NCN LAX/BASKETBALL BLOG

Ossining’s Randy Stephens puts up a runner in the paint, while Yorktown’s Matt Fedro defends Friday at Horace Greeley High School.

1) Ossining (5-1) — Following Ossining’s convincing win over Yorktown in the first round of the Horace Greeley Tournament Friday, Greeley Head Coach Dave Fernandes walked over to Ossining Head Coach Khalid Sales.

“I haven’t seen an Ossining team play like that in awhile,” Fernandes said to Sales.

Yes, folks, Sales and co-Head Coach Ed Walker are commandeering a vintage Ossining squad in 2009.

So, what does it consist of?

Well, a boatload of faceless players who are virtually equal in terms of athleticism, defensive intensity and competitiveness. For Ossining, there isn’t much of a drop-off one through eight. As a result, they have the ability to absolutely smother teams on defense and run them into the ground in transition.

“We aren’t a big team, but we are a fast team, so if we get steals and push it ahead we can beat anyone,” junior 3-point-shooting maestro Cameron Davidov said.

For Sales, it starts off with preparation and ends with the will to work.

“The team is very balanced and we have a lot of different guys that can do a lot of different things,” Sales said. “They got off to a good start and are starting to buy in a little bit more.”

You’ve got me sold, coach.

2) Peekskill (2-1) — Peekskill’s 39-point loss to Long Island Lutheran was bad. Peekskill’s down-to-the-wire eight-point win over Yorktown Dec. 16 might have been worse.

“I feel just as bad as Saturday (after losing to Long Island Lutheran),” Panzanaro said after the 67-59 victory over the visiting Huskers. “We have to improve. The team is practicing hard, so I can’t fault their effort, but the knowledge and how to work together is not there yet.”

If not for Daquan Brickhouse (team-high 20 points) morphing into Mighty Mouse, the Red Devils lose this game. To Yorktown. In their home opener. Let that sink in for a second, folks.

So, what is the root of the problem? For starters, there’s a definite lack of players willing to get gritty inside. With Kenny Bradshaw in foul trouble, Yorktown’s Devon Mungin and Jacob Mercado completely controlled the glass.

“(Yorktown) was just punishing us inside,” Panzanaro said. “We have don’t have anybody that wants any part of it. Nobody has any desire to go in and mix it up with someone. They are just content with backing off and letting them have the ball.”

In the past, Peekskill has always had at least one blue-collar player on its roster. Do the names Darien Thomas, Malcom McDonald, Darnell Gordineer and Derrick Dennis ring a bell?

(Side note: If burly 6-2 power forward Donqutae Washington hadn’t transferred to Ossining, this issue would be solved.)

“I don’t know if we can fix it,” Panzanaro said of the rebounding problem inside. “We’ve done nothing but harp on it and drill it, but there’s no improvement. Until they decide that they aren’t going to settle for getting pushed around, it’s going to be a problem.”

The Red Devils have had a lot of time off since the Yorktown game. They will take the court again Dec. 28 in a matchup against Iona Prep in the first round of the Slam Dunk Tournament at the County Center.

If you recall, this is a rematch of last year’s Slam Dunk semifinals, which Peekskill narrowly won in overtime. Like against Yorktown, Brickhouse saved the day, turning in a career-defining performance.

If the other Red Devils don’t step up, he might not have a chance to do the same this time around.

“We have a lot to fix because we aren’t a good team right now,” Panzanaro.

Right now, Ossining looks like the best team in the North County. The two river rivals will get a chance to settle it on Lou Panzanaro Court on Jan. 20.

3) Kennedy Catholic (1-1) — Were you surprised that Poughkeepsie needed a game-winning 3-pointer to stave off the Gaels on Dec. 15?

Poughkeepsie Head Coach Brian Laffin was.

“(Laffin) came up to me after the game and said he was very surprised,” Kennedy Head Coach Frank Kelly said. “He thought we would be tough, but not that tough.”

Kennedy was tougher than a $5 steak, rallying back after trailing 17-2 and 19-4 in the first quarter. Coach Kelly said the Gaels lowered their heart rate, locked down in a zone defense and, more importantly, the Pioneers finally cooled off after making nine of their first 10 shots.

“For three-and-a-half quarters we beat them,” Kelly said. “I think if it went to overtime we would’ve had it.”

When you consider where Kelly learned his craft, the result against Poughkeepsie is a little less surprising. Kelly worked alongside high school basketball-coaching legend Bob Hurley at St. Anthony’s in Jersey City. He served as an assistant at St. Anthony’s for one year and had been attending the Friars’ practices for years.

“That level of basketball is second to none at the high school level,” Kelly said of his time at St. Anthony’s. “The way we played was second to none. We played in all of the arenas. I try and bring that kind of intensity and preparation to these kids.”

Thus far, it looks like Kelly has been successful infusing a little bit of St. Anthony’s into Kennedy.

With that said, I have a feeling Kennedy’s not done surprising teams in ’09 — even if it really isn’t a surprise.

4) Briarcliff (4-2) — After Pleasantville’s Robbie Delle Bovi banked in a 3-pointer as time expired in the third quarter to give the Panthers a 42-26 lead; Briarcliff had every reason to throw in the towel.

But they didn’t, rallying back to outscore Pleasantville 26-16 in the fourth quarter before falling by a final of 58-52 Friday at neutral Pace University.

“A lot of teams would have been like, ‘Oh, forget it,’” Briarcliff Head Coach Matt Evangelista said. “The kids could have quit, but they kept fighting and worked.”

The Bears’ resurgence was triggered after they switched from a zone defense to man. Also, it didn’t hurt that Pleasantville point guard Nolan Robinson got into foul trouble and was relegated to the bench.

Needless to say, Briarcliff has to feel pretty, pretty, pretty good about playing such a tight game with the overwhelming Class B favorite. Not to mention, they were sans their best player in Najee Forte (slated to return in January from a torn ACL).

Forte led the Bears in scoring last year with 17 ppg, so logic dictates that Briarcliff should be able to makeup a six-point difference in the Feb. 3 rematch at home.

Not so fast, tough.

“It will depend on how we keep improving as the season progresses and how our chemistry holds up with Najee integrating himself back into the lineup,” Evangelista said. “We know can play with them and we can defend them. We can build off of it as the year goes along.”

5) Yorktown (0-2) — Junior guard Jordan Moody is a must-watch talent.

How do I know this? Most players don’t just bring the critical Red Devils fanbase to its feet. Moody, however, elicited a raucous reaction following his one-handed slam-dunk in an encouraging eight-point loss at Peekskill Dec. 16. Oh, yeah, he also poured in a career-high 24 points.

Now, for some less encouraging news: Moody re-injured his ankle — which he tweaked against Peekskill — in the third quarter against Ossining. He sat for the rest of the game, watching Ossining pull away for a convincing win.

“(Moody) is not healthy right now and we are going to have to make a decision on him real soon,” Head Coach Steve Veteri said. “I don’t know what we are going to do yet. We have to figure out what’s wrong because something is wrong. He looked good and felt good, but I don’t know what happened.”

While a Moody-less Yorktown could be in serious trouble, they can’t just press pause on the season. Life isn’t like a DVR.

“Our guys have to know that we still have 11 players and we have to play basketball,” Veteri said. “But I’m not upset at them. I just want them to keep working.”

The Huskers will throw on their hard hats and battle Iona Prep B in the first round of the 13th Annual George Budries Yorktown Basketball Memorial Tournament Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. Sleepy Hollow and Greeley will square off in the other first round matchup at 1 p.m. The winners will play in the championship Dec. 29 at 7 p.m., while the losers will matchup in the consolation at 3 p.m.

6) Lakeland (3-3) — Head Coach Henry Weltman has been lamenting his team’s youth and inexperience. After Saturday’s deflating loss to Brewster in the Walter Panas Tournament finals, I think it’s time to start listening.

But that doesn’t mean it will be an excuse.

“We lost six of our top seven players and we have a lot of inexperienced kids, but that’s not going to be an excuse anymore,” Weltman said. “The reality is that we played six basketball games and three scrimmages. I have another scrimmage during the break and then I have my league. So there are no more excuses. The bottom line is that now we will see what happens in January.”

The Hornets have a nice core trio in Chris Fazio, Chris Salvo and newcomer Alex Perlman. But the rest of the team is kind of a mystery. We know that Matt Pihota can shoot (game-high 24 points against Rye) and Melvin White has the size to be a difference on the blocks, but can all these parts work in unison?

If Brewster showed Lakeland anything, it’s the value of playing team basketball.

7) Panas (4-3) — The Panthers won two games in all of 2008. Following a thrilling 53-52 victory over Rye in the consolation game of the Walter Pans Tournament Saturday, they have doubled that win total.

Freelancer Mike Sabini was on hand for it and spoke to Panas head Coach Shawn Sullivan after the game.

“It (winning) was huge,” Sullivan said. “After going through last season (winning just two games), one of our first goals of the year was having a winning month in December, and this made our record 4-3. I hope the guys are getting some confidence. It kind of feels like we are moving in the right direction and it feels better having two weeks off after a win than a loss.”

8) Lincoln Hall (1-3) — The United are scuffling a bit out of the gate, falling to 1-3 after an 84-68 loss at Poughkeepsie Thursday. But consider the opponents they have fallen to: Sleepy Hollow, Woodlands and Poughkeepsie. All three of those teams should be making deep runs in the sectionals.

Mark your calendars for Jan. 6, as Lincoln Hall battles Kennedy Catholic after renewing the rivalry last season. The atmosphere for this one will be palpable.

9) Croton-Harmon (4-3) — Losing to a talented Dobbs Ferry squad is nothing to get down about. Head Coach Bill Thom will have his Tigers playing on another level when they come back from a two-week hiatus.

10) Somers (6-1) — The sky isn’t falling, so don’t brace for cover.

The rumors are true: For the first time since the Matt Suraci-era, long-suffering Somers has a real basketball squad. Former Tuskers baller and co-worker Rob DiAntonio verified it, witnessing the Tuskers wipe the floor with Westlake Friday.

After winning a combined four games the past three seasons, Somers has already won six — SIX! — in 2009.

While the back-from-the-dead resurgence is impressive, the competition hasn’t exactly been the hardest. If the Tuskers can win on the road Jan. 12 at Harrison — another team that’s unexpectedly decent this season — I’ll be 100 percent sold on their legitimacy as a potential Cinderella.

Right now, I’m more at like 65-70 percent sold.

11) Hen Hud (2-2) — The Sailors have been inactive for longer than Greg Oden. Their last game was against Valhalla Dec. 11. A Jan. 6 matchup at Croton-Harmon will be a good indicator as to where Hen Hud’s season is headed.

Briarcliff’s Conor Murnane, seen here against Panas’ Jerry Jackson in the finals of the Briarcliff Booster Club Tournament, is a big reason the Bears are off to a 4-1 start.

1) Peekskill (1-1) — I seriously can’t remember the last time the Red Devils were literally destroyed, which was the case in Saturday’s 39-point loss to Long Island Lutheran. Despite the loss, Daquan Brickhouse managed to score a team-high 16 points.

Peekskill hoops guru Mike Sabini was on-hand for the game and got some great insight from Head Coach Lou Panznaro.

Basically, LI Lutheran was able to excel in the half-court offense, going 9-for-12 from beyond the arc. Peekskill — a team synonymous with transition basketball — never flicked the safety off its run-and-gun offense. Per Sabini, Panzanaro said the Red Devils had “no counter.”

The solution? More full-court pressure.

“We have to work on our full-court pressure because when we started falling prey to their half-court shooting, we couldn’t extend, there was nothing we were ready to do today,” Panzanaro said. “We kind of thought we were going to sit back in a half-court defense and run transition basketball, but that’s not the type of team we are. We have to exert pressure on the ball.”

In addition, Peekskill struggled on the boards. Kenny Bradshaw (eight points) was the lone bright spot, pulling down 17 rebounds. Panzanaro hinted in the preseason that rebounding could be a problem. How underrated does the graduated Darien Thomas look right about now?

The Red Devils will look to rebound — figuratively and literally — in their home opener against Yorktown Dec. 12.

2) Ossining (3-0) — Ossining is quietly off to a 3-0 start. Its most-recent victory — 75-70 over Lakeland on Dec. 8 — was the most impressive.

Quarterback-turned-small-forward Lemar Johnson led the way with a team-high 17 points. Ollie Lee Holmes also had a breakout performance, pouring in a season-high 16 points.

I’m gunning to see this unit Dec. 18 in the first round of the Greeley tourney. Ossining is slated to square off against Yorktown. Ironically, Ossining could be this year’s version of the 2008 Huskers. The favorable schedule will certainly help the cause.

3) Kennedy Catholic (1-0) — Rookie Head Coach Frank Kelly opened his career with a solid win over visiting Mahopac Saturday night.

Per co-worker Rob DiAntonio, the Gaels have a pair of talented players in point guard Joe Smith and forward Dan Healy.

Well, at least we know Kennedy’s players are up to snuff. Too bad the same can’t be said for its home-court. For the second time in two years, the Gaels had scoreboard malfunctions.

Leading 23-14 midway through the second quarter, Kennedy was in cruise control, employing suffocating full-court pressure. And then midway through the quarter the shot clock broke, resulting in a 20-minute delay. Translation: Say goodbye to the momentum, Gaels!

Coach Kelly admitted to Rob that it “killed” his squad and aided a weary Mahopac team.

Now, if this were a one-time occurrence, I would understand. Sadly, that isn’t the case. Back in the 2007-08 season, the same thing happened. Matched up against Fox Lane in the second to last game of the regular season, the scoreboard clock repeatedly malfunctioned, resulting in repeated delays. After flickering off a fourth time early in the first half, someone finally pulled the plug.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

“It prevented everyone from getting in a rhythm — even Fox Lane,” former Kennedy star Edmund O’Connell said after the game.

Kennedy went on to lose the game 55-44. But they lost more than just that, falling from a potential No. 3-seed in the Class A sectionals to a No. 6-seed. And that led to a first-round exit at the hands of Pelham.

Luckily for Kennedy, this year’s electrical problems didn’t result in a loss. But why even take the chance? It’s time to fix the problem, folks.

4) Lakeland (2-2) — “You guys have got me ranked way too high!” Head Coach Henry Weltman joked Sunday evening.

Judging by Friday’s result at Ketcham — an ugly 58-49 loss — the coach might be right. Chris Fazio (23 points) scored nearly half the team’s points, which generally isn’t a winning formula.

Lest we forget, the Hornets were without do-everything guard/forward Chris Salvo, who was sidelined with knee tendonitis. If Fazio is Lakeland’s Michael Jordan, Salvo is Scottie Pippen. Through three games, he is second in scoring with 16 ppg.

“I definitely need a healthy Salvo — there’s no doubt about it,” Weltman said. “Salvo is having an excellent start. He plays defense, rebounds, takes the ball out, brings the ball up and scores.”

Weltman said he doesn’t expect Salvo to return for this weekend’s Panas tourney, but he will likely be back after the winter break in January.

Compacting Salvo’s absence was the fact Lakeland missed 19 foul shots, including a worrisome 13 in the fourth quarter. Look no further than John Calipari’s 2007 Memphis squad to understand the importance of free throws.

“As badly as we played, it came down to all those foul shots missed,” Weltman said. “If we would have taken care of business at the foul line, we would have had a shot at winning the basketball game.”

The Hornets open up the Panas tourney against Rye Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. If you recall, the Garnets upset Lakeland in this very game last season. But Lakeland Hornets sought redemption when it counted most, bouncing Rye in the Class A sectional semis at the County Center.

Without Salvo in the lineup, this one could be a tossup.

5) Briarcliff (4-1) — Unlike this drama queen, the Bears didn’t feed into the hype of star guard Najee Forte’s absence. Forte is expected to return from a torn ACL after Christmas. But Christmas has apparently come early in Briarcliff.

Currently saddled with a 4-1 record, the Bears were calculated and business-like in Saturday’s rout of Panas.

Head Coach Matt Evangelista didn’t go as far as to say he knew they would have this kind of a start, however, he got an inkling as the preseason crept into the regular season.

“It was hard to know what to expect,” Evangelista said. “As we started to get into the practices and I saw our length — Danny Collins (6-3), Timmy Blair (6-5) and Conor Murnane (plays big at 6-1) — I thought that we could be pretty good. We played well in some scrimmages. I saw what we were capable of and thought we could be good before Najee came back.

“These kids took it on as a challenge. They didn’t want it to be that Najee had to come back and save them kind of thing. They wanted to be able to survive on their own. When he comes back, he can be another weapon that we have. That’s the kind of way they’ve approached it.”

Despite the success without Forte, Briarcliff could really use him for a Dec. 18 matchup against highly touted Pleasantville at Pace University.

“Hopefully we can keep it close and maybe steal it at the end,” Evangelista said. “That’s what it’s going to have to be. There’s no blowing them out, but they could blow us out.”

6) Panas (2-2) — In a way, the Panthers’ boundless athleticism almost hurts them. Guys like Jerry Jackson, Brian Daniels, Chuck Grant and Jeff Good rely too much on their springy legs to defend, knowing there will always be a window to make a play. As a result, they are oftentimes out of position.

“We are not in the right position, so instead of moving our feet we reach in,” Panas Head Coach Shawn Sullivan said after Saturday’s ugly loss to Briarcliff.

Briarcliff, a team that relies on fundamentals over athleticism, proved which is the more successful method.

Daniels — Panas’ 6-4-freshman phenom — has all the tools to be great. Not good, great. First, however, he has to stay on the court, which he failed to do in the frustrating loss to Briarcliff. After failing to convert on a few early chances, Daniels lost his cool, mentally checking out of the game. In turn, the Panthers’ chances of winning went down the drain.

Here’s the bottom line: Panas needs Daniels to win games.

“Once (Daniels) makes a commitment to the defensive end and rebounding, we are going to be a really good team,” Sullivan said. “Until he does, we are going to be so-so.”

Regardless, it’s going to be exciting to watch the development of what could be the North County’s next budding star. With that said, it would be in Daniels’ best interest to keep it cool on the court, lest risking a flameout. And that could be the difference between being merely “good” and “great.”

7) Yorktown (0-0) — Yorktown’s season-opener is also Peekskill’s home opener. As if it wasn’t already an uphill challenge, the Huskers are facing a Red Devils squad that’s coming off an embarrassing drubbing at the hands of Long Island Lutheran.

Do you think Coach P will have his boys ready to play?

With that said, Steve Veteri, the Huskers’ main boss on the sidelines, will have his squad geared up, too. Don’t expect Yorktown to rollover, folks. It just isn’t in the Husker DNA.

Yorktown’s Jordan Moody held his own against Mount Vernon’s Jabarie Hinds — a Division 1 recruit — in the County Center last season, so it should be exciting see him go at it with Peekskill’s Daquan Brickhouse.

Following the matchup with Peekskill, Yorktown gets another toughie in the opening round of the Greeley tourney against Ossining. We are about to find out what Yorktown’s all about.

Correction: In last week’s Yorktown basketball preview, I mistakenly said Keith Thomas would become Yorktown’s first Division 1 basketball player since Art Smith. Steve Shaw, who graduated from Yorktown in 1971, went on to play for Syracuse. He was the sixth man back when the Orangemen — yes, before team names turned PC — advanced to the 1975 Final Four.

8) Lincoln Hall (1-1) — After opening the season at .500, the United have been laying low. But that will all change on Dec. 17, as The Hall travels to take on a talented Poughkeepsie squad.

9) Mahopac (1-2) — Despite sitting at below .500 and losing to Kennedy, the Indians possess quite possibly the most important trait: an undying work ethic. And Head Coach Kevin Downes knows it, admitting his squad fought tooth and nail against the Gaels before coming up just short.

With sharpshooting Ryan Wagner and a core of dedicated underclassmen, Mahopac won’t be coming up short for long.

10) Croton-Harmon (2-2) — Head Coach Bill Thom’s squad rebounded well from an 0-2 start, winning the Elmsford Classic this past weekend with victories over Tuckahoe and Hamilton.

Joe Tralli (six assists) led the way in the thrilling 74-73 OT victory over Tuckahoe, scoring a team-high 20 points. And he saved his best for OT, pouring in six points to seal the win. “(Tralli) kind of took over there,” Head Coach Bill Thom said.

Tralli had good reason to take it upon himself, as he missed a potential game-sealing FT at the end of regulation and over pursued a Tuckahoe inbounds pass that led to Sky Williams’ game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation. Coach Thom said Matt Tralli — Joe’s younger brother — laced into him before the start of OT, providing the necessary motivation.

Joe Tralli, Bobby Dusconi (15 points, 17 boards), Mike Ronci (eight points) and freshman Ian Thom (eights points, four assists) were also huge in the win.

The Tigers then disposed of Hamilton in the finals, 53-43. Playing with predominantly and underclassmen lineup, the Tigers controlled the pace and never lost control of the game. Dusconi led the way with 14 points, while Greg Carroll (seven points), Ian Thom (eight points) and Wes Turner (six points) all chipped in. Coach Thom also cited Julian Bonilla for his all-around strong play.

11) Hen Hud (2-2) — This much we know: size won’t be an issue for the Sailors. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about ball-handling ability and perimeter defense — two glaring issues I noticed in Friday’s loss to Valhalla.

If I were in Head Coach Steve Purcigliotti’s shoes, I would run a strict half-court offense and slow the pace to a crawl. Big men Mike Tandy and Dylan Stewart would post up all game. If successful, one of them would eventually draw early slides and doubles. Enter sharpshooter Bennett Zink, who would act as the team’s Rip Hamilton, constantly moving his feet to come off screens on the perimeter.

But T.J. Olesczuk would be the key to it all at point guard. If he could avoid feeding into an end-to-end pace, I really think the Sailors will start to rack up wins.

Then again, I could be completely wrong. After all, my job is to type on a keyboard — and last I checked that’s not the same as a chalkboard.

These rankings are as of noon, Jan. 27

1) Peekskill (14-0)

First off, a correction.

Mike Sabini, whose mind is essentially a Peekskill basketball Wikipedia page, alerted me that the Red Devils’ last home loss was not against Newburgh Free Academy in the 2006-07 season.

The loss was actually during the 2004-05 season against Spring Valley, 78-75, in the finals of the John Moro tourney. When I saw Coach Panzanaro at Friday’s Yorktown vs. Lakeland game, he told me Spring Valley beat them on a screen play at the end of regulation, which was still burned in his mind.

Speaking of Mr. 501-and-counting, his Wikipedia page was updated with the milestone. Yes, Panzanaro has a wiki page, which, in some circles, means you’ve made it.

But as it is every year, Peekskill’s ultimate goal is to capture its sixth state title — a ring for Panzanaro’s other thumb. To do so, they will have to get past upstate nemesis Jamesville-Dewitt (16-0), who is riding the state’s longest winning streak at 35 games. The Red Rams are the No. 1 team in NYS Class A rankings and are 30th in the ESPN Rise Fab 50 national rankings.

It’s almost like the roles from last year are reversed, as Jamesville has the highly touted Syracuse recruit in point guard Brandon Triche. It will be interesting to see how the Red Devils feed off the underdog role as they move toward a clash with JD.

Speaking of upstate updates, here’s a brief blurb on Mookie Jones: According to a Ryan Miller’s SU blog on Syracuse.com, Mookie will have season-ending hip surgery on Feb. 4. The article states that Mookie had been hampered by the hip injury since his junior year of high school. More importantly, Miller explains that Mookie will “probably” be granted a medical red shirt, meaning he won’t lose the year of eligibility. If he had played in two more games (30 percent), it would have been a lost season.

This is a perfect time for Mookie to go back in the lab and transform himself. Next year — when the masses have written him off — I expect big things. Don’t sleep on Mookie Jones in the next decade.

2) Mahopac (13-2)

Despite losing a one-point game to League I-C foe Arlington, Mahopac has already secured a share of the league title with John Jay/East Fishkill. If the Indians defeat JJEF on Feb. 4, they would win the league outright. Mahopac already took care of JJEF handily earlier in the season, so get your Michael Jordan celebration cigar ready, Indians.

That’s right, the Mahopac basketball team is on pace to win a league title. According to Head Coach Kevin Downes, the feat hasn’t been accomplished in over a decade.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you, as I succinctly remember saying, “Pac basketball is back.”

With that said, the task of maneuvering the Class AA playoffs is the equivalent of Kurt Warner sprinting past James Harrison around the edge. Mahopac actually reminds me a lot of the Arizona Cardinals. Downes and Whisenhunt are both young coaches, the Cards also hadn’t won a division title in forever (1975) and both squads play in a league/division that is an afterthought.

Downes said he thinks the top tier of Class AA — MV and NR — is clearly defined, but the rest is wide-open. Coming from the hinterlands league could actually work as motivation. Downes admitted that most Southern Westchester teams don’t take the Dutchess league seriously, which the Indians have used to fuel their fire.

Now, can they eventually blaze a Cardinals-esque path through the playoffs?

Right now, it’s best to concentrate on a potential championship match-up against Lakeland/Ossining in their tourney this weekend.

3) Yorktown (10-3)

“Win or lose, I’m just happy to be a part of this,” Coach Veteri said after the game. It was noisy and loud; it was a great place to be tonight. I felt like it was a college basketball game.”

It wasn’t a good job; it was a great job out of both schools.

Now, I have two things to mention.

First off, Tom Kelly deserves recognition for sinking those two free throws with 15.5 seconds left in regulation. He had a nightmarish meltdown against Scarsdale and redeemed himself in a big spot.

Second, the play of Keith Thomas can’t be understated. I was talking with former Yorktown player Brian Soirhando (’02) about Thomas at halftime.

“Never seen anything like it,” Soirhando said.

“Not around here — at least,” I said.

Thomas (pictured right) said he’s developing more trust in his teammates, meaning this could be the tip of the iceberg. After losing to New Rochelle in last year’s sectionals, Veteri admitted it was tough to compete with the athletes from the Southern Westchester schools.

Now, one has fallen into his lap.

“He should have been playing tonight with Mt. Vernon tonight in NYC,” Veteri said on Friday. “But I’m happy to have him here.”

The feeling is mutual.

“I like it here (Yorktown), it’s nice,” Thomas said. “I love my team.”

With Thomas, Yorktown has a legit chance to win its first league title since 1990. Yorktown and Lakeland are tied atop the league right now but have games remaining. Still, I think a Feb. 6 re-match at Lakeland will be for the league title. Can Yorktown do something they haven’t done in nearly two decades?

Here’s a little quote to build it up, which was given by Thomas in reference to Lakeland guard Gary Austin’s unreal third quarter.

“He is a strong player, but I just showed I’m a little stronger,” Thomas said. “And that’s it.”

4) Lakeland (11-2)

I warned people that Austen was an assassin. His third-quarter shooting performance against Yorktown was one for the ages.

It actually looked a lot like Coach Weltman’s son, Jason, circa 2002. I remember Jason going off from downtown in a huge upset over Peekskill.

Talking with Soirhando at halftime of the Yorktown game, Chris Fazio’s older brother, Tom Fazio, came over and remarked that he felt like it was high school all over again. Lakeland could’ve used Tom, who had a habit of sticking the knife in Yorktown’s heart.

As of now, Weltman is ready to move forward.

“We can’t dwell on this loss, it’s not worth it,” he said. “We only have one loss in the league and we are tied with Yorktown. We just have to get back to the drawing board and start all over again.”

5) Lincoln Hall (10-5)

Sir Aaron Taylor turned in a royal stat line — 19 points, 24 rebounds, three blocks and five steals — in a huge win over Briarcliff on Monday.

And he did it after overcoming a serious flu bug.

The Hall is 5-1 in their last six, monster-mashing through League III-A opponents. A loss to Pleasantville, who beat the United for the third time this year, was the lone hiccup.

“It’s a monkey on my back,” Head Coach Henry Taylor said of the struggles against the Panthers. “They just outwork us and do all the little things. Hopefully we won’t ever have to see them again.”

If Tysean Saigo (19 points against Briarcliff) can step it up on the defensive end, Lincoln Hall is going to be a tough out in the Class B playoffs.

Saigo reminds me of a Euro big man. He can shoot from the outside, handle the ball and flat out score. But for LH to come out of the insanely competitive Class B, he will need to add a little more David Robinson and ease up on the Pau Gasol.

“I still need [Saigo] to play a little better defense,” Taylor said.

6) Ossining (8-8)

The biggest enigma this side of Mississippi didn’t disappoint. Ossining escaped with a 64-63 OT win over Panas on Friday, as Jesse Drinks scored a game-high 19 points.

Will Coach Lonnie Drinks punch this team’s ticket to sectionals? He said they had to be competitive down the stretch to warrant a playoff appearance.

The final three games against Horace Greeley, Hen Hud and Cornwall have to be seen must-wins. Do you guys want your season to continue?

7) Croton-Harmon (8-5)

The Tigers ended a four-game skid with a solid OT win over Hen Hud. More importantly, Alex Judge (35 points) and Brandon Sileck (21 points) stayed hot. Combined with Coach Thom, these two kids are far too talented to let their senior season go by the wayside.

I envision some serious Tiger Pride down the stretch, as the Tigers growl their way to a 5-1 finish to the season. Remember, it was at almost this point last year that Thom’s crew turned it around.

And after I just watched the Nate Robinson single-handedly lead the Knicks over the Rockets, well, anything is possible.

8) Kennedy Catholic (8-7)

Did I curse the Gaels by pouring out copious amounts of ink on their behalf? It looks that way, as they dropped their third straight with a lopsided loss to Rye on Monday.

With an average of 43 ppg game in those losses, I’d say a serious shooting practice is in order. The Gaels cap off the season with five games against five high-quality opponents, so it’s effectively sink-or-swim time.

It is also time to burn the press clippings and light a fire, boys.

9) Briarcliff (8-7)

You have to like Head Coach Matt Evangelista’s playoff-coaching experience. Despite some struggles this season, I think the Bears start to peak as the season winds down.

10) Hen Hud (6-9)

For Hen Hud to play in League II-North and have this number of wins is, well, amazing.

In reality, the No. 5-11 teams in these rankings are all on the same level. On any given day, one could beat the other, making my job an utter nightmare.

11) Panas (1-13)

Hanging tough in a one-point OT loss to Ossining shows that the team isn’t quitting on Coach Sullivan.

— Isaac Cass