The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Stockbridge Valley boys take on McGraw
STOCKBRIDGE » A 24-11 second quarter keyed a McGraw victory over Stockbridge Valley on Tuesday as the two schools squared off in a Central County League boys baskteball tilt.
Dakota Stauber poured in 13 of his team-high 15 points in the second quarter to ignite the McGraw’s offense in the 63-41 win.
Dylan Anderson led all scorers with 17 points for the Cougars in the loss, who took the court for the first time since December.
McGraw trailed 16-15 with five minutes left in the second frame after Andrew Renner drilled a shot from beyond the arc to give the hosts the advantage over the No. 13 ranked team in Class D basketball as per the New York State Sportswriters Association.
Coming out of the timeout, McGraw, a team that also had not played since the end of December, found its rhythm.
“We haven’t played a basketball game in I think two weeks,” McGraw coach Matt Martins said. “We weren’t doing the things we needed to do: box out, good passes, fundamental basketball. At that point in the game, there’s nothing to be mad at...We just needed to do the thingswe needed to do and relax onthe court. Once we were able to do that, the kids’ performance changed.”
Stauber knocked down a pair of free throws before netting a layup moments later. Anderson hit one of two fromthe charity stripe on the host’s next possession, but Stauber buried a 3-pointer to answer for McGraw and push the
visitor lead to 22-17. Tyler Card followed with a steal and a lay-in for a 2417 McGraw lead, prompting a Stockbridge timeout.
“The beauty of this team is that we never know who the guy is going to be,” Martins said of Stauber’s offensive performance. “He took advantage of every opportunity, hit some shots, did a lot of good things offensively, but that’s not to say it won’t be someone else tomorrow.”
Out of the stoppage, Anderson found rare breathing room in the paint for a quick bucket to cut the McGraw lead back to five at 24-19, but it was as close as the Cougars would get to the Eagles. Stauber hit one of two from the line before finding Chris Pickert for a chip-shot down low to grow the visitor lead to 27-19. McGraw capitalized on a Stockbridge turnover moments later, and Stauber converted an and-1 play with 58 seconds left in the second quarter for a 31-19 advantage before hitting a two-point buzzerbeater to end the half.
McGraw’s offense continued to find success in the third quarter, open- ing the second half on an 11-3 run to put the game out of reach for a Cougar’s squad that lacked a deep bench to keep players fresh while dealing with the Eagle’s hounding, full-court pressure.
“They are a really good team,” Stockbridge Valley coach Rob Renner said. “I don’t have the guys to sub in there and give those guards a break when they need a break; it’s really tough.”
McGraw’s full-court defense is a new strategy for the Eagles, one Martins finds invaluable.
“That gives us the ability to stretch the floor out defensively for us and create turnovers in games where turnovers and baskets count most. When we are able to get turnovers and transition baskets, that is an immensely helpful opportunity.”
With the win, McGraw improves to 10-1 on the season and 5-1 in league play.
The Cougars fall to 1-6 on the season and 0-3 in the CCL. ing the thickness of ice can be done easily with an auger or ice spud at various spots.
Feb. 18 and 19 have been designated as a free fishing weekend. The requirement for a fishing license is waived during this period. The free fishing weekend is a great opportunity to try ice fishing for the first time and for experienced anglers to introduce their friends to the sport. Beginning ice anglers are encouraged to download the Ice Fishing Chapter of DEC’s new I FISH NY Beginners’ Guide to Freshwater Fishing for information on how to get started ice fishing. Additional information, including a list of waters open to ice fishing, can found on the DEC ice fishing web page and the Public Lakes and Pondsmap.
Ice fishing is essentially a simple sport and for generations the only things required were a spud or auger to cut holes, a strainer to remove chips or slush ice, a pail to sit on and jigs or tipups. Today it has evolved with many serious anglers using Clamshelters, gas powered augers, and electronic depth and fish finders .
Most anglers use live bait on tip-ups for walleye, trout, or pike and jig small lures for panfish. Current law requires anglers to use only certified disease-free bait fish purchased at a local tackle store, or personally collected bait fish for use in the same water body in which they were caught.
Before the recent thaw, many anglers were reporting good catches of perch or panfish on the bays of Oneida Lake as well as some other area waters. On Oneida Lake traditionally the “early ice” is best. Usually fishing action starts in east end (North Bay, Lewis Point) and continues westward and deeper as the winter goes on.
ShortCasts
NYSWinter Classic Tournament 2018: The NYS Winter Classic Fishing Tournament is now entering its fourth season and is expected to drawmore than 1,000 anglers into competition this winter. The statewide event includes all waterways of NY State (ice, open water, rivers & streams, etc.), allows anglers to use any legal angling methods, includes 7 main categories of fish, incorporates over 60 weigh-in locations), and this year’s prize pool is now over $60,000 in sponsored cash and prizes.
Some of the highlights of this year’s event include: Grand Prize Award prize pool includes a cash award, Aqua-Vu HD 10i Pro underwater camera system, and a Fish Mount fromHirsch Taxidermy. The drawings and additional door prizes will take place at the dinner awards ceremony in February. There are additional prizes including weekly and monthly prizes, special categories for female and youth anglers, and specific species.
Anglers can register online off of the website (www. NYSwinterclassic.com) or at most weigh-in locations. Additional information for the Winter Classic event can be found at: www.NYSwinterclassic.com. Contact Tournament Director Tim Thomas at (585) 330-0494 or info@ fksportfishing.comwith any questions or inquiries.
Rogers Winter Living Celebration: The 40th annual Winter Living Celebration will be held at Rogers Environmental Education Center in Sherburne on January 20. Hours will be 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to be a “human bird feeder,” make crafts in the Bird Cabin, view Forest Ranger and ECO demonstrations, take a horsedrawn sleigh ride, andmake s’mores over a campfire. Refreshments will be available to purchase. There is no charge to attend but donations are accepted.