Congrats To All Champs!

Wow, there were some really great section finals this season on both the boys and girls side. The east side of CNY really came to represent this year.
Starting with the boys:
Class AA
Proctor showed they were for real in a big way, surviving two scoring droughts with tough defense to beat Henninger. I was there for this one and you always had the feeling they were going to pull it out. They have a small swagger and a ton of confidence in their leader Deandre Preaster. However, on this day, it was the supporting cast who also rallied, doing the little things like cutting off passes, rebounding and hitting some key shots. Can they continue on? Well, they face the winner of Section II's championship next weekend, don't bet against them.
Class A
At the beginning of the season, we all knew New Hartford would be good. I think only New Hartford though knew they could be this good. After two regular season losses to Notre Dame, albeit close losses, I don't think the odds were in their favor. All I can say is....FORGET THE ODDS! They didn't just win on Saturday, they dominated! This team is playing like a well oiled machine. I pitty Massena if the Spartans are clicking like this on Friday, congrats guys!
Class B
If you don't feel good for Jon Snyder and his Holland Patent Golden Knights, you either played against them in the playoffs, or you don't have a heart. No one expected them to take home a title. But lets look at this fact: they have played all season long in the Tri-Valley, a league full of Class A teams. If that doesn't prepare you for Sectionals, nothing will. Gumby showed a mental toughness most kids wish they had...Snyder could be coach of the year. They still have Hannibal in the cross-over, but no matter what happens...they are still champs!
Class C
All I can say is WOW! West Canada, odds on favorite to win the title, perhaps go deep in states ran into Frankfort and two overtimes later the Maroon Knights, with a first year head coach mind you, did the unthinkable. Now while many were shocked, don't be totally shocked. Frankfort came in on a tremendous roll of their own, winning 10 of their last 11. Both coaches feared a close game, I think 2 OT's is close enough...Congrats Frankfort!
Class D
Another classic battle between to anual rivals in NY Mills and Hamilton. With all the Marauders had to deal with in the last week and a half, they came out focused and tenacious. Dave Wadas showed why he is one of the premiere point guards in the area. All he did was do what he does game in and game out, just add a few more points in the box score. Hamilton gave them a battle, but you knew that Mike Adey and company weren't going to let the off court incident slow them down. Next up Otselic Valley in the crossover. Back to back titles for the Marauders and perhaps this one is a little bit sweeter.
GIRLS
Class B
The Clinton Lady Warriors played some pheonominal defense against top ranked South Jeff. They just ran into a team that played even tougher defense. Congrats though to Tom Trevisani and his ladies, they win their first B-2 title and that's a huge accomplishment.
Class C
Well, the Lady Mounties circled this date a year ago, hoping to get the chance for revenge. In a back and forth game, they got their revenge and improved to 24-0. This is a dream season for Pam Munger and company, and they are not done yet, they face Elmira Notre Dame from Section IV at Cortland next weekend. This team has a special chemistry that could take them to the state final four...we'll be watching!
Class D
How about those Lady Redwings! Forget the monkey, how about the gorilla off coach D'Argenio's back! Great to see him smile after years of not winning the title. Better yet you have to feel great for those girls. Madison Slagle has showed all season she has the potential to take over a game. She's quite a player. They will face Odessa Montour from Section IV next weekend.

SPECIAL NOTE:
After recent off court and off ice incidents, all of which have been well documented and don't need to be brought up again, let me offer this: Attention all students and student athletes, stay out of situations that can put you in a bad position. Coaches and teachers have told me over the years that they tell kids this almost on a daily basis, yet we see young athletes make these mistakes over and over. Almost always the kids will likely say "can't happen to me." Yet after we see teams and players suffer for a bad decision made by a teammate, other still go out and make dumb mistakes.
As a sportscaster and a father, it makes me sick to see young people flush opportunties down the drain because they didn't take stock in the advise a coach, teacher or parent gives them. So, I'll say it one more time: If you are an athlete on one of the remaining teams, stay away from parties, booze, drugs and comprimising positions. Stop and think...is what I'm doing a good thing? If it's not, stop and run away. Don't just take this to heart for the remainder of the season....take it to heart FOR LIFE! Please leave your comments, I'd love to hear from you all!

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