A tremendous weekend of sectional, state success
Section II teams and athletes pull off big accomplishments during winter sports playoffs
Whether it was sectional basketball contested in Troy and Glens Falls or various state championships held throughout the state, last week proved to be an eventual and fruitful week for Section II athletics.
The Alpine and Nordic skiing championships conducted Feb. 27-28 at Bristol Mountain netted area competitors three individual titles and a pair of state team championships.
Monday, Queensbury earned Section II its first winter state championship when Ben Jenkin captured the 7.5-kilometer race. A day later, Shen’s Nordic relay squad of Iris Wiedman, Courtney Krawiecki and Raquelle Landa secured the state championship with a time of 24 minutes, 19.2 seconds.
Tuesday also proved to be a stellar day for area Alpine skiers as state giant slalom titles went to Section II competitors as
Ballston Spa’s Cole Evans won his first race ever and Shenendehowa’s Micaela Leonard prevailed in the girls’ race.
There were 12 sectional champions crowned in boys’ and girls’ basketball with some excellent stories to go around. I selected nine out of 12 correctly, although we
didn’t publish prediction columns this winter. Both of the Class CC/C playoff games were illuminating.
How about we start with two A-list title performances turned in Friday night at Hudson Valley Community College. Averill Park earned its ninth consecutive Class A sectional title, and 14th since 2006, with a 62-49 decision over Catholic Central. Junior forward Taylor Holohan (21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals) collected her second straight tournament Most Valuable Player award.
As good as both Holohan and senior defensive stopper Bailee Lange have been in their roles this season, it has been the evolution of junior guard Tatiana Tune, sophomore guard Arianna Verardi and Kayleigh Ahern that once again has the No.
2-ranked Warriors (21-2) looking like a viable threat to win a second straight state championship. Early prediction: Averill Park will bring back Sean Organ to coach the team again for the 2023-24 season.
Following Averill Park’s win, second-seeded Albany took the court at HVCC and avenged a 17-point loss to top-seeded Bethlehem 57-49 to lock up a another Class AA championship. Senior forward Shonyae Edmonds, like Holohan, landed a well-deserved second MVP award in a row. Sophomore point guard Azera Gates was magnificent at both ends of the floor for Falcons as coach Decky Lawson had his team primed and ready once again for the team’s three most important games in Section II competition.
There were four boys’ basketball title games Saturday at Cool Insuring Arena and what occurred during the second and third championship games still has people buzzing about what took place.
Top-seeded Amsterdam amassed a 17-point advantage over third-seeded Troy late in the second quarter. The Flying Horses were teetering on the brink of being blown out. Instead, Troy methodically shaved the deficit down and found itself in overtime. Two extra four-minute sessions would be required before the Horses emerged with a thrilling 72-68 triumph.
Eighth-grade guard Stetson Merritt scored 23 points in the win and landed the tourney MVP award and junior guard Terrance Clark found a multitude of ways in helping rally the Flying Horses as he finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots. The joy in the celebration for both coach John Killian and his players proved quite memorable. The team many wrote off authored an incredible playoff journey that continues Wednesday in Syracuse vs. New Hartford.
Green Tech, looking to go back-to-back as Class AA champs, trounced Christian Brothers Academy 72-36. Two months ago, CBA edged the Eagles 47-43 in double overtime. Saturday, Green Tech led 41-19 at intermission and shot 51 percent overall for the second straight game.
Not only did Green Tech outrebound CBA 48-24, the Eagles limited the Brothers to 10 field goals in 43 attempts and the No. 2 seed registered just one assist. Head coach DJ Jones led his squad to the top of the classification after his squad split its first 14 games. The Eagles head to Syracuse Saturday for a state quarterfinal game against Liverpool riding a 10-game winning streak.
The first game at CIA saw Catholic Central capture the program’s first sectional title since Don Bassett led his 1981 squad to the Class A championship as the Crusaders defeated Glens Falls 73-59. The state’s second-ranked squad, as it has been throughout the season, was led by a pair of ninth-graders in Darien Moore (27 points, 13 rebounds) and Sei’mir Roberson (21 points). The Crusaders appear poised to challenge for a state title.
Both basketball teams from Duanesburg captured Class C championships (the second straight for the girls and the first for the boys). Neither team, however, was able to win their Class CC/C playoff games. Friday at Hudson Valley Community College, Greenwich played without standout guard Adrianna Rojas and managed to produce an impressive 51-44 win against the Eagles, led by freshman guard Brooke Kuzmich. The Witches are now 24-0.
Sunday at Cohoes High School, Chatham, fresh off its exhilarating 58-56 Class CC title victory Friday over Stillwater on a 3-pointer by Anthony O’dell, delivered a masterful job of attacking and achieving positive results against a Duanesburg squad paced all season by its defense in a 61-49 decision. It was the first loss in 25 games for the No. 1-ranked Eagles, and the win propels the Panthers into the program’s first playoff game against the likely new No. 1 team in Moriah (22-0). The Vikings won have nine straight Section VII titles.
Thursday, Albany Academy for Girls put the finishing touches on its first sectional championship with a superlative second half to register a 64-36 victory over Catskill in the Class B final. The Bears (23-1) outscored the Cats 36-15 after intermission and ended the fabulous scholastic career of Catskill senior star Janay Brantley.
The state indoor track championships were held again at Staten Island’s Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex. Brashir Primleau, a senior from Albany Academy, hoped to win in the 55-meter hurdles. He did not as he finished second, but Primleau still came home with a state championship as he won the long jump (23 feet, 41⁄2 inches).
Taconic Hills junior Neil Howard, a multisport standout who won a pair of state outdoor titles in 2022, won in the pole vault with a height of 15-9. The other individual title came from Greenwich senior Keegan Collins, who won the girls’ weight throw (48-41⁄2).
There also were a pair of girls’ relay teams emerging from Ocean Breeze with state and Federation championships. Burnt Hills-ballston Lake’s 1,600 squad comprised of junior Samantha Torres, junior Cassidy Robleno, sophomore Alexandra O’rourke and junior Mia Paolino prevailed in 3 minutes, 59.02 seconds. The 3,200 squad from Saratoga Springs featuring senior Mckinley Wheeler, senior Sheridan Wheeler, junior Emily Bush and junior Alycia Hart won with a new state record time of 9:06.63.