Jugglers Stunned?

We've seen it before and I don't know what it is. Is it karma, biorhythm, kismet, voodoo? What ever it is it bit the Notre Dame Jugglers last night in the Section III, Class A quarterfinals. The Cortland Purple Tigers looked like another comfortable target on "paper". They had six loses on the season, including two L's against East Syracuse-Minoa, a four point win over Phoenix and an overtime win against Oneida. So, the Juggler faithful had no reason to expect what happened to their team.

What the Juggler faithful may have overlooked on that same sheet of "paper" was the fact that the Purple Tigers also had several players who could hurt any team in Class A in a big way. Joel White and big man Tom Wilk presented one of the best one-two combinations they had seen this season. ND fans would need to look further on that "paper" to find the name of Levi Walrath and he was a major thorn in the side of ND.

What happened? Were they over confident? Cocky? Flat? All of the above?

What they were was down 16-0 before they got their first points on the scoreboard, almost five minutes into the game. Notre Dame came down and fired several three the first several times they came down the court. Nothing happened. Not only that, they only got the one shot off on those trips to the north end of Michael Walsh Gym. At the south end, Cortland was scoring at will and before Notre Dame knew it the scoreboard read 9-0, 11-0…16-0.

OK, ND still had that great press and could climb back, even if it looked like the climb was up Mt. Hood. But, the Purple Tigers handled that press with great ease. The same press that gave New Hartford and VVS and Fayetteville-Manlius fits was regularly broken for easy lay ups by Cortland. If, in boxing, styles make fights…in this case, the Cortland in court composition made this tactic ineffective.

Wilk was good, active presence on the court. But, he didn’t score at his average level…that’s because Walrath was above his average performance – stinging ND for 24. Joel White, as good a player as the locals have seen this season, killed the Jugglers offensively and defensively. He led the Purple Tigers with 30 points.

The Jugglers were not without heroes of their own. Kendrick Pollard scratched and fought and led ND almost all the way back. But, having to erase a 19 point lead over three periods makes that climb more like Mt. Everest. Still, they almost got there. Notre Dame cut all but four points off the Cortland lead with a little more than a minute and a half left in the game…but couldn’t close the deal. Missed free throws, a few travels and the inability to shut down Cortland with the press did in ND down the stretch and the Tigers hit their free throws as the Jugglers sent them to the line.

One thing that stood out to me in this one…Notre Dame had only two team fouls in the first half. You might think…well, that’s good. What it told me is that ND was not their normal, aggressive selves. There was not that level of intensity that was the trademark of ND basketball through the Juggler Classic, but for some reason things deteriorated after that. They got two overtime wins and were blown out at VVS. They didn’t look that sharp in their win over Homer. While this starting five may ranked among the best ND has had in several years, this time was not as deep as past editions of Notre Dame basketball. Did that wear these guys out?
You tell me.

Two Mills Players Among Trio Arrested For Robbery

Steve Murray, the big center and a big part of the state ranked NYM boys basketball team, and Chris Lansdall were arrested for felony Robbery early Wednesday morning.

Murray had played hours earlier in the Marauders Section III Class D-1 quarterfinal win over Remsen. Murray scored four points in the Mills 59-26 win over Remsen. Lansdall was not listed among the scorers in the game against Remsen.

Murray and Lansdall, both 18, along with a third teen, Michael Teti Jr., 19, were arrested after an incident on New Hartford St., near the Ramada Inn. It is alleged that the teens approached two men on the street and demanded money. When the men refused one of the victims was struck in the head. The teens took that man’s hat and reportedly fled in a car. They were located at a house on New Hartford St. in New York Mills and taken into custody.

All three were arraigned in New Hartford Town Court, charged with second degree Robbery, a class C Felony. They were sent to the Oneida County Jail in lieu of bail.

Murray is a 6’6” center and Lansdall is a 6’3” forward. Both are seniors. New York Mills is ranked 6th in the state in Class D and will next play Poland in the Section III Class D-1 semifinals.

Section III Meeting This Morning to Pick Sites for Semifinal Games

Section III officials are meeting again this morning in Syracuse to select locations, dates and times for the semifinal basketball games. Check back for complete coverage throughout the day.

Boys Hoop Playoff Match Ups

Here are first and some second round match up for local schools in the Section III boys basketball playoffs:

CLASS AA:
Liverpool or Nottingham at Proctor, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM

CLASS A:
Whitesboro at Fulton, Friday, 2/16 @ 6:00PM
Carthage at VVS, Friday, 2/16 @ 7:00PM
Mexico at New Hartford, Friday, 2/16 @ 7:45PM
Homer at Notre Dame, Friday, 2/16 @ 7:00PM
Oneida at Cortland, Friday, 2/16 @ 7:45PM
Chittenango at E.S.M., Friday, 2/16 @ 7:00PM

CLASS B-1:
Holland Patent at South Jefferson, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:45PM
Bishop Grimes or Faith Heritage at Cazenovia, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM

CLASS B-2:
Adirondack at Skaneateles, Tuesday, 2/16 @ 7:00PM
Adirondack or Skaneateles at Canastota, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:45PM
Sauquoit at Lowville, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM
Ilion at Herkimer, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM
Clinton at Mt. Markham, Friday, 2/16 @ 7:00PM
Clinton or Mt. Markham at Hannibal, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM

CLASS C-1:
Westmoreland at Thousand Islands, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:45PM
Weedsport at Cooperstown, Friday, 2/16 @ 7:00PM

CLASS C-2:
Manlius-Pebble Hill at Waterville, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM
Manlius-Pebble Hill or Waterville at West Canada, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:45PM
Dolgeville at Watertown IHC, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:45PM
Mohawk at Onondaga, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:45PM
Fabius-Pompey at Frankfort, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM

CLASS D-1:
Belleville at Richfield Springs, Friday, 2/16 @ 7:00PM
Belleville or Richfield Springs at Copenhagen, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM
McGraw at Hamilton, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM
Oriskany at Poland, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM
Cincinnatus at Remsen, Friday, 2/16 @ 7:00PM
Cincinnatus or Remsen at New York Mills, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:45PM

CLASS D-2:
Sackets Harbor or Deruyter at Brookfield, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM
Stockbridge at Lyme, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM
Rome Catholic at Otselic Valley, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM
Old Forge at Oppenheim-Ephrata, Friday, 2/16 @ 7:00PM
Old Forge or Oppenheim-Ephrata at LaFargeville, Tuesday, 2/20 @ 7:00PM

Look for the brackets under the Boys Basketball section of wktv.com

Boys Class D2: Brookfield Is Tops

CLASS D-2:
1 Brookville 17-3
2 LaFargeville 16-3
3 Otselic Valley 13-7
4 Lyme 11-9
5 Stockbridge 10-9
6 Rome Catholic 9-11
7 Oppenheim-Ephrata 9-11
8 Sackets Harbor 5-14
9 Deruyter 3-17
10 Old Forge 3-17

Boys Class D1: The Mills Gets Second Seed

CLASS D-1:
1 Copenhagen 19-1
2 New York Mills 19-1
3 Poland 13-6
4 Hamilton 10-10
5 McGraw 9-9
6 Oriskany 9-11
7 Remsen 9-11
8 Richfield Springs 8-11
9 Belleville 6-1310 Cincinnatus 6-14

Boys Class C2: Unbeaten WCV #1

CLASS C-2:
1 West Canada 20-0
2 Onondaga 17-3
3 Frankfort Schuyler 15-5
4 Watertown IHC 11-8
5 Dolgeville 11-9
6 Fabius-Pompey 8-11
7 Mohawk 8-12
8 Waterville 8-11
9 Manlius-Pebble Hill 6-13

Boys Class C1: Westmoreland Placed In The Middle

CLASS C-1:
1 Lafayette 18-2
2 Cato-Meridian 12-6
3 Sandy Creek 13-7
4 Thousand Islands 12-8
5 Westmoreland 12-8
6 Tully 11-9
7 Cooperstown 11-9
8 Pulaski 9-10
9 Port Byron 8-12
10 Weedsport 8-12

Boys Class B2: Herkimer Gets #3 Position

CLASS B-2:
1 Canastota 15-5
2 Hannibal 12-8
3 Herkimer 10-10
4 Lowville 9-11
5 Sauquoit 8-12
6 Ilion 8-12
7 Mt. Markham 8-12
8 Skaneateles 8-12
9 adirondack 8-12
10 Clinton 6-14

Boys Class B1: Sherburne-Earlville #1, H.P. seeded 6th

CLASS B-1:
1 Sherburne-Earlville 20-0
2 Cazenovia 18-2
3 South Jefferson 18-2
4 Marcellus 15-5
5 Westhill 13-7
6 Holland Patent 11-8
7 Bishop Grimes 11-9
8 Solvay 10-10
9 Jordan-Elbridge 4-16
10 Faith Heritage 2-18

Boys Class A: Jugglers #3, NH #4

CLASS A-

1 Jamesville-DeWitt 19-1
2 Indian River 17-3
3 Notre Dame 17-3
4 New Hartford 16-4
5 VVS 16-4
6 Cortland 13-6
7 East Syracuse-Minoa 13-7
8 Fulton 11-8
9 Whitesboro 10-10
10 Chittenango 10-10
11 Oneida 8-12
12 Carthage 7-11
13 Mexico 6-10
14 Homer 7-12
15 Phoenix 3-17

Boys Class AA: Proctor Is #1

CLASS AA-

1 Proctor 13-1
2 Henniger 12-2
3 Fayetteville-Manlius 11-3
4 Corcoran 10-4
5 CBA 9-5
6 C.N.S. 8-6
7 West Genesee 8-6
8 Liverpool 6-8
9 Nottingham 6-8
10 Auburn 6-8
11 Baldwinsville 6-8
12 Watertown 6-8
13 Bishop Ludden 5-9
14 Central Square 2-12

Girls Class AA: RFA and Central Square Swap Seeds

Further review of the tie breaker system has resulted in the swapping of RFA and Central Square in the Section III Class AA girls basketball rankings. Here are the revised girls Class AA seeding:

CLASS AA –
1 Oswego (19-1)
2 Liverpool (18-2)
3 F-M (15-5)
4 C.N.S. (14-5)
5 Proctor (12-7)
6 Watertown (11-8)
7 West Genesee (11-9)
8 Corcoran (9-10)
9 Nottingham (9-11)
10 Auburn (8-11)
11 Central Square (6-13)
12 RFA (6-13)
13 Baldwinsville (6-14)

Known Match Ups For The Ladies

Dates and Times are not yet fully marked in stone.

Class AA -
RFA at Proctor
Central Square at Waterville
Nottingham at Corcoran
Baldwinsville at C.N.S.
Auburn at West Genesee

Byes - Oswego, Liverpool & Fayetteville-Manlius

Class A -
VVS at Camden
E.S.M. at New Hartford
Oneiad at Cortland
Carthage at Indian River
Homer at Whitesboro
Phoenix at Mexico

Byes - CBA & Jamesville-DeWitt


Class B1-
A.P.W. at Marcellus
Holland Patent at Solvay

Byes - South Jefferson, Westhill, Watertown IHC, Shurburne-Earlville, Cazenovia & Notre Dame


Class B2-
Herkimer at Lowville
Sauquoit at Adirondack

Byes - Clinton, Skaneateles, Canastota, Bishop Ludden, Mt. Markham & Ilion


Class C1-
Cato-Meridian at South Lewis

Class C2-
Mohawk at Weedsport

Class D-
Lyme at Poland
Hamilton at Madison
Richfield Springs at Copenhagen
Otselic Valley at Oriskany

Byes - Sackets Harbor, New York Mills & Rome Catholic

Girls Class D: Mills Girls #2

CLASS D-
1 Sackets Harbor (17-3)
2 New York Mills (17-3)
3 Rome Catholic (16-4)
4 Madison (16-4)
5 Hamilton (14-5)
6 Copenhagen (12-7)
7 Oriskany (11-9)
8 Poland (10-8)
9 Lyme (8-10)
10 Otselic Valley (8-11)
11 Richfield Springs (7-12)

Girls Class C2: West Canada Seeded #1

CLASS C2-
1 West Canada (18-2)
2 Weedsport (13-6)
3 Onondaga (11-8)
4 Waterville (9-10)
5 Fabius-Pompey (9-11)
6 Beaver River (8-11)
7 Mohawk (7-13)
8 Lafayette (3-15)

Girls Class C1: Little Falls Get Top Spot

CLASS C1-
1 Little Falls (20-0)
2 Pulaski (18-2)
3 Bishop Grimes (13-7)
4 Thousand Islands (12-7)
5 Cooperstown (12-8)
6 Sandy Creek (10-8)
7 Tully (10-10)
8 South Lewis (8-12)
9 Cato-Meridian (5-15)

Girls Class B2: Clinton Is #1

CLASS B2-
1 Clinton (16-4)
2 Skaneateles (13-7)
3 Canastota (12-7)
4 Bishop Ludden (12-8)
5 Mt. Markham (12-8)
6 Ilion (11-9)
7 Adirondack (9-11)
8 Lowville (7-13)
9 Herkimer (7-13)
10 Sauquoit (6-13)

Girls Class B-1: Notre Dame Seeded Sixth

CLASS B1-
1 South Jefferson (19-0)
2 Westhill (17-3)
3 Watertown IHC (15-3)
4 Shurburne Earlville (14-5)
5 Cazenovia (13-7)
6 Notre Dame (13-7)
7 Solvay (11-9)
8 Marcellus (10-10)
9 A.P.W. (8-12)
10 Holland Patent (3-17)

Girls Class A - Lady Spartans Get #5

CLASS A –
1 CBA (18-1)
2 J.D. (17-3)
3 Indian River (16-3)
4 Cortland (14-6)
5 New Hartford (14-6)
6 Whitesboro (14-6)
7 Mexico (11-5)
8 Camden (9-9)
9 VVS (8-11)
10 Phoenix (8-11)
11 Homer (8-11)
12 E.S.M. (7-12)
13 Oneida (7-12)
14 Carthage (6-13)

Girls Class AA - Proctor Seeded 5th

Section III Girls Basketball Seeding:

CLASS AA –
1 Oswego (19-1)
2 Liverpool (18-2)
3 F-M (15-5)
4 C.N.S. (14-5)
5 Proctor (12-7)
6 Watertown (11-8)
7 West Genesee (11-9)
8 Corcoran (9-10)
9 Nottingham (9-11)
10 Auburn (8-11)
11 RFA (6-13)
12 Central Square (6-13)
13 Baldwinsville (6-14)

Girls Playoff Selection Meeting Today

The playoff selection meeting is taking place this morning in Syracuse for girls basketball. It begins at 9:00 am and is expected to take a few hours. NEWSChannel 2's Tom Coyne will be in the meeting and will be blogging as the teams are selected.

***CHECK BACK for developments throughout the day including the brackets. Updates will begin after 9:00am.

Snow Changes Everything

Thanks to an unhealthy does of lake effect snow, Section III has moved its seeding meetings for boys basketball.
Instead of finding out who will play whom on Sunday, basketball fans will have to wait until Wednesday.
The good news is you won't have to wait until the 6pm news or read it in some publication the next day.
Starting Monday night with the hockey seeding meeting and continuing with the Girls meetting on Tuesday as well as the Boys on Wednesday, we are planning to Blog at each meeting. What does that mean? Well, that means you can watch live on the internet as the brackets are decided. We are just a couple steps from making it happen. The test will be Monday at the hockey meeting. Tom Coyne will do that on the hockey blog. If that goes well, look for us to do it on Tuesday.
Meantime, there are still a few games to be played. VVS beat Whitesboro on Saturday, so now the showdown remains between New Hartford and VVS on Monday night.
Let us know what you think, post your comments or questions.
Thanks!

New Hartford vs. VVS Boys to Determine Sectional Seedings

With the playoff seeding meeting coming up on Sunday, last minute jockeying for playoff positions take place this week. Thursday night's game between New Hartford and VVS has been moved to Friday night and it's the determining factor for both squads in the Class A playoff lineup.
If VVS wins and then can beat Whitesboro, they will like get the two seed over Indian River with the one seed going to Jamesville-DeWitt. If the lose they could drop as low as the five seed. A New Hartford win will get them the four seed and two home games. The "A"'s will not split this season into A-1 and A-2. If the Spartans lose, they could drop to the five seed and receive just one home game.
As for the game itself tonight, I spoke with both John Randal and Al Knapp. Coincidentally, they both told me their top two keys are tempo and rebounding. Spartans love to run, Red Devils will try to slow it down to a half court game. But the coaches differ on their third key. Randal feels his Spartans have to focus on the mental part of the game while coach Knapp feels his boys need to hit some outside shots.
I think this game should be a great one. What do you think? Post your comments and watch for highlights tonight on WKTV at 11 and check back on the web for extended highlights!

Girls Basketball Thoughts

So what about the ladies you say? There's plenty to say about our local girls teams.
In Class AA, Proctor and RFA are the only teams locally that will head to the playoffs.
The Lady Raiders are likely the team to make some noise, but they must play better team basketball to go deep.
In Class A, Whitesboro will be the team to watch with Notre Dame and New Hartford also looking to make some noise. However both teams will need more consistency to go deep as well.
In Class B, Clinton has been the team to beat locally. We'll see how they stack up against the rest of the pack including Sherburne.
Class C boasts Little Falls, who has yet to lose this season. They are loaded and the team to beat. I'm sure West Canada may have something to say. Cooperstown has a nice lineup as well.
In Class D, it will likely come down to RCH and NY Mills, who play this week.
I could be wrong, believe me, this is not a science. I'd love to hear from all of you. Again I would appreciate polite comments and any foul language and you are gone.
Hard to believe playoffs are next week. I'll post more later this week.
Jason

Welcome to High School Basketball

Hello everyone! High school hoops are strong in this area. With the playoffs looming, there are many teams to keep an eye on.
Locally in Class AA, there's no question that Proctor is the cream of the crop. They have a ton of talent led by Deandre Preaster. They could go the distance this season no question.
In Class A, the two local teams on top of the heap are definately Notre Dame and New Hartford. Wouldn't that be a great playoff matchup.
Oh and lets not forget about VVS. Al Knapp has size on that team. Plus...he's Al Knapp, enough said. ...let me know what you think?
In Class B, Sherburne is unbeaten on the season but can they run with the Syracuse teams...we will find out soon.
In Class C, West Canada has destroyed the competition in the regular season. Brent Fulmer is lights out from down town and Steve Porter has his kids playing great basketball. They will be the number one seed.
In Class D, forget about the loss to Cooperstown, unless you are a Redskins fan. NY Mills is a solid Class D team. They still have to face RCH who is much improved, but they can go deep into sectionals provided they play as a team.
Love to get some responses, I do have tough skin so don't hold back.
However, be respectful, this is not romper room.
Happy Hoops!
Jason