Section IX Boys Basketball All-Star Team To compete In The Summer Hoops Festival
Boys Try-outs are June 5 and 11th
Relayed by RICHARD A. ROSS
REGION–The Basketball Coaches Association of New York is again stepping up with a Statewide Summer Basketball Festival to take the place of the Empire State Games. The 2nd Annual BCANY Summer Hoops Festival will be held in Johnson City (near Binghamton) from August 3-5.
There will be nine regions representing New York State (up from the ESG’s traditional six) by both Boys and Girls Teams. The regions include: New York City, Long Island, Buffalo, Rochester, Central, Hudson Valley, Capital District, Mid-Hudson and Southern Tier.
The Mid-Hudson Team will be made up of Section IX Boys All-Stars. Our Section IX Boys try-outs will be: Tuesday (June 5) and Monday (June 11) from 7 to 9 pm at SS Seward High School in Florida, New York.
Contact information for the Boys try-out is: rgravelle@floridaufsd.org
The Boys coaching staff will include Rob Gravelle and Sal Mineo from SS Seward HS, Mike Salvia from Liberty HS and Brendan LoBrutto from Pine Plains HS.
In order to participate, you must fill out the Hoops Festival application form and waiver form. You cannot try out unless you have both forms filled out. Players are expected to make both try-out dates. You can see your own Varsity coach for try-outs paperwork or contact Coach Rob Gravelle via e-mail.
BCANY created this event to give kids that lost the chance with the elimination of the Empire Games the opportunity to showcase their skills in a format that would allow College coaches to come see them play in one setting.
BCANY also carefully selected these dates to avoid potential conflicts with national AAU tournaments. Therefore, this statewide tournament will attract the higher level basketball players that have traditionally been unavailable for the Empire Games. Last year, many College coaches from
Division I, 2 and 3 were in attendance watching the best players from around New York State competing against each other.
Print this page and fill out the following application.
BCANY Section IX Summer Hoops Festival Player Application
Name ________________________________ High School __________________________
Address_______________________________ Ht. _________ Wt. _________
______________________________________ Grade as of 9/12 __________________
Cell Phone # __________________________ Coach’s Name ______________________
E-mail _________________________________ Coach’s Phone # ______________
I give permission for my son __________________________ to participate in the
try-outs for the BCANY Summer Hoops Festival. Trying out for this team does not
guarantee my son a spot on the Section IX all-star team. I understand that I am
responsible for transporting my son to and from each try-out.
______________________________________ _______________
Parent’s Signature Date
Please mail this form by May 31st
to:
Rob Gravelle
SS Seward High School
53 North Main Street
Florida, New York 10921
Combined Energy
Athletes Team Up In Splendiferous Tri-Valley Relays; New Paltz Boys and Rondout Valley Girls Are Tops; Tri-Valley Girls 2nd Overall And Tops In Small Division; Ellenville 2nd In Boys And Tops In Small Schools; T-V Boys 3rd Overall, 2nd In Small Schools Array; Spackenkill’s Sahsche Allen And New Paltz’s Alfredo Mazzucca Outstanding Track Athletes; Ellenville’s Jeff Nuñez And New Paltz’s Cora Butler Outstanding Field Athletes
Boys Team standings and key: 1. New Paltz (NP) 180 points; 2. Ellenville 157.3; 3.Tri-Valley (TV) 143; 4. Rondout Valley (RV) 124.3; 5. Liberty (Lib) 84.5; 6.Saugerties 76; 7. Sullivan West 66.5; 8 John A. Coleman Catholic (JAC) 61.33; 9. Spackenkill 53; 10. Eldred (Eld) 49; 11 Millbrook 17; 12. Chapel Field 11
Girls Team standings and key: 1. Rondout Valley (RV) 197.5 points; 2. Tri-Valley (TV) 174; 3. New Paltz (NP) 124.5; 4. Ellenville and Liberty 90; 6. Saugerties 77; 7. Spackenkill 69; 8. Sullivan West 54; 9. Eldred 44; 10. Chapel Field 35; 11. Coleman Catholic 24; 12. Millbrook 7.
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Photos at www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Scenes from the Tri-Valley relays (clockwise) T-V's Autumn Bender wins the 2000 steeplechase, Spackenkill's Sahsche Allen wins the 100. She was the Outstanding track athlete of the meet. Eldred's Hunter Proscia captures the 2000 steeplechase. T-V's Jimmy Bernstein is second in the 1600. SW's John Masten shows great form in the 1200 shuttle hurdle relay as does T-V's Ali Reynolds. New Paltz's Alfredo Mazzucca was the outstanding track athlete at the meet. Here he is en route to winning the 1600. Sullivan West's Amanda Rosenberger wins this semifinal 100 heat. She finished third overall. Sullivan West's Corrine Van Wagner soaks up the water in the 2000 steeplechase. She finished 5th. Eldred's Christine Donnelly took 2nd in the 1500. Liberty's Andy Hazelnis completes the anchor leg of Liberty's winning varsity 400 relay. Lara Jane Heslop does the same for the Lady Indians' victorious team. Tri-Valley's Raphael Ramirez does his part to capture the hammer throw relay. Brendan Tierney added his throw after taking the SAT's. Eldred's Craig Burns wins the 100. Sullivan West's Matt Cardona combined with Mitch Paciga to win the high jump relay. Tri-Valley's Katlynn Greffrath leaps over the hurdles as she completes one third of the winning 1200 hurdle relay for the Lady Bears. T-V's Sabrena Smith carries the baton in the winning 3200 relay. .
GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—Given the wisdom of the old adage that two heads are better than one, imagine how much more viable are three or four, especially when they’re attached to strong young bodies in pursuit of a combined victory in any given event in track and field.
That is the modus operandi of the annual Tri-Valley relays, a departure from the normal track meet proceedings wherein the only combined events are the 400, 800,1600 and 3200 relays. In this relay meet, the individual events on the docket were the 100, the girls 1500 and boys 1600 and the 2000 steeplechase. Every other event was scored by combining the times, heights or distances of a team’s participants.
Needless to say every athlete strives for his or her best individual performance and indeed the day would evince numerous personal best marks. But even with such landmarks posted, teams could lose an event if one of the other participants failed to muster a sufficient time, distance or height. Track meets are always a blend of individual efforts that combine for team standing, but in meets such as this, the combined effort is even more consequential.
As it was two weeks prior for the Tri-Valley Invitational, the weather was magnificent, perhaps in deference to Coaches Joe and Missy Iatauro who will retire after next season and who have witnessed more than a few maelstroms and frigid outings on the days on which landmark meets have been staged over more than three decades.
For the purpose of this meet, schools were divided by T-V Coach Joe Iatauro into Division I and II though those classifications have little to do with the state size categories. For this meet Division I was comprised of New Paltz, Rondout Valley, Saugerties and Spackenkill. Division II participants included Chapel Field, John A. Coleman Catholic, Eldred, Ellenville, Liberty, Sullivan West and Tri-Valley. Invitees Livingston Manor/Roscoe and Clarkstown South were not present. Events were scored through the eighth place finishers.
Continuing their spring barnstorm of success, Tri-Valley’s boys and girls teams excelled with the girls taking second place overall and first among the small schools on hand. This followed team victories at the Tri-Valley Invitational wherein the Lady Bears not only won out over Division II schools (by state size standard) but also held sway over every one of the other 26 schools competing. They followed that up a week later with a team win at the Monticello Games.
In the Tri-Valley Relays The Lady Bears were gold medalists in the following:
F/S Sprint Medley Relay 4:36.7; 6400 relay 24:34.6 (Brooke Gillette, Olivia Rehm, Danielle Graham and Sabrena Smith); F/S Discus relay 162-3; hammer relay 237-8 Dominque Darby and Heidi Furman; varsity shot put relay 68-5 ½ Darby and Mareena DiMilia; 2000 steeplechase 7:58.9 Autumn Bender; 300 shuttle hurdles 51.8 DiMilia, Vicky Tingley and Ali Reynolds; distance medley relay 14:14.6 Bender, Alex Brooks, Sabrena Smith and Rehm; javelin relay 185-9 and the 1200 intermediate hurdle relay 3:42.5 behind the combined effort of Katlynn Greffath, Sabrina Smith and Ali Reynolds.
As for the boys squad, a third place finish overall and second among small schools marked yet another stellar outing. The boys finished first among Division II schools at the Tri-Valley Invitational and fourth overall at the Monticello Games.
The Bears were gold medalists in the following:
F/S sprint medley relay 3:54.4 Aidan Woolsey, Tyler Greffrath, Josh Winters and Justin Weintraub; and the hammer relay 269.4 Brendan Tierney and Raphael Ramirez.
Jimmy Bernstein took 2nd in the 1600 (4:32). This was Bernstein’s last competition on the Tri-Valley track completing a storied home career.
But Tri-Valley was far from alone among Sullivan County schools in capturing its moments of glory on the day. Eldred’s Hunter Proscia won the 2000 steeplechase in 6:25.3, just three second shy of the mark he had posted to win the event at the Tri-Valley Invitational. Craig Burns won the 100 in 11.3.
Christine Donnelly took 2nd in the 1500 (5l08.3).
Sullivan West took gold in the high jump relay as Mitch Paciga and Matt Cardona combined for a height of 11-6. Amanda Rosenberger recorded a blistering 12.6 in the 100 and 27.1 in her legs of the 400 and 800 relays for personal best times. She took 3rd in the 100. The 1500 racewalk (non-scoring) was easily won by Rachel Deppa (8:09.4).
Liberty claimed the gold medal in the 1200 intermediate hurdle relay 3:00.5 as Erick Cuellar, Andy Hazelnis and Kane Sauchuk combined for the speedy win. The Indians also garnered gold in the varsity 400 relay (46.) as Cuellar, Nick Campos, Kenny Jaycox and Hazelnis marshaled the victory. Liberty’s girls varsity 400 relay (52.7) was also victorious as Amanda Bertholf, Nikole Snyder, Rebeccah Harman and Lara Jane Heslop took turns speeding forward with the baton.
Staged on the day when SAT’s and ACT’s were being given, the meet always has a 12:00pm start. As those students who were undergoing the rigors of the long tests arrive, they find their way to the events they are slated for and compete, usually after the other members of their teams have finished at that particular venue.
For this photographer the prime agenda was two-fold: First and foremost was to amass a collection of hundreds of stunning photos of athletes at their craft, with a particular concentration on the Sullivan County schools. Second and nearly as important was to stay abreast of milestones both on an individual and team basis.
Track is a complex matter, not for the feint of heart of the occasional unfamiliar correspondent for whom the entire mélange of events taking place all around is undoubtedly confusing and impossible to fathom.
As for me, being a ten-year veteran of these multi-ring circuses, it all makes perfect sense.
During the course of a track meet I always find time to schmooze with many of the kids I have come to know so well and to encourage them to press on with the tasks at hand. Invariably they seem to appreciate the attention both in words and in the photos that pour onto the www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com.
So too do the parents who are grateful for the up close, professional photographs that will grace their albums and walls as mementos of these halcyon days of their children’s youthful ardor.
Medals were awarded to first, second and third place finishers. Team trophies were awarded as well.
First through third place finishers are listed below but for more edification I have provided the score sheets that show all eight place finishers courtesy of T-V scorekeeper Kevin Giroux.
Boys Team standings and key: 1. New Paltz (NP) 180 points; 2. Ellenville 157.3; 3.Tri-Valley (TV) 143; 4. Rondout Valley (RV) 124.3; 5. Liberty (Lib) 84.5; 6.Saugerties 76; 7. Sullivan West 66.5; 8 John A. Coleman Catholic (JAC) 61.33; 9. Spackenkill 53; 10. Eldred (Eld) 49; 11 Millbrook 17; 12. Chapel Field 11
100 meters: 1. Craig Burns (Eld) 11.3; 2. Kenny Jaycox (Lib) 11.6; 3. Charlton Tsai (NP) 11.7; 1,600: 1. Al Mazzucca (NP) 4:27.2; 2. James Bernstein (TV) 4:32.0; 3. Marco DiBella (JAC) 4:37.6; 330 shuttle hurdles relay: 1. Ellenville (Bruce, Echols, Groat) 51.3; 2. Tri-Valley 53.1; 3. Sullivan West 54.7; 2,000 steeplechase: 1. Hunter Proscia (Eld) 6:25.3; 2. J. Grout (Ell) 7:11.5; 3. Eric Dunham (Sau) 7:21; 400 relay: 1. Liberty (Cuellar, Campos, Jaycox, Hazelnis) 46.0; 2. Rondout Valley 46.4; 3. Ellenville 46.5; 800 relay: 1. Spackenkill (Wilson, Mastmann, Bonden, Clear) 1:35.3; 2. Rondout Valley 1:35.7; 3. Coleman 1:37.4; 1,200 intermediate hurdles relay: 1. Liberty (Eric Cuellar, Andy Hazelnis, Kane Sauchuk) 3:00.5; 2. Tri-Valley 3:02.2; 3. New Paltz 3:04.6; 1,600 relay: 1. New Paltz (Stewart, Hasbrouck, Lamarche, Climer) 3:29; 2. Spackenkill 3:35; 3. Tri-Valley 3:35.8; 3,200 relay: 1. New Paltz (Busby, Hasbrouck, Mazzucca, Mazzucca) 8:30.7; 2. Tri-Valley 8:36.2; 3. Spackenkill 9:47.5; 6,400 relay: 1. New Paltz (Rizza, Torquato, Mazzucca, Busby) 20:32.9; 2. Tri-Valley 21:31.8; 3. Liberty 23:20.8; distance medley relay: 1. New Paltz (Mazzucca, Climer, Mazzucca, Busby) 11:11; 2. Tri-Valley 11:44.5; 3. Sullivan West 12:34.6; sprint medley relay: 1. Coleman (Vansteenburg, Catalano, Discovo, DiBella) 3:46.3; 2. Rondout Valley 3:48.8; 3. Libery 3:53.4; high jump relay: 1. Sullivan West (Mitch Paciga,Matt Cardona) 11-6; 2. (tie) Coleman and Ellenville 11-4; long jump relay: 1. Ellenville (Quicero, Echols) 39-2; 2. New Paltz 37-1; 3. Rondout Valley 35-7; triple jump relay: 1. Ellenville (Echols, Quiceno) 79-9; 2. Coleman 77-1.5; 3. Rondout Valley 76-3; shot put relay: 1.Tri-Valley (Brendan Tierney, Raphael Ramirez) 82-3; 2. Ellenville 78-2.5; 3. Saugerties 74-3; discus relay: 1. Ellenville (Jeff Nunez, Preston Bazemore) 261-4; 2. Coleman 234-3; 3. Liberty 233-2; javelin relay: 1. Ellenville (Gaetta, Boriello) 245-2; 2. Liberty 244-10; 3. Tri-Valley 226-4; hammer relay: 1. Tri-Valley (Ramirez, Tierney) 269-4.5; 2. Ellenville 269-3; 3. Liberty 181-7; pole vault relay: 1. Ellenville (Kasloski, Farrenkopf) 23-0; 2. (tie) Eldred and New Paltz 21-0; Pentathlon: 1. Shamar Corum (NP) 2,571 points; 2. J.P. Heylde Ortiz (NP) 2,127; 3. Mateo Julia-Wise (NP) 1,864.
Outstanding field athlete: Jeff Nunez (Ellenville).
Outstanding track athlete: Alfredo Mazzucca (New Paltz).
Girls Team standings and key: 1. Rondout Valley (RV) 197.5 points; 2. Tri-Valley (TV) 174; 3. New Paltz (NP) 124.5; 4. Ellenville and Liberty 90; 6. Saugerties 77; 7. Spackenkill 69; 8. Sullivan West 54; 9. Eldred 44; 10. Chapel Field 35; 11. Coleman Catholic 24; 12. Millbrook 7.
100 meters: 1. Sasche Allen (Spac) 12.8; 2. Christine Kelly (RV) 12.9; 3. Amanda Rosenberger (SW) 13.1; 1,500 race walk (non-scoring): 1. Rachel Deppa (SW) 8:09.4; 2. Mary Alongi (TV) 9:54.5; 3. Lindsay Green (E)) 11:11.1; 1,500: 1. Shannon Averill (Saug) 4:55.7; 2. Christine Donnelly (Eld) 5:08.3; 3. Cami Ferguson (NP) 5:11.2; 300 shuttle hurdles relay: 1. Tri-Valley (Mareena DiMilia, Vicky Tingley, Ali Reynolds) 51.8; 2. Liberty 54.5; 3. Rondout Valley and New Paltz 57.7; 2,000 steeplechase: 1. Autumn Bender (TV) 7:58.9; 2. Megan McGowan (CF) 8:02.0; 3. Olivia Rehm (TV) 8:31.6; 400 relay: 1. Liberty (Amanda Bertholf, Snyder, Rebeccah Harman, Lara Jane Heslop) 52.7; 2. Rondout Valley 53.0; 3. Chapel Field 54.1; 800 relay: 1. Rondout Valley (Mondini, Ospina, Winnie, Kelly) 1:51.9; 2. Liberty 1:51.5; 3. Ellenville 1:57.6; 1,200 intermediate hurdles relay: 1. Tri-Valley (Katlynn Greffrath, Sabrena Smith, Ali Reynolds) 3:42.5; 2. New Paltz 3:46.1; 3. Rondout Valley 3:49.8; 1,600 relay: 1. Saugerties (Averill, Kilmer, Averill, Averill) 4:19.5; 2. Rondout Valley 4:23.3; 3. Chapel Field 4:25.6; 3,200 relay: 1. Saugerties (Averill, Doyle, Averill, Averill) 10:29.3; 2. Tri-Valley 10:35.7; 3. Rondout Valley 11:09.8; 6,400 relay: 1. Tri-Valley (Brooke Gillette, Olivia Rehm, Danielle Graham, Sabrena Smith) 24:34.6; 2. Rondout Valley 30:24.9; 3. Ellenville 31:47.7; distance medley relay: 1. Tri-Valley ( Autumn Bender, Alex Brooks, Sabrena Smith, Olivia Rehm) 14:14.6; 2. Sullivan West 14:52.4; 3. Rondout Valley 14:53.9; sprint medley relay: 1. Chapel Field (St. Germain, Vellenga, McDermott, McGowan) 4:36.8; 2. Eldred 4:42.5; 3. New Paltz 4:47.1; high jump relay: 1. Rondout Valley (Strang, Mathedy) 9-4; 2. (tie) Tri-Valley and Rondout Valley 9-0; long jump relay: 1. New Paltz (Butler, Bouchard) 32-0; 2. Tri-Valley 29-9.5; 3. Rondout Valley 28-6.25; triple jump relay: 1. New Paltz (Butler, Butler) 68-1; 2. Rondout Valley 64-7.75; 3. Liberty 60-0.5; shot put relay: 1. Tri-Valley ( Dominique Darby, Mareena DiMilia) 68-5.5; 2. Tri-Valley 56-9.5; 3. Rondout Valley 55-9; discus relay: 1. New Paltz (Takacs, Carroll) 177-5; 2. Rondout Valley 170-3; 3. Saugerties 139-2; javelin relay: 1. Tri-Valley (Mareena DiMilia, Heidi Furman) 185-9; 2. Tri-Valley 135-9; 3. Ellenville 131-7; hammer relay: 1. Tri-Valley (Dominque Darby,Heidi Furman) 237-8; 2. Ellenville 196-9; 3. Tri-Valley 155-2; pole vault relay: 1. Rondout Valley (Gribbon, Agustaro) 16-0; 2. Eldred 10-6; 3. Liberty 8-6; Pentathlon: 1. Grassi (RV) 1,576 points; 2. Hart (NP) 1,370; 3. Bader (RV) 1,059.
Outstanding field athlete: Cora Butler (New Paltz).
Outstanding track athlete: Sasche Allen (Spackenkill).
Results of the Tri-Valley Relays showing places from 1st through 8th. Scoresheets compiled and generously contributed by Kevin Giroux.
Once again, photos are located at www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
BCANY Top 40 Of Section Nine
Basketball Coaches Association Of New York (BCANY) Announces Its Top 40 List For Section Nine Boys Basketball
Sportsinsightsny.com wishes to extend its congratulations to the top 40 players selected by the Section Nine Basketball Coaches Association Of New York (BCANY)
Identity Crisis
Monticello Gets A Class A Win Over Saugerties But Coach Buddenhagen Calls His Team Out For Lackluster Showing; Squad That Got Great Win Over Minisink, Not The One Of Past Two Weeks Is The One Needed To Face Upcoming Road Battle Vs. Unbeaten Wallkill
Monticello 34, Saugerties 13
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Scenes from Monticello's Class A win over Saugerties (Clockwise) Sean Reuss barrells across the goal line following a first quarter TD catch from Shane Jackson. Saugerties Adam Bacon cannot deter Reuss from his appointment with the goal line. Anthony Gray hauls in a TD pass for the first score of the day. Saugerties running back Anthony Spadaro finds some rare open space. Shane Jackson gets into the open field. Jackson ran for a pair of TD's and threw for three more. Connor Briggs hauls in a fourth quarter TD pass from Jackson. It was his first TD reception this season.
MONTICELLO NY—Somewhere in between two time-honored quotes lies the upcoming fortune of the Monticello Panthers Football Team. According to the late Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers,
“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.”
Winning at all costs or winning even when a team’s play is questionable at best? Those issues have seen Lombardi’s mantra criticized over the years by people who espouse another time-honored maxim:
“It isn’t whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”
That precept suggests that the only thing that matters is that you give the game your best effort and that ultimately, that has far more value and lifelong shelf life than just recording a victory.
For fiery Matt Buddenhagen, the no-nonsense coach of the Monticello Panthers, there can be no doubt that winning is a paramount priority. Whether it was his steering Cornwall to a state title game, revamping the program at Sullivan West or now reviving the 75-year old moribund Monticello football program, Buddenhagen pushes his team to the edge, knowing full well what it takes to win against the toughest competition. He did it as a player in high school and college so he knows whereof he speaks.
But that said, winning in a lackluster and sloppy fashion such as his team did in its 34-13 win over Saugerties on September 24 showed Buddenhagen to be quite attuned to the second of the aforementioned quotes.
To watch and listen to the Coach both during and after the needed league victory, one would have thought his team had spit the bit and lost, which they certainly did not. They had a 20-0 lead on Saugerties in the first quarter of the game and appeared to be on the verge of being on the polar end of a lopsided score than they were a week ago as they were upended 52-7 by Cornwall.
Heads-up plays like this recovery by Monticello's London Gandy on a Monticello kickoff are what make for winning football.
But even early on as the Monties scored a trio of first quarter TD’s there were signs that all wasn’t right with the ship. Missing receivers, abundant penalties, missed blocks, spotty line play, failure to heed calls like “down and distance,” and missed assignments on both sides of the ball had Buddenhagen spitting bullets.
Make no mistake, the Coach and his players were glad for the win. The problem has more to do with what the title of this piece alludes to, namely the team’s identity crisis. “Ever since the Minisink Valley win, that Monticelllo team hasn’t been present in my eyes,” said the Coach.
That iconic victory in Week Two, the Monties first win over a Class AA team in this new era seemed to augur great success for the Panthers who looked forward to the challenge of facing nemesis Cornwall.
Credit the Green Dragons for their dominating play and Coach Marcus Hughes for his strategy, but Monticello did not bring the fire it had against the Warriors with them. Nor was the razor sharp execution present. Both critical elements were also AWOL in this victory.
“We’ve got to play at our level. The kids know it,” he said. Following the early scoring burst Monticello failed to accrue any points for the rest of the first half. Statistically speaking, the Monties had the numbers which included Shane Jackson’s 219 yards of passing that included TD throws to Anthony Gray, Sean Reuss and Connor Briggs.
But Jackson wasn’t at his best with his 11/19 completion rate and was often scrambling and not taking the best reads on the defensive inclinations of Saugerties’ D-backs which were not changing. Sports is always about learning and striving to improve. Jackson is bright and a superior athlete and there is no doubt in this writer’s mind that the experiences from both the wins and losses this season are being turned over in his mind with an eye toward evincing the best he has to offer.
In that regard, he is not alone on this team populated by some kids who eat, drink, sleep and live the game of football.
On the ground, Jackson was trying to evade Sawyer tacklers, juking and reversing as he wove in and out of tacklers. He accrued what for him was a modest 67 yards on the ground on nine carries and rushed for a pair of TD’s .
Given the nature of this game, a detailed blow-by-blow description of the action seems unwarranted so here are the highlights:
Saugerties junior running back Jon-Taylor Elmendorf gets it going but Saugerties never got into an offensive flow thanks in great part to Monticello's stingy defense.
Before Monticello kicked off to start the game, Buddenhagen challenged his troops to, “get down there and set the defensive tone of the game. “ Angelo Niforatos kicked the ball off and Saugerties began at its own 26. The Monties’ defense forced a quick three and out and Jackson had an electrifying return of the punt to the Saugerites 29.
Jackson then tossed a 28-yard TD pass to Anthony Gray at 10:23 for the 6-0 lead. Niforatos added the PAT and the Monties were rolling. Saugerties was having issues with the Montie defense as its pitch plays were snuffed before QB Russell Neglia sustained a big loss on a snap that went over his head.
The Monties got good field position on the punt on its own 49. Jackson uncorked a pair of inaccurate passes first to Sean Reuss and then to Anthony Gray leading to a punt. Reuss pinned the Sawyers on their own seven with a booming punt. Reuss was ominipresent as he was in on tackles.
Saugerties punted again as Jon Taylor-Elmendorf’s kick gave the Monties a short field again at the Sawyers’ 30.
With 4:20 left in the first quarter, Jackson hit Reuss over the middle for a 36-yards. Saugerties’ corner back Adam Bacon tried to head Reuss off at the goal line but the aggressive and powerful Reuss simply bowled him over as he vaulted over the goal plane for the 13-0 lead. Niforatos added the PAT and the Monties now led 14-0.
Monticello’s London Gandy recovered the kickoff to give his team an impressive take-away. The Monties now had the ball at the Sawyers’ 29. A reception by Gray gave the Monties a first down at the 16. Mike Rogers made it first and goal with a nice reception at the seven.
Jackson then ran it in from the six with 1:14 to go in the first quarter to swell the lead to 20-0.
Surprisingly then, Monticello went blank and failed to score again for the next 13:14 of the half.
Penalties for encroachment, holding, illegal motion and blocks in the back neutered the Monties’ agenda of putting Saugerties away for good in the first half.
Jackson seemed to be running for his life and turned a busted play into a completion to Connor Birggs. The play was called back as Jackson was ruled to be beyond the line of scrimmage when the threw the ball.
Montie miasma was in no short supply . On one scramble Jackson was knocked out of bounds into a sideline puddle as his royal blue uniform turned navy due to the soaking.
Reuss lofted a 30-yard punt and Taylor-Elmendorf made headway on a counter play. He then had a nice carry to the Montie 22 with 5:12 remaining in the first half but the Sawyers couldn’t convert on a fourth and 11 when a pass by Neglia was picked off by Mike Rogers who failed to heed Buddenhagen’s cry of “down and distance.” The interception gave the Monties a worse field position than an incomplete pass would have and the Coach was not a happy camper.
Opponents' worst nightmare: Shane Jackson on the run--a threat to break it on the ground or as in this case, fire it down the field for an aerial strike.
The Monties took their 20-0 lead into halftime just in time for the Coach to tell them that they had played a miserable half. Enough said.
The Monties received to start the second half. José Cruz took the ball on the first two carries and a reception by Connor Briggs advanced it to the Sawyers’ 17. Gray received the ball and fought his way through defenders to the five.
Cruz alertly recovered a fumble to sustain the drive. Jackson was run backwards on a sweep attempt and the Monties appeared to be set up for a field goal. Jackson who was the holder took the ball and ran around left end for an 10-yard TD with 7:38 remaining in the third quarter. Jackson hit Gray with the conversion pass for the 28-0 lead.
Saugerties moved the chains on a reception by Anthony Spadaro but the drive stalled as Gray anticipated a pass and made a great tackle for a Sawyers loss. A missed block left Jackson exposed on the ensuing punt. Fortunately he got right up after being subsumed by a Sawyer tackler.
Juking and jiving made for a nice Jackson run but a penalty called it right back. Jackson went east-west-east to the Saugerties 31. The advance continued despite having a touchdown by Cruz called back for a holding penalty.
All ended well though as Jackson connected with Connor Briggs on a third and 15 from the 20 yard line. It was Briggs’ first TD of the season. Niforatos had his kick blocked and the Monties now led 34-0.
Defensive coaches urged the team to bring home the goose egg but Saugerties would score twice in the fourth quarter, first on a dive play by Spadaro and then on a breakaway by Scott Melville registered against the Monties’ second and third string. The fact that everyone got to play was one saving grace as Buddenhagen saw it. “You’ve got kids that practice every day, never get their names in the paper but are an important part of the team,” he noted.
Up and over and a shut out ends in a TD dive by Saugerties runner Anthony Spadaro.
Sawyer’s Coach LeeMeisinger talked about his team’s efforts to keep Jackson contained which didn’t always pan out. Saugerties (1-3, 0-2 Class A) now faces an uphill battle to garner a playoff spot as they still must face Cornwall and Wallkill.
“We kind of put ourselves in a hole in the first quarter and then stiffened up a bit defensively for a while there. We never really got in a flow offensively,” said Meisinger. ” Saugerties beat Goshen but lost to Port Jervis in prior league encounters. They lost a non-league game to FDR.
Buddenhagen’s final take: “We have to step it up.” Asked if he thought his team could beat Wallkill, Buddenhagen fired back, “Absolutely. On any given night any team can win. It’s high school football.” But he was quick to add that his team that beat Minisink is the one that will be up to the task, not the one that played the past two weeks.
“It was very sloppy today and that’s a fact. I’m not going to sugar coat it or lie to the kids. We should have taken care of business a lot earlier.
A time to reflect; Monticello Coach Matt Buddenhagen calls out his players and challenges them to relocate their assertive identity last seen in the epic win over Minisink Valley.
Monticello stat line:
Passing: Shane Jackson 11/19/219 with three TD’s and no interceptions
Rushing: José Cruz 11/42; Jackson 9/67 with two TD’s; Mistah Ali 1/13.
Receiving: Anthony Gray 5/76 with one TD; Sean Reuss 3/81 with one TD; Mike Rogers 1/6/ Connor Briggs 2/56 with one TD.
Monticello improved to 2-2 (1-1 Class A).
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