave up. They grew closer as a team and worked hard.”
As a parent who has had an opportunity to observe this team frequently and under a variety of circumstances I have developed a sound respect for coach Atack, most importantly, for her passion for the game, her tough coaching style, and her insistence on a strong and consistent work ethic throughout the season.
Da Costa and Moore of reflected on what they felt were the most intense moments of the game, Da Costa replied, “Emma Weiss hitting a three pointer, with a little more than two minutes left in the game. She was the player that I was defending and I obviously gave her an open shot.” Moore added, “When I passed the ball to Yami Reyes and the ball slipped through her hand it appeared to be a turnover but the official said that it was last touched by Goshen.”
Both Da Costa and Moore expressed frustration with the amount of times that their team had turned the ball over in the fourth quarter. In response to how they felt about making it to sectionals and most importantly, winning the first game,
Da Costa added, “Making it to sectionals shows that hard work pays off. We’ve wanted this so bad, for so long. Sad, but true, people have doubted us through the years and it feels good to finally prove them wrong. Through, everything that the team has been through this year, going to sectionals was a great accomplishment.”
Da Costa also passionately dedicated this season to coach Atack for “having shown great patience and turning the Lady Panthers into a better team this year.” Moore’s noted that Atack pushed them and believed in them as a team. “She always mentioned two words that she feels are important, to us as a team and they are to trust and believe. We knew that once we had internalized those key aspects, that we would be successful.” Moore also dedicated the season to the coach as well.
Moore was named All Section from Class A schools for girls basketball. She led the Lady Panthers to the Section IX semifinals this year.
My goal in writing this narrative is to make our community aware of the great accomplishments rendered by the Monticello Girls Varsity Basketball Team as they overcame the loss of three key players for various circumstances.
It is also impressive to note that seven players from the team made either High Honor Roll or Principal’s List for the Second Marking Period. In order for, a student to have made High Honor Roll he/she must maintain a grade point average of 90-94.99 and for Principal’s List a student must have an average of 95-100. I am proud to say that Monticello has been named to the NYSPHAA Scholar Athlete team with an average of a 94.
To maintain such a fine academic record while devoting so much time to a varsity sport requires perseverance, time management skills and the relentless pursuit of excellence. As the famous UCLA Coach John Wooden once noted, “Success is being the best you are capable of becoming.” By that standard, the 2011-12 Monticello Lady Panthers were a resounding success story.
The entire team’s warranted a great commitment that began with the rigors of the school day and continued on into practice which ended at 4:30 PM and on game days meant arriving home late to negotiate the pressing needs of homework and other responsibilities.
As a parent of a daughter who is in her third season of playing for Coach Atack, I can attest that she does everything in her power to take advantage of Study Hall time during the school day to get as much work done as she can before the game. I have not seen get to bed before 12:00 AM on a night of a game.
Coach Atack is a seasoned veteran and a caring mentor. Unquestionably she is very tough on the girls and cuts them no slack as exemplified by her rule for practice, “If you are early, you are on time, if you are on time, you are late, and if you are late, do not bother showing up.”
From a former athlete’s perspective, I truly admire coach Atack’s passion for basketball and the fact that she spends time in the beginning of practice pointing out each player’s strength/weakness in the game and always asks each player what she believes she can do to improve for the next game. It has been very rewarding to watch the team grow and evolve over the past few seasons to achieve the kind of success they experienced this year.
The Lady Panthers’ fine season that began with an inspiring 4-0 run, had its struggles during the middle of the season with several tough losses, and then finished its regular season stretch run with an inspiring effort to clinch a spot in the Sectionals after nearly seven years. This was made sweeter still, by winning the quarterfinal match up against Goshen to advance to the Semifinal game on March 1 against Number-One seeded Cornwall
As it would turn out, Cornwall proved to be a bit too much for Monticello ending its season . The Lady Panthers should be very proud of their accomplishments, for holding it together individually and excelling academically, I urge them to retain that pride, work on their skills and conditioning in the intervening seasons in order to evince and even more outstanding performance next winter. I look forward to that with great felicity.
Eyes On The Prize
Monticello Evinces Heart and Soul Versus Burke But Comes Up Short As Lady Monties Still Need Two Wins For Sectional Invite; Lady Eagles Set Sights On Class B Title Quest With Ayala Back From ACL Rehab; Episalla Sisters Play Against Each Other For First Time Ever
John S. Burke Catholic 48, Monticello 37
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Photos at: www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Scenes from an epic battle (clockwise) Burke junior Jessica Ayala blocks Monticello's Zequia Revell. The Burke Eagle mascot last seen by this writer at Glens Falls as the boys won the state title. The Monticello Panther. Burke's Casey Undersinger cans a three. She led all scorers with 18. Another trey, this one from D.J. Presutti as Zequia Revell closes a bit too late. The Episalla sisters reckon with each other. That's Monticello freshman Lena in the foreground and Burke senior Nicole behind her to the left. Monticello freshman Yami Reyes fires up a late three that rims out. She is defended by Burke's Kelly McLaughlin. Monticello's Shamira Moore scores early. She led her team with 11 points.
MONTICELLO, NY—Great basketball games are stories unto themselves and the February 3 non-league clash between the host Lady Panthers of Monticello and the victorious visiting Lady Eagles of John S. Burke Catholic was indeed a novella.
Replete with compelling chapters all of which will be recounted shortly, it is a tale that conveys far more than the final score of 48-37 would suggest.
But the subtext of plot lines running underneath this encounter is even more intriguing.
Monticello junior guard Arianna DeCosta drives the ball up the floor as Burke's Casey Undersinger closes in to defend.
For Monticello, which began its season at a 15-year best mark of 4-0, the prospect of making it to sectionals after years of drought has been a goal vehemently sought after by a young team with only one senior in the fold.
Longstanding veteran Coach Karen Atack knew from the outset that the fast start would be no guarantee of reaching the pot of gold at the end of the regular season rainbow. A December 16 league loss to Cornwall was the first defeat
And with the New Year, tough losses would soon follow suit including a 37-36 loss to O’Neill and a close 52-46 defeat against Class AA Minisink Valley. Add in subsequent losses to Goshen, Washingtonville, Warwick and now Burke and the Lady Monties now find themselves at 7-7 needing to win two of the next four games to make it to the Big Dance.
Three of those games are rematches against league rivals in Goshen, Port Jervis and Cornwall. They must also face a non-league test against Valley Central.
Things will be infinitely harder now with the loss of outstanding junior guard Yadira Montes for the rest of the season and the fact that the Monties will also lose the powerful interior presence of Nyasia Blakney who is moving to Fallsburg this coming Monday for family reasons and will now play for the ascending Lady Comets.
Despite the turmoil, Atack who mentors her players not just on the court but oversees their academic progress as well as being pro-active in their lives anyway she can, had been feeling that many positives were surfacing including rising grades, greater stability etc. But this latest series of setbacks has really put the team to the test.
That said, they came out in this game and “Left their hearts and souls out there,” said Atack.
The game also featured another subplot which could be dubbed “Sister Act.” Burke senior Nicole Episalla and her young sister Lena, a freshman guard for Monticello, would be playing against each other for the first time ever. More too on this later in this narrative.
Burke's D.J. Presutti dribbles the ball as Monticello's Lena Episalla looks for a chance to marshal a steal.
Burke’s story is compelling too.
With five of its top six players heading out the door via graduation, the remnants of the team which lost a heart-rending 32-29 game to Highland in last year’s Class B Sectional Final was in for a spate of new challenges, not the least of which was an injury to junior forward Jessica Ayala, a key veteran of last year’s campaign.
Ayala tore the ACL in her left knee last May and spent seven months assiduously rehabbing it. She missed the first six games of the season. After a season opening win over Ellenville, the Lady Eagles dropped six straight including the January 10 game against Kingston, the night of Ayala’s return.
Burke is undefeated in Division IV play with wins over O’Neill, Sullivan West and Liberty. Playing a daunting non-league schedule, Coach Matt McGinnis’ squad absorbed losses against the likes of Cornwall, Newburgh, Lourdes, Marian Regina, McNichols, Monroe-Woodbury and Pearl River.
Now at 5-8 (3-0 OCIAA) following this night’s 48-37 win over Monticello, the Lady Eagles look to run the table on their league opponents Liberty, O’Neill and Sullivan West to see how they’ll be seeded in the Class B Sectionals. Highland, which plays in the MHAL has a tougher league schedule and could be the number one seed if it remains unbeaten. Regardless of who is one and who is two, the stage may be set for the hoped-for redemptive final for the Lady Eagles.
But on this night, they’d first have to deal with a determined Monticello squad which came out and dominated them early on to amass a 13-5 first quarter lead.
Monticello senior Zequia Revell is overshadowed by Burke's Dominique Nutt as Lady Panther Nyasia Blakney looms. Blakney played her last game for the Lady Monties as she is moving to Fallsburg where she'll bring her strong inside game to bear on the Lady Comets' Class C run.
Monticello controlled the opening tip but the Lady Monties missed a couple of shots in the paint. Turnovers were rife in the early going as were misses by both squads. The Lady Monties got out to the early 4-0 lead with buckets from Shamira Moore and Arianna DeCosta.
Burke was noticeably affected by Monticello’s press and went scoreless for nearly four minutes until Casey Undersinger nailed a three to bring the Lady Eagles within one. Monticello missed a couple of easy lay ups, something Atack would allude to later in her post-game assessment of her team’s positives and areas still needing work.
Ayala gave Burke its first lead at 2:02 but the Lady Monties would go on an 9-0 run to close the quarter as Blakney began things with a bucket to put the Monties back on top. Freshman Yami Reyes scored, then got a steal and dished it to Moore who scored. Moore hit on one free throw and Blakney put back the miss of the second.
McGinnis called time out and the fans in the Pit were feeling their oats. Monticello’s defensive verve was the story of that opening stanza.
Teams like Burke that play under pressure against much tougher rivals can quickly adjust. The Lady Eagles soon did that as they went on to outscore Monticello 19-8 in the second quarter to assume take a 24-21 lead into halftime.
The Monties had the better of it early on in the second quarter, leading 17-8 after a bucket from Blakney but Burke tore off a 16-4 run to close the quarter as they got 11 points in the stanza from Casey Undersinger, a trey from D.J. Presutti, four points from Elora Taphorn and a trio of free throws, two of which came from Lucia Presutti off a technical foul and one from Kelly McLaughlin which put Burke on top 20-19 with 1:30 to go in the period.
Monticello had cooled off as its shots weren’t falling and Burke had regained control of the flow. Four points from Moore and two points from Zequia Revell and Blakney were all they could manage as the Lady Monties committed fouls, turned the ball over and lost their shooting acumen. Burke’s Dominique Nutt tied the game at 19-all and. Moore had a steal and scored but Burke had the last word in the stanza for the 24-21 lead at the break.
Monticello regained its composure and hustle in the third quarter as it played Burke closer. Burke outscored Monticello 10-8 in the stanza to marshal a 34-29 lead but the Monties were in serious foul trouble which would soon lead to the exit of Moore, Blakney and Episalla.
Monticello got four of its eight points in the frame from the stripe. They’d end up 10-for-16 on the night for a respectable 62 percent. Moore scored her final three points in the third quarter. She ended up with 12.
Moore-watch: Burke's Nicole Episalla looks to keep tabs on the dangerous Shamira Moore.
Undersinger began the third quarter with a trey. Moore followed with a bucket and one as the Monties closed within two at 26-24. The score hovered there for what seemed like an eternity. Moore incurred an offensive foul as she edged closer to five which would come sooner rather than later.
Still, prior to that the Monties managed to tie the game at 28-all with 2:36 to go in the third quarter. Burke went on to outscore Monticello 5-1 for the 34-29 lead after three.
Without Moore, Episalla and Blakney, the fourth quarter resulted in a 14-8 Burke advantage. Burke enjoys far more depth and experience than Monticello and the frequent substitution allowed an unending supply of fresh legs against the Lady Monties who had fewer reserves to utilize. In addition, the skill level of Burke’s reserve players far exceeds that of the Montie subs, many of whom are inexperienced and young.
Undersinger led all scorers with 18 points. Ayala provided 10.
In addition to Moore’s 12, the Lady Monties got nine from Yami Reyes and six from Blakney. Zequia Revell had nine rebounds, three assists and four steals. Moore added seven rebounds and six steals while Blakney had eight rebounds.
Atack was extremely pleased with her team’s performance. “Obviously foul trouble was the turning point. But I told them that even though it’s a loss, I’m so proud of them. We left our heart and soul out there and that’s what’s important to me. We had freshmen running the point. We did a good job defensively.” Offensively Atack admitted her team’s shooting percentage was sub-par and that they missed a number of easy lay ups. “We were also out of position on some rebounds,” she added.
Atack holds high expectations for her players, not just in their on-the-court performance, but in their academics and overall deportment. A strong advocate of rewarding integrity and perseverance as well as reminding her players for the lack thereof by sitting them at times, Atack’s approach to coaching is unique and immensely commendable. She stands by her principles and is tough. Some people may criticize her approach this writer extols it.
Sisterhood
Rivals for the moment in their contrasting school uniforms, Lena, left and Nicole Episalla are sisters forever. Different to be sure in terms of their interests, they share an abiding friendship and a common love of the game of basketball. Both declared it was fun to play against each other for the first time.
Following the game the Episalla sisters talked about the rare encounter. Nicole said, “It was a lot of fun.” Asked if she was nervous about it she claimed she wasn’t but added, “I was a little wary about it because I didn’t want to stuff her but it worked out well,” she quipped. “It was a very competitive game,” she added.
Lena chimed in “It’s the first time I’ve ever played against her but it was fun and it was a good experience. I know the whole team and the junior varsity team too,” she added. Lena went to school with many of them before parting ways to head to Monticello to pursue her love of music. She’s been playing piano since she was about four and relishes the opportunity to study with Anne Trombley.
Of course playing basketball for the Lady Monties has been fun too and as a freshman, Lena has brought great energy and defensive verve to the team.
Nicole who is three years older overcame a torn ACL that kept her out of sports for a full year. She plays lacrosse and volleyball too, juggling all of that with an off-season AAU basketball schedule, an integral part of the Lady Eagles’ annual hoops contention.
Nicole’s dad, Charles Episalla is an orthopedic surgeon and she has expressed a desire to pursue a career in medicine as well. A top student, Nicole has applied to a bevy of excellent schools but has yet to decide where she is going. She has been offered admission to a pre-med honors program at Case Western University as well as a similar one at Pitt.
Other schools still in the picture include Cornell, Columbia, Boston College, Brown and Dartmouth and more.
Soon that will be resolved and in the fall she’ll head off to pursue her studies. But for now, basketball still looms large and the fiery elder sister, like her teammates, looks for a redemptive and successful outcome in this year’s Section Nine tournament.
Reminiscent of the opening lines of “The Naked City, the iconic detective series that aired on television from 1958-63, which used to decry, “There are eight million stories in the Naked City,” this saga between these two teams replete with their trials and tribulations, their sisters et-al, makes for a tapestry of tales with numerous chapters yet to be written.
More to come.
For an album of photos, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Eyes On The Prize
Monticello Evinces Heart and Soul Versus Burke But Comes Up Short As Lady Monties Still Need Two Wins For Sectional Invite; Lady Eagles Set Sights On Class B Title Quest With Ayala Back From ACL Rehab; Episalla Sisters Play Against Each Other For First Time Ever
John S. Burke Catholic 48, Monticello 37
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Photos at: www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Scenes from an epic battle (clockwise) Burke junior Jessica Ayala blocks Monticello's Zequia Revell. The Burke Eagle mascot last seen by this writer at Glens Falls as the boys won the state title. The Monticello Panther. Burke's Casey Undersinger cans a three. She led all scorers with 18. Another trey, this one from D.J. Presutti as Zequia Revell closes a bit too late. The Episalla sisters reckon with each other. That's Monticello freshman Lena in the foreground and Burke senior Nicole behind her to the left. Monticello freshman Yami Reyes fires up a late three that rims out. She is defended by Burke's Kelly McLaughlin. Monticello's Shamira Moore scores early. She led her team with 11 points.
MONTICELLO, NY—Great basketball games are stories unto themselves and the February 3 non-league clash between the host Lady Panthers of Monticello and the victorious visiting Lady Eagles of John S. Burke Catholic was indeed a novella.
Replete with compelling chapters all of which will be recounted shortly, it is a tale that conveys far more than the final score of 48-37 would suggest.
But the subtext of plot lines running underneath this encounter is even more intriguing.
Monticello junior guard Arianna DeCosta drives the ball up the floor as Burke's Casey Undersinger closes in to defend.
For Monticello, which began its season at a 15-year best mark of 4-0, the prospect of making it to sectionals after years of drought has been a goal vehemently sought after by a young team with only one senior in the fold.
Longstanding veteran Coach Karen Atack knew from the outset that the fast start would be no guarantee of reaching the pot of gold at the end of the regular season rainbow. A December 16 league loss to Cornwall was the first defeat
And with the New Year, tough losses would soon follow suit including a 37-36 loss to O’Neill and a close 52-46 defeat against Class AA Minisink Valley. Add in subsequent losses to Goshen, Washingtonville, Warwick and now Burke and the Lady Monties now find themselves at 7-7 needing to win two of the next four games to make it to the Big Dance.
Three of those games are rematches against league rivals in Goshen, Port Jervis and Cornwall. They must also face a non-league test against Valley Central.
Things will be infinitely harder now with the loss of outstanding junior guard Yadira Montes for the rest of the season and the fact that the Monties will also lose the powerful interior presence of Nyasia Blakney who is moving to Fallsburg this coming Monday for family reasons and will now play for the ascending Lady Comets.
Despite the turmoil, Atack who mentors her players not just on the court but oversees their academic progress as well as being pro-active in their lives anyway she can, had been feeling that many positives were surfacing including rising grades, greater stability etc. But this latest series of setbacks has really put the team to the test.
That said, they came out in this game and “Left their hearts and souls out there,” said Atack.
The game also featured another subplot which could be dubbed “Sister Act.” Burke senior Nicole Episalla and her young sister Lena, a freshman guard for Monticello, would be playing against each other for the first time ever. More too on this later in this narrative.
Burke's D.J. Presutti dribbles the ball as Monticello's Lena Episalla looks for a chance to marshal a steal.
Burke’s story is compelling too.
With five of its top six players heading out the door via graduation, the remnants of the team which lost a heart-rending 32-29 game to Highland in last year’s Class B Sectional Final was in for a spate of new challenges, not the least of which was an injury to junior forward Jessica Ayala, a key veteran of last year’s campaign.
Ayala tore the ACL in her left knee last May and spent seven months assiduously rehabbing it. She missed the first six games of the season. After a season opening win over Ellenville, the Lady Eagles dropped six straight including the January 10 game against Kingston, the night of Ayala’s return.
Burke is undefeated in Division IV play with wins over O’Neill, Sullivan West and Liberty. Playing a daunting non-league schedule, Coach Matt McGinnis’ squad absorbed losses against the likes of Cornwall, Newburgh, Lourdes, Marian Regina, McNichols, Monroe-Woodbury and Pearl River.
Now at 5-8 (3-0 OCIAA) following this night’s 48-37 win over Monticello, the Lady Eagles look to run the table on their league opponents Liberty, O’Neill and Sullivan West to see how they’ll be seeded in the Class B Sectionals. Highland, which plays in the MHAL has a tougher league schedule and could be the number one seed if it remains unbeaten. Regardless of who is one and who is two, the stage may be set for the hoped-for redemptive final for the Lady Eagles.
But on this night, they’d first have to deal with a determined Monticello squad which came out and dominated them early on to amass a 13-5 first quarter lead.
Monticello senior Zequia Revell is overshadowed by Burke's Dominique Nutt as Lady Panther Nyasia Blakney looms. Blakney played her last game for the Lady Monties as she is moving to Fallsburg where she'll bring her strong inside game to bear on the Lady Comets' Class C run.
Monticello controlled the opening tip but the Lady Monties missed a couple of shots in the paint. Turnovers were rife in the early going as were misses by both squads. The Lady Monties got out to the early 4-0 lead with buckets from Shamira Moore and Arianna DeCosta.
Burke was noticeably affected by Monticello’s press and went scoreless for nearly four minutes until Casey Undersinger nailed a three to bring the Lady Eagles within one. Monticello missed a couple of easy lay ups, something Atack would allude to later in her post-game assessment of her team’s positives and areas still needing work.
Ayala gave Burke its first lead at 2:02 but the Lady Monties would go on an 9-0 run to close the quarter as Blakney began things with a bucket to put the Monties back on top. Freshman Yami Reyes scored, then got a steal and dished it to Moore who scored. Moore hit on one free throw and Blakney put back the miss of the second.
McGinnis called time out and the fans in the Pit were feeling their oats. Monticello’s defensive verve was the story of that opening stanza.
Teams like Burke that play under pressure against much tougher rivals can quickly adjust. The Lady Eagles soon did that as they went on to outscore Monticello 19-8 in the second quarter to assume take a 24-21 lead into halftime.
The Monties had the better of it early on in the second quarter, leading 17-8 after a bucket from Blakney but Burke tore off a 16-4 run to close the quarter as they got 11 points in the stanza from Casey Undersinger, a trey from D.J. Presutti, four points from Elora Taphorn and a trio of free throws, two of which came from Lucia Presutti off a technical foul and one from Kelly McLaughlin which put Burke on top 20-19 with 1:30 to go in the period.
Monticello had cooled off as its shots weren’t falling and Burke had regained control of the flow. Four points from Moore and two points from Zequia Revell and Blakney were all they could manage as the Lady Monties committed fouls, turned the ball over and lost their shooting acumen. Burke’s Dominique Nutt tied the game at 19-all and. Moore had a steal and scored but Burke had the last word in the stanza for the 24-21 lead at the break.
Monticello regained its composure and hustle in the third quarter as it played Burke closer. Burke outscored Monticello 10-8 in the stanza to marshal a 34-29 lead but the Monties were in serious foul trouble which would soon lead to the exit of Moore, Blakney and Episalla.
Monticello got four of its eight points in the frame from the stripe. They’d end up 10-for-16 on the night for a respectable 62 percent. Moore scored her final three points in the third quarter. She ended up with 12.
Moore-watch: Burke's Nicole Episalla looks to keep tabs on the dangerous Shamira Moore.
Undersinger began the third quarter with a trey. Moore followed with a bucket and one as the Monties closed within two at 26-24. The score hovered there for what seemed like an eternity. Moore incurred an offensive foul as she edged closer to five which would come sooner rather than later.
Still, prior to that the Monties managed to tie the game at 28-all with 2:36 to go in the third quarter. Burke went on to outscore Monticello 5-1 for the 34-29 lead after three.
Without Moore, Episalla and Blakney, the fourth quarter resulted in a 14-8 Burke advantage. Burke enjoys far more depth and experience than Monticello and the frequent substitution allowed an unending supply of fresh legs against the Lady Monties who had fewer reserves to utilize. In addition, the skill level of Burke’s reserve players far exceeds that of the Montie subs, many of whom are inexperienced and young.
Undersinger led all scorers with 18 points. Ayala provided 10.
In addition to Moore’s 12, the Lady Monties got nine from Yami Reyes and six from Blakney. Zequia Revell had nine rebounds, three assists and four steals. Moore added seven rebounds and six steals while Blakney had eight rebounds.
Atack was extremely pleased with her team’s performance. “Obviously foul trouble was the turning point. But I told them that even though it’s a loss, I’m so proud of them. We left our heart and soul out there and that’s what’s important to me. We had freshmen running the point. We did a good job defensively.” Offensively Atack admitted her team’s shooting percentage was sub-par and that they missed a number of easy lay ups. “We were also out of position on some rebounds,” she added.
Atack holds high expectations for her players, not just in their on-the-court performance, but in their academics and overall deportment. A strong advocate of rewarding integrity and perseverance as well as reminding her players for the lack thereof by sitting them at times, Atack’s approach to coaching is unique and immensely commendable. She stands by her principles and is tough. Some people may criticize her approach this writer extols it.
Sisterhood
Rivals for the moment in their contrasting school uniforms, Lena, left and Nicole Episalla are sisters forever. Different to be sure in terms of their interests, they share an abiding friendship and a common love of the game of basketball. Both declared it was fun to play against each other for the first time.
Following the game the Episalla sisters talked about the rare encounter. Nicole said, “It was a lot of fun.” Asked if she was nervous about it she claimed she wasn’t but added, “I was a little wary about it because I didn’t want to stuff her but it worked out well,” she quipped. “It was a very competitive game,” she added.
Lena chimed in “It’s the first time I’ve ever played against her but it was fun and it was a good experience. I know the whole team and the junior varsity team too,” she added. Lena went to school with many of them before parting ways to head to Monticello to pursue her love of music. She’s been playing piano since she was about four and relishes the opportunity to study with Anne Trombley.
Of course playing basketball for the Lady Monties has been fun too and as a freshman, Lena has brought great energy and defensive verve to the team.
Nicole who is three years older overcame a torn ACL that kept her out of sports for a full year. She plays lacrosse and volleyball too, juggling all of that with an off-season AAU basketball schedule, an integral part of the Lady Eagles’ annual hoops contention.
Nicole’s dad, Charles Episalla is an orthopedic surgeon and she has expressed a desire to pursue a career in medicine as well. A top student, Nicole has applied to a bevy of excellent schools but has yet to decide where she is going. She has been offered admission to a pre-med honors program at Case Western University as well as a similar one at Pitt.
Other schools still in the picture include Cornell, Columbia, Boston College, Brown and Dartmouth and more.
Soon that will be resolved and in the fall she’ll head off to pursue her studies. But for now, basketball still looms large and the fiery elder sister, like her teammates, looks for a redemptive and successful outcome in this year’s Section Nine tournament.
Reminiscent of the opening lines of “The Naked City, the iconic detective series that aired on television from 1958-63, which used to decry, “There are eight million stories in the Naked City,” this saga between these two teams replete with their trials and tribulations, their sisters et-al, makes for a tapestry of tales with numerous chapters yet to be written.
More to come.
For an album of photos, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Hot Off The Press
Monticello Picks Up Fourth Straight Win With Intensive Defensive Pressure Against Young And Inexperienced Sullivan West
Monticello 60, Sullivan West 14
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Scenes from Monticello's commanding 60-14 win over Sullivan West, the Lady Monties' fourth in a row (clockwise) Sullivan West's Sydney Sipple scores two of her team-leading six points. Monticello junior Yadira Montes drives to the rim for two. She had 12 points in the game. Monticello freshman guard Lena Episalla brings the ball up the floor. The young dynamo scored 12 points in the game. Sullivan West's Marianne Durkin looks to pass the ball as Lena Episalla guards her closely. Monticello junior Shamira Moore scores two of her game-high 19 points. The 2011-12 Sullivan West Lady Bulldogs.
LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY—“Baby it’s cold outside,” begin the lyrics of a Christmas song, but truth be told inside the Sullivan West gym it was mighty hot as the Lady Panthers turned up the defensive heat with their press to harry young Sullivan West in a non-league game on December 14.
Sullivan West's Stephanie Smith is surrounded by a trio of pressing Panthers in Arianna Decosta (4), Yadira Montes (13) and Lena Episalla (23).
As far as she can remember, Monticello Coach Karen Atack believes it’s been at least 15 years since one of her Lady Panthers teams began a season at 4-0 But thus far with a pair of wins over Family, a demolishing of short-handed Liberty and now this latest landslide against Sullivan West, things are looking all cheery and bright at least for the moment as the holidays draw near.
But Atack, ever the realist knows that her team which is quite young too with its three freshmen, three sophomores and five juniors to go along with just one senior is in for stormier weather against tougher opponents like Cornwall which visits Monticello on December 16. Sizing up the performance of this game she was still concerned about her team’s ability to take care of the ball. The Lady Monties had 21 turnovers, far fewer than the night before, but still way too many. Errant passes and a lack of focus can be disastrous against tougher opponents and Atack knows that all too well.
Sullivan West was looking for its first win of the season. Coach Pat Donovan had scouted the Lady Panthers game against Liberty the night before and had a good idea about what was coming in terms of pressure on the ball. It’s one thing to go over these things in practice, but it’s only trial by fire that brings the lessons home about rotating the ball quickly around the perimeter against the helping zone that Monticello was deploying.
In the rare instances when his team executed what he had taught them, they got the sought-after open look and scored. This happened a couple of times in the late going. By then it was too little and too late to undo the damage that had led to a 22-4 first quarter Monticello lead, one that burgeoned to 40-8 by the half. It was 50-12 by the end of the third and things didn’t improve with Monticello’s 10-2 outscoring of their beleaguered hosts in the fourth quarter that resulted in the final score of 60-14.
While I narrate every play of the game into my digital recorder to provide as accurate account of the game as possible, in games like this one it proves to be unnecessary. By halftime I had lost count of the turnovers which were occurring with alarming frequency and were it not for Atack’s accounting of her teams 21 cough ups, I wouldn’t know it without spending the time listening to my play-by-play.
I wouldn’t be amiss to reckon that Sullivan West’s turnovers were at least twice as many.
Bulldog spirit! Sullivan West's Cheerleaders get set to amp it up for the supportive home crowd.
Monticello’s Shamira Moore controlled the opening tip against Sullivan West’s Sydney Sipple and sent the ball ahead to a charging Yami Reyes as the freshman scored the game’s opener. The Monties immediately unveiled swarming pressure the likes of which Sullivan West had not seen in its prior losses against Eldred and Fallsburg.
That caused trouble in getting the ball up the floor or completing passes. Monticello grabbed a bevy of those passes which they converted into quick transition points. The score mounted quickly and despite a couple of time outs and reminders, The Lady Bulldogs continued to succumb to the pressure. On the defensive end of the floor, they had difficulty stopping points in the paint as the Lady Monties passed the ball to open shooters who slashed through the lane to score or draw fouls.
Shamira Moore had a game-high 19 points despite having to spend a good portion of the second quarter and part of the third on the bench by dint of the three quick fouls she picked up with her at times over-the-top enthusiasm. As Atack pointed out, you have to front the person in possession of the ball. It’s when you arrive late that fouls accrue. It’s a big lesson for the talented junior who is the team’s sparkplug. She can’t help them if she’s on the bench.
Senior Zequia Revell also had two early fouls but she was able to tone things down and stay out of serious foul trouble.
Monticello got balanced scoring to accrue its 22 first quarter points. Freshman standout Lena Episalla led the way with eight points. Her sister plays for Burke and she’ll be guarding her when the Lady Panthers encounter the Lady Eagles on February 3. Moore had six points in the stanza, while Yami Reyes and junior Arianna Decosta each posted four. Sullivan West’s four points came via a bucket from Sydney Sipple and a pair of made free throws from Katie Taylor.
The Lady Monties continued to pour it on in the second quarter with a flurry of 18 points, nine of which came from junior Yadira Montes including a swishing trey. Decosta provide her team’s only other three-pointer and Episalla had four more. Speaking of four, that’s how many points Sullivan West could manage again as Sipple and Krysten Herbert each scored a bucket.
Monticello freshman Yamilersy (Yami) Reyes scores two of her six points on the night.
It was four again in the third quarter with baskets by Sipple and Taylor, hardly enough to compensate for the huge Monticello margin which only got larger in the third frame as Moore returned to the floor to net five of her team’s ten points in the quarter to go along with three from Montes and two from Quasia Walker.
Moore saved her best for last though as she poured in eight in the final period. Junior Amber Grobusch scored her first bucket of the season and in fact her career as the newbie got in some valuable minutes in the fourth quarter.
Moore was three-for six from the line, far better than the night before, though the team as a whole still needs work from the stripe. They were a combined six-for15 for 40percent. Sullivan West was two-for-six for 33.3%.
Monticello (4-0) hosts Cornwall on December 16, while Sullivan West (0-3) takes its show on the road to Port Jervis on December 20 in search of its first win. Donovan will scout Port Jervis at Liberty’s home opener on December 15.
In addition to Moore’s 19, Monticello got 12 points from Episalla and Montes.
Atack summed things up thusly: “We’ve been working very, very hard on our press and it’s come a long way. Our passing is becoming better but still we have Cornwall on Friday and they just spanked Burke,” she noted, referencing the fact that her team is in for a far more significant challenge.
“Tonight everybody had an opportunity to play. We’re starting to see some good things and executing to get the ball inside,” she added. Asked about the early foul trouble for Moore, Atack responded, “She is a small center. She has to learn to defend from the front and not try to come from behind.” Asked about Episalla’s fine play which followed a great performance the night before, Atack said, “She’s a freshman but doesn’t play like one.”
Yadira Montes had missed the first couple of games but as Atack noted, she’s made some drastic improvement. “I’m happy with tonight but I still realize we haven’t played a strong team yet. My goal is to shock some people. We have to learn to take better care of the ball. We’re still a very young team.”
For Sullivan West's young team, it's all about learning amidst the crucible of tough games like this. Here Hayley Puerscher brings the ball up the floor as part of that process.
Youth is the byword when it comes to Sullivan West as well as Donovan is quick to note. “We try to do what we can in practice. We knew what they were going to throw at us but it hasn’t transferred over yet,” he observed. That said, the Lady Bulldogs never gave up trying.
“Our kids never stopped showing great hustle. They were out there going at it for the full 32 minutes. We’re young. This is a long term process. There are five sophomores and one freshman with four returners who never saw much time last year. It’s a new process for all ten players,” he added.
Donovan knows that the kind of pressure exerted by Monticello is a foreshadowing of what to expect from league rivals like Burke and O’Neill. “That’s just the nature of the beast.” Donovan credited his girls for their relentless hustle as they continued to dive for loose balls etc. “They’re not basketball players yet. They’re still learning how to play the game. We’re teaching them things that are brand new to them. It was great to see tonight that we had a couple of kids boxing out.
The game’s outcome was in stark contrast to bygone years when Sullivan West dominated Monticello. That’s the way it is. As is noted in Ecclesiastes, “To everything there is a season.” Monticello players and their coach hope that this will be their season to shine, while Sullivan West hopes it will be there’s to learn and get better so that their time will come sooner rather than later.
For an album of photos, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Fast Start
Monticello Downs Short-Handed Liberty For Third Straight Win In Young Season; Lady Indians Come Alive In Fourth Quarter On A Night When Indians’ Shots Just Wouldn’t Fall
Monticello 46, Liberty 23
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Scenes from Monticello's 46-23 non-league win over Liberty (clockwise): Monticello freshman Lena Episalla goes up for a shot and is fouled. She had nine rebounds in the game. Liberty's Tea Williams is hemmed in by Monticello's Shamira Moore and Zaquia Revell. Revell had ten steals and Moore had seven. Liberty's Justice Dingevan fires up a three-pointer. She canned two of them in the final quarter. She is defended by Monticello's Lena Episalla. Liberty's Olivia Baum scores the first points for the Lady Indians midway through the second quarter. Baum ended up with a team-high 17 on the night. The 2011-12 Monticello Lady Panthers. Monticello junior Yadira Montes cans a free throw. The Monties need a lot of work from the line as they converted just 31.8 percent from the stripe.
MONTICELLO, NY—When it comes to school size, Monticello and Liberty are the bigs in Sullivan County. As such, their encounters with one another, though always of a non-league variety, have a special allure even if one or both teams is struggling as has been the case in recent years.
But it’s a new season now and the Lady Panthers as well as the Lady Indians are fielding teams that are a blend of experienced players along with a cadre of youngsters who are new to the varsity realm.
Coming into the Pit in Monticello is always a challenge for Liberty teams but on this December 13 night, Coach Beth Quatrale knew it would be even more daunting without three of her key starters in NIkole Snyder, Selena Vargas and Katie Giarratano all missing in action for a variety of reasons. That would leave veterans Olivia Baum and Justice Dingevan to carry the load and as it turned out, they would be the only two players to score on the night as Baum would post 17 to Dingevan’s pair of treys.
Liberty struggled mightily early on as it went scoreless throughout the first quarter and halfway through the second when Baum finally converted a steal into a layup. She’d go on to score two more buckets in the second stanza to provide Liberty with six points by halftime to Monticellos’s 23. The Lady Panthers led 8-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Four of those first quarter points came from junior standout Shamira Moore. The Lady Monties also got buckets from junior Arianna Decosta and freshman Yamilersy Reyes. Moore added a pair of free throws in the second quarter as part of Monticello’s seven-point output. Senior Zequia Revell posted her lone basket and Monticello benefited from two free throws from Yadira Montes and one from Yami Reyes.
Both teams had trouble converting shots as well as taking care of the basketball. Turnovers abounded as errant passes were picked off both ways giving both Quatrale and Monticello Coach Karen Atack plenty to concentrate on in upcoming practices.
Moore was the big difference in this game as she evinced outstanding play at both ends of the floor. In the third quarter she netted 14 points. Her only issue was her lackluster free throw shooting as she canned only two-for-11 from the stripe. To their credit, Liberty held her scoreless in the final frame.
Decosta was Monticello’s other major weapon. She scored 11 points on the night, seven of which came in the fourth quarter and included the Monties’ lone trey of the game.
As for Liberty, were it not for Baum’s relentless pursuit, even in the face of early struggles, the final outcome could have been far worse. Monticello’s fourth quarter defensive laxity that featured players out of positions and at times an uncontested path to the basket for Baum, allowed her to catch fire. Needless to say, Atack was not pleased with that aspect of the game.
Monticello improved to 3-0 adding this victory to a pair of commanding wins over struggling Family. The Lady Monties will test their early season mettle against winless Sullivan West on the Lady Bulldogs home court debut on December 14. Sullivan West scouted this game to get a preview of the Lady Monties and of course Division IV rival Liberty which fell to 1-2. Its lone win came against S.S. Seward in the Spartan Invitational Tournament. They lost the title game to Goshen.
Quatrale was upbeat about her team’s efforts despite the outcome. “I thought the biggest difference was that my team was playing relaxed in the fourth quarter. It’s tough when the ball won’t go in the basket, but if you force it, it still won’t go in. As I told my team, I can’t be upset with a game like that when I know that every girl on the court was giving 100 percent. The heart was there, the ball just wasn’t falling.
Liberty hosts Port Jervis for its home opener on December 15. It’s next game will come after the New Year. With three starters not here tonight, it gave younger girls a chance to step up and show that they really deserve to be on the court. There were few mental mistakes. We were where we were supposed to be. It’s just a case of putting the ball in the basket now,” she concluded.
Atack is certainly pleased with her team’s 3-0 start. “We’ll take it,’ she said while emphasizing the things that need a lot of work if the success is to continue against far tougher teams. The Lady Monties host Cornwall on December 16 and the type of play they evinced in this game won’t fly against the Lady Dragons.
“We realize we played a weakened team tonight,” said Atack referencing the fact that Liberty was missing key players. “If we don’t take care of the ball we know what is going to happen. We still have a lot of things we have to iron out. We have a young team. They’re willing to work and they never give up. The hustle is there but we just made a lot of errors.
Rebounding was not one of the problems. Moore led the team with 17 boards and Revell had 12. Freshman guard Lena Episalla had nine rebounds. Revell had 10 steals and Moore had seven.” Atack credited Moore and Revell with playing an excellent game.
“We need to have better leadership. If I don’t call it out, no one is presently calling it out on the court. We have a lot more talent than we’ve had in the recent past but it’s not tamed yet,” she noted. “We’re having a problem with getting five people to do what they’re supposed to do at the same time.
Monticello’s three win start constitutes half of its total season victory total from last year. But Atack, ever conscious of what it takes to win against tough opponents will not let her team sit back on their early season laurels. For one thing Monticello was a woeful seven-for 22 from the line (31.8%).
“We have a really young team,” added Atack who was missing junior tall tree Nyasia Blakney for this outing. With only one senior in Revell, the squad goes to war with five juniors in Decosta, Moore, Yadira Montes, Blakney and Amber Grobusch. Three sophomores include Quasia Walker, Latise Sanders and Deanna Snowden, along with freshmen Shandell Jones, Yami Reyes and Lena Episalla.
Liberty’s team on this night was comprised of Rachel Bayer, Zaira Pabon, Erin Kinne, Cindy Fuentes, Stephanie Heisler, Olivia Baum, Amanda Bertholf, Justice Dingevan, Kelly Santos, Brittany Roa and Tea Williams.
For an album of photos to view/buy visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Uncommon Valor; Undying Pride
Monties Leave It All Out On The Court In Senior Night Clash Versus Powerful Warwick; Team Shows Grit and Character To Represent Storied Program In Coach Atack’s First Instance In Her Two Decades of Coaching Volleyball That Team Won’ t Make Sectionals.
Warwick, 3, Monticello 1: Scores: 25-17, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Scenes from Monticello's Senior Night game versus Warwick: (Clockwise): Cassi Smithem rises above the net to answer the challenge. Seniors Cassi Smithem, Katie Fisher and Dayanara Torres, the Monties' volleyball motto, Warwick sophomore Maddie Zwicki blasts a ball to the floor for a riveting point, Shamira Moore shows her great vertical leap and defensive verve, Warwick's Liz Lepski fires it towards the Monties.
MONTICELLO, NY—“There’s a first time for everything,” observed Ed Kaufmann, Monticello’s longstanding volleyball assistant coach who teamed up with Coach Karen Atack for 18 years in addition to coaching a variety of other sports including softball and wrestling as part of his 34-year career at Monticello before his retirement in 2009.
Kaufmann was referring to the fact that this would mark the first time in Atack’s 20 years at the volleyball helm that her team would not make it to sectionals. That streak which represents one of Section Nine’s milestones was a product of an unwavering commitment and work ethic that the coach has instilled in her teams year after year.
Shamira Moore takes her game to a new level as she rises above the net versus Warwick.
Nothing lasts forever.
That’s a fact of life and even storied runs like Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak or Monroe-Woodbury’s 63-game consecutive football victories against Section Nine opponents must eventually come to an end.
Upon the occasion of Kaufmann’s retirement , Atack lauded him by saying, “We made a pact to strive for excellence and you kept your part of the bargain.” Needless to say, the Coach has and continues to live up to her word as well.
Though this story is about her current team’s home finale, a loss to a powerful Warwick team whose only defeats have come against behemoths Pine Bush and Cornwall, a bit more needs to be said about Atack here for what she models, teaches and requires from her players.
Atack calls forth their best and demands impeccable deportment and commitment. She’s tough that’s for sure..but caring even more so. In return for what she exacts from her players, she imparts to them values that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
Just such tributes were inscribed on the thank you poster team members had written on which they presented to her prior to the game. Zoom in on the photo of the poster in the accompanying album to read those words. They speak of gratitude, respect and thanks.
Encouragement, mentorship and wise management make for great coaching: Case in point Warwick's Patrick Ellis. His team's success speaks for itself.
Atack’s extraordinary run at the helm began after taking over from Mary Bury in 1990. In a match against Goshen on October 12, 2007, the Lady Panthers garnered what would become Atack’s 300th career win against 66 defeats at that juncture.
That season the Monties went on to make to the Class A finals where they lost to Cornwall. More victories have been added to the ledger since then though the Lady Panthers have not gotten back to the finals.
During the Atack reign, Monticello has won 10 conference championships that included six undefeated seasons, four Section Nine titles (the last coming in 2001 when Atack was named Coach of the Year), eight Section Nine runner-ups, several OCIAA Sportsmanship Awards and one state Scholar Championship.
Prior to the game three Monticello seniors were honored. Cassi Smithem played in the program for five years. She claims that the volleyball program has taught her life lessons and given her an experience she’ll never forget. Smithem thanked her mom for her 100 percent attendance at her games during her career.. “It meant more to me than she will ever know.”
Katie Fisher is a six year veteran who plans to go to college to study biomedical engineering and then continue on to medical school. “A heartwarming thanks to her parents and her sister Jackie for their undying support and thanks Coach Atack and Coach K and she will miss her days of playing volleyball for Montie High,” comprised her parting words.
Dayanara Torres thanks her mom for all of her hard work. A five year player at Monticello, Torres plans to attend college next year and to study psychology.
Monticello's volleyball legacy is impressive to say the least under Atack's watch. This banner reflects the most recent v-ball triumph that adorn the gym.
Kaufmann was honored as well and posed for a picture with the trio of elder stateswomen.
The Lady Wildcats of Warwick came in sporting a 12-2 record. Their only defeats came against ten-time defending Class AA champion Pine Bush and seven-time defending Class A champion Cornwall. The likely two-seed in the upcoming sectionals, Warwick hopes to break through finally to defeat Pine Bush for a title, a team they’ve lost to in the championships every year since 2007.
Given Monticello’s record, they had to be surprised by the Lady Panthers’ defensive verve. As Coach Patrick Ellis would note following his team’s victory. “They’re a scrappy team. It didn’t matter what we were putting out. They were all over the place picking up a lot of our stuff. They’re really good defensively,” he averred.
Monticello’s inspiring play during the match was defined by hustle, great teamwork and resilience. Having not seen them since the early part of the season, this writer was astonished at their progress.
“We have come such a long way. Even against Pine Bush..we got 15 points off of them. Ed and I agreed that Pine Bush was the top third team that we had ever seen play during our career.”
Great competitive play: Warwick's Erin Byrne and Monticello's Cassi Smithem meet at the net.
Shamira Moore is one of the people that has shown the most improvement on our team. At the beginning of the year she was hitting the net about 14 times.
She did it four times today but her elbow is now above the net and she is going to be a tremendous player next year I believe,” noted Atack.
Moore was not the only player Atack would cite. “Cassi represented Monticello very well tonight. She never gives up.
This was senior night and our goal was to leave heart and soul on the floor tonight and to be mentally and physically drained.. Looking at Cassi (and others) you could say that that happened,” she noted.
“Unleash the Beast,” is Monticello’s volleyball motto, emblazoned on the back of their warm up t-shirts and adorning the wall in the legendary “Pit.” Fisher took that sentiment to heart as she scored the first point of the night at the net. She was answered by a booming blast from sophomore setter Maddie Zwicki. Warwick made it 3-1 before Moore effected a nice block for the Lady Panthers.
Smithem tied it up and the Monties soon took a 5-3 lead but Warwick fought right back to tie it up at seven apiece. Again the Monties pushed to the fore front with an ace from Torres. The game was tied again at 11-all before Warwick went on a 5-0 run. Smithem’s net play kept the Monties in the game as did Moore’s digs as the Lady Wildcats now led 20-17 Warwick scored the last five points with junjior outside hitter Taylor Baldwin on the service line. Warwick took the first set 25-17.
A group of Montie males entered the bleachers bare chested with the words spelling out GO PANTHERS! collectively painted on their chests.
The Lady Monties played their best in set number two as they beat Warwick 25-23.
Katryna Rokicki began the service but Warwick pulled out to a quick 3-0 lead that soon burgeoned to a 7-1 margin behind senior outside hitter Lexi Pascal’s service. “Let’s go Panthers, let’s go,” chanted the home crowd and Moore soon dealt an ace to help the Panthers’ comeback reach 7-4.
Monticello's Katie Fisher slashes a ball by a rising Liz Lepski to the delight of the home crowd in "The Pit."
Smithem cut the lead to 7-6 with her play at the net. Katie Fisher spiked it in before the teams exchanged miscues by hitting it into net. Warwick maintained its lead as it moved ahead to 15-11 but the Monties responded as Moore made a nice block at the net as part of a run that reversed the polarity of the game in Monticello’s favor. Warwick was still in the lead at 21-17 but the Monties refused to relent.
Ellis called a time out as his team’s lead shrank to one at 21-20. With Aimee Rice at the service line the Monties tied it up and then went in the lead 22-21. A kill by Warwick senior Rachel Janes tied it up. Warwick got ahead again for the last time at 23-22 before the Lady Monties socred the last three points for the win behind Smithem’s service.
The teams battled mightily in the early going as Monticello dug out balls that were veering towards the floor on their way to an early 8-3 lead. Taylor’s service enabled Warwick to fight right back in a set they’d win by eight points erelong.
Monticello led 14-9 at one juncture, looking to take a pivotal lead in the match but they were outscored 16-3 as the tide turned dramatically in Warwick’s favor as they won 25-17 to take a 2-1 lead.
The final match was a bit closer at 25-19. It too featured relentlessly strong defense by the Lady Monties who continued to play with unflagging intensity.
Mutual respect and good sportsmanship are the hallmarks of admirable programs like Warwick and Monticello. They are a credit to their schools, communities, their parents and coaches whom they represent.
Ellis agreed that his team has some really fine hitters. ‘But we weren’t playing to where we have been,” he noted. “What we did really well tonight was that we stayed focus through a lot of the longer rallies. We didn’t have a lot of service errors. We’ve had a few games where we’ve gotten into the service error factor a few times. Tonight we took the time to get the solid serves in that we needed at crucial times,” he added.
Asked about what still needs work, he responded, “The biggest thing is energy level on our side of the net and the communication factor..keeping the energy high and when you have that lull in the gym without the crown on your side to keep you up. We need to work on that.
Warwick which is undefeated (6-0) in Division II figures to lock horns with Pine Bush again in the sectionals.
Top performers:
Monticello: Shamira Moore 3 aces, 11 service points, 3 assists, 6 kills, 8 digs; Cassi Smithem 2 aces, 5 service points, 3 assists, 3 kills, 6 digs; Aimee Rice 7 service points, 6 kills, 8 digs.
Warwick: Erin Byrne 2 aces, 12 service points, 8 kills, 4 blocks, 2 digs; Maddie Zwickl 20 service points, 14 assists, 8 kills, 6 digs; Taylor Baldwin 2 aces, 9 service points, 14 assists, 5 kills, 4 digs.
Records: Monticello 7-11; Warwick 13-2.
“Our goal is improvement,” said Atack. We’ve lost a lot of people and we have a lot to make up and we’re willing to accept the challenge going forward, said the iconic coach.
Despite this year’s shortfall in terms of wins, the Monticello volleyball story goes on and this writer for one, can’t wait for 2012 to pen the next chapter.
For an album of photos, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Back To Basics
Monticello Sweeps Non-League Series Against Sullivan West As Teams Approach New Season Stressing Fundamentals
Non-league: Monticello d. Sullivan West 3-1
Game scores: 26-24, 25-11, 21-25, 25-15
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Season opening series: Monticello completes the sweep of the season opening non-;league matches against Sullivan West by a 3-1 score in a closely contested series of games. Clockwise: 2011 Lady Monties- Front row left to right: Katryna Rokicki, Cassi Smithem, Katie Fisher. Second row: Aimee Rice, Yadira Montes, Kiyara Bracy and Shamira Moore. Third row:: Dayanara Torres, Yamilersy Reyes, Saige Sanford, Shivani Patel, Marcella Fernandez and Ashley Falu. Katie Fisher serves and Yadira Montes does her magic at the net. Bottom right: Chelsie Stauch returns a serve and Karalii Rabii readies for a volley. Lady Bulldogs 2011: Front row left to right: Rebecca Corcillo and Brittney Milk. Second row: Courtney Landers, Karalii Rabii, Brittany Roa, Barbara Whittaker, Melissa McCormack, Alexa Buday, Chelsie Stauch and Erika Stauch.
LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY—A new season is always about starting over. But for Monticello iconic coach Karen Atack, losing ten of her players who graduated last June makes that phrase even more literally accurate.
With only four seniors on the roster including just two who saw significant playing time last year in Katie Fisher and Cassi Smithem, Atack’s youngsters have their work cut out for them as they face a bevy of Class AA teams in their schedule in addition to juggernaut division rival Cornwall and other league contenders in Port Jervis and Goshen. Veteran junior Katryna Rokicki was also part of last year’s fine team and as the team’s first server, she looks to try and lend her expertise to the cause.
That said, even with the exit of so much talent, Class A Monticello has emerged 2-0 with a pair of match wins over Class C Sullivan West.
For their part, the Lady Bulldogs ably coached by Cliff Kelly is fielding a time almost entirely blessed with prior experience. Having made sectionals for the past three years in a row, Sullivan West, with only two seniors in the fold in Rebecca Corcillo and Brittney Milk, look sharper and more cohesive than they did a year ago.
Monticello's first server: junior veteran Katryna Rokicki
The result was much closer play against Monticello, a team that in prior years bested them far more easily. In fact, Sullivan West won the second game of this match by the score of 25-11 riding the overpowering service of junior Karalii Rabbi who posted a game-high 21 points to go along with her two blocks and four kills.
The teams looked very evenly matched in the opening set as the Monties prevailed 26-24 in a game Kelly felt really could easily have been won by his squad. He challenged his team in the break between sets and the Lady Bulldogs answered the challenge in the second set as they dominated Monticello 25-11.
The Lady Monties led by the opening service of Rokicki bolted out to a 7-0 lead. Rokicki ripped a quartet of aces in that initial surge. Sullivan West fought back but couldn’t muster a sustained run as the Monties prevailed 25-18 for the win. In their prior match staged in the Monticello Pit, Monticello won games to one, oddly beginning the set with another 26-24 nail biter.
After this match Atack noted, “We’ll take the win. We still have a lot to work on. Tonight different people stepped up in different areas. Katryna served first for a reason. She did lead in serves. Yadira Montes is supposed to be the leading person handling balls at the net which she did. We still need basic skills. These girls are very willing to work hard and together. I’m happy with certain things, but realistically we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us. Fundamental skill is nearly where it needs to be. We did have some communication problems. Monticello faces three games in the next three school days as they begin the next part of their schedule taking on Class AA Kingston, Washingtonville and Valley Central.
Kelly said, “We had our moments and our opportunities to win these games. We just shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times. We had good servers and good positions. “ Kelly feels his team is better than it was a year ago. Sullivan West is entering the league portion of its schedule with matches against Fallsburg, Liberty and Tuxedo.
Monticello top performers: Katie Fisher 12 points, 5 kills; Yadira Montez 9 points, 7 assists, 10 kills.
Sullivan West top performers: Karalii Rabii 21 points, 2 blocks, 4 kills, 4 digs; Rebecca Corcillo 4 points, 2 blocks, 5 kills, 2 digs; Erica Stauch 8 points; Chelsea Stauch 6 points, 5 kills; Melissa McCormack 6 points, 4 blocks, 4 digs.
Team records: Monticello 2-0; Sullivan West 0-2.
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