Fallsburg Honors Its 11 Senior Hoopsters And Five Senior Cheerleaders Prior To Closing Out Regular Season With A League Bashing Of Tuxedo;  Gym Has Mardi-Gras Celebratory Atmosphere On Brink Of Serious Postseason Quest For Glory

Fallsburg 89, Tuxedo 39

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

Photos at: www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com

Fat Tuesday Senior Recognition Night Scenes (clockwise) Senior cheerleaders Nina Hrechka and Tara Bellamy pose with Coach Kiffanie Rodgers-Sanchez, Bsketball senior Michael Robinson,Senior cheerleader Jennifer Merena, Senior cheerleader Nicolle Freeman, Corey McKeon, Daniel Justiniano, Charles Marsden, Sam Didinsky, Dustin Foertsch, Russell Corley, James Bertholf, Braiden DeGraw, Darius Dromazos, Suede Taylor, Senior Cheerleading Captain Morgan Vegliante, Coach Pete Dworetsky and his blazing Comets get set to take the floor to start the third quarter. Senior Russell Corley goes up for one of his patented athletic lay ups.

FALLSBURG, NY—Mardi Gras, which translated from French means Fat Tuesday, is that wild and abandoned revelry that precedes the penitent period of Lent. Popular practices include wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, etc.

Succinctly put, it’s a time for joyful indulgence that precedes a serious time of reflection.

How fitting that Fallsburg’s final regular game of the season and its Senior Recognition Night should fall out on Fat Tuesday as revelry and exuberance would be on display prior to the serious business of sectionals that looms just ahead.

Fallsburg senior Michael Robinson goes up strong for two of his 20 points in the dominant win over Tuxedo.

While the denizens of Fallsburg didn’t travel to New Orleans to partake in that world renowned joyous outpouring, their own Fat Tuesday Senior Recognition Night honored five senior cheerleaders and eleven senior basketball players as a prelude to watching the Comets thrash Tuxedo 89-39, thereby sounding the clarion call to rally the streaking Comets for their coming sectional campaign.

Athletic Director Timothy Bult introduced Cheerleading Coach Kiffanie Rodgers-Sanchez who called forth her elder stateswomen. They included junior varsity seniors Tara Bellamy and Nina Hrechka. Varsity senior captain Morgan Vegliante was lauded by her coach for her years of spirited participation. Other seniors included Nicolle Freeman and Jennifer Menera.

Varsity boys basketball coach Pete Dworetksy then summoned his 11 seniors one by one. This season marks the third consecutive trip to sectionals for his squad which endured an 0-20 season prior to this three year run.

Seniors included (listed here in order of their jersey numbers) #5 Darius Dromazos, #11 Sam Didinsky, #12 Charles Marsden, #13 Suede Taylor, #14 Dustin Foertsch, #15 Corey McKeon, #21 Daniel Justiniano, #22 Michael Robinson, #24 Russell Corley, #25 James Bertholf and #30 Braiden DeGraw.

Cheerleaders and their parents posed for a group shot, followed by the hoopsters and their parents. The enthusiastic crowd showed their love and adoration for the senior Comets. Their appreciation did not abate with the ensuing dismantling of 3-15 Tuxedo.

Games of this ilk don’t warrant a blow-by-blow narrative. Suffice it to say that Fallsburg put on a clinic of its superb defense, passing skills, rebounding and shooting acumen to marshal a 24-8 first quarter lead that burgeoned to 43-18 by halftime.

Senior Cheerleading captain Morgan Vegliante is going to miss these nights...and the Comets fans will miss her when she graduates.

During the halftime interlude, the cheerleaders performed a vibrant routine reminiscent of their recent uplifting display at the OCIAA Cheerleading Championships held on February 18 at the Kate Walton Field House at Kingston High School.

Though the Lady Comets did not place in the top three among the Division II schools, they showed lively spirit and great potential. It was a great learning experience for the team which will return most of its participants next year.

Fallsburg poured it on in the third quarter, opening with three steals and three transition buckets as they went on to amass a 69-26 lead after three quarters over a Tuxedo squad that saw much of its talent exit via graduation last June. Ironically, the number who graduated was 11, the same number Fallsburg will bid farewell to this June.

Given the looming departure of the 11 Fallsburg players, next year’s campaign is apt to be a rebuilding project similar to that currently being played out by the Tornadoes.

Michael Robinson led all scorers with 20 points that included a crowd-pleasing dunk. Unfortunately I was out of position to record that one in a photo. Braiden DeGraw posted 14 and Jim Bertholf had 13 in the onslaught. The Comets were 13-for-19 from the stripe for a viable 68%.

Tuxedo had no players in double figures but did get seven points apiece from Christian Ruiz, Michael Heslin and Joe Espel.

Coach Margo Margotta will have all of his players except one returning next season.

Coach Pete Dworetsky said his team is finishing on a high note. “We had a big win last week at Tri-Valley and then a good win here tonight. We did it tonight with a lot of different guys and a lot of different line ups,” he noted.

Fallsburg ended its regular season campaign at 13-5 (8-2). Those league losses were to Seward and Dworetsky would still love to have at least one of those back. Fallsburg is likely to miss Seward in the sectionals unless both teams come through their brackets to the finals. For the Comets that would require a home win over Tri-Valley (most likely as sectional seeds have yet to be finalized) and then a trip to defending champion #1 seed Pine Plains for a semifinal encounter.

Fallsburg’s other three losses this season came against Walton, Ellenville and Livingston Manor.

The Fallsburg seniors (left to right) Michael Robinson, Sam Didinsky, Darius Dromazos, Dustin Foertsch, Corey McKeon, James Bertholf, Braiden DeGraw, Daniel Justiniano, Charles Marsden, Suede Taylor and Russell Corley.

“We’ve established the idea throughout the season that it’s not who scores, it’s that we score,” noted Dworetsky. “They know that if they’re on the brink of shooting and they don’t give it up to the wide open guy, they come out.”

Dworetsky went on to say, “There are a lot of things we practice including making a requisite number of passes. I thought the team did a great job of sharing the ball tonight,” he added.

“We didn’t work this hard to go home early. The big thing was to get into the tournament and then go on from there,” he said in response to the challenge of trying to beat Tri-Valley for the third time this year. It’s one game at a time. There are guys who are talking about watching Pine Plains on tape but right now it’s all about Tri-Valley to worry about first or whoever it ends up being. We’re going to practice hard tomorrow, just like we have since the beginning of the season. We’ll work on some fundamental things. Hopefully we’ll get a scrimmage this week against somebody, said Dworetsky.

The large margin of victory in this game was not about trying to run the score up on Tuxedo. Back in the 0-20 miasma a few years back, Fallsburg led Tuxedo by 16 late only to lose the game. The cast of characters is markedly different on both squads but the memory lingers on. “I can’t tell my kids to practice hard and then take it easy in the game,” he said. Every player on the bench got into this one and shared minutes with the starters who got to sit down and watch their teammates in the game’s waning moments.

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

“We will continue to protect taxpayers and work to revitalize Main Street,” Stoddard and Alvarez said. “Among our top priorities will be to continue to work with our police department to ensure a safe and secure Village.”

Stoddard’s vast budget experience has been a major asset to the Village of Liberty. She has been the Accounting Office Manager for the Villa Roma Resort for the past 30 years. Stoddard and her husband Bill have two children Matthew and Taylor.
Alvarez has been employed by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office since 1983. He currently holds the position of Sergeant and is respected throughout the County for his work as a D.A.R.E. Officer. Alvarez also worked with Liberty police for one year. He is married for 36 years to wife Ida, and has two children Luizelle Bohan, married to James, and son Julio married to Katy.

OCIAA Cheerleading Championships Feature  Non-Stop Athleticism, Style and Verve; Pine Bush Wins Fifth Division I Title In A Row; Burke Captures Division II; Soaring Flyers, Flips, Pyramids And Other Routine Elements Debunk Nonsensical Notion That Cheerleading Is Not A Sport

Division I: 1) Pine Bush 86.635; 2) Newburgh Free Academy 80.175; 3) Minisink Valley 74.325

Division II: 1) John S. Burke Catholic 71.95; 2) James I. O’Neill 67.15; 3) Tri-Valley 66.525

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Maya Angelou, African-American poet 

Scenes From The OCIAA Cheerleading Chapionships. (This panel is not large enough to hold photos of all competing teams but the accompanying album has hundreds) Seen here (Clockwise) Fallsburg cheerleaders leap in synch, Pine Bush cheerleaders pose for their fifth Division I title win in the past five years. They've won seven of the past eight and were 13th at Nationals. A Monroe-Woodbury cheerleader caught in mid air. The S.S. Seward Lady Spartans perform. Minisink Valley took third in Division I. Here's their team pose. Tri-Valley took third in Division II. All hail the Red and Blue! T-V cheerleader Jessica Kinney enjoys her young partner's dancing as well as her own. Burke won Division II with a captivating performance. Here they are with the plaque. A couple of Monroe-Woodbury cheerleaders smile for the camera as the teams dance and await awards. Newburgh Free Academy in a pyramid array. The Goldbacks took second. Goshen Cheerleaders launch one of their own into mid-air. A Chester cheerleader shows her verve. Monticello cheerleaders leap in unified motion. A Cornwall cheerleader defies gravity.

KINGSTON, NY—“You’ve come a long way, baby,” the slogan used to market Virginia Slims cigarettes to a widening demographic of women smokers, had the right message for the wrong agenda. So it was that the phrase was soon co-opted to commemorate the progress women have made in their battle for gender equality.

James I. O'Neill took second place in Division II.

Hard as it is to imagine a time when women couldn’t vote, work in an astounding variety of careers or earn pay commensurate with their talent and experience.

But times have certainly changed for the better, though there are still battles to be waged, especially in other parts of the world where extreme fundamentalism bars women from the most basic rights including driving a car or even going to school.

But to accept the notion that there remains no tinge of inequality or double standards right here in the United States is naïve at best. Women still are not paid the same as men in many arenas of work and in athletics, though inordinate progress has been made, women’s sports are one rung lower on the triage when it comes to sports coverage.

But perhaps the most flagrant example of ignorant bias applies to cheerleading. Talk about coming a long way. Not that many years ago, cheerleaders were mere accents to basketball or football games. Their lovely presence featured school  uniforms which consisted of sweaters and long skirts. They sported  pom poms and were solely about the rah rah.

Nowadays cheerleaders are athletes in every sense of the word. Their routines which include sending teammates to dizzying heights and catching them, back flips, tumbling, synchronized jumps and movements and dance routines require rigorous practice.

All of this was on display at this year’s OCIAA Cheerleading Championships staged at the Kate Walton Field House at Kingston High School. A total of 16 teams brought their best to the floor as judges looked on evaluating them according to a rubric of complex standards. Division I schools included Valley Central, Monticello, Goshen, Newburgh Free Academy, Pine Bush, Minisink Valley, Kingston, Washingtonville, Monroe-Woodbury and Cornwall.

Division II participants included Fallsburg, Chester, John S. Burke Catholic, Tri-Valley, James I. O’Neill and S.S. Seward.

Washingtonville exudes style and spirit.

The stands were packed and the crowd exuded their enthusiasm as the teams took the floor to perform their routines. For this photographer the day would yield hundreds and hundreds of photos which are now on display at www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com

Those pictures verify beyond doubt  the degree of difficulty of much of what was performed as well as capturing the lively spirit evinced.

For the fifth year in a row and the seventh time in the past eight years, Pine Bush won the Division I crown. Not surprising given the back that the team just garnered 13^th place at Nationals staged at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Talented Newburgh Free Academy with its amazing high flying performers and its stunning choreography and synchronicity was second. Minisink Valley was third.

Fallsburg was the first Division II school to perform and the Lady Comets did admirably. It’s always hard to perform early in a competition. By the time John S. Burke Catholic took to the floor, four other school had already finished their routine, including Chester, thereby making them the third Division II school on display.

The spirited Lady Eagles duly impressed the judges who would go on to award them first place. Rival James I. O’Neill was awarded second place and Tri-Valley, which did not compete in the OCIAA Championships last year, turned in a vibrant performance and came away with third place. Coach Leighanne Walsh was delighted for her Lady Bears who had voiced their nervousness prior to their performance.

Though the other teams are not listed in the scoring array, it must be said that all of them had elements that were outstanding and impressive.

Great hosts and great competitors: The Kingston Lady Tigers

OCIAA Cheerleading Chairman Andy Buchsbaum of Liberty High School had this to say about the day’s proceedings: “I thought it was an exciting atmosphere here today. All the teams competed well and there was a lot of energy and great sportsmanship. I thought it was an overall great day,” he averred.

The smiles and laughter that were on display during the competition, the massive dance interlude prior to the awards ceremony and of course the joy evinced by the teams which were top finishers combined to produce a positive and uplifting day.

Again, for a full album of photos visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com. Coaches interested in CD’s that contain all of my shots of your teams, e-mail me at rross@sportsinsights.com

On February 16th 2012 the Village of Liberty Police arrested Christopher Colvill on charges stemming from his failure to register as a sex offender and for violating a court order. Colvill was arrested after being produced from the Sullivan County Jail in the Town of Liberty Court. Colvill was charged with Failing to register and verify his physical address, a felony and criminal contempt in the second degree a misdemeanor. The felony charge stems from an investigation into Colvill’s whereabouts after he listed an address in the Village of Liberty as his legal residence on the Sex Offender registry that he was not residing at. The misdemeanor criminal contempt charge stems from an investigation into an incident in late December of 2011 in which Colvill went to the residence of a female that he was ordered to stay away from, due to an order of protection issued from the Town of Liberty Court in October of 2011. Colvill was arraigned in Town of Liberty Court and remanded to the Sullivan County Jail pending further court appearance.

Liberty State Police:

On February 18, 2012, State Police in Liberty arrested a man for DWI after locating a vehiclein a dirt embankment in the Town of Liberty. Ronald Dutcher, a 41 year old Youngsville resident, was travelling on Cooley Road when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a dirt embankment. Dutcher was arrested and charged with DWI and processed at the State Police barracks in iberty. He is to appear in the Town of Liberty Court on February 21.

—

Police responded to Ulster Heights Road in the Town of Fallsburg for a domestic situation. During the investigation it was discovered that the occupants of the house had a quantity of marijuana and drug paraphanalia inside the residence.

Jason Rodriguez, age 36 and Katie L. Rodriquez, age 30 of Ulster Hgts Rd were both charged with Criminal Possession of Marijuana 5th degree. They were both issued appearance tickets returnable to the Town of Fallsburg Court on February 22, 2012.

The NYSP were assisted in the investigation by the Town of Fallsburg PD and NYC DEP.

—

State Police in Liberty announce the arrest of JAMES ROEMER, age 27, North Branch for Robbery 3rd.

On January 22, 2012 State Police initiated an investigation regarding the robbery of Roches gas station in the Town of Delaware. Subsequent investigation determined that Mr. Roemer with his face covered approached an employee working at the business and demanded cash then fled on foot.

Mr. Roemer was arraigned before the Town of Delaware Justice Kramer and committed to the Sullivan County Jail in Lieu of $10000 cash bail to reappear March 10, 2012.

Tri-Valley Girls Garner Third Consecutive Section Nine ‘B’ Indoor Track Crown; Ellenville Boys Come Through On Avowed Quest Of ‘Drive For Five’ Straight Titles; Meet Features A Slew Of Repeat Defenders And Milestone Times And Distances

Section Nine Indoor ‘B’ Championships

Boys Team scores: 1. Ellenville (Ell) 109 points; 2. Tri-Valley (TV) 66; 3. Marlboro (Marl) 64; 4. Eldred (Eld) 57; 5. Pine Plains (PP) 56; 6. Liberty (Lib) 42; 7. James I. O’Neill (JIO) 26; 8. Spackenkill (Spac) 21; 9. Sullivan West (SW) 14; 10. Onteora (Ont) 9.

Girls Team scores: 1. Tri-Valley (TV) 144 points; 2. Onteora (Ont) 68; 3. Eldred (Eld) 64; 4. Marlboro (Marl) 56; 5. Sullivan West (SW) 44; 6. Liberty (Lib) 42; 7. Ellenville (Ell) 23; 8. Millbrook (Mill) 18; 9. James I. O’Neill (JIO) 16; 10. Spackenkill (Spac) 15; 11. Pine Plains (PP) 5.

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

Photos at: www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com

Scenes From The Section Nine 'B' Indoor Track Championships (Clockwise) The Ellenville Blue Devils win their fifth consecutive boys title. Tri-Valley's Dominique Darby triumphs in the shot put and later in the weight throw. Liberty's Rebeccah Harman wins the triple jump. Ellenville senior Tyler O''Bryant prevails again in the 55. Eldred's Hunter Proscia wins the 3200 for the third year in a row. He also ran a leg in the victorious, school-record-breaking 1600 relay. Sullivan West's Rachel Deppa wins the 1500 racewalk for the third consecutive year. Eldred's Christine Donnelly triumphs in the 1,000 and 1500 and runs a leg in the victorious Eldred 1600 relay. Tri-Valley's girls team wins third consecutive Section Nine crown. T-V sophomore Katlynn Greffrath wins the high jump and the long jump. Eldred's Breanna Brucher triumphs in the pole vault.

WEST POINT, NY—Far from the maddening crowds of basketball arenas and the games therein with their banner headlines and epic stories, resides another heroic milieu with its own legion of noble warriors.

For the young men and women who work assiduously during the indoor track season, the greatest rewards are not measured in column inches of newspaper coverage, but rather in the satisfaction of having given their all to achieve vast improvement in their events.

Eldred's Alex Campanella wins the 1600. Here he leads teammate Hunter Proscia and Tri-Valley's Jimmy Bernstein.

To train relentlessly, to fight against all kinds of adversity and to marshal great progress forges character and a sense of personal power that has a lifelong shelf life.  Choosing this winter sport requires a dedication and commitment second to none.

Rigorous  practice regimens, long meets at West Point, endless bus rides and little sleep are just a few of the requirements.

But indoor track kids will tell you with few exceptions that what they gain is worth every bit of what they sacrifice, especially for those who are moving on into the glorious world of spring track. This season has strengthened body, mind and spirit and put them light years ahead of kids coming out for track who didn’t invest their energy in the arduous winter endeavor.

Aside from a sense of personal satisfaction derived from recording personal best times and distances,  there are the added perks for those who emerge victorious and the pride felt in being honored as one of the elites. Track is also a team sport and so the collective joy of a Section Nine title rewards all of the team members and bestows a great honor on the winning schools and the communities they hail from.

When it comes to the Section Nine Indoor Track Championships with its panoply of events and competitors engaged therein, winning a title is an achievement beyond the pale. So when a team does it repeatedly, as is the case with the Tri-Valley girls who walked away with their third consecutive title, and the Ellenville boys whose zany post-meet antics expressed their exultation at winning their fifth straight crown, words fall far short in describing how remarkable such feats are.

For the Lady Bears, it’s been another storied winter, another year of garnering the Tri-fecta of Division, County and Section Nine titles. Details of the Sullivan County Championships can be found towards the end of this story under the subheading of “County Fare.”

Boys Meet Highlights

Tri-Valley's Andrew Malone prevails in the 55 hurdles.

Every championship meet has its milestones and in the very first event of the night, Eldred’s Hunter Proscia set the tone with his state-qualifying, personal best time in the 3200 (9:37.02). It was Proscia’s third consecutive Section Nine title in the event.

On paper based on seed times and distances, Eldred looked like it might be in a position to challenge Ellenville this year, though Blue Devils Coach Phil Altschuler had tinkered with numbers and figured his team had the depth to prevail.

As it would turn out, Eldred was missing a couple of key entrants that would cost them valuable points and drop them to fourth overall. Notwithstanding, the Yellow Jackets turned in some great performances. Alex Campanella won the 1600 (4:27.93), took second in the 3200 (9:53.08) and ran a leg in the Eldred’s school record smashing 1600 relay (3:39.27) along with Proscia, Adrian Krzysztofowicz and Matt Watts.

Looking to build on its recent Sullivan County Championship title, Tri-Valley came into this meet to make a statement. Beating Ellenville would be “Mission Impossible,” but  the Bears made some serious noise in places few could have anticipated it. Andrew Malone won the 55 hurdles (8.38). It was the first T-V win in the boys event since Sean Messenger did it five years prior.

T-V’s 3200 Relay comprised of Justin Weintraub, Jim Bernstein, Hauk Boyes, and Brandon Hasbrouck took first in the event in 8:55.63.

Omar Lopez took second in the 1000 (2:43.86). Bernstein turned in a pair of third place finishes behind the storied Eldred duo with a 4:33.38 in the 1600 and 9:57.75 in the 3200. Eugene Morton and Aidan Woolsey claimed fourth and fifth in the Pole vault with marks of 11-0 and 10-5 respectively. Brendan Tierney was fourth in the Shot put with a mark of 41-5.25.

Liberty’s Michael Hinton won the Shot put with a heave of 43-1.5; Sullivan West’s Todd Roeder was third in the event with a mark of 41-6.

Elllenville's Justin Farrenkoph wins the pole vault with a leap of 13-0.

Ellenville’s heroics were seemingly non-stop. They included Tyler O’Bryant’s successful defense of his title in the 55 (6.74). Fellow senior teammate Tashan Beaupierre kept O’Bryant  from back-to-back titles in the 300. Beaupierre  turned in a blistering 37.72 to edge O’Bryant.  Pole vault phenom Justin Farrenkoph repeated as champ with a leap of 13-0. The timing of the events disrupted a bid for an even greater flying feat.  Teams were already leaving when Farrenkoph was still making a last ditch try at 14-0.

The boys results are listed below. I’ll add a link soon for the complete results.

55-meter dash: 1. Tyler O’Bryant (Ell) 6.74; 2. Erick Cuellar (Lib) 6.99; 3. Kenny Jaycox (Lib) 7.03; 4. (tie) Julius Nunez (Ell) and Zach Warden (Marl) 7.09; 6. Brendan Tierney (TV) 7.11.

55 hurdles: 1. Andrew Malone (TV) 8.38; 2. Alejandro Ayala (PP) 8.45; 3. Adrian Krzysztofowicz (Eld) 8.46; 4. Rich Barley (Marl) 8.75; 5. Alphonso Cruz (Ell) 8.79; 6. Mitch Paciga (SW) 8.84.

300: 1. Tashan Beaupierre (Ell) 37.72; 2. Tyler O’Bryant (Ell) 37.98; 3. Erick Cuellar (Lib) 38.26; 4. Julius Nunez (Ell) 39.79; 5. Steve Mussachio (Marl) 40.36.

600: 1. Chris Lofaro (Marl) 1:26.43; 2. Tashan Beaupierre (Ell) 1:29.35; 3. Micah Yannatos (Ont) 1:29.88; 4. Matt Watts (Eld) 1:30.17; 5. Omar Lopez (TV) 1:31.07; 6. Jason Groat (Ell) 1:31.18.

1,000: 1. Devin DeJoode (PP) 2:37.33; 2. Omar Lopez (TV) 2:43.86; 3. Jeremy Santiago (Marl) 2:47.16; 4. Alexander Parfentsov (Ell) 2:51.22; 5. Justin Weintraub (TV) 2:53.08; 6. Taylor Armstrong (Ont) 2:57.52.

1,600: 1. Alex Campanella (Eld) 4:27.93; 2. Devin deJoode (PP) 4:29.29; 3. Jim Bernstein (TV) 4:33.38; 4. Hunter Proscia (Eld) 4:36.49; 5. Zech Snel (JIO) 4:36.77; 6. Ryan Jelinek (Spac) 4:44.04.

Tri-Valley's Aric Boyes takes second in the non-scoring weight throw.

3,200: 1. Hunter Proscia (Eld) 9:37.02; 2. Alex Campanella (Eld) 9:53.08; 3. Jim Bernstein (TV) 9:57.75; 4. Reed Scott (SW) 10:20.94; 5. Hauk Boyes (TV) 10:55.97; 6. Brandon Hasbrouck (TV) 11:37.20.

800 relay: 1. James I. O’Neill (Derrike Shrieve, Jeremy Key, Jerry Nasi, Jonathan Carpenter) 1:36.09; 2. Liberty (Erick Cuellar, Kane Sauchuk, Kenny Jaycox, Andrew Hazelnis) 1:38.69; 3. Ellenville (Tyler O’Bryant, Julius Nunez, Alphonso Cruz, Justin Farrenkopf) 1:39.23; 4. Spackenkill 1:40.63; 5. Tri-Valley 1:42.43; 6. Marlboro 1:43.12.

1,600 relay: 1. Eldred (Alex Campanella, Adrian Krzysztofowicz, Hunter Proscia, Matt Watts) 3:39.27; 2. Ellenville (Tashan Beaupierre, Jimmy Quiceno, Jason Groat, Alexander Parfentsov) 3:40.45; 3. Spackenkill (Chris Mastman, Tommy Fink, Wayne Bowden, Ryan Jelinek) 3:40.98; 4. Marlboro 3:45.11; 5. Onteora 3:46.29; 6. Tri-Valley 3:49.07.

3,200 relay: 1. Tri-Valley (Justin Weintraub, Jim Bernstein, Hauk Boyes, Brandon Hasbrouck) 8:55.63; 2. Marlboro (Logan Maneely, Nick Kozlik, Jeremy Santiago, Chris Lofaro) 9:02.40; 3. Pine Plains (Alejandro Ayala, Devin deJoode, Brendan Long, Michael Kirschenheiter) 9:17.56; 4. Liberty 9:25.23; 5. James I. O’Neill 9:30.94; 6. Ellenville 9:31.63.

High jump: 1. Jonathan Carpenter (JIO) 6-0; 2. Brendan Long (PP) 5-8; 3. Justin Farrenkopf (Ell) 5-8; 4. Rich Ackerman (Marl) 5-6; 5. Mitch Paciga (SW) 5-4; 6. John Njoga (JIO) 5-4.

Long jump: 1. Wayne Bowden (Spac) 19-6.25; 2. Jimmy Quiceno (Ell) 18-11.5; 3. Aric Canevari (PP) 18-4.75; 4. Steve Mussachio (Marl) 18-0.25; 5. Kyle Marquis (Marl) 17-11.25; 6. Jerry Nasi (JIO) 17-9.5.

Triple jump: 1. Jimmy Quiceno (Ell) 39-5.5; 2. Kyle Marquis (Marl) 38-1.75; 3. Adam Crick (PP) 36-5; 4. Brendan Long (PP) 36-3; 5. Adrian Krzysztofowicz (Eld) 35-10; 6. Mitch Paciga (SW) 34-10.5.

Shot put: 1. Michael Hinton (Lib) 43-1.5; 2. Jeff Nunez (Ell) 42-6; 3. Todd Roeder (SW) 41-6; 4. Brendan Tierney (TV) 41-5.25; 5. Rob Borriello (Ell) 40-7.5; 6. Aric Boyes (TV) 39-8.

Pole vault: 1. Justin Farrenkopf (Ell) 13-0; 2. Rich Barley (Marl) 11-5; 3. Eugene Morton (TV) 11-0; 4. Aidan Woolsey (TV) 10-5; 5. Julian Gottlieb (Eld) 10-0; 6. DennisMcCullough (Eld) 9-6.

Weight throw (non-scoring): 1. Jeff Nunez (Ell) 56-0.5; 2. Aric Boyes (TV) 52-11.5; 3. Todd Roeder (SW) 49-11; 4. Michael Hinton (Lib) 41-7; 5. Zachary Roberts (TV) 37-9; 6. Rob Borriello (Ell) 34-8.

Girls Meet Highlights

Taking photographs at track meets often means missing some shots while you're busy shooting others. I swung my camera around just in time to catch Tri-Valley's Katlynn Greffrath complete her winning long jump. She won the high jump too and finished a close second in the 55.

While much of the glory would fall to the Tri-Valley Lady Bears, there was plenty to go around for others too. That included Eldred senior Chistine Donnelly who handily won the 1000 (3:08.10) and the 1500 (5:08.37) and ran a leg in the winning 1600 relay along with Sarah Malzahn, Savannah Finck and Selena Hudak  in 4:26.46. Breanna Brucher won the Pole vault with a leap of 10-6. Erika Bowring was second in the Long jump (15-0.75).

Another storied competitor in the meet was Tri-Valley’s Katlynn Greffrath. The talented sophomore who doubles up in winter playing for the Section Nine defending champion Lady Bears in basketball, won the Long jump with an impressive leap of 15-7. Greffrath also captured the High jump with a mark of 4-10 and took second in the 55 in 7.81.

Tri-Valley’s Brittany Rennison won the 600 in 1:44.87, while the Lady Bears’ 3200 Relay took gold in 11:05.23 with a team comprised of Autumn Bender, Alex Brooks, Brooke Gillette and Daniel Graham.  Gillette was second in the 1500 Racewalk (8:46.12). That event was won by Sullivan West’s Rachel Deppa  for the third straight time (8:03.21). History was also made in Shot put as T-V’s Dominique Darby won the event with a throw of 35-1, the best mark in the past seven years. Darby also won the non-scoring Weight throw (46-8).

Mareena DiMilia added valuable points to the T-V ledger with a second place in the 55 hurdles (9.07) and the Shot put (33-5). Bender  took second in the 1000 and 1500 with times of 3:20.28 and 5:13.02 respectively.

Liberty’s Rebeccah Harman won the Triple jump (31-7). Teammate Amanda Bertholf was second in the Pole Vault (9-3), while Nikole Snyder took third in the Long jump (15-0.5).

Girls results were as follows (As I noted, I’ll add a link soon for the complete results).

55-meter dash: 1. Diamond Wiley (JIO) 7.78; 2. Katlynn Greffrath (TV) 7.81; 3. Katie Klercker (Ont) 7.82; 4. Courtney Warden (Marl) 7.87; 5. Amanda Rosenberger (SW) 7.89; 6. LaraJane Heslop (Lib) 7.92.

55 hurdles: 1. Courtney Warden (Marl) 8.84; 2. Mareena DiMilia (TV) 9.07; 3. Vickey Tingley (TV) 9.46; 4. Rebeccah Harman (Lib) 9.54; 5. Breanna Brucher (Eld) 9.82; 6. Hannah Feinman (SW) 9.93.

300: 1. Katie Klercker (Ont) 43.55; 2. Tess Howard (Ont) 44.25; 3. Shasche Allen (Spac) 44.60; 4. Brittany Rennison (TV) 46.13; 5. Nina Lofaro (Marl) 46.35; 6. Kristina Sumfleth (SW) 47.83.

Speed and timing are equally important in the 55 hurdles. Here you can see how close it can be as competitors go to clear the fourth hurdle about 40 percent through the race. Marlboro's Courtney Warren won the final with T-V's Mareena DiMilia taking second.

600: 1. Brittany Rennison (TV) 1:44.87; 2. Avery Maillet (Ont) 1:46.51; 3. Emily Koehler (Mill) 1:48.66; 4. Rosa Martinez (SW) 1:48.99; 5. Kendall Peabody (Ell) 1:50.07; 6. Melissa Donovan (Spac) 1:51.64.

1,000: 1. Christine Donnelly (Eld) 3:08.10; 2. Autumn Bender (TV) 3:20.28; 3. Marissa Galella (Marl) 3:24.36; 4. Danielle Graham (TV) 3:28.56; 5. Dani Myers (SW) 3:33.97; 6. Sara Jane Drewett (Eld) 3:38.43.

1,500: 1. Christine Donnelly (Eld) 5:08.37; 2. Autumn Bender (TV) 5:13.02; 3. Mary-Kate Bida (Mill) 5:14.41; 4. Olivia Rehm (TV) 5:35.19; 5. Danielle Graham (TV) 5:37.44; 6. Tania Gomez (PP) 5:39.29.

1,500 racewalk: 1. Rachel Deppa (SW) 8:03.21; 2. Brooke Gillette (TV) 8:46.12; 3. Emily Barbosa (Ell) 9:09.77; 4. Ali Reynolds (TV) 9:09.86; 5. Lauren Frey (Eld) 9:11.90; 6. Mary Alongi (TV) 9:47.75.

3,000: 1. Emily Waligurski (Ont) 11:04.68; 2. Julia Rubin-Armstrong (Ont) 11:07.72; 3. Mary-Kate Bida (Mill) 11:16.93; 4. Olivia Rehm (TV) 11:56.29; 5. Brooke Gillette (TV) 12:03.87; 6. Georgia Houghton (Marl) 12:09.47.

800 relay: 1. Onteora (Tess Howard, Katie Klercker, Avery Maillet, Emily Waligurski) 1:51.95; 2. Liberty (Amanda Bertholf, Nikole Snyder, Rebeccah Harman, LaraJane Heslop) 1:53.65; 3. O’Neill (Diamond Wiley, Maggie Borowicz, Maya Washington, Bayyinah Kareem) 1:58..01; 4. Marlboro 1:59.17; 5. Ellenville 2:01.72; 6. Eldred 2:03.45.

1,600 relay: 1. Eldred (Christine Donnelly, Sarah Malzahn, Savanna Finck, Selena Hudak) 4:26.46; 2. Sullivan West (Rosa Martinez, Amanda Rosenberger, Kristina Sumfleth, Kelsey Dutton) 4:28.34; 3. Spackenkill (Rachel Davis, Melissa Donovan, Jill Hennessey, Shasche Allen) 4:39.95; 4. Tri-Valley 4:45.37; 5. Pine Plains 4:46.25; 6. Ellenville 4:47.27.

3,200 relay: 1. Tri-Valley (Autumn Bender, Alex Brooks, Brooke Gillette, Danielle Graham) 11:05.23; 2. Marlboro (Marissa Galella, Melissa Gattuso, Sara Rood, Georgia Houghton) 11:27.83; 3. Liberty (Melissa Symanski, Jayco Krebs, Kristen Siegel, Sierra Thomas) 11:38.99; 4. Sullivan West 11:44.07; 5. Ellenville 14:40.30.

High jump: 1. Katlynn Greffrath (TV) 4-8; 2. Savannah Nobre (Marl) 4-6; 3. (tie) Erika Bowring (Eld) and Kristina Sumfleth (SW) 4-6; 5. Ali Reynolds (TV) 4-4; 6. Rosa Martinez (SW) 4-2.

Long jump: 1. Katlynn Greffrath (TV) 15-7; 2. Erika Bowring (Eld) 15-0.75; 3. Nikole Snyder (Lib) 15-0.5; 4. Mareena DiMilia (TV) 15-0.25; 5. Shasche Allen (Spac) 14-5.25; 6. Stephanie Walkowiak (Ont) 13-8.75.

Triple jump: 1. Rebeccah Harman (Lib) 31-7; 2. Aubrey Martin (Marl) 31-4.5; 3. Hannah Feinman (SW) 30-11; 4. Erika Bowring (Eld) 30-1.5; 5. Mary-Rose Kelly (PP) 29-7; 6. Brittany Rennison (TV) 29-4.

Shot put: 1. Dominique Darby (TV) 35-1; 2. Mareena DiMilia (TV) 33-5; 3. Danielle Borriello (Ell) 31-3.5; 4. Alyssa Brown (Marl) 30-2.5; 5. Heidi Furman (TV) 29-2; 6. Bianca Toscano (Marl) 27-7.5.

Pole vault: 1. Breanna Brucher (Eld) 10-6; 2. Amanda Bertholf (Lib) 9-0; 3. Julia Rubin-Armstrong (Ont) 9-0; 4. Amelia Jahrling (Ell) 7-6; 5. Vickey Tingley (TV) 7-0; 6. Lauren Frey (Eld) 7-0.

Weight throw (non-scoring): 1. Dominique Darby (TV) 46-8; 2. Danielle Borriello (Ell) 43-3; 3. Heidi Furman (TV) 37-6.5; 4. Shannon Smith (TV) 28-0.5.

County Fare

Tri-Valley’s girls won their third consecutive Sullivan County Indoor Track Championship by outpointing Liberty 137-71. Sullivan West was third with 66 points. Ellenville had 40, Eldred 34 and Monticello had 16.

Tri-Valley’s boys defeated Liberty 103-76, unseating defending champ Ellenville which held a number of its participants out to ready them for the coming sectionals. Monticello was third with 58 points, followed by Sullivan West in fourth with 52. Eldred had 41 and Ellenville posted 40.

Sullivan County Indoor Championships-Boys results

Sullivan County Indoor Championships-girls results

Event results are listed on the charts below.

League Lore

At the OCIAA League Championships Eldred’s boys finished fifth and its girls took ninth in the field of 16 and 13 schools respectively (some schools did not field full teams).

Girls notables: 55 hurdles DiMilia 5^th (9.31); 55 Amanda Rosenberger (SW) 6^th (7.85); 1500 Racewalk Deppa (SW) 2^nd 7:44.34; 1000 Donnelly (E) 4^th (3;02.22); 1500 Bender (T-V) 9^th 5:08.90; Pole vault Brucher (E) 1^st 10-00; Bertholf (L) 2^nd 9-0; High jump Greffrath (T-V) 3^rd 4-10; Kristina Sumfleth (SW) 7^th 4-06; Triiple jump Harman (L) 7^th 31-11-00; Hannah Feinman (SW) 8^th 31-02.50; Shot put DiMilia (T-V) 4^th 35-5.25; Weight throw Shannon Smith (T-V) 27-07.50.

Boys notables: 55  O’Bryant (E) 1^st (6.65); Shane Jackson (M) 2^nd (6.73); 300 Jackson (M) 5^th (39.19). 3200 Campanella (E) 1^st 9:30.85; Proscia 5^th (9:51.28); 1600 Campanella (E) 1^st (4:23.43); Proscia (E) 5^th (4:30.74); 1600 unseeded Reed Scott (SW) 2^nd 4:52.80; 3200 Relay T-V 6^th (8:49.84); Shot put Aric Boyes (T-V) 2^nd 43-08.25; Michael Hinton (L) 4^th 42-08.25; Brendan Tierney (T-V) 7^th 41-00.25; Weight throw  Todd Roeder (SW) 4^th (44-07); Tierney (T-V) 5^th (44-06P; Boyes (T-V) 6^th 39-11.50.

For albums of photos from the County and Section Nine meets, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND with special guest Delta Spirit
Saturday • June 30 • 7:00 PM
DOORS OPEN AT 5:00 PM

TICKETS ON-SALE FRIDAY, MAR 9 at 10:00 AM
Bethel Woods Member PRESALE starts FEB 28 at 10:00 AM. JOIN TODAY!
Ticket prices: $47.00 Lawn; $87.00 Reserved

—————-

BEACH BOYS BRING HISTORIC 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR TO BETHEL, NY

Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks To Tour Together

For The First Time In More Than Two Decades

Tickets on Sale Saturday, February 25 at 10:00 a.m.

BETHEL, NY (February 15, 2012) – The Beach Boys, one of the world’s most legendary and influential bands, have reunited for a global 50th Anniversary Tour. Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks will tour together for the first time in more than two decades. The 40+ city tour, which will begin in April, will feature a headlining date at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on April 27th and a performance at The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on June 10th. A second show at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT has already been added for May 13 due to overwhelming demand. The previously announced May 12 performance at the Mohegan Sun Arena sold out in one day.

The band, who performed together at the 2012 GRAMMY Awards, will also release a new studio album and commemorative 50th Anniversary catalog with Capitol/EMI.

On Sunday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m. the Beach Boys will take the stage at the Bethel Woods Centers for the Arts.

Tickets prices are $51.00, $71.50, $91.50, and $153.00 for reserved seating and $31.50 for Lawn. For a limited-time only, a Lawn 4-Pack is available for $101.00. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 25 through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Bethel Woods’ box office and at BethelWoodsCenter.org on February 25, subject to availability. Up to the minute tour date and ticketing information can be found at thebeachboys.com.

Exclusive VIP ticket packages will are available through VIP Nation, including premium seats, meet & greets, soundcheck access, exclusive merchandise and more. For more information please visit vipnation.com.

The Beach Boys have recorded new songs for the as-yet-untitled album to be released in 2012. It will be the first to feature all of the band’s surviving original members in decades and is being produced by Brian Wilson and executive produced by Mike Love.

The Beach Boys and Capitol/EMI have also teamed up for a 50th Anniversary campaign spotlighting the band’s entire catalog, with several new commemorative releases planned for 2012, including a new hits collection and a career-spanning box set.

For five decades, America’s first pop band to reach the 50 year milestone has recorded and performed the music that has become the world’s favorite soundtrack to summer. The Beach Boys continue to hold Billboard / Nielsen SoundScan’s record as the top-selling American band for albums and singles, and they are also the American group with the most Billboard Top 40 chart hits with 36. Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys is fast approaching triple-Platinum sales status, and The SMiLE Sessions, released to worldwide critical acclaim in November, has been heralded as 2011’s #1 Reissue of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and recipients of The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY Award, The Beach Boys are an American institution that is iconic around the world.

Transforming our youth into responsible, qualified professionals is the primary focus of Sullivan BOCES. We pride ourselves in preparing the youth of our county so they are able to continue to college or go out into the workforce to become the “Leaders” of tomorrow.

The Career and Technical Education Program prides itself on accomplishing this goal throughout all of its programs. Over the years, several graduates of the Animal Science Program have demonstrated their ability to truly make a difference in our County.

After completing their college education, Carrie Endriss, 2006 Graduate from the Livingston Manor CSD, Brittany Senor, 2005 Graduate from the Liberty CSD, and Heather Ackermann, 2006 Graduate from the Sullivan West CSD, decided to come back to Sullivan County to use their knowledge to make a difference.

According to Carrie Endriss, becoming a Veterinarian has been a dream of hers since Kindergarten. She was never really interested in the typical academic classroom, so BOCES was a perfect match for her to learn hands-on, in a “Learning Lab”, the skills and knowledge she needed to excel in the competitive field of Veterinary Science. Carrie graduated from Alfred State College, with an Associates in Veterinary Technology. “BOCES definitely prepared me academically for college and gave me the edge over my classmates,” said Ednriss.

Today, Carrie works at the Youngsville Veterinary Clinic with Brittany Senor. At the Clinic, they are gaining the valuable experience that will ultimately allow both girls to continue on their journey to reach each of their dreams. Although Carrie loves working with all animals, her goal is to working at an Equine Clinic.

Heather Ackermann is working in the Horse Therapy Programs at the Center for Discovery and New Hope. Krysta Kelly, a senior at the Liberty CSD and current Animal Science students, is working with Heather in the Horse Therapy Program at the New Hope facility as a volunteer.

According to Barbara Moran, Animal Science Instructor at BOCES, “I have visited both of Heather’s programs and her work there is amazing.”

If you would like more information about the Career & Technical Education Programs offered at Sullivan BOCES call (845) 295-4152 or visit us at scboces.org.

The Career & Technical Education Program at Sullivan BOCES provides “Skills, knowledge and work ethic for the 21st century”

Monticello Secures Sectional Berth With Dramatic League Win Over Goshen; Rob Riley’s Crucial Free Throws With The Game On The Line Saves The Day As Monties Save Their Best Effort For The Most Critical Game Of The Season; Anthony Gray Leads The Way With Game-High 15 Points

Monticello 49, Goshen 46

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

Photos at; www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com Editor’s note; I’ll come back and add more photos but I’ve got to get a break in the action here. It’s been that kind of week.

A glorious night for Monticello as it clinches a berth in the sectionals with a dramatic 49-46 league win over Goshen (Clockwise) Rob Riley is embraced by teammate Ben Kapito and approached for a hug from assistant coach Ben Newberg following Riley's heroic fourth quarter wherein he iced the game with his free throw shooting acumen. Riley is pictured firing in one of his final three from the line that secured the victory. Anthony Gray grabs a loose ball on the floor with under 14 seconds remaining that would give the Monties another chance to add to the lead. Monticello senior cheerleaders line up before the game. They would be honored and present flowers to their parents. Monticello's Naquan Holman harries Goshen's Tyler Eisenbacher. Monticello's defense was incredible. Seniors Sean Reuss, Anthony Gray and Ros Djombalaj get set to present flowers to their parents as part of the Senior Night ceremony.

MONTICELLO, NY—Borrowing the iconic words from Winston Churchill, uttered by the late British Prime Minister under far more serious and ominous conditions, namely the stultifying defeat and retreat from Dunkirk,  the Monticello Panthers recorded their “finest hour” of the season by withstanding a Goshen comeback that tied the game with 33 seconds to go behind a pair of made free throws by Gladiator Daquan Crandell.

Evincing even greater heroics and home drama, Monticello junior Rob Riley iced a pair of free throws for the lead the Monties would never relinquish.

The drama of the final minute of the game reminds this writer of the teetering, razor thin margin of victory so often on display in basketball games. The cathartic finish could not have been better timed for the Monties 7-10 (3-2 OCIAA) by dint of this win, saved their season and secured a berth in the upcoming Section Nine Class A playoffs. This year was stormy and trying at times, but ultimately satisfying to be sure.

The last time these two teams met, Goshen prevailed 57-43 erupting to blow apart a 27-all tie at the break.

But now, Goshen which fell to 10-7 (2-3 OCIAA), the urgency of this game had them looking for the sweep. As it would turn out, the outcome would affect their sectional seedings. Though they had already clinched a berth by dint of their overall record, the last thing the Gladiators wants is a first round encounter with the likes of Cornwall or Red Hook.

For a couple of tense moments it looked as if Coach Joe Guarneiri’s  Gladiators were going to pull this one out and leave the Pit in the pendulum of despair. But in a key play following Riley’s go-ahead free throws with just 18 second left in the game, Ian Schupp’s missed shot which resulted in a loose ball on the floor was ably secured by Monticello senior Anthony Gray. Monticello owned the possession arrow so the ball was theirs.

Riley was fouled and hit the front end of the one-and one to mandate that Goshen score a trey to force the game into OT. Having left long range sniper Paul Flynn alone twice late to score from beyond the arc, Monticello was implored by Coach Chris Russo to make sure he was smothered with hands and bodies.

Goshen blanked on its final chance and the Monties held on for the 49-46 win.

It was a fitting end to Senior Night. Earlier in the evening Monticello took time to honor its elder stateswomen cheerleaders and its three senior basketball players. Called forth to pose with their parents and loved ones, each of the honorees was announced with a brief bio describing his or her contributions.

Cheerleaders included Jalitza Rodriguez, Shelby Jakaitis, Dayonarra Torres, Abigail Lewis, Jacky Weiss, Kimberly Moulton, Melody Mangual and Monique Taylor. The Montie cheerleaders recently won first place at Warwick and took second at Newburgh. They will be competing in this coming weekend’s OCIAA Cheerleading Championships at Kingston High School.

Monticello’s three senior hoopsters were then called front and center. Ros Djombalaj, Sean Reuss and Anthony Gray were extolled and the game was soon to get underway.

Goshen led 9-7 at the end of the first quarter as the team battled to establish tempo. Goshen with its height advantage looked to rule the glass but Monticello’s athletic leaping ability ensured the Monties a number of key rebounds. Steals by Anthony Gray and the powerful inside presence of Sean Reuss kept the Monties right in the thick of it.

Schupp and giant Manny Ukah had four points apiece for the Gladiators in the opening stanz. Crandell added a free throw. Djombalaj had four points for the Monties who also got three from Riley.

Monticello took a 20-19 lead into the half by outscoring Goshen 13-10 in the second period. Nine of those points came from Gray who orchestrated steals and turned them into transition buckets. Reuss was two-for-two from the stripe and Djobalaj added a bucket for good measure.

Goshen’s Paul Flynn hit the first of his trio of treys on the night. Another long range missile was fired in by Michael Beauge. Schupp drove one in and John Ferguson hit two from the line.

The Monties exploded in the third quarter with 16 points to Goshen’s 11 to take a 36-28 lead heading into the fourth quarter.  Reuss got it started with a bucket. Steals and fouls were becoming more rampant. Reuss scored a big bucket as he scored over lengthy Ukoh. At the other end of the floor Goshen’ s Quinn Carpenter was flagged for an offensive foul.

The Monties led 28-20 after a great pass from Gray sliced across the lane to a scoring Joe Revell. Goshen closed with a bucket and a free throw from Ferguson.  A pair of made free throws by Gray afforded a bi more breathing room.

Carpenter hit one on the base line but Ben Kapito scored to answer. Revell kissed one off the glass for the 34-25 lead with 1:22 remaining. Naquan Holman scored the Monties’ final bucket of the period. Flynn ended Goshen’s quarter with a trey.

Russo knew a Goshen run was coming. The question was would his kids stand tall and hold firm.

Carpenter picked up his fourth foul on the opening play. Reuss hit one of two from the line but the Monties lost track of Flynn who buried another trey to make it 37-31. The teams exchanged steals but Gray made his pay dividends with a lay up with 6:53 to go.

Crandell scored but Riley came up big with a tip in of a Gray miss at the other end. You could feel the tension rising.

Crandell was fouled by Holman. He hit the first and then followed his miss with a bucket for a three point play. It was now 41-36 with 6:06 left in the game. Ukoh picked up his second foul as Reuss was one-for-two again from the stripe. The Monties took a time out with their 42-36 lead in tow and 5:58 to go.

The Monties got a steal but an errant pass led to a turnover as Russo fumed. Schuck slashed the lane for two as the lead dropped to four. Gray got it with a lay up to make it 44-38 with 3:44 to go.

Ferguson scored on an inside cut and the lead narrowed to four again. The Glads cut it to two but Riley hit a huge bucket. Ukoh committed an offensive foul at the other end with 2:27 to go and the Monties up by four.

Riley was tied up and Goshen got two points right back. Revell fouled Crandell with 1:11 to go. He missed both and Riley rebounded the second. Reuss was whistled for an offensive foul. It was his fifth. Crandell went to the line and nailed both to tie the game at 46-all.

Ferguson was whistled for reaching in and that sent Riley to the line at the other end. Eugene O’Neill once penned an iconic play called, “The Iceman Cometh.” From here on Riley will be known as the Iceman. He hit both from the stripe with 33 seconds to go.

With 18 seconds to go Schutt missed and Gray got the ball up off the floor. Goshen turned it over, tied up Monticello which owned the possession arrow. Riley was fouled again and hit the first of two to make it 49-46 with 12 seconds to go. Each team still had a time out remaining.

Goshen got set for its final play but failed to convert.

Riley had this to say following the heroic finish when asked how he managed to tune out all of the distractions to hit the big free throws; “I work hard thinking about the team, trying every day in practice to knock down the big shots.”

“It feels great. We struggled all season and here we are heading to sectionals.”

Russo had this to day. “That was the best game we played all year by far at both ends of the floor. Our defensive effort was tremendous. That’s what I just told the team. We got stops when we needed them and withstood their run in the fourth quarter. They got a couple of big threes from Flynn. You know we held him the entire game and then two times we took chances, he floated out and we lost him.

But we responded well to those two big threes. In other times maybe we wouldn’t but tonight we did. Rob was huge. We call him “Big Shot.” Last year the same thing happened down here. The other team calls time out to try rattle him. You can’t rattle that kid. That was just huge those foul shots at the end.

Sean played with foul trouble all night but when he ‘s in there he’s such a presence for us. Our bench was life and into it and I’m really proud of our guys. Our seniors stepped up big and did a great job. We qualified which was an important goal for us. We’re 3-2 now and if we play defense like this next week against Cornwall we should be right in it. It will be their senior night and they’ll come out ready to play but if we can defend this way again and play team basketball we’ll look to handle their press and do very well.”

Gray had 15 for Monticello; Riley had 12. Schupp led Goshen with ten. Monticelllo shot 13-for-20 from the stripe (65%), while Goshen was eight-for17 (47%).

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

Monticello’s Ryan and Haley Heins Win Individual Section Nine Titles In Cousins’ Coup D’état;  Monticello Girls Are Victorious As Are Cornwall Boys In Team Honors At Glorious Section Nine Alpine Ski Championships

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rrross@sportsinsightsny.com

Photos at: www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com

Section Nine Alpine Ski Championships Top Five Boys And Girls Finishes: Top Row : Individual Winners Ryan Heins and Haley Heins of Monticello; Second Row #2 Jacob Combe- Onteora, # 3 Christopher Mastropieti-Tuxedo,; #4 Connor Ginley-Warwick; Row 3: #2 Sabrina Easton-Warwick; #3 Isabelle LaMotte-Onteora; #4 Brianne Germaine- John S. Burke Catholic; Row 4: #5 Drew Billard-Sullivan West and #5 Haley Rip-Monticello.

HUNTER, NY—Stunning, glorious and yes…relatively balmy, this year’s Section Nine Alpine Ski Championships staged at Hunter Mountain were an eyeful to be sure. A year ago the wind was furiously ripping across the slopes and the weather was so frigid that skiers snapped the poles on the slalom course as they went by.

That day I recall saying I had never been so cold in my life. This year was more to my liking and so too apparently to the Heins cousins from Monticello, namely senior Ryan and junior Haley who won the individual titles.

The Monticello girls finished first to capture the team title with a combined time of 2:13.66. Warwick was second. In the boys team showdown it was Cornwall that took top honors with Onteora finishing second.

Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) champions also were crowned. In the boys’ competition, Onteora won the Division I title and Cornwall the Division II title. Monticello (Division I) and Warwick (Division II) won the girls’ titles.

The state meet is Feb. 27-28 in Lake Placid.

Here are the results

Girls Team results: 1. Monticello (Mo) 213.66; 2. Warwick (War) 221.78; 3. Onteora (Ont) 234.49; 4. Goshen (Gosh) 241.10; 5. Cornwall (Corn) 242.19; 6. Monroe-Woodbury (MW) 261.37; 7. Newburgh Free Academy (NFA) 273.85.

Individual results: 1. Haley Heins (Mo) 66.45; 2. Sabrina Easton (War) 68.47; 3. Isabelle LaMotte (Ont) 68.91; 4. Brianne Germain (JSBC) 69.92; 5. Haley Ripa (Mo) 70.14; 6. Giovanna Fichera (Corn) 72.02; 7. Miranda Davenport (RV) 72.54; 8. Kendall Menges (SW) 72.83; 9. Kaitlyn Kelder (RV) 73.40; 10. Emily Burke (Gosh) 73.90; 11. Camille Huey (War) 75.90; 12. Sarah Coney (Falls/TV) 76.01; 13. Aja Finnocchiaro (MW) 76.49; 14. Tie – Francesca Huey (War) 75.90; 15. Rachel Klein (Mo) 77.07; 16. Christine McSweeney (War) 77.51; 17. Jackie Ford (Ont) 77.59; 18. Kassie Thelman (SW) 80.25; 19. Riley Lindholm (Mo) 78.72; 20. Danielle Diacova (King) 83.34.

State team: 1. Haley Heins; 2. Sabrina Easton; 3. Isabelle LaMotte; 4. Brianne Germain; 5. Haley Ripa; 6. Giovanna Fichera; 7. Miranda Davenport; 8. Kendall Menges; 9. Rachel Klein; Runnerup: Kaitlyn Kelder.

OCIAA Division I champion: Monticello 599.26 (342.14 slalom, 257.12 giant slalom).

OCIAA Division II champion: Warwick 626.38 (364.87 slalom, 261.51 giant slalom).

 Boys Team results: 1. Cornwall (Corn) 213.27; 2. Onteora (Ont) 213.52; 3. Monticello (Mo) 215.13; 4. Warwick (War) 227.33; 5. Liberty (Lib) 232.53; 6. Kingston (King) 232.85; 7. Monroe-Woodbury (MW) 281.95.

Individual results: 1. Ryan Heins (Mo) 62.91; 2. Jacob Combe (Ont) 63.61; 3. Christopher Mastropietro (Tux); 4. Connor Ginley (War) 65.77; 5. Drew Billard (SW) 66.66; 6. Greg Merrill (King) 66.97; 7. Charles Manzari (Corn) 68.85; 8. Jack Graham (JIO) 69.83; 9. Ryan Erts (Falls/TV) 71.43; 10. Liam Foody (Corn) 71.44; 11. Kealey Viglielmo (Ont) 72.51; 12. Jimmy Patterson (Corn) 72.98; 13. Eric Buchanan (MW) 74.67; 14. Jack Pennington (War) 74.78; 15. Patrick Doyle (Lib) 74.38; 16. Patrick Ortland (NFA) 76.24; 17. Joseph Klein (Mo) 75.35; 18. Daniel Oldfield (Mo) 76.87; 19. Gene Doyle (Lib) 78.45; 20. Nick Barthel (Ont) 77.40.

OCIAA Division I champion: Onteora 595.62 (325.06 slalom, 260.56 giant slalom).

OCIAA Division II champion: Cornwall 607.43 (346.96 slalom, 260.47 giant slalom).

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

The 2012 Country Megaticket includes the same great seat to all of the summer’s best country shows! Three different packages are available for a limited time only and orders will be accepted beginning on Friday, February 17 at 10:00 a.m. Package prices start as low as $96.00 per ticket package, including all fees, shipping and no-charge for parking

The shows in the 2012 Bethel Woods Country Megaticket series include:

LADY ANTEBELLUM with special guests DARIUS RUCKER and THOMPSON SQUARE

Wednesday, June 13 at 7:00 p.m.

BRAD PAISLEY with special guest THE BAND PERRY

Friday, August 10 at 7:00 p.m.

JASON ALDEAN with special guest LUKE BRYAN

Sunday, August 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Subscription series tickets prices and benefits are:

· $266.50 “ Country Red”: enjoy the same up-front premium seat to every show in the Megaticket Series

· $205.75 “Country White”: enjoy the same reserved pavilion seat to every show in the Megaticket Series

· $96.00 “Country Blue”: enjoy the shows under the stars on the general admission Lawn

Individual concert tickets are NOT available for sale at this time. Each concert will go on-sale separately at dates to be announced. All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. NEW All-In ticket prices show at a glance EXACTLY what you will pay for your ticket. You are getting the same best price when you buy on-line or at the box office. No added charge for GA parking upon arrival. Just park and go. Megatickets are available for a limited time only – while supplies last. No ticket refunds, exchanges or cancellations. Shows take place rain or shine. Tickets are valid only at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, NY. For more information please visit www.bethelwoodcenter.org.