Varsity Insider

The blog has moved

2007-12-10T13:58:00.001-05:00

The Varsity Insider blog at has been relocated to its original home on WordPress.com (the old format with the white background).

It's at the same address: varsityinsider.lohudblogs.com. If you're still reading this, you have to
empty "cache" in your computer. You can do this by clicking 'Firefox' or 'Safari' or whatever web browser you're using, and then click 'Preferences'. Under Network, go to where it says 'Cache' and click on 'Clear Now'.

If there's an issue, please let me know. Thanks. See you on the real blog.

Week Ahead

2007-12-10T02:21:00.000-05:00

We're finally back into a good basketball routine. There's a full slate of games, highlighted by a few non-league match-ups.

Here's a look at some of the biggest games of the week:

Monday Peekskill at Port Chester, 4:30 p.m. Something tells me Port Chester isn't going to be the inconsistent, erratic team it's been to start the season. The sight of Peekskill seems to wake the Rams up and play well. If you remember, Port Chester had a lead on Peekskill in the fourth quarter on the road in December last season. Peekskill, though, is a different animal. Port Chester is a cozy gym and a tough place to play if you're not a regular visitor. The Rams will have their little run early in this one but the three-time state champs will leave prevail. PREDICTION: PEEKSKILL 78, PORT CHESTER 61.

Tuesday Lincoln Hall at Croton-Harmon, 6 p.m.: Intriguing match-up of two of Class B's top teams. Obviously, Croton is coming off a tough loss on Friday and could really use this win to right itself. Lincoln Hall was mighty impressive in winning the Edgemont tournament this weekend, handily beating Pelham and Irvington. My fear about Croton is that it relies too heavily on its guards and hasn't yet found that true post presence. Lincoln Hall is going to dominate the boards and get enough second-chance opportunities to win this game. PREDICTION: LINCOLN HALL 60, CROTON-HARMON 51.
Dobbs Ferry at North Salem, 6 p.m.: Two of the smallest Class B teams square off in a game that could catapult whoever wins. The Tigers always play a tough December schedule against large schools and prosper after the break. Dobbs, though, will test the Tigers in every area. Marc Miller will be the neutralizer. The Eagles really don't have a body to defend him in the paint. Plus, North Salem is such a difficult place to play. PREDICTION: NORTH SALEM 58, DOBBS FERRY 54.

Wednesday
Beacon at Spring Valley. The Tigers have faced a tough schedule to start the season. But they're going to click soon. This could be the game. Spring Valley went toe-to-toe with Poughkeepsie last week and Beacon won't be as good. Jamal Little is due for a breakout game, as well. PREDICTION: SPRING VALLEY 77, BEACON 67.
Ossining at Tappan Zee. You know how high I am on Tappan Zee this season, so my prediction shouldn't be a surprise. Ossining has been up and down this season and haven't quite gotten much consistency from its guard positions. Tappan Zee will look to exploit that with Brian Connolly and Ryan Sheridan, its talented guard combo. Their size and perimeter shooting will be more than the O can handle. Expect 20-plus from each. PREDICTION: TAPPAN ZEE 68, OSSINING 59.

Thursday
White Plains tournament
Iona Prep vs. Newburgh Free Academy: I watched Iona Prep get practically run off the floor by New Rochelle at home on Saturday and realized just how much Andre Pope means to the Gaels. He wouldn't have won them that game but he would have certainly made it a lot closer. He's expected to play in this one and, if he does, will be a major factor. NFA has lost so much from last year's team, which nearly beat Mount Vernon in the state quarters. I might be going out on a limb here, but I think Iona pulls this one out. PREDICTION: IONA PREP 64, NEWBURGH FREE ACADEMY 60.
White Plains vs. Spring Valley: Finally, White Plains gets on the court. The Tigers must be itching at this point, considering some teams have already played 4-5 games. Spring Valley always gives White Plains problems in this game. It's just a part of the rivalry. White Plains severely lacks experienced big men. But Sean Kilpatrick and Rashad James pose match-up problems that Spring Valley's run-and-gun style will not be able to off-set. PREDICTION: WHITE PLAINS 70, SPRING VALLEY 58.

Friday
Byram Hills at Scarsdale: This should be a fun one to watch. Jason Mendell of Byram Hills vs. David Zaitz of Scarsdale will go head-to-head in a matchup of polished, sharp-shooting seniors. Those two will get their points. But I think Scarsdale's supporting cast will be too much for the Bobcats to overcome. Look for Lucas Radov and Evan Livingston to dictate the tempo and help the Raiders pull out the victory. PREDICTION: SCARSDALE 78, BYRAM HILLS 68.
Peekskill at Poughkeepsie. One of Peekskill's only four losses came in this matchup at Poughkeepsie. Few teams go up North and come back with a W. The Red Devils will face a team that can match its athletic backcourt and score in the post, something Spring Valley did when I watched them play last week. We'll know more after the Port Chester game. But I'm sticking with my prediction that Peekskill will go unbeaten through December. PREDICTION: PEEKSKILL 81, POUGHKEEPSIE 77.

Saturday
Note: There are mainly tournament championships on this night. Once those matchups are set, I'll come back and weigh in with a few predictions.

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This Sunday, I've been assigned to cover the Jets at New England in Foxboro. Should be great to watch the unbeaten Pats deal the hapless Jets a 40-point loss. Who has a better chance of going undefeated and win a championship: New England or Peekskill?

Football: Top Games of 2007

2007-12-10T01:47:00.001-05:00

As promised, here are my picks for the best football games of the year.

Sorry football fans, but this will likely be the last non-basketball post for a while. We’re getting into the thick of the hoops season. I’ll have football info throughout the offseason when it’s major (transfers, college commitments, etc). Thanks for a great season.

Top game of 2007
Honorable mention: Haldane 19, Eldred 14, Nov. 10; Yorktown 17, Mount Vernon 14, Nov. 8; John Jay-EF 29, Carmel 28, Sept. 15; Briarcliff 21, Edgemont 20, Oct. 6; Ossining 21, Clarkstown South 19, Oct. 12; Mahopac 27, Poughkeepsie 24, Oct. 12; Stepinac 19, Fordham Prep 14, Nov. 10; Croton-Harmon 19, Albertus Magnus 14, Oct. 20; Sufffern 21, Arlington 14, Oct. 26; Mahopac 46, Fox Lane 39, Sept. 20; Iona Prep, 37, Mount St. Michael 26, Oct. 6.

10. Scarsdale 61, Clarkstown North 56, Nov. 4: Who cares if this was a non-playoff game. To score 117 points in 48 minutes is incredible. Greg Schuster rushed for 382 yards and seven touchdowns on 25 carries -- and his team didn’t even win. Sam Freihofner rushed for 197 yards and recorded 10 tackles, and Colin Reno had 185 yards on 16 carries, and each scored three touchdowns as Scarsdale won one of the wildest games you’ll ever see.
9. Carmel 19, Mahopac 12, Oct. 29: Fantastic game and one of the few on this list that I actually got to see live. In the regular season finale between the arch rivals and with playoff berths on the line, Mahopac took an early before Ryan Shilling took over. He threw a beautiful lob touchdown to Preston Soeprasetyo, ran for a 10-yard score in the second, and connected with Soeprasetyo for a 22-yard strike in the fourth. Mahopac rallied to cut the deficit to seven, and was driving in the final minute before Anthony Castellitto’s pass to the end zone was knocked down at the line. Soeprasetyo caught 10 passes for 130 yards and Shilling threw for 198.
8. Monroe-Woodbury 22, New Rochelle 16, Nov. 17: Heartbreaking is the only way to sum this one up. In the Class AA state semifinal, New Rochelle hung with Monroe for three quarters despite missing on two key opportunities. The Huguenots had a scoring drive late in the third quarter to tie the game at 14-14 before Tremayne Williams sack of MW quarterback Dan Scalo resulted in a safety. New Rochelle had to protect the ball in the closing minutes and run off some clock. But Johnny McGhee was sacked and stripped of the ball on New Rochelle’s own 25. Two plays later, Monroe took the lead and went to the Dome for the third straight year.
7. North Rockland vs. Clarkstown South, Part I and II: Pick one. They were both very good. North Rockland won both meetings, the first coming on Oct. 6 when Jon Means intercepted a pass in the closing minutes to preserve a 17-16 victory. In the Class AA sectional semifinals, the game went back and forth before T.J. Kilcarr hit Antoine McGill for a 40-yard score with nine minutes to play to give South the lead. North Rockland, though, responded when Johnathan Jean-Baptiste scored on a 5-yard run with 2:37 left.
6. St. Anthony’s 26, Mount St. Michael 20, Nov. 18: Throw this one in the same category with New Rochelle’s loss to Monroe. Mount had St. Anthony’s on the ropes in the CHSFL AAA final, leading in the fourth quarter before a quarterback fumble resulted in the go-ahead score. Jayson Holt lost the football trying to make a move with his team clinging to a slim lead. Holt, who rushed for 192 yards and two touchdowns, led the Mounties down the field in the closing minutes and looked like he was going to scramble for a first down on fourth-and-long but was tripped up. St. Anthony’s won its seventh straight CHSFL title.
5. Ossining 14, Somers 13, Sept. 15: The second best game of the night was definitely one to remember. Jesse Drinks guided Ossining to the early-season victory, catching a 71-yard touchdown pass from Justin Kreamer with under two minutes to play. Drinks kicked the go-ahead extra points and intercepted a pass in the final minute to preserve the victory for the eventual Class A champs. Somers trailed 7-0 at the half when Jeff Ward returned a blocked punt for a score. Rob Lombardo tied it with a 64-yard score on the first play in the third quarter, and Dylan Haas made it 13-7 when he scored on a 3-yard run on fourth down.
4. Mahopac 33, John Jay-EF 28, Sept. 7: It was an emotional opening night for the grieving Indians. With the recent death of star Justin Wagner on their minds, Mahopac dug deep for the first of several incredible fourth-quarter victories. It started here with a last-minute scoring drive, capped by Anthony Castellitto’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Mike DelBianco with 30 seconds remaining. Mahopac trailed by 13 at the half. The win was dedicated to the memory of Wagner, a beloved teammate who died in a car accident just days before the preseason. Mahopac would win three more games with fourth quarter touchdowns.
3. Rye 12, Sleepy Hollow 6, Nov. 3: For a game this low scoring, it was incredible to watch. So tough and so evenly matched, Sleepy Hollow seemed poised to end Rye’s four-year run as Class B champs. Sleepy Hollow took a 6-0 lead when Connor Tompkins blocked a punt, scooped it and returned it for a touchdown. Jordan Eck tied it with a 22-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, before the Garnets opened the third with a drive lasting over eight minutes and went up by six. The final minutes were what made this game so memorable. Sleepy, which had so much trouble moving the ball all night, drove down to the Rye 9 with under a minute to play but was stopped. The game ended when the Horsemen failed to spike the ball to stop the clock. Three weeks later, Rye was the state champs.
2. Eastchester 21, Harrison 20, Oct. 20: I struggled with this one, thinking if I could put it No. 1. It certainly could have been, given the magnitude of the game, the fact Eastchester remained undefeated, and the history of the player who made the biggest play of the game. Harrison led 14-7 after the first before the Eagles tied it at the half. Eastchester had two long drives in the second half stall deep in Harrison territory before the Huskies drove 94 yards and went up 20-14 on a Joe Denti touchdown run. Harrison, though, was flagged for a bench penalty after the score, pushing the extra point back to the 5-yard line. With kicker Claudio Delli Carpini out with a shoulder injury, Harrison had to go for two. Matt Krasnoff hit Frank Bauco for the conversion, but it was waved off because of an illegal man downfield. The next attempt failed. Driving in the final minutes, Eastchester faced a third-and-27 at the Harrison 41 with 37 seconds to play when freshman Tommy DiCarlo came in and, on his first career pass attempt, hit Tony Panio at the 5-yard line. Panio, by the way, had overcome a near fatal disease in the offseason. Johnny Costanzo tied it with a touchdown run, and Liam Byrne put the Eagles ahead with the extra point, putting a stamp on one of the biggest wins in Eastchester history.
And finally, the Varsity Insider Game of the Year is...
1. New Rochelle 23, John Jay 22, 3OT, Sept. 15: How could you go wrong with triple overtime between Section 1’s top two teams? This one was wild from the start. In a rematch of last year’s sectional final, it looked like New Rochelle was going to stomp the Indians early on. But Markell Rice left with an ankle injury. Turnovers and erratic play allowed the Huguenots to only lead 6-0 at the half. John Jay tied it at 6-6 in the third before an Ivan Franco field goal midway through the fourth gave New Ro a 9-6 lead. John Jay was down to its last breath when Chris Bocklet broke the pocket, running up field and crossing the New Ro 30 with under five seconds to play. As he slide, he was hit helmet-to-helmet, drawing a flag. There was no time on the clock but, since a game can’t end on a defensive penalty, John Jay got 10 yards and a chance to attempt a game-tying field goal, which JK Filauro booted through. Overtime was just a crazy. John Jay scored on its first possession but Filauro’s extra point was blocked. Paris Walker (235 yards rushing), scored on a 13-yard run but Filauro blocked Franco’s extra point. Neither team scored in the second overtime, including a missed Filauro field goal. Fialuro made up for it, running in a touchdown and kicking the extra point to make it 22-15. Walker made it 22-21 with a 5-yard score before holder Johnny McGhee called his own fake, catching the snap, jumping up and running just inside the pylon for the winning conversion.

Saturday's action

2007-12-09T12:31:00.000-05:00

First, let me put a disclaimer out there. Last night, from what I am told, was one of the busiest nights at The Journal News offices. Between the loaded schedule, breaking news, an absent reporter and a MaxPreps meltdown, a bunch of key basketball games never got into the paper. We apologize and are working to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Coaches are expected to call games in to our office. Many tried but gave up after an obscene amount of waiting time. I can't blame them. I actually received about five calls on my cell phone from coaches as I was home with friends, and I took the stats myself.

Anyway, here's a look back to the games that we did get into the newspaper. Whatever we're missing, PLEASE drop us a line and fill us in with details.

New Rochelle 86, Iona Prep 72: I attended this game and you can read my story online here. To be honest, I was stunned at watching New Rochelle. This is not the same team I've been watching the last two years, the one plagued by their own success.

What does that mean? Well, Geoff McDermott's don't come along very often. Yet a lot of guys thought they were his heir in the three seasons since McDermott led New Rochelle to the Class AA state final three years ago. There was a severe lack of team basketball at times. When they wanted to turn it on, they could. But it wasn't consistent.

This year's group, however, is back on the right path and coach Bill Murphy deserves the credit. He installed an uptempo offensive scheme that only works when the players run, share the ball and play help defense. It requires all five players to be in sync and working their tails off. If you're not, you stand out and it's basically 5-on-4. Now, if you're playing selfishly, you get exposed. When I asked him about it yesterday, he wasn't quick to agree, mainly because he wants to make sure it sticks for more than two games. If it does, this team is going to be a force again. Finally.

New Rochelle simply ran Iona Prep off the floor in this one. It took an 11-point lead in the first quarter but let it slip in the final minute, mainly because they stopped running and sharing the ball. They built another 14-point lead in the second, let it slip, and finally blew the doors off in the third, outscoring the Gaels 22-7. Everyone's happy when you win, but it was clear this New Rochelle team is coming together strong. John Calarco was excellent, scoring a career-high 24 points with seven rebounds, five steals and five assists. Eddie Egbuta had 11 points and played very well defensively; Markell Rice (14 points), Travis Wright (12 points, 10 rebounds), and Simeon Marsalis (8 points, 7 assists) all played very well.

The Huguenots have John Jay-EF, Roosevelt and Clarkstown North over the next two week sbefore going to Kentucky on Christmas night for a three-game tournament. Jan. 3 is New Rochelle vs. Mount Vernon. The Knights will likely have a loss from their Hawaii trip. Will New Rochelle?
Other big games from last night:
Bishop Ford 63, Stepinac 56: Two of the top CHSAA A teams square off here. It's tough for them to meet this early and really use it as a gauge. But Ford's size and physicality prevailed. Tony Taylor scored 36 points with six 3-pointers. He's going to need to get help in order for Stepinac to truly have a shot at a title.
Lincoln Hall 78, Irvington 67: It's official: Lincoln Hall has arrived. In Class B, Briarcliff is the best team and Lincoln Hall is the most feared. Sir Aaron Taylor had 16 points and 15 rebounds. He's going to be a brutal matchup for most teams given the fact he's built like a mid-sized SUV. And the Hall is only going to get better.
Croton-Harmon 67, Hawthorne-CK 65: Frank DiMaggio didn't play for Croton because of an injury. But Croton bounced back with a win, which is all that matters. Brandon Sileck scored 21 points, including three 3-pointers for Croton, which trailed by five at the half. DiMaggio's value to this team can't be understated. They need him back soon.
Scarsdale 77, John Jay 50: Wow. This is a sign of just how good the Class AA teams in Scarsdale's league are going to be. A huge second quarter and 25 points from David Zaitz pace the unbeaten Raiders. Lucas Radov also hit five 3-pointers and scored 17. Kevin Drew had 21 in defeat.
Briarcliff 89, Dobbs Ferry 66: Alex Gulotta scored 25 points as the Bears took a commanding victory. It was as expected, although I thought Dobbs would put a little more pressure on the reigning B champs. Briarcliff, though, will rise to the challenge every time. Tuckahoe 59, Hamilton 48: Robert Johnson scored 36 points as Tuckahoe knocked off the defending Class C champs. Don't get too excited, though. Tuckahoe won this tournament last year and Hamilton was left standing in March. Tuckahoe, though, has gotten nice balance and has a rising star in Johnson. Jonathan Schofield led Hamilton with 25.
Blind Brook 48, Rye 47: This is a statement victory for Blind Brook. A big statement. The Trojans are getting balanced scoring and great contributions from all over.
Tappan Zee 68, Clarkstown South 57: Ryan Sheridan, one of the year's best kept secrets, had 29 points in the win. My sleeper team in Class A is well on its way. I love the brand of basketball this team plays year-in, year-out and I think they're due to break through.
Roosevelt 60, Ramapo 52: Interesting game. Our newest staff writer, Jeff Gold, was there and his story can be found here. Roosevelt has some talent here and will play with everybody on its schedule.
Random thoughts: North Salem beating Carmel isn't a huge shock. But doing it by 21 points certainly is. Big game for Marc Miller, who simply going to be a tough matchup for some teams. If you're in Class B and you don't have a true big man, North Salem is going to be a problem. ... Brewster got 28 points from Pat McEntee and beat Greeley, 61-58, for the Carmel tournament title. ... Hen Hud and Masters each won tournament titles, as well. ... Alby Skrelja scored 24 points as Hastings upended Valhalla by 21. Hastings is 3-0. ... Ossining beat Nyack for the second time this week. ... Rye Neck, winless last season, won again last night, beating Pawling. ... Mahopac is still undefeated. ... Ardsley, Pleasantville, Pelham and Hackley all won consolation games last night.

Journal News All-Stars

2007-12-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

I received a lot of praise from parents, players and coaches at Thursday's all-section football dinner. Now, you can all go back to hating me.

Our Journal News fall all-star sections were released today. We have all-star teams for every sport in Rockland County and Westchester/Putnam available online.

To be honest, the Westchester football team was somewhat easier to pick this year than in the past. I'm not totally sure why. We had trouble deciding between 3-4 spots. But for the most part, the players fell into place.

Rashaad Slowley of Stepinac was the Westchester player of the year. His performances speak for themselves, and the Journal News staff was almost unanimous with the decision. You can read the player of the year story here, as well as view the first team selections. The second team and honorable mention are there, too.

Clarkstown North's Greg Schuster was selected the Rockland player of the year. This was a far tougher decision. But if you read Harold Gutmann's story here, you'll be convinced. The first and second teams are also available, as are the honorable mention.

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

New Ro dominates Iona Prep

2007-12-08T17:34:00.001-05:00

John Calarco recorded 24 points, five assists and five rebounds to lead New Rochelle to an 86-72 win over Iona Prep in the championship of the Father’s Council Tournament at Iona Prep.

Calarco scored 17 of his points in the first half the Huguenots (2-0) took a nine-point lead at the break. Travis Wright had six of his 10 points during a commanding third quarter for New Rochelle in which it broke open a 24-point lead.

Markell Rice had 14 points and four steals, and tournament MVP Eddie Egbuta added 11 points and four rebounds.

Jordan Bronner led the Gaels with 23 points.

Be back later with more info.

Friday highlights

2007-12-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

A look at the big games from Friday night as some other thoughts what transpired:

Tuckahoe 75, Croton-Harmon 72, OT: The highlight of the evening. Tuckahoe trailed big for most of the game, cut it to 10 entering the fourth quarter and rallied to force overtime. Robert Johnson had 18 points and Joseph Melendez added 17 for Tuckahoe, which now has to certainly be accepted as the favorite in C (at least for this week). Rough loss for Croton. This is a veteran team and blowing double-digits leads can't happen if it wants to compete for real in Class B.
Irvington 64, Edgemont 49: Edgemont actually led this game at the half and trailed by five entering the fourth. Nice job by Irvington to stay the course. Brittain Purcelle had 25 points in the victory. This Edgemont team could give opponents problems as the impact of new coach Joe Galgano take effect.
Iona Prep 74, Blessed Sacrament 54: Gaels have another huge first quarter and advance to today's final against rival New Rochelle. Still no Andre Pope. I'll find out why today. Bryan Voelkel led the way with 19 points as Iona overcame 28 points from Jhared Hall, Blessed Sacrament's talented senior guard.
Ramapo 65, Nyack 56: A little bit of a head-scratcher. Alex Myers was at the game. Read his recap here.
Roosevelt 71, Ossining 63: I was expecting Nyack and Ossining to play today -- just not in the consolation game. Wayne Custis rallied Roosevelt back from a 10-point halftime deficit. He had 21 points, six assists and six steals. Jeff Ward led Ossining with 27 points.
Pearl River 58, Eastchester 42: Tough one for Eastchester, which led by three at the half before being held to three points in the third quarter. The Pirates outscored the Eagles 23-3 in the frame and went on to win behind Matt Grossbard's 28 points at home. Mickey Abbatiello had 21 in defeat.

Random thoughts: The Briarcliff-Dover game was canceled because of the weather. Briarcliff will meet Dobbs Ferry in the Briarcliff tournament final at 7:30. Interestingly, Bears coach Matt Evangelista and Eagles coach Scott Patrillo went to high school together and are still best friends. ... Pleasantville scoring 20 points in a loss to Blind Brook was unbelievable. Imagine scoring 38 points and winning? ... New Rochelle beat Scanlan by 30 and enters today's game with Iona Prep a slight favorite. ... Fordham Prep dropped a tough one to Regis, which is moving up from the B division. ... James Bonsall scored 20 points as Rye rolled over rival Harrison. ... Remember the name Brian Connolly. He had 28 points in Tappan Zee's 69-56 win over Cathedral. ... Tyrone Jackson and Oasiris Yates each scored 15 points for a Valhalla team that's going to sneak up on people this season. The Vikings beat Westlake, 69-55.

Basketball Preview

2007-12-07T08:04:00.001-05:00

The basketball season is about to begin! What? It's started already?...

Oh well, The Journal News preview section came out today. There's an entire page dedicated to the boys and girls season, which you can view here.

You can read my cover story on Mookie and Kevin Jones by clicking here. The team-by-team capsules, including top returners and key newcomers, can be found here.

Of course, you can follow the season on our Varsity Central Tip Off page. We're still working out a few kinks on the site, so please be patient. It will be full functional very soon.

Thursday's action

2007-12-07T01:12:00.000-05:00

Not a big schedule of games tonight since most teams are playing in tournaments tomorrow and Saturday. But here's what went down:

(If you want to check out my NewsCenter now segment on RNN, where I discuss Peekskill and Mount Vernon's season openers, click here)

Dobbs Ferry 65, Nanuet 48: Somewhat of a statement victory for the Eagles, who got 14 points from Erik Gormley and 13 from Chris Roh.
Lourdes 71, Fox Lane 59: Tight game up until the fourth quarter as Lourdes pulled away. Korey Johnson had 20 in defeat.
Poughkeepsie 83, Spring Valley 75: More proof of just how good Spring Valley really is. Tigers trailed by 1 at the half but couldn't close the gap late. Jamal Little had 20 points in the loss and Michael Brathwaite had 14. When those two veterans, and Tevin Mackey and Joshua McKinley get 10 games under their belts and gel, this is going to be a team nobody wants to face. This game apparently got a little ugly between both sides. I'll see what details I can find and get back to you.
Gorton 50, Clarkstown North 44: Gorton scores 50 points on consecutive days. Today the Wolves win by 6. Yesterday they lost by 60. Strange how things work out sometimes. Kevin Vanderpool, who's tough as nails as I noticed in yesterday's loss to Mount Vernon, had 21 points.
Solomon Schechter 53, Haldane 42: Aaron Prince's 25 points has Schechter 3-0.
Hen Hud 59, Ardsley 39: I'm a little surprised by this, only because of the 20-point margin. Adam Mayer had 21 points, including three 3-pointers.
Mamaroneck 63, John Jay-EF 48: Tigers are 2-0 as four players score in double figures, including 12 points from transfer Chris Valentin. Any success Mamaroneck has this season hinges on how much they can get from him.
Hastings 62, Children's Village 32: Word is beginning to spread about these Yellow Jackets. Brian Farragher had 16 points in limited minutes.
North Rockland 53, Lincoln 40: Brutal first half for the Lancers, managing just 11 points. According to round-up, Ryan Fasano had 17 points in the win. Any relation to NR QB Mike Fasano? Just curious.
Clarkstown South 71, Tuxedo 24: It's becoming apparent this is going to be a tough season for Tuxedo.
Somers 63, Putnam Valley 48: Devin Irwin had 21 points and Steve Finella had 11 points and 10 boards.
Lincoln Hall 57, Pelham 49: I'm very anxious to see a potential Lincoln Hall-Irvington matchup in the final of this tournament on Saturday. It could be the Hall's first chance to prove if it's really a contender in Class B.
Eastchester 58, Panas 53: Nice win for the 3-0 Eagles. Mickey Abbatiello scored 30 for the second time this season. Michael Pagan had 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Greeley 66, North Salem 64: North Salem is only going to get better by playing these big schools early. The Tigers always do.

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I'm off tomorrow night (Friday) but plan to hit a few games. Yes, sadly that is what I do on my days off.

On Saturday, I'll be at Iona Prep for the final of its tournament, which I'm expecting will be New Rochelle vs. Iona Prep.

Please know that tomorrow's Briarcliff-Dover game at Briarcliff has been switched to 5 p.m. The championship is now Saturday at 7:30.

ALSO NOTE: I've been informed by our tech department that we will be reverting to the old blog format on Monday at 10 a.m.

Football dinner

2007-12-07T00:45:00.000-05:00

Got home from the Section 1 football awards dinner a little while ago. And I'll probably never eat strawberry cheesecake ever again.

The dinner, as always, was a great event to attend. There was a new video presentation feature to it. Every kid who was selected all-section had their name and picture appear on a giant screen and 2-3 game highlights were played. I know Scarsdale coach Andy Verboys put a ton of time into the presentation and he deserves all of our appreciation. It was phenomenal.

Chris Wagner of Dobbs Ferry received the coveted Section 1 Coach of the Year award, a very well deserved honor. His speech was excellent, which included him giving tribute to Skip Violante and the late Jim Mackenzie. Many coaches would have come in and used Dobbs' success for their own agenda. Wagner, though, is very classy and humble. I still don't think people realize what a heckuva coach he really is.

As some mentioned before, I was the recipient of the Donald DeMatteo Service Award at the banquet. It's a prestigious honor, one that I'll hold high above any writing accolade I'll ever receive. I never knew coach DeMatteo personally, but I have gotten the privilege to know Tony DeMatteo, Don's brother, and Dan DeMatteo, Don's son. Those two guys epitomize class and leadership. Tony and Don have made Section 1 football what it is today. I was so proud to even be considered for this award. It truly is an honor.

Thank you to all those at the dinner who took time out to say hello and congratulations. My wife, Jaime, was with me tonight and was overwhelmed by the response. It really meant a lot.

UPDATE, Fri. 2:48: I cannot believe that I forgot to mention the 12th Man Award. It was given to Anthony Panio of Eastchester, who overcame a rare, near-fatal disease and led the Eagles to one of their best seasons ever. Many of you probably read the excellent story Josh Thomson wrote about Tony this summer. Tony suddenly lost 40 pounds during the basketball season and needed to be hospitalized. Eastchester coach Fred DiCarlo gave an emotional introduction and admitted that, vising Tony in the hospital, he didn't think he was going to live. Tony stayed strong, even lifting the spirits of those around him, and persevered. His shining moment might have been one of the biggest plays in Eastchester football history -- his fourth-and-forever reception in the last minute as the Eagles beat Harrison. Congrats to Tony, who have an exceptional speech.

All-Section football

2007-12-06T16:18:00.000-05:00

The Section 1 football dinner is tonight at the Rye Towne Hilton. I'll be there, so please feel free to say hello. Here's a list of tonight's honorees:

Class AA
North: Justin Autera, Mahopac; Mike Belluzzi, John Jay-EF; George Brereton, Mahopac; Matt Deems, John Jay-EF: Michael DelBianco, Mahopac; Moquan Dickens, Poughkeepsie; Neil Faulkner, John Jay-EF: John Kiechle, Carmel; Omar Malcolm, Arlington; Bobby Santangelo, Ketcham; Ryan Shilling, Carmel; Preston Soeprasetyo, Carmel; Nick Strang, John Jay-EF; Chris Watkins, Carmel. Back of the year: Soeprasetyo; Lineman of the year: Brereton. Coach of the year: Tom Donahoe, Mahopac.
South: Rodney Benjamin, Mount Vernon; Andrew Bruzzese, New Rochelle; Malcolm Campbell, New Rochelle; Michael Connely, Mount Vernon; Jihad Crosby, Gorton; Chavez Johnson, Mount Vernon; Robert Pope, Mount Vernon; Markell Rice, New Rochelle; Kevin Vanderpool, Gorton; Samad Wagstaff, New Rochelle; Paris Walker, New Rochelle; Tremayne Williams, New Rochelle; Michael Zuckerman, New Rochelle. Back of the year: Walker. Lineman of the year: Johnson, Zuckerman. Coach of the year: Lou DiRienzo, New Rochelle.
West: Fritz-Andea Duterlien, Ramapo; Brendan Hepburn, North Rockland; Jimmy Kiernan, Clarkstown South; T.J. Kilcarr, Clarkstown South; Antoine McGill, Clarkstown South; Jon Means, North Rockland; James Patrick, Suffern; Mike Prendergast, North Rockland; J.T. Rinciari, Clarkstown North; Brian Rose, North Rockland; Noel Sanchez, North Rockland; Greg Schuster, Clarkstown North. Back of the year: McGill. Lineman of the year: Schuster. Coach of the year: Joe Casarella, North Rockland.
Central: Chris Bocklet, John Jay; Brendan Brunelle, Yorktown; JK Filauro, John Jay; Sam Freihofner, Scarsdale; John Froats, Yorktown; Savaughn Greene, White Plains; Nick Hubner, Yorktown; Roy King, Mamaroneck; Sam Lore, Mamaroneck; Colin Reno, Scarsdale; Joe Silberzweig, Scarsdale; James Whalen, John Jay; John Zoppo, John Jay. Back of the year: Bocklet. Lineman of the year: Silberzweig; Coach of the year: Joe Rescigno, Yorktown.

Class A
League A: Glen Bernardi, Somers; James Brundage, Ossining; Mike DiDomizio, Panas; Dorian Dorsey, Fox Lane; Christian Federico, Ossining; Dylan Haas, Somers; Rob Lombardo, Somers; Mike Mathews, Fox Lane; Jajuan Perez, Ossining; Matt Semenza, Lakeland. Back of the year: Lombardo, Somers; Lineman of the year: Perez; Coach of the year: Dan Ricci, Ossining.
League B: Liam Byrne, Eastchester; John Costanzo, Eastchester; Mike Daum, Beacon; Anthony Davis, Nyack; Derek DeCandia, Beacon; Greg Kutzin, Eastchester; Joe LaRocca, Eastchester; Derek Sable, Harrison; Justin Segal, Harrison; Jeff Volcey, Spring Valley; Robbie Williams, Harrison. Back of the year: Daum. Lineman of the year: Kutzin. Coach of the year: Fred DiCarlo, Eastchester.

Class B
League I: James Bonsall, Rye; Chris Cellante, Sleepy Hollow, Jordan Eck, Rye; Sam Fulmer, Rye; Jamel Lyde, Sleepy Hollow; Kyle Ramalho, Rye; Charlie Vetrano, Pelham. Back of the year: Eck. Lineman of the year: Fulmer; Coach of the year: Dino Garr, Rye.
League II: Pat Considine, Putnam Valley; David Mandelbaum, Edgemont; Garth Muratori, Briarcliff; Hugh O’Gorman, Putnam Valley; Matt Paskalides, Edgemont; Bill Smith, Nanuet. Back of the year: Mandelbaum; Lineman of the year: Considine; Coach of the year: Frank Heitman, Putnam Valley.
League III: James Bonnivita, Irvington; Jesse DeBiase, Westlake; Matt DiFabio, Pleasantville; Taj Everly, Woodlands; Stephen Gruber, Westlake; Justin Myers, Irvington. Back of the year: DiFabio; Lineman of the year: Bonnivita; Coach of the year: Tony Beccera, Pleasantville.

Class C
League A: Brandon Brailsford, Dobbs Ferry; Matt Higbie, Dobbs Ferry; Anthony Reda, Pawling; Trevor Saunders, Dobbs Ferry; Frank Scattaretico, Dobbs Ferry. Back of the year: Scattaretico; Lineman of the year: Brailsford; Coach of the year: Chris Wagner, Dobbs Ferry.
League B: Sal Arena, Rye Neck; Ken Matos, Albertus Magnus; Kevin McQuade, Rye Neck; Brian Trapasso, Valhalla. Back of the year: Matos; Lineman of the year: Arena; Coach of the year: Nick Ianello, Rye Neck.

Class D
Back of the year: Joseph Melendez, Tuckahoe; Lineman of the year: Robert Percacciolo, Haldane; Coach of the year: Tony Percacciolo, Haldane.

Tournament cancellations

2007-12-06T16:16:00.000-05:00

I wanted to weigh in on a topic that was made public in today's Journal News.

Rick Carpiniello wrote a column about the cancellation of several local basketball tournaments this season, most notably the Winter Hardwood Classic at Pace and the Red Fox Shootout at Marist. The Slam Dunk Challenge was almost scratched from the schedule, but Section 1 felt that since the County was behind the three-day event, they'd let it go.

If you read Carp's column, you'll get an understanding from both sides. Section 1 doesn't want outside agencies holding events and profiting off of kids. It's logical. But Section 1, using pressure from the state as its defense, decided to cancel these events so they can get rules and restrictions in place.

While I understand what Section 1 is trying to do, canceling these events wasn't necessary, especially not days before the season. There's a fear that these outside agencies are exploiting the teams and players and Section 1 wants to guard against them. The Hardwood Classic and Slam Dunk are hardly big money-makers, at least not like some of the rest of the events across the country that bring in national powers and charge $25 a head. I've been those showcase events. The ones around here are not the same thing.

Last year's White Plains-Mater Dei game was the highlight of the regular season; better than County Center week and second only maybe to the Peekskill-Glens Falls state final. We were going to get a three-game event at Pace in January, highlighted by Peekskill vs. St. Anthony's. Now, there's a chance the event won't come back, which would be unfortunate.

I'm anxious to hear what you guys have to say about it. As you can tell, I'm pretty disappointed.

Recap: Wednesday

2007-12-05T22:52:00.000-05:00

Highlights from tonight's games:

Brewster 60, Carmel 48: Brewster trailed by seven at the half. They tied it up after three and stormed away in the fourth. Great way to start the season. Lucas Slivinsky had 19 points in the win.
Iona Prep 75, Cathedral 58: No Andre Pope, no problem for the Gaels. Iona led 22-2 after the first quarter. Bryan Voelkel, a Pleasantville native, had 13 points and Jordan Bronner added 11. Iona should get past Blessed Sacrament on Friday and meet New Rochelle on Saturday afternoon.
Valhalla 62, Hawthorne-CK 60: Oasiris Yates had 21 points in the victory. Valhalla was down two entering the fourth. Minor setback for a CK team that had high aspirations this season with two pure scorers in George Johnson and Chris Taylor back.
Mahopac 55, Ramapo 52: Indians survived another fourth quarter comeback to improve to 2-0. A.J. Rasulo had 15 points and Mike Cirocco had 11.
Rye Neck 44, Hamilton 40: Great start for the Panthers, who 0-20 last season. Greg Star had 16 points. Hamilton, the reigning champs, clearly has a long way to go to get back in contention in Class C.

Turn the page

2007-12-05T18:41:00.000-05:00

Before today, the last time Mount Vernon played a game that didn't include Michael Coburn was March 17, 2002.

Think about that for a moment. Mount Vernon lost that game, 70-54, to Henninger in the state semifinals at Glens Falls. Jomo Belfor was the star of that team. Belfor was a part of the Ben Gordon-led Mount Vernon dynasty. Six months later, Coburn arrived.

Coburn might be gone but not much has changed. The two-time defending Class AA state champs pounded Gorton, 110-50, at Mount Vernon High in their season opener. Sherrod Wright had 22 points and West Virginia-bound Kevin Jones added 17 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

Like it's been for so long at Mount Vernon, it was the guard-play that was most impressive. Jordan Lessane and Ketema Brooks, who combined to average 4.0 points per game last season, each had breakout games. Brooks had nine points, 13 assists and seven steals, and Lessane had 18 points on 9 of 11 shooting.

Brooks and Lessane are going to be a special combo this season, assuming freshman Jabarie Hinds doesn't push one of them out of the starting line (more on him later). Brooks and Lessane are two guys that really competed for time last year and had to share minutes as Coburn rarely left the floor. Lessane is a gifted shooter who was probably under-used last year, and he had to sit behind Brooks, who you couldn't pay to shoot the ball. It's a strange dynamic.

Now they're both on the floor, starting together and today, they showed they're a perfect complement to each other. They can both run the point. They can both play off the ball and spot up. Lessane is finally getting to show what he can do in playing more than three consecutive minutes, and Brooks displayed what he can do when he takes more than three shots.

Coburn was a phenomenal talent. But in some ways, I like this combination just as much, especially now that Hinds is proving he belongs in the rotation. Those three give the Knights a ton of options and depth that they simply didn't have last season.

Hinds was so explosive going to the basket and you can see how much confidence he has gained, even from last season. Watching Hinds penetrate and attack the basket was like watching a toddler realize they can run. Hinds was fearless but a little erratic. Coach Bob Cimmino watched Hinds take some ill-advised shots and go wildly toward the hoop. Cimmino, though, didn't yell. You could tell he loved Hinds' aggressiveness and knows that he'll learn on his own how to temper it. Most freshman are too afraid to step on the court. Hinds was trying to dunk over guys a foot taller.

When I asked Cimmino about it afterwards, he just smiled. It was probably the best answer.

It reminded me of watching Coburn come off the bench as an eighth-grader and trying to direct traffic and run the offense in 60-point win over Roosevelt. I clearly remember it. It was a remarkable sight.

Odds are, in four years, I'll probably be quoting the last time Mount Vernon played a game without Jabarie Hinds.

Up close: Sherrod Wright

2007-12-05T18:25:00.000-05:00

One of the newest features we're doing for LoHud.com this season is an interview segment with players and coaches in local basketball.

This week's interview was with Mount Vernon basketball star Sherrod Wright. The junior forward is taking over a larger role this season for the two-time Class AA state champs. He discussed that, and his growing interest from major Division I schools in the interview, which you can listen to by clicking here.

With our preview section coming out on Friday, we also recorded our first podcast of the season, which you can listen to here.

Tuesday recap

2007-12-05T01:47:00.001-05:00

Full schedule of games tonight. Here's a look back on the highlights:

Stepinac 80, St. Edmund 42: Not a bad start for a team out to prove it's better than it was last season. GW-bound Tony Taylor had 30 points as Stepinac led 21-1 after the first quarter and 44-10 at the half. Rashaad Slowley added 13 points.
Lincoln 54, Clarkstown North 42: Big third quarter keys the victory. Lincoln is 2-1 and on its way, I think, to a 14-win season.
Hen Hud 59, Somers 45: Balanced scoring by the Sailors, who took control early and were never in doubt. Devin Irwin had 22 points for Somers, which looks like it's going to struggle.
Mamaroneck 45, Fox Lane 42: The Foxes will live and die by the 3-pointer and only had three tonight. Ugly game. Mamaroneck outscored Fox Lane 7-2 in the 'comeback' victory. Taylor Mondshein had 15 points in the victory.
Mount St. Michael 56, Regis 50: The funny thing is that Regis has far more Westchester kids than Mount has had in 5 years, yet Regis is a 'non-local team'. Will Williams led Mount with 17 points. Sean O'Connor had 21 in defeat.
Keio 59, Tuxedo 36: Unicorns get on track behind 29 points from Takahiro Hashiyama.
Nanuet 75, Bronxville 67: Not sure what to conclude from this, mainly because I don't know how good Bronxville is. Sean Carter had 21 points in the victory. Bronxville's talented big man, David de la Torre, had 33 points.
Ossining 86, Nyack 73: I was at this game for the first half. Ossining hit just about every shot in the first quarter, including five 3-pointers, to build a huge lead. Nyack battled back and scored in waves. But the Indians just aren't where they need to be yet. Brian Jones is a great talent. He's a smart player with good body control and a very smooth demeanor. I like his game from 10-15 feet, although Nyack needs him desperately inside. The lack of continuity on the offensive end limits them. Nyack, which had two sophs and a freshman on the floor at one point, is going to be 10-15 points better in a month once it learns the game. Jones had 21 points, and Jeff Ward led Ossining with 22 points.
Solomon Schechter 49, Putnam Valley 42: Sol Schech wins its tournament behind 19 points from Aaron Prince.
John Jay-EF 73, Saunders 68, OT: Saunders rallied back in the second half to force overtime but came up short. Kyle Berk had 21 points for Jay, including 8-for-10 from the line.
Roosevelt 69, Ketcham 47: Interesting start for Roosevelt, which had glimpses of being a good young team last season. Wayne Custis had 18 points and Barry Watson added 17.
Scarsdale 68, Gorton 57: Shaky first half is turned into a smooth victory for the Raiders. David Zaitz scored 30 points and Lucas Radov added 14.
Hastings 85, Yonkers 35: This is the most dominant victory I've seen from a Hastings team in a few years. It's even more eye-popping considering Yonkers scored almost 190 points in two games in the Eastchester tournament. Brian Farragher had 24 points and Alby Skrelji added 20 in the victory. Is Hastings a sleeper?
Poughkeepsie 66, Port Chester 56: Not many details, other than that Jordan Henriquez didn't play and Poughkeepsie was up big at the half. Tough start for the Rams so far.

Welcome to the Show

2007-12-05T00:44:00.000-05:00

Those were the words at Peekskill High School tonight before tip-off of its game with Spring Valley. The 'show' didn't quite live up the billing. But this is definitely a ticket I recommend everyone buying at some point.

Peekskill defeated Spring Valley, 85-73, in a very mediocre performance by the three-time defending Class A state champs. The Red Devils didn't shoot particularly well, played shoddy defense at times and didn't take advantage of a Tigers team that didn't make a shot outside of 10 feet. Yet Peekskill, the two-time Federation champs, still led by 22 in the third quarter and had all five starter score in double figures.

Dequann Brickhouse, sophomore point guard, was incredible for Peekskill, recording a career-high 24 points with six rebounds and six assists. We always refer to Peekskill's Big Three -- Mookie, Watson and Watts. But don't forget about Brickhouse, who just might be the quickest and craftiest point guard in Section 1. His previous career-high was 10. But tonight, he took was relentless in attacking the Tigers defense, finishing strong and creating open looks for teammates.

Syracuse-bound Mookie Jones had a decent game. His shooting numbers weren't great, but he had 14 points with nine rebounds, five blocks, four assists and four steals. Elliot Watson added 11 points, and Watts, a junior transfer from Lakeland, had 14 points and eight boards. Darien Thomas, who earned the fifth starting spot for Peekskill, was very good, as well. The 6-foot-3 junior -- nicknamed "Pooh Bear" -- scored 14 points and played very solid defense.

As much as I love watching games at Peekskill, there were just some things about this game that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Among them was the fact that Peekskill seemed to be in disarray on offense. I know it was the first game, but when you return three starters, including two all-state forwards and a point guard, you shouldn't have issues over shot selection or sharing the ball. At one point, it looked like everyone was trying to knock down a 15-footer with no regard for who was under the basket in case, god forbid, they missed. They shot quickly on some possessions and didn't work the ball enough on others. Most of their early points came off turnovers and I barely remember anybody setting a screen or making an extra pass.

Perhaps that had to do with Peekskill getting a little too amped up before the game. They dunked throughout warm-ups, letting the crowd get too involved. I realize it's the season-opener and guys are nervous. But don't let a Dec. 4 game be more than what it is.

I also had a bad feeling in my stomach over the way the officials, actually one in particular, treated Ralph Watts. I fought with myself over whether or not to write anything about it, but I can't resist. It was too blatant.

Watts got absolutely mugged on his way to the basket on three possessions in the second quarter and didn't get a call. He was later called for a phantom traveling call and a questionable (at best) foul on what looked like a clean block. Listen, I understand how difficult it is to be an official, and I have absolutely no reason to favor Ralph. But when it's the same ref, the same player and the same theme, it's hard to ignore. Is somebody upset that Watts transfered to Peekskill? Some are. But sorry, that's not the officials job. After the game I told Watts I was proud of him for not picking up the ball and punting it across the gym, or showing his frustrations in any other way. He shook his head and walked away on every call/non-call. When I asked him about it, he took the high road, smiling and saying "What can I do?" And he's right. But it's definitely something I'm going to monitor this season.

Otherwise, it was a solid start for the Red Devils. The gym was jammed and, for the most part, I think people left satisfied. Mookie had a nice alley-oop dunk from Brickhouse, Watson had a great block and the game was high-tempo. Personally, I was expecting to see the greatest team ever (outside of Mount Vernon), which was probably unrealistic. The Red Devils left much to be desired defensively. Spring Valley had a little trouble with the 2-3 zone, full-court man and 1-3-1. But once the master, Willie Worsley, aligned his personnel, the Tigers got through it. Most other teams are going to get swallowed up by that 1-3-1 once Peekskill perfects it. It's just a little early.

Spring Valley is going to be a major factor in Class A. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if Peekskill and Spring Valley ended up meeting at the County Center in February. Jamal Little, Spring Valley's best returner, had a quiet night, as did Michael Brathwaite. But Joshua McKinley (24 points, 11 rebounds) and Kevin Sylvain (21 points) both showed good promise, and I loved how this team handled the ball and rebounded. Those things alone will put the Tigers ahead of the pack.

Monday rewind

2007-12-03T23:55:00.001-05:00

In the next 24 hours, we'll be shifting back over to the old blog format. Some of you will be very happy. Most of you won't care. But the change is coming, if it hasn't already.

Before we move back over, here's a look at Monday's games, starting with the game I attended:

Mahopac 73, Saunders 68: The reason I went to this game was to meet Mahopac's new coach, Kevin Downes, who was hired days before the preseason. You know the story - Tom McMahon stepped down in Sept., Phil Diasparra was supposed to be hired but got denied, and Downes was finally hired at the last minute. Mahopac led this one by 14 after the first quarter and needed to hold on late. Both teams looked pretty decent. They've each got a long way to go, but there's a solid foundation of talent in each. Saunders is dangerous because it can score points quickly and because it uses about 7-9 guys, all who are athletic. The defense on both ends was lacking at times. But Mahopac has a good core of young players. Newcomers Mike Cirocco, a sophomore, Tim Taps and Mario Iacuone all played well. A.J. Rasulo, a 6-4 senior, is very improved, as is senior guard Tony Olivero. If 6-7 center Eric Lopata can gain confidence, this team is going to win 12 games.
Solomon Schechter 53, Tuxedo 29: Aaron Prince scored 17 points in the easy victory, and Max Wein added 15.
Westlake 66, Edgemont 50: Huge first quarter keys the Wildcats' victory. Football star Anthony Calcagni scored 23 points.
Putnam Valley 52, Keio 42: I'm a little surprised by this. Maybe it's just because I've heard so much about Keio in the last week. Hey, maybe Putnam Valley is a surprise team. Hugh O'Gorman scored 20 points for the Tigers, who outscored Keio 24-10 in the third quarter to go ahead.

Huge day of games tomorrow as the season continues to open for the rest of the area. I'll be at Peekskill-Spring Valley at night. I'll possibly hit Nyack-Ossining in the afternoon.

Recap: Saturday

2007-12-03T20:42:00.001-05:00

I'm finally catching up. Here's a quick rundown of Saturday's games:

Dobbs Ferry 57, Blind Brook 35: Consolation of the Irvington tournament, a tournament Dobbs Ferry probably should have won. The Eagles got 13 points from Trevor Saunders and Chris Roh.
Byram Hills 61, Lincoln 58: Two close games, two victories for the Bobcats. Nice way to open the season. Jason Mendell had another big game as four Byram Hills players scored in double figures.
Eastchester 61, Salesian 42: My sleeper team in Class A is off to a 2-0 start. Mickey Abbatiello was oustanding in these two games, and the Eagles learned they have a good post presence in Kevin Doherty.
Irvington 68, Ardsley 49: Figured this was going to happen after Irvington rallied to beat Dobbs Ferry in Friday's opening round. The Bulldogs got 49 points combined from Brittain and Nick, who only now need to be referred to by first names.
Briarcliff 54, Pelham 35: The Bears are simply overwhelming for most teams when they're at full strength. Good start for the defending Class B champs, as expected.
Port Chester 68, Fox Lane 59: A nondescript opening weekend for the Rams, who didn't have Jordan Henriquez.
Scarsdale 49, Kennedy 37: Surprised to see a low-scoring game after watching Scarsdale shoot the ball on Friday night. This team, though, is only going to get better.
Sleepy Hollow 67, Nyack 55: No team made a bigger statement this weekend than Sleepy Hollow. It went out and won two games it probably should have won, which it has failed to do consistently in the past. Jamel Lyde is going to be a star. His 30 points in this game proves it.
Yonkers 90, Hunter 86: First win for Yonkers in two seasons by scoring 34 points in the fourth quarter. Marc Bajlica had 37 points.
Don't have scores but: Poughkeepsie handily beat Greeley, as expected. ... Woodlands lost to Ossining in the Scarsdale consolation game. The Falcons had a four-point lead late but gave the game away. Would have been a nice first victory for an up-and-coming team. Instead, it's a learning experience. ... Gorton routed Sacred Heart in the Pelham tourny consolation.

Basketball preview: Class C

2007-12-03T12:49:00.000-05:00

Finally, you can now stop pestering me.

The Class C preview is here. Why did it take so long? I don't know really. Mainly it was because I was off all last week (except Friday) and was tired of working on my days off. But it's no bother.

The basketball season officially starts for me today. I'm at a game every day this week (including Peekskill tomorrow and Mount Vernon on Wednesday). I'll be at the all-section football dinner on Thursday, too. It's a busy week, just the way I like it.

Class C figures to wide open this season. I've heard some of the traditional powers are the teams to beat. And I've heard of a few upstarts that could make waves. Here's how I'm breaking the conference down:

CLASS C
Preseason favorite: Tuckahoe. The Tigers were a little bit of a disappointment last season when, despite having all five starters returning from a sectional championship team the year before, they were beaten in the semifinals. I don't think that team, which was predominantly players from the state champion football team, ever really got into basketball mode. This team, with Rob Johnson and Shaquille Griffiths back and 6-4 transfer John Foster, will take a few lumps early but turn it on late.
Top contender: Leake & Watts. Never count out the Lions from year to year. Jeris Dupree is a stud who gradually took over the team late last season and became the most consistent scorer. Eric Ferguson, Hakeem Barnes and Matt Solomon provide good size.
Don't forget about: Keio. This is the team everyone I speak to in the conference is talking about. The Unicorns return their top three scorers, led by Takuhiro Hashiyama, who averaged 17.8 points per game. Keisuke Naruse and Yuji Ogawa are also both coming off solid seasons for a Keio squad that went 7-13.
This year's Hamilton: Tuckahoe. Because the Tigers have a 6-4 transfer, the similarities are strong. Hamilton surprisingly won the title last year with Jamal Lightbourne coming over from Stepinac. Could Foster have the same impact?
Sleeper: Blind Brook. This isn't your usual guard-oriented Blind Brook team. The Trojans have decent size and will test opponents in every area. Don't let the 0-2 record deceive you. Both of those losses were to bigger schools and, in the long run, will make this team better.
Super sleeper: Hamilton. How can you call the defending champs a 'super sleeper'? Well, the Raiders graduated a bulk of their scoring. Jonathan Schofield will be counted on heavily. If he can develop into a go-to scorer, this team is going to be successful.
Team that will improve most by January: Haldane. The football team playing into the state tournament is going to delay the progression here. But the Blue Devils have talent coming back. The top three scorers are back. As long they don't have the injuries that plagued them in football, this a team that could shock people.
Going to the County Center: Tuckahoe, Leake & Watts, Keio and Blind Brook
Championships: Tuckahoe over Leake & Watts.

Three bold predictions about the season
1. Dobbs Ferry will go undefeated in the powerful League IV-A, confirming it would have won Class C had it not been bumped up to B.
2. Tuckahoe will win its Slam Dunk Challenge game with Lakeland
3. A player not mentioned below will be a first teamer by the end of the season

Preseason all-stars
First team
G: Rob Johnson, Tuckahoe
G: Takuhiro Hashiyama, Keio
F: Aaron Prince, Solomon Schechter
F: Jeris Dupree, Leake & Watts
F: John Foster, Tuckahoe

Second team
G: Jonathan Schofield, Hamilton
G: Joseph Melendez, Tuckahoe
F: Eric Ferguson, Leake & Watts
F: Nick Nastasi, Haldane
F: Jun Yamasaki, Keio

Breakout team
G: Miles Fisher, Blind Brook
G: Billy Campbell, Haldane
F: Shaquille Griffiths, Tuckahoe
F: Travis Desire, Hamilton
F: Hakeem Barnes, Leake & Watts

Shocker

2007-12-03T12:16:00.000-05:00

Just talking to a friend who informed me of something he realized last week: All of Martin Luther King Jr's games on the Section 1 website are canceled.

Pulling the plug on a season and leaving the rest of the section out to dry is an annual event around MLK. They did it in the middle of last year, and then canceled the football season days before the first practice over a lack of interest.

I haven't gotten a reason why MLKs basketball games this season have been canceled and I'm sure I won't get a phone call back from the athletic office.

MLK won a state championship in 2005 and lost in the title game in 2006. I'm the biggest, and maybe only remaining, supporter of the RTCs and even my patience are wearing thin with this. Fortunately it's basketball and it's early, so the teams on MLKs schedule will be able to find new games.

My Class C preview will be coming today.

Recap: Thurs. and Fri

2007-12-02T10:27:00.000-05:00

The first weekend of the basketball season was a lot of the usual stuff. And there were a few surprises, too.

I'll admit, I kind of dragged my feet into the basketball season. December basketball just doesn't get the blood flowing like football the month before or basketball after New Year's. But going to Friday's Scarsdale-Woodlands game got me into it. Good crowd and atmosphere, Scarsdale looked very sharp and Woodlands showed an incredible amount of potential.

Here's a look back on Thursday and Friday (I'll be doing this just about every day starting on Tuesday):

Thursday
Briarcliff 71, Gorton 61: Joe Lombardi led the way with 31 points. Good win for the Bears without Kyle Beechum.
Kennedy 67, Ossining 54: The Gaels are going to win games solely because of their toughness, especially Eddie O'Connell.
Salesian 92, Hunter 91, 2OT: Great game. Salesian was down six at the half and the teams combined for 104 points in the third and fourth quarters. Nigel Lewis had 25 points for Salesian.

Friday
Scarsdale 71, Woodlands 47: I went into this game with high expectations of Scarsdale and very low ones for Woodlands. I was correct about the Raiders and dead wrong about Woodlands. First, Scarsdale proved it had tremendous depth, can shoot from anywhere and shares the ball well. David Zaitz had 13 of his 21 points in the first quarter as Scarsdale built a double-digit lead. Jack Detmer gave a glimpse of how good he could be in his first varsity season, and Evan Livingston, Seth Goldwasser and Lucas Radov looked like veterans who won't be fazed by anything. Woodlands lost by 24 but definitely caught my attention. This is a team that brings back ONE player from last year's Class B finalist squad (Taj Everly) and almost shouldn't be any good. But the Falcons can rebound, handle the ball and attack the basket. That's a great place to start. They were fooled easily by Scarsdale's quick passing, screens and zone defense. Woodlands won't face a team that will test them like that again. My prediction of Woodlands upsetting somebody in the first round looks very good right now. And I'm actually afraid I could be selling this team short.
Byram Hills 72, Fox Lane 64: Pretty good start for Jason Mendell, who dropped 42 points on the Foxes including seven 3-pointers. Wow.
Lincoln 56, Port Chester 49: When I predicted that no team in Class A other than Peekskill would win 15 games, I had Port Chester in mind. The Rams always lose games early on that you expect them to win. No Jordan Henriquez, though. I'll try to find out why. Good start for the Lancers, who are a definite sleeper.
Irvington 52, Dobbs Ferry 48: This is probably a game the Bulldogs would have lost last season. It's amazing how much difference a year of experience makes. They were down 11 at the half but rallied behind their stellar backcourt of Brittain Purcelle (17 points) and Nick Nedwick (18).
Briarcliff
Eastchester 94, Yonkers 73: I went to this game before I covered Scarsdale. Mickey Abbatiello was phenomenal. I don't think he missed more than two shots in the first half. He hit five 3-pointers and finished with 30. Josh Rouse and Kevin Doherty each looked very good inside.
Pelham 44, Sacred Heart 25: Good defense? Must have been. Pelham is a team that's going to need a little time to come together and figure out to how to score points without Mark Courtien. I actually think replacing point guard Chris Koclanes will be a tougher adjustment.
Nyack 70, Hackley 58: Brian Jones had 18 points and Kivar Thurman added 15. Good start for Nyack, which never overcame a miserable December last season.
Ardsley 49, Blind Brook 44: A little bit of a surprise to me. Ardsley has a star in Mike Zee and should win games against smaller schools.
Suffern 54, Saunders 48: Suffern outscored Saunders 19-3 in the third quarter. Evan Shreck led the way with 15.

I'll check back in later with a look at yesterday's games. Got a busy day today hanging Christmas lights.

Basketball Preview: Class B

2007-11-30T14:24:00.000-05:00

Another conference where the favorite is clear and the contenders aren't.

Here's how I see Class B as we enter the season this weekend:

CLASS B
Early favorite: Briarcliff. No shock here. The defending sectional champs return the three best players in the conference -- Joe Lombardi, Alex Gulotta and Kyle Beechum -- as well as their sixth man, Garth Muratori. Muratori is a great rebounder and defender, Henry Damato gives the Bears the defensive presence in the backcourt who can also handle the ball.
Top contender: Croton-Harmon. The Tigers are so good in the backcourt with Frank DiMaggio and Ryan Sawyer, who played very well in the Empire State Games. Brandon Sileck is about to come into his own as a scorer, and Nick Mainiero will be a factor.
Don't forget about: Irvington. The Bulldogs have a talented duo in Nick Nedwick and Brittain Purcelle, who'll combine to averaged over 40 points per game this season. You can't stop just one of them and expect to win. Irvington bottomed out a little last season after a promising start. The league schedule got to them and could an impact again.
This year's Nanuet: Albertus Magnus. It will be tough for any team to duplicate what Nanuet did last season but the Falcons have the pieces. They bring back their top three scorers and were dominated by underclassmen last season, led by Flynn McFadden and Pat Fuchs.
Sleeper: Lincoln Hall. Sir Aaron Taylor really came on strong in the second half last season and will be extremely tough for any opponent to matchup with because of his physicality. Lincoln Hall always is a team that improves as the year goes on, so don't blow the United off if they're 2-4 at the break.
Super sleeper: Dobbs Ferry. It's unfair to call Dobbs a 'Super sleeper' but I want to get the Eagles in here somewhere. If they were still in Class C, they'd be a clear favorite to win it all. Trevor Saunders and Brandon Brailsford are a solid duo coming over from football. Kevin Dahill and Erik Gormley have really developed.
Team that will improve most by January: Woodlands. Because the Falcons always do. Even with just one player back from last year's roster, Taj Everly, Woodlands will be a factor, either upsetting somebody in the first round of the playoffs or beating a heavyweight. It's an annual event.
Going to the County Center: Briarcliff, Lincoln Hall, Croton-Harmon and Dobbs Ferry.
Championship: Briarcliff over Lincoln Hall.

Three bold predictions for the season
1. Briarcliff will lose one game to a Class B opponent.
2. Woodlands will get past the first round of sectionals
3. North Salem will win 15 games and be a Top 5 seed

Preseason all-stars
First team
G: Alex Gulotta, Briarcliff
G: Ryan Sawyer, Croton-Harmon
F: Joe Lombardi, Briarcliff
F: Kyle Beechum, Briarcliff
F: Taj Everly, Woodlands

Second team
G: Trevor Saunders, Dobbs Ferry
G: Brittain Purcelle, Irvington
F: Sir Aaron Taylor, Lincoln Hall
F: Garth Muratori, Briarcliff
F: Marc Miller, North Salem

Breakout team
G: Henry Damato, Briarcliff
G: Flynn McFadden, Albertus Magnus
F: James Dondero, Pleasantville
F: David de la Torre, Bronxville
F: Kevin Dahill, Dobbs Ferry

Basketball Preview: Class A

2007-11-30T11:12:00.000-05:00

Continuing out sneak-peek at the basketball season, let's check out what I believe will be the best conference in Section 1 this season.

CLASS A Early favorite: Peekskill. The three-time defending state champs have the best team in school history. There, I said it. It's too early to put these Red Devils in the pantheon of the greats. They have to win it all first, like they did the last two years. But with Mookie Jones, Elliot Watson, and Dequan Brickhouse, and now Ralph Watts in the fold, this team is about as unbeatable by another Class A team as I've ever seen.
Top contender: Port Chester. The Rams and Peekskill have met at County Center the last two years and should clash for a third. Six-foot-11 center Jordan Henriquez is getting serious Division I interest. I heard Memphis was recently there to watch him and was impressed. Kafele Carty and Shakeem King return to the frontcourt and Lou Larizza, their sharpshooting guard, is back as well. Don't forget about: Spring Valley. The program turns its roster over consistently and always contends. The way that they lost last season, getting upset by Pelham in the quarterfinals, was disappointing. But with the schedule they play -- Peekskill and Rice in December -- this is a team that's going to get beat up early and prosper late.
This year's Pelham: Eastchester. A surprise team that could get in the mix this season could be Eastchester. The Eagles were young last season and nearly upset Spring Valley at home in the first round of the playoffs. Mickey Abbatiello has developed into a steady 20-ppg scorer and Josh Rouse and Aaron Sokol each started last season. A predominantly Class B schedule will help.
Sleeper: Tappan Zee. Always one of the toughest teams to face after the break, the Dutchmen have a nucleus of players back led by Brian Connelly and Ryan Sheridan. This team nearly knocked off Lakeland in last year's Class A quarterfinal and should get at least that far again.
Super sleeper: Nyack. It's weird to call the Indians a sleeper. But coming off a rough 3-16 season and the retirement of coach Gary Gray. They were ravaged by injuries and inexperience last season. But they've got Brian Jones, Rockland's best player, back. He alone will put Nyack in the mix.
Team that will improve most by January: Pelham. Losing four starters, including star guard Mark Courtien, will be difficult. But Greg Bratone is improving by the minute and is a polished inside player. Harry Highland, a 6-6 newcomer, will surprise people, as will guard Garrett Johnson, who was injured last last season.
Going to the County Center: Peekskill, Port Chester, Byram Hills, Spring Valley
Championship: Peekskill over Port Chester
Three bold predictions for the season
1. Peekskill will win the Slam Dunk tournament
2. With so much parity, no team other than Peekskill will win 15 games in the regular season
3. Kennedy and/or Tappan Zee will ruin my predictions and reach the County Center

Preseason all-stars
First team
G: Ralph Watts, Peekskill
G: Mookie Jones, Peekskill
F: Elliot Watson, Peekskill
F: Brian Jones, Nyack
F: Jordan Henriquez, Port Chester

Second team
G: Jamal Little, Spring Valley
G: Eddie McGuinness, Pearl River
F: Eddie O'Connell, Kennedy
F: Jason Mendell, Byram Hills
F: Kafele Carty, Port Chester

Breakout team
G: Adam Mayer, Hen Hud
G: Jamel Lyde, Sleepy Hollow
G: Brian Connolly, Tappan Zee
F: Josh Rouse, Eastchester
F: Greg Bratone, Pelham

Basketball Preview: Class AA

2007-11-29T17:02:00.001-05:00

Many of you basketball folks are trying to push the good football people out. Sorry, but it's not going to be that way.

We'll be easing into basketball this weekend, breaking down each conference. Let's start at the top:

CLASS AA
Early favorite: Mount Vernon. Real shocker here. The Knights have arguably the best player in the area in 6-8 forward Kevin Jones, who's part of easily the best tandem around with junior forward Sherrod Wright. Add into two other returning starters in point guard Ketema Brooks and forward Odayne Clarke; plus another regular in Jordan Lessane and the area's best freshman in Jabarie Hinds, and another sectional title should be coming.
Top contender: White Plains. A Mount Vernon-White Plains repeat in the final seems almost inevitable. Sean Kilpatrick and Rashad James, with this athleticism and versatility, will be a near-impossible matchup for any team in the conference outside of Mount Vernon. The Tigers have good, but inexperienced, post players in Sean Brooks (6-0), Cody Martin (6-4) and Darrell Ward (6-6).
Don't forget about: Poughkeepsie. I thought about putting Ossining here, with the return of Jeff Ward and the addition of Myles Thomas. But the Pioneers are going to rack up victories in their league and be one of the top four seeds in the Class AA playoffs. Assuming there's been no significant changes to the roster, Moquan Dickens and Antonio Williams (16.4 ppg) are back.
This year's Horace Greeley: Scarsdale. If any team can duplicate Greeley's unexpected rise in the conference from last year, it's Scarsdale. The Raiders played Stepinac tough in a scrimmage last week and have the guards to contend with anyone. David Zaitz has come into his own as a star. With nine returning seniors, this is a team that has the potential to be a scary matchup come February.
Sleeper: John Jay. It's hard to call this team a 'sleeper' when it has Kevin Drew, who had a stellar summer playing alongside Mookie and Kevin Jones with the Westchester Hawks. Drew, a 6-3 lacrosse star who is hoping to walk-on at Syracuse next season, is a phenomenal scorer, and has a quality shooter in Anthony Iacomini to take some of the pressure off. In a wide-open league, the Indians have a chance at winning 14 games.
Super sleeper: Mamaroneck. The Tigers are young but experienced with juniors Taylor Mondshein and Gabe Yizar returning to the backcourt, and a nice newcomer in 6-4 Chris Valentin, a transfer from the Bronx. They're in a brutal league with Mount Vernon, White Plains, New Rochelle and Scarsdale. But they sure won't be a pushover in the postseason.
Team that will improve most by January: Lincoln. There's some good young talent on that roster and the Lancers seem to go through 2-3 year cycles where they can contend.
Going to the County Center: Mount Vernon, White Plains, Poughkeepsie and New Rochelle
Championship: Mount Vernon over White Plains.

Three bold prediction for the season:
1. Kevin Jones will be averaging 30 points per game at some point during the month of January
2. Scarsdale and New Rochelle will split their regular season meetings
3. North Rockland will repeat as league champs

Preseason all-stars
First team
G: Sean Kilpatrick, White Plains
G: Rashad James, White Plains
F: Sherrod Wright, Mount Vernon
F: Antonio Williams, Poughkeepsie
F: Kevin Jones, Mount Vernon

Second team
G: Ketema Brooks, Mount Vernon
G: Markell Rice, New Rochelle
F: Kevin Drew, John Jay
F: David Zaitz, Scarsdale
F: Odayne Clarke, Mount Vernon

Breakout team
G: Jabarie Hinds, Mount Vernon
G: Taylor Mondshein, Mamaroneck
F: Dustin Hogue, Lincoln
F: Sean Brooks, White Plains
F: Ryan Markley, Yorktown