Albany Academy wins Federation title
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. » The first lull in the celebrating was the moment that Albany head coach Brian Fruscio said it hit him. After winning the Class A Federation Championship on Sunday, Fruscio was all smiles celebrating with his team.
Then when he stepped away from it, he broke down into tears. His team’s 76-46 win over Walton High School (Bronx) was never in doubt. But to win it, then send off a senior class that includes one of the nation’s most-high touted prospects caused for a moment of reflection.
“I’ve been with these kids a long time,” Fruscio said, trying desperately to hold back on crying. “It means the world.”
The Cadets raced out to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter. They allowed zero Walton shots to go in during a third quarter in which Albany Academy outscored its opponents 28-3. August Mahoney lead the Cadets with 19 points, but Hameir Wright, the No. 27 player in ESPN’s Class of
2018 prospects, took home tournament MVP honors with 16 points.
It was the final high school game for Wright, who plans to attend prep school next year at Brewster Academy. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim was in attendance to watch him play. Wright was signing autographs for kids and talking to all the families of his teammates after the game. It was a big win for the team, but the underlying focus on Wright is undeniable.
“There’s a lot of things that I’m going to miss about being at Academy,” Wright said. “...I’m always excited to start a new chapter in my life. Some people are scared of change, I embrace it.”
With just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Fruscio took out Wright, Will Bennett (16 points) and CJ Mulvey (10 points). The three senior captains were playing their final game. As each of them exited, Fruscio gave them an extended hug, one-by-one with the crowd cheering behind them.
The Cadets, always a threat this time of year, were no guarantees to win this title. First they needed to defeat an Irondequoit team that finished the regular season 25-1. They did that, taking a 54-45 victory on Saturday. Then they came back to play again on Sunday, and it wasn’t even competitive.
“It really means a lot to us,” Bennett said. “Getting back here and then closing out the way we wanted. We couldn’t end it on a better note.”
By the end, the Fruscio was chuckling on the sideline as some of his reserves from the depths of the bench scored. Walton, lead by 15 points from Derek Smith, kept most of their regulars in the game, so they were able to make a run in a game that was long over.
As the final buzzer sounded, the players mobbed on the court in a dog pile. They were sad to see a season end, but they were able to go out on top.
“I was worried about a let down,” Fruscio said. “Worried about our guys thinking that, ‘We got this.’ When you know what, they’re kids. and we don’t have it. You’ve got to come out and do the things that we’ve done all year. I thought that they were able to do that.”