NCN SPORTS BLOG

Via Mike Sabini

Peekskill may have gotten off to a 10-0 start but had yet to play a solid game from start to finish and that is what Coach Lou Panzanaro was craving.

The Red Devils finally got that game in a 82-49 rout against visiting Our Lady of Lourdes Jan. 7.

“This is the game I’ve been waiting for,” Panzanaro said. “It was our best effort of the season.”

More importantly than the effort may have been the fact that star guard, sophomore Daquan Brickhouse, played after injuring his ankle two day earlier against St. Anthony’s.

“If someone has more guts, I don’t know who they are,” Panzanaro said of Brickhouse. “He’s phenomenal. That’s why he’s the leader that he is.”

Mookie Jones led Peekskill with 29 points followed by 18 from Darien Thomas and 12 from Karl Baker.

Elliot Watson, who also injured his ankle against St. Anthony’s, didn’t play against Lourdes. He’s day-to-day according to Panzanaro.

Croton’s Frank Dimaggio soars through the Pleasantville defense.

The Croton-Harmon Tigers (2-4), led by 19 points from senior shooting guard Ryan Sawyer, upset the Pleasantville Panthers (5-4), 58-54, in a League III-A match-up on Friday, January 4.

Down 32-20 at the half, junior guard Alex Judge led a second half surge, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Notes on the game

* I knew that at some point the Tigers would turn this season around — tonight was that point. Playing uninspired in the first half, the veteran Croton seniors fired the team up in the locker room. The result was a fiery brand of basketball, fueled by hustle, defense and transition. Frank Dimaggio and Ryan Sawyer were pesky as mosquitoes at an upstate New York lake house in July, recording a combined seven steals. Their perimeter pressure was too much for the Panthers to handle and ignited the second half turnaround. Pleasantville, without a defined slasher to alleviate the pressure, was forced to settle for awkward shots on the perimeter, resulting in a measly 22 second half points.

* Brandon Sileck and Pat Cooney made their presence known on the inside in the second half. Their determination and hustle was unbridled and resulted in a combined 16 rebounds and countless hustle plays to track down loose balls. At one point, following a scrum on the ground created by a sprawling Cooney, Pleasantville Head Coach Bob DelleBovi screamed to his players, “GET ON THE FLOOR!” It was at this point that it was clear to everyone in the stands: Croton was not losing this game.

* Coming into the game at 1-4, the Tigers were in a pretty dire situation. After losing some tough games to Tuckahoe, Lincoln Hall and Dobbs Ferry in the early portion of the season, the League III-A match-up against Pleasantville had a “must win” kind of feel to it. With nine of their final 12 games against league opponents, the Tigers needed a base from which to build off of.

* Sure, it was a real sold win, but the Tigers almost watched the opportunity fly right by. Pleasantville dominated in the first half, smothering the stagnant Croton offense and picking apart its zone. It wasn’t till Dimaggio started penetrating the lane and pushing the ball with some urgency that Croton came to life. Dimaggio’s seven third quarter points all came as a result of strong moves to the rim.

* Dimaggio’s ability to dissect defenses with speed and quickness allows Sawyer space on the perimeter — where he thrives as a pure shooter. In my opinion, Dimaggio’s emergence was the reason that Sawyer was able to get on track from downtown. Coming into the game, the sharpshooter had only four 3-pointers through five games, roughly an average of 0.8 per game. He connected on 1.8 three pointers per game last year. In my opinion, he needs to be back up at that average for Croton to be successful.

* Sileck has the athletic ability to launch 3-pointers, run the floor and rebound. All this talent is great, but on the relatively undersized Tigers, his size and leaping ability benefit the team most in the paint.

In homage to Croton for playing the MOST classic basketball song ever — David Barrett’s “One Shining Moment” — after the game, I dug up last year’s NCAA tournament “One Shining Moment” video.

It is beyond cheesy, but so perfect at the same time. Can you imagine one of these videos created for all the madness at the County Center? Neither can I.

Relive all the shining moments since 1997.

1) Briarcliff (9-1) – The loss to AA powerhouse Lourdes at the County Center is nothing to hang your head over. The Bears played hard and rallied back in the fourth quarter and a loss like this is sometimes the best medicine for a team because it shows them they have to work even harder to reach their ultimate goal of a Class B section title. Come February I think all of the County Center jitters will be gone.

The Bears got back to form in crushing Class B teams by beating Westlake 57-20 this week.

2) Mahopac (6-0) – After seeing Lourdes defeat Briarcliff in fairly decisive fashion, it’s obvious that Mahopac has their work cut out for them, but I definitely wouldn’t count this team out of any game after the start they have been off to. It should be clear right away how they will fair in a very tough league.

3) Ossining (7-4) – Ossining and Coach Ricci were down in Florida this past week, soaking in the sun, chillin’ with Mickey, and coming together as a team. I had to double check the score when I saw they defeated Osceola 62-6. It’s perfect timing for the team to be coming together as they get right back into league play when they return.

They dropped the next two in Florida, but had a nice win over Poughkeepsie to start the new year. Monster game from Alex Venuto with 22 points.

4) John Jay (4-2) – Anxious to see John Jay play soon, which probably will be against Yorktown on January 7. Should be interesting to see how they match-up with the likes of Lakeland and other teams in their league.

Knocked off Brewster in a tight one, 58-54. Emily Sanders continues her impressive play with 23 points.

5) Lakeland (2-5) – Had to bump the Hornets back into the top five after their convincing dominance of the Yorktown Tournament for the third straight year. The return of sophomore guard Kristen Pappalardo was the spark the team needed, and the defense, which is anchored by Tori Jarosz and Kerry Johnson in the middle, made life difficult for PV and Somers who were held to 33 and 28 points respectively in Lakeland’s two wins.

Lakeland is back on the rise and with the whole team back together they could be climbing the rankings quickly.

PV 50, JFK 40 - This game definitely surprised me. It was like watching a completely different JFK team. They just looked out of sync, could not knock down free throws (5-of-16 through 3 quarters, but went 7-for-10 in the 4th),didn’t get good looks at the basket, and turned the ball over way too much. With Briarcliff looming on Tuesday, they better get their act together asap.

Putnam Valley, on the other hand, has definitely gotten better as the season has gone on. They were not intimidated by JFK’s physicality and broke their press with ease. Lauren Minnerly had a solid game stepping into a starting role with 10 points and she played solid defense. They held JFK to four third quarter points. Amanda DeChent shot lights out knocking down four from beyond the arc. She finished the game with 14 points. Katie Geyer, who is becoming a formidable inside presence, added eight and Jackie Gallagher played a strong game at both ends of the court. She has a versatile game as she handles the ball well and can bang with the bigs down low.

 (left) PV’s Lauren Minnerly goes up for two of her 10 points.

  (right) JFK’s Amanda Vitteretti splits the Tigers defense.      

1) Peekskill (9-0) — Sophomore point guard Daquan Brickhouse, the MVP of the Slam Dunk, led the Red Devils to the crown with uncommon poise. So, the Patriots went 16-0 with a win over the underwhelming Giants. I informed Daquan of this after the win over White Plains in the finals and asked him if Peekskill had a chance to run the table like the Patriots.

“We could be the Peekskill Patriots, the ‘72 Dolphins. We are going to go strong this year,” he said.

Peekskill’s game against Long Island’s St. Anthony’s on January 5 will be another big time challenge in its quest for perfection.

2) Briarcliff (6-2) — It is very rare that a 1-2 record and seventh place in a tournament of eight teams is considered a success. But the Bears triple-overtime win over Stepinac and its strong play throughout the entire Slam Dunk can’t be ignored. This team will return to its league schedule an entirely different squad. Watch out Class B, you have been forewarned.

3) Lakeland (5-1) — In a return to the scene of last year’s heart wrenching loss to Peekskill, the Hornets picked up a quality win over Tuckahoe in the Slam Dunk challenge game. Lavor Morris is averaging 15 ppg over his last three, indicating he is becoming acclimated to the Hornets system. Quietly, the Hornets are becoming a top team in Class A.

4) Lincoln Hall (6-3) — The Hall have been off for quite awhile. Normally a second half team, the United will be fresh to make a run. Sir and co. open up at home against Briarcliff on January 8. The long awaited home game will bring an added energy, but will it be enough to pull off the upset of the season?

5) Panas (4-2) — Solid win over Sleepy Hollow is negated by puzzling loss to Yorktown. Next three: Peekskill, Ossining and Our Lady Of Lourdes are all big time league games. Going 2-1 would be ideal.

6) Kennedy Catholic (2-3) — All this downtime following the shocking loss to Greeley must be really eating at the Gaels. They will look to take out their frustrations on Fox Lane on January 3.

7) Croton-Harmon (1-4) — Lots of holiday downtime to rev the Tigers up for a turnaround in the second half. Prediction: Tigers get back on the map in Class B with a win over Pleasantville on January 4. Ryan Sawyer locks in from the perimeter and leads the Tigers to the upset.
Yorktown (2-4) — Nothing like winning your host tournament to kick start the season into a positive direction. The Huskers got revenge for a buzzer beating loss to Greeley in the semis and shocked Panas in the finals. Brendan Kurpis’ play brings flashbacks of former Yorktown baller/laxer Bob Catala — wide-bodied attack man that can get it done on the hardwood.

9) Mahopac (4-3) — Losing to North Salem by 23 points is tough to swallow, but the Tigers are an incredibly solid team with quality wins over Dobbs Ferry, Eastchester and Nanuet. Taking down Gorton on January 5 would set the Indians on a path toward making the playoffs.

10) Ossining (3-5) — Footballers — Drinks and Ward — should now be plenty rested. Time to start displaying the talent on the court.

11) John Jay (1-6) — Just a hunch, but I think that the Indians will have things sorted out in 2008 and make a run at finishing at .500.

12) Hen Hud (5-3) — Played Brewster close in a seven-point loss. Sailors get the privilege of traveling to Poughkeepsie for their first game of 2008. Not exactly the way I’d break in the New Year.

13) Somers (1-6) — Would welcome another match-up against Putnam Valley.

14) Putnam Valley (1-7) — Tigers will look to stop the bleeding of a seven game losing streak against Lincoln Hall on January 4.

Yes, the long awaited Peekskill vs. White Plains Slam Dunk championship highlight video is finally complete.

Enjoy.

 

 Flash Video [5:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Video highlights to come …

Enjoy Peekskill’s 13-point come from behind victory.

Shout out to Bryan Byrne for filming.

 

 Flash Video [4:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Instead of pounding away on this keyboard and giving my thoughts on the game, I decided to just cut this video up and get it on the web.

Enjoy.

 

 Flash Video [4:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The following rankings are as of 12 p.m. Tuesday, December 25.

1) Peekskill (6-0) — Not the most aesthetically pleasing win over Wings, but Mookie threw down an alley oop from Jamie Gooding in the final minute of play to please the jam-packed Peekskill stands. Sans Watts, the win looks even more impressive. Seeking revenge against Wings, who handed Peekskill its only loss in a 28-1 season two years ago, might foreshadow a rare perfect season in the ‘Skill. The Slam Dunk tournament from Dec. 27-29 is the Red Devils’ to lose.

2) Briarcliff (5-0) — Da Bears will get to prove their mettle on Westchester’s biggest stage at the Slam Dunk. Are they a legit top 5 team in all of Section 1? Taking on Jamesville-DeWitt in the opening round should be very telling. Section 3’s DeWitt, led by 6-10 Colgate bound Nick Pascale, is currently ranked second in the Class A New York State Sportswriters Association poll behind only Peekskill. I’d assume Garth Muratori would have a heck of a time trying to front him on defense.

3) Panas (4-2) — Rough loss to Poughkeepsie at home. Keeping it respectable against Peekskill on January 3 will be a moral victory in itself. Panthers will take some lumps as they navigate through the extremely difficult League II North, but they will be better for it come playoff time. Hence, I am already labeling them as a sleeper in Class A to make a playoff run.

4) Lincoln Hall (6-3) — The Hall — with Sir Aaron in early foul trouble — dropped a tough decision to Albertus, 58-46. Still, their early season record is probably better than most thought it would be. The United depend on Taylor and Johnney to provide the lions share of the scoring. If that doesn’t happen (like against Albertus) they are beatable. Finding a solid third option (Laquan Simpson/ Harry Pickney) would greatly enhance this team.

5) Lakeland (4-1) — Following the rough loss to Panas, Weltman’s crew has rattled off two-straight W’s over league foes Yorktown and John Jay-Cross River. Bumping up the intensity in practice and holding all his players accountable seems to have worked on the defensive end. After giving up an average of 60 ppg over the first three games of the season, Lakeland has relinquished a paltry 46 ppg over the past two.

6) Kennedy Catholic (2-3) — Historic collapse against Greeley —blowing an 18 point fourth quarter lead — and losing 67-63 is clearly a tough pill to swallow. The Gaels are in every single game, however, they have to start finding ways to finish them.

7) Croton-Harmon (1-4) — Three straight L’s for Coach Bill Thom’s squad. They showed heart against Dobbs Ferry, nearly coming back from an early 21-10 first quarter hole, but ended up falling, 72-68. Ryan Sawyer, Croton’s assassin from behind the arc, has only four 3-pointers in five games. In fact, the Tigers have only 20 total 3-pointers this season. In order to start stringing together some wins, I feel like they need to start heating up from downtown. That kind of makes this offense function.

Mahopac (4-2) — I didn’t see a 20-point loss against Lincoln coming — definitely thought they would have kept it closer or possibly won. Junior guard Mario Iuacone was a bight spot, scoring 17 points. He has scored in double figures in his last three games and leads ‘Pac in scoring with 12.7 ppg

9) Ossining (3-5) — Blowout 20-point win over Beacon is masked by lopsided 24-point loss to Peekskill. Jeff Ward has been quiet of late, averaging only 10 ppg over his last three games — well below his average of 17 ppg.

10) John Jay (1-6) — Slow beginnings and streaky play is becoming an all too consistent theme for the Indians. This team is too talented to be in the midst of a dismal six game losing streak.

11) Hen Hud (5-2) — Quality league win for the Sailors over Beacon. Notching another win against Brewster on Dec. 29 is imperative. Hen Hud’s strong start — which will diminish once competitive league play starts — shows that they would be a real threat in another league.

12) Yorktown (0-4) — You knew that Lakeland wasn’t going to drop two-straight to cross-town rivals. The Hornets took out their frustrations on ‘Town in the form of a 63-38 shellacking. Yorktown is still in search of its first win. January 5 against winless Carmel sounds like a good as time as ever.

13) Somers (1-6) — That win over Putnam Valley feels like eons ago.

14) Putnam Valley (1-6) — That win over Keio emits the same feeling as Somers’ win over PV.

I will have some material on yesterday’s Slam Dunk games (Peek vs. Hayes and ‘Cliff vs. JD).

There will just be a quick few thoughts and two highlight videos.

If you were trying to access the site before and weren’t able to, it is because the sever was down.

I apologize for the error.

Check back later for updates.