NCN SPORTS BLOG

Peekskill, NY–Mookie Jones (pictured below) entered the game with 1,234 points. It took him approximately three seconds to boost his total to 1,236, as he dunked home a one-handed alley-oop pass from Devon Beaufort. Jones continued to add to his total, going for 13 points in the first quarter alone and a game high of 28, as Peekskill defeated Sleepy Hollow, 81-55, in the second round of the class A sectional tournament.

Senior guard Michael Smythe also contributed to the Red Devils’ quick start, scoring six of his 12 points in the first quarter. Sleepy Hollow were unable to answer, as Jones clogged the lane, blocking three shots in the first quarter alone and four for the game. Before the Headless Horsemen could catch their breath, Peekskill had already built a 27-8 lead heading into the second quarter.

Sleepy Hollow showed signs of life in the second quarter, as their leading scorer, John Foreman, came off the bench. He immediately knocked down a three-pointer, cutting the lead to 29-11. However, his efforts wouldn’t be enough to overcome the sluggish start from his teammates.

Devon Beaufort led the charge for the Red Devils in the second half, scoring nine of his 16 points, including seven in the third quarter alone. Beaufort benefited from fast break lay-ups, which were set up by high-pressure team defense.

Peekskill will now take on number 12 seed Port Chester at the County Center.

Personal View

From the opening tip it was all ‘Skill. Mookie Jones put down an emphatic slam-dunk, elating the Peekskill fans while deflating Sleepy Hollow. Foreman, who was benched in the first quarter for unknown reasons, looked to be a player, but he’s not a miracle worker.

Mookie Jones turned in a prime time performance, which is expected of the 6’7 star swingman. He showcased a deft touch from behind the arc; draining two three-pointers. Not only is he physically versatile, but he is also mentally strong. When Foreman banked home a three-pointer (I didn’t hear him call glass), he jawed a bit with Mookie as he jaunted down the court. Mookie answered, coming back on the other end and drilling a pinpoint jumper from the top of the key. As he backpedaled on defense, he gave Foreman “the look.” Lincoln Hall star Sir Aaron Taylor shot a similar “look” during his team’s first round win over Bronxville. If I were a better cameraman, I’d have a picture of both of these, because they are Sports Illustrated cover worthy. Passion, intensity and any other meaningless adjective cannot equate to the feeling an observer gets when seeing the “look.”

This “look” is key in the playoffs, as players take their game to the next level, and the boys are separated from the men. Mookie, if you weren’t already aware, has established himself as THE MAN.

Mookie once told me that his game mirrors Phoenix Suns all everything forward Shaun Marion, which I thought was a fair comparison. However, after watching him a couple of times, I have to my own conclusion. He is the second coming of Tayshaun Prince. Watch a Pistons game, you’ll see.

Beaufort is effortless. He’s silky smooth brining the ball up the court and in transition, but can flex his muscles like iron when it comes time to finish around the hoop. If the Peekskill team was a song, he would be the bass line, thumping along, and keeping the team in rhythm.With Beaufort on the court, Peekskill is a thing of beauty. Also, gotta give props to the blow out he was sporting. It was Ben Wallace playoff-esque.

Happy Birthday Coach Panzanaro. What better gift to give the Coach than have the Peekskill gym renamed in his honor. Wait…why hasn’t this been done already? Well, there is now a movement in Peekskill trying to make it happen. Hopefully it comes to fruition, because there isn’t a single reason Panzanaro doesn’t deserve it. One would’ve thought he was the mayor tonight, as I tried interview him post game–while throngs of well wishers, fans and countless others mobbed him just to shake his hand and give a few kind words. Do the right thing. The guy figuratively owns the gym–now just make it official.

Game Photos

Post Game Audio

Prediction: Peekskill 76, Sleepy Hollow 59

I’m going to keep this short and sweet.

Mookie Jones drops 30 points and grabs 12 boards.

Expect the usual pictures, audio and insight after the game.

See you there!

In Inside the Athlete, the eye black will be washed away, and the pads will come off as NCN area student athlete’s answer questions completely out of the realm of sports. Enjoy.

MATT LIPTAK

Matt, #5, runs the show for the Huskers at PG. He has great court vision and a sweet jumper.

Q: What was the last book you read?

A: Cross by James Patterson

Q: What was the last album you purchased?

A: Lil’ Wayne

Q: What is your favorite subject in school?

A: Business management

Q: Can you cook?

A: Yes. I cook a mean grilled cheese

The first round of the sectional tournament has come to a close, and a fair amount of teams have been weeded out. Therefore, the county center graphic has changed.

Class AA—-2/21

• (8) Ossining @ (1) Mt. Vernon

Class A—-2/20

• (1) Peekskill vs. (9) Sleepy Hollow

• (2) Lakeland vs. (7) Tappan Zee

Class B—-2/21

• (1) Briarcliff vs. (8) Pleasantville

WHO IS GOING TO PUNCH THEIR TICKET TO THE COUNTY CENTER?

SPEAK UP

Class AA—-2/21

• (4) Ossining vs. (5) Scarsdale

Class A—-2/20

• (1) Lakeland vs. (9) Hen Hud
• (6) Somers @ (3) Pearl River

Class B—-2/21 

• (1) Briarcliff vs. (8) Hastings
• (5) Putnam Valley @ (4) Pawling

WHO WILL ‘WIN’ A TICKET TO THE COUNTY CENTER?

DISCUSS.

Men’s Basketball

Class AA Sectional Tournament

(5) Greeley 65, (12) Mahopac 62

Mahopac gave Greeley all it could handle, playing them right down to the wire. Jamie Cirocco was huge for the Indians, scoring a game-high 28 points, which included four three-pointers and 10 free throws. Mahopac finished 11-10 on the season.

(8) New Rochelle 62, (9) John Jay (CR) 45

John Jay kept it close through three quarters, only trailing by a score of 35-40. However, the Hugenots broke away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Indians 22-10. Sophomore guard Anthony Iacomini led Joh Jay with a team high 12 points.

(7) Ossining 76, (10) Gorton 49

Ossining senior Kenny Horton paced the “O” with a game-high 32 points and a season high 22 rebounds. Next up, Ossining faces the daunting task of playing (2) Mt. Vernon on the road.

Men’s Basketball

(5) Panas was upset by (12) Port Chester last evening in the opening round of the Class A Sectionals. Jordan Enriquez proved to be too much for the Panthers, scoring a team high 16 points in the win. John McElroy and Mike Pagan poured in 13 points apiece for the Panthers.

Yorktown, NY— The Huskers (11-10) jumped out to a 26-9 first quarter lead over the Foxes (9-13) en route to a 69-35 victory in the out bracket game of the AA Section I tournament. Yorktown’s scoring barrage started immediately, as junior center Ryan Markley (10 points) tipped the ball to senior PG Matt Liptak (9 points), who zipped the ball forward to a streaking Zach Reynolds (11 points) for the lay-up—Yorktown would never relinquish the 2-0 lead.

Markley punished the under sized Fox Lane front line early on, scoring six of the first 10 points with nifty low post moves and strong put backs on the offensive glass. He also spurred the stalwart defensive effort, swatting numerous Fox Lane shot attempts in the lane. Unfortunately, he committed his second foul with only 2:54 left in the first quarter and was forced to the bench. However, sans Markley, Yorktown didn’t miss a beat. They were able to go on a 13-0 run to end the first, highlighted by a deep three pointer by senior guard Dan DeMartini (16 points).

Liptak, the floor general, was the maestro behind the Huskers first quarter surge, dishing out four assists and finishing a brilliant back door play set up by Reynolds.

Fox Lane was able to gain some composure in the second quarter, where they were only outscored 13-10. However, the torrid start from the Huskers proved to be too large an obstacle to overcome. Yorktown guard Tom Kelly sealed the deal, coming off the bench and scoring a season high 10 points, all of which came in the second half. Next up, the Huskers will travel to North Rockland, where they will challenge the number three seed Red Raiders.

Personal View:

Did you hear that sound? Yes, it was the sound of my foot being stuffed firmly in my mouth. I predicted that Fox Lane would “out fox” the Huskers, but I was sorely mistaken. Yorktown dominated Fox Lane in every single aspect of the game—in fact, I think their bench players were even pouring water better than Fox Lane’s bench players were. It was game, set, match from the opening tip.

Markley proved that if a big body can’t match up on him, then he will take advantage. It was ludicrous watching him toy with the Fox Lane big men, pivoting his way to vintage hook shots and using his long reach to grasp numerous second shot opportunities. On the defensive end, his feet never seemed to leave the floor when contesting Fox Lane’s shots. If not for his early foul trouble, which he will CERTAINLY have to watch against the Red Raiders, and the Huskers big time lead, he could’ve went for a triple-double. Markley can’t afford to pick up fouls early on against N. Rockland, because he’s too valuable for the Huskers team on both the offensive and defensive end of the court. I feel like I have said this before, and I very well might have, but it bears repeating.

Liptak showed his ability to lead the team tonight, connecting with his teammates and handling Fox Lane’s press beautifully. He limited his turnovers and was the driving force behind the Yorktown effort.

DeMartini led the Huskers in scoring with 17 points. He has a good-looking middle range to deep game, and surely needs to be in the zone and connect on a high percentage of his shots tomorrow afternoon.

I’m going to be honest; I’m pulling for Yorktown to pull off the upset over North Rockland. It would be the best story Section I basketball has seen all year, and ‘Town deserves the headlines more than anyone. They play an unselfish, team-oriented brand of basketball, which is truly refreshing to watch. It was in stark contrast to the disorganized; one-man style Fox Lane played tonight, headed by the uber athletically gifted Williams at the point.

If Yorktown wins tomorrow, the stat sheet won’t read like a Richter scale measurement from a scale 5 earthquake. From player to player—it will be evenly distributed. But one look at the kids faces when they come off the court, win or lose, you will see what honesty and the human body pushed to the max look like.

Game Photos

Post Game Audio

(14)Yorktown vs. (19)Fox Lane @ 5 p.m.

I’ll be at the game.

The title of this game: Get a Chance to Play the Cream of Rockland County

If Yorktown wins, I might consider hitching a ride over the Tappan Zee to check them out again tomorrow night against (3) North Rockland.

(5) Lincoln Hall vs. (12) Bronxville is my other option.

Snow **cough**cough** ICE has fallen upon the region, freezing the Section I basketball tournament. All games that were to be played today are being moved to tomorrow. In the mean time check out this movie ———> The Ice Storm

However, if you are a player on either Yorktown or Fox Lane, you might be too focused on the mission at hand to watch a Kevin Kline drama.

Don’t fret, I’m here to help.

Isaac Cass’ Top Five Most Inspirational Movies (in no particular order)

• PREFONTAINE—One of the gutsiest American athletes—-movie also details the birthplace of Nike.
• HOOSIERS–This is especially timely for all the smallish suburban schools that will face the challenge of competing against the larger city schools in the coming days.
• ROCKY IV–Does it really need an explanation?
• FREE WILLY—GOTCHA!—RUDY–Watch “Sam” overcome the odds and hang with a Division I powerhouse. Also, key in on a rather plump John Favreau, he’s awesome in this movie.
• GLADIATOR–“Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here!?”