Thursday, May 27, 2010
Riders roll on in Sectionals
The top seeded Ichabod Crane Riders hosted eighth seeded Scotia on Thursday and although ICC starter Josh Ingham wasn't his normal dominant self on the mound and the early innings were close before all was said and done the Riders had pounded out 20 hits on their way to a 16-7 victory. The win advances the Riders into the Section II Class A Final Four and they will play Saturday in Amsterdam.
Scotia struck first as their second hitter launched a solo home run over the left field fence to give the Tartans the 1-0 edge. In the bottom half of the inning with two outs Derick Horn hit an opposite field double off the wall and Alex Mastrianni followed that up with an opposite field double of his own, scoring Horn and tying the game at one.
Scotia struck for another run in the second inning on a trio of singles and a fielder's choice to retake the lead. In the bottom of the inning the Riders again struck back and knotted the game at two. Phil Basile led off with a single to center and Tyler Harris moved him on with a single to right. Zack Albery laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position before David Winch brought home Basile with a sac fly.
Ingham settled down some in the third facing just four batters and giving up a single hit but in the bottom half of the inning the Riders offense continued to roll. With two outs the Riders mounted an offensive rally started by a Mastrianni single. Seth Williams and Basile each followed with walks to load the bases before Harris brought in two with a rip that took a tough hop and went off the face of the Scotia short stop.
Scotia clawed back to within one in the fourth before the Riders iced it in their half of the inning plating 9 runs on 9 hits highlighted by Josh Ingham's three run home run. The Riders added another in the fifth to push their lead to 14-3.
In the sixth Scotia picked up an out then notched back to back to back singles off Ingham. A pair of singles and a fielder's choice brought in four runs before Seth Williams came on in relief for the Riders. In the bottom of the sixth ICC added another two runs to cap off the win.
On the mound Ingham went 6 2/3+ innings allowing 7 runs, all earned, on 13 hits and a walk while striking out 5. Williams went 1 1/3 allowing 0 runs on 0 hits and 0 walks with 0 strike outs. With both Ingham and Williams handling the duties in game one it would now seem Alex Mastrianni will take the hill for game two for ICC.
At the plate Horn racked up two singles, two doublles, 2 runs and an RBI while Mastrianni had 3 singles and a double, 2 runs and 2 RBI. Ingham finished with a pair of singles, a homer, 2 runs and 4 RBI while Williams had two hits, a walk, 2 runs and 2 RBI. Basile added a hit, a walk, an RBI and 2 runs while Albery finished with two hits, a run and an RBI. Harris added two hits and a run while David Winch scored twice and drove in a run while Bryan Smith finished with a hit and a run.
Scotia struck first as their second hitter launched a solo home run over the left field fence to give the Tartans the 1-0 edge. In the bottom half of the inning with two outs Derick Horn hit an opposite field double off the wall and Alex Mastrianni followed that up with an opposite field double of his own, scoring Horn and tying the game at one.
Scotia struck for another run in the second inning on a trio of singles and a fielder's choice to retake the lead. In the bottom of the inning the Riders again struck back and knotted the game at two. Phil Basile led off with a single to center and Tyler Harris moved him on with a single to right. Zack Albery laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position before David Winch brought home Basile with a sac fly.
Ingham settled down some in the third facing just four batters and giving up a single hit but in the bottom half of the inning the Riders offense continued to roll. With two outs the Riders mounted an offensive rally started by a Mastrianni single. Seth Williams and Basile each followed with walks to load the bases before Harris brought in two with a rip that took a tough hop and went off the face of the Scotia short stop.
Scotia clawed back to within one in the fourth before the Riders iced it in their half of the inning plating 9 runs on 9 hits highlighted by Josh Ingham's three run home run. The Riders added another in the fifth to push their lead to 14-3.
In the sixth Scotia picked up an out then notched back to back to back singles off Ingham. A pair of singles and a fielder's choice brought in four runs before Seth Williams came on in relief for the Riders. In the bottom of the sixth ICC added another two runs to cap off the win.
On the mound Ingham went 6 2/3+ innings allowing 7 runs, all earned, on 13 hits and a walk while striking out 5. Williams went 1 1/3 allowing 0 runs on 0 hits and 0 walks with 0 strike outs. With both Ingham and Williams handling the duties in game one it would now seem Alex Mastrianni will take the hill for game two for ICC.
At the plate Horn racked up two singles, two doublles, 2 runs and an RBI while Mastrianni had 3 singles and a double, 2 runs and 2 RBI. Ingham finished with a pair of singles, a homer, 2 runs and 4 RBI while Williams had two hits, a walk, 2 runs and 2 RBI. Basile added a hit, a walk, an RBI and 2 runs while Albery finished with two hits, a run and an RBI. Harris added two hits and a run while David Winch scored twice and drove in a run while Bryan Smith finished with a hit and a run.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Classic battle as ICC outlasts Titans in extra innings
The Wednesday showdown between ICC and Taconic Hills was a rematch of a classic battle in Valatie last year and this year's game had even more on the line then just revenge for the Riders. A Titans win over ICC on Wednesday would give them the league title outright, while a Rider win Wednesday, would set up a showdown for all the marbles between these two teams on Friday in Craryville.
The game featured two dominant pitchers in senior Aleshia Link for Taconic Hills, the league's reigning MVP, and sophomore Erin Wadsworth for ICC. Although everyone knew pitching would be the key to this game, it ony took one inning to know neither ace would throw a no hitter and someone would have to come through at the plate. Kailynn Keeler broke up the Rider no-no in the top of the first with a two out double and in the bottom of the first Jenna Smith picked up a two out single, but neither hit resulted in a run.
Each team added singles in the second but again the runners were stranded. In the third the pitchers both retired their opponents 1-2-3 and in the fourth each team put a runner on, but again neither team could push a run across the plate.
In the fifth the Titans came the closest yet to plating the game's first run when Alexis McComb led off with a single but was forced out at second on a fielder's choice that allowed Michelle Link to reach base. Nicole Havlik followed up with a single of her own to put two on with just one out but the next ball was belted into right field where it was caught by Jess Van Alphen. Van Alphen then threw to third in hopes of gunning down Link who had tagged up from second, but while her throw was too late, third baseman Sarah Wheeler quickly scooped up the ball and threw down to second, catching Havlik attempting to get into scoring position and to end the threat.
The game remained knotted at zero heading into the bottom half of the inning when Lindsey Drumm reached base on an error. With one on and no outs the Riders looked to be in great position but the next batter struck out before Sarah Wheeler reached on a walk. The next two batters popped out and struck out to send the game into extra innings.
Wadsworth sat down the Titans in order in the top of the eighth and that was the last work she would have to do as her team came through in the bottom half of the inning. Reychel Webster led off with an infield single and stole second before an infield pop out. With one out Rider captain and senior leader Becca Smith stepped to the plate and belted a line drive into center field bringing Webster around for the game's lone run in a 1-0 Ichabod Crane win.
The win means both teams now sit with a loss apiece with one league game remaining, Friday, at Taconic Hills against each other with the league title on the line.
The game featured two dominant pitchers in senior Aleshia Link for Taconic Hills, the league's reigning MVP, and sophomore Erin Wadsworth for ICC. Although everyone knew pitching would be the key to this game, it ony took one inning to know neither ace would throw a no hitter and someone would have to come through at the plate. Kailynn Keeler broke up the Rider no-no in the top of the first with a two out double and in the bottom of the first Jenna Smith picked up a two out single, but neither hit resulted in a run.
Each team added singles in the second but again the runners were stranded. In the third the pitchers both retired their opponents 1-2-3 and in the fourth each team put a runner on, but again neither team could push a run across the plate.
In the fifth the Titans came the closest yet to plating the game's first run when Alexis McComb led off with a single but was forced out at second on a fielder's choice that allowed Michelle Link to reach base. Nicole Havlik followed up with a single of her own to put two on with just one out but the next ball was belted into right field where it was caught by Jess Van Alphen. Van Alphen then threw to third in hopes of gunning down Link who had tagged up from second, but while her throw was too late, third baseman Sarah Wheeler quickly scooped up the ball and threw down to second, catching Havlik attempting to get into scoring position and to end the threat.
The game remained knotted at zero heading into the bottom half of the inning when Lindsey Drumm reached base on an error. With one on and no outs the Riders looked to be in great position but the next batter struck out before Sarah Wheeler reached on a walk. The next two batters popped out and struck out to send the game into extra innings.
Wadsworth sat down the Titans in order in the top of the eighth and that was the last work she would have to do as her team came through in the bottom half of the inning. Reychel Webster led off with an infield single and stole second before an infield pop out. With one out Rider captain and senior leader Becca Smith stepped to the plate and belted a line drive into center field bringing Webster around for the game's lone run in a 1-0 Ichabod Crane win.
The win means both teams now sit with a loss apiece with one league game remaining, Friday, at Taconic Hills against each other with the league title on the line.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Some results and thoughts from Monday
I had a chance to catch action at ICC on Monday, and the baseball and softball games provided two thrilling contests and also the last time, at least for a very long time, that these two schools would meet in Patroon Conference action, with ICC moving out of the league next year.
SOFTBALL
Chatham at Ichabod Crane
This game was important for two reasons, Chatham could really use a big win over one of the top 2 teams in the league heading towards sectionals and for the Riders, a loss here would have meant they'd have to defeat TH twice later in the week to earn a share of the league crown.
Chatham struck first off sophomore left hander Jess Van Alphen when Karsyn Sawyer drove in Courtney Mesick in the first inning but Van Alphen settled in after that first inning and shut down the young Panthers offense.
Kayla Doty was in control much of the game for Chatham but in the sixth ICC finally got to the freshman and were able to plate two runs after a single, a bunt single over the head of the charging infielders and then a two run double.
This win keeps the Riders hope for an outright league title alive when they host Taconic Hills on Wednesday. A Titans win would give them a crown, a Rider win would put everything on the line in their Friday showdown in Craryville.
Van Alphen and Doty each went the distance and gave up five hits while Van Alphen struck out 8 to Doty's 7. At the plate Van Alphen helped herself from the leadoff spot picking up three hits. Chatham got offensive contributions from their big three of Sawyer, Mesick and lone senior Aimee Palleschi.
Hudson at Cairo Durham
Hudson has been very inconsistent this year, which is not a big change from the past few years even with a new coach. The Bluehawks have plenty of talent both at the plate and in the field but have struggled to put it all together. A big key for Hudson is beating the teams they are supposed to beat and on Monday they took care of that, defeating Cairo 3-0.
Emily Gaylord has been handling the pitching duties all season for Hudson and this was no different as she went the distance giving up just two hits to the one win Mustangs while striking out seven.
Hudson picked up just four hits in the win, but used those hits and three walks to score three runs. Catherine Sundheim picked up two hits for the Bluehawks while scoring a run and Lindsey Garafalo who has been the catalyst at the plate for Hudson drove in one.
Taconic Hills at Troy
While the rest of the Patroon Conference was busy with league play the Titans took advantage of their off day by playing a non league game at Troy. Playing against a larger school didn't hinder the Class B Titans as they took care of Troy 4-1.
Taconic Hills took the lead with two runs in the second inning and added another in the third before Troy struck for their only run of the game in the bottom of the third. In the sixth the Titans added the final run of the game. Aleshia Link showed she can be just as dominant outside of the league as she can in it, as she went 7 innings giving up just 3 hits, all singles, and 2 walks while striking out impressive 20 batters.
At the plate Alexis McComb picked up 2 hits including the game's only extra base hit with a triple while driving in 2 runs and scoring 1. Aleshia Link also picked up 2 hits while scoring 2 runs and Nicole Torchia added a pair of hits and a run. Alicia Kostszewski added a hit and a run while Janine Ham drove in one. Elysse DeRuzzio and Michelle Link each picked up a single apiece.
Germantown at Loudonville Christian
In a battle for sole possession of first place in the C.H.V.L. the Clippers defeated the only team to top them in the league this year behind the pitching performance of junior lefty Carissa Phillips. Phillips has not played a game this year until Monday when she took the mound and hurled a 2 hitter while striking out 6 in an 8-0 Clippers win.
Linda Gerlach picked up 3 hits for Germantown while both Lauren Fix and Patti Cameron had a pair of hits. One of Fix's two hits was a two run home run as well.
BASEBALL
Chatham at Ichabod Crane
ICC remained undefeated in the league with just games left after again coming from behind and defeating Chatham. Last week the Riders mounted a massive and improbable come back in Chatham and although Monday the deficit was only one, the come back was just as satisfying as the Riders won 2-1.
Chatham got on the board first scoring a run after in the third inning but ICC quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning when Josh Ingham was driven home by Derick Horn. The score remained knotted at one until Ingham again scored, this time being brought home by Alex Mastrianni.
Mastrianni went the distance for ICC giving up only 2 hits, a double to Nick Shaw and a single to Trevor Madsen, and an unearned run while striking out 6. Cody Hall went the distance for Chatham giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 5 walks while striking out 3.
At the plate Derick Horn picked up 2 hits and an RBI, Mastrianni had a hit and an RBI while Ingham had a hit and 2 runs scored in the win.
Hudson at Cairo Durham
Most expected the Hudson-Cairo game on Monday to be a close and hotly contested match up on Monday but the game did not live up to expectations as the Mustangs blew out Hudson 18-0. Hudson managed just 5 hits in the game.
Seniors Alex Ebel, Brad Holmes, Gareth Hobson and junior Nick Louckes combined on the hill for Hudson giving up 18 runs on 18 hits and 9 walks while striking out 6. All 5 of Hudson's hits on the day were singles and by five different players Talib Barksdale, Ryan Clark, Brad Holmes, Chris Parmentier and Jack Rigos.
Germantown at Loudonville Christian
The Clippers moved to 13-0 in the C.H.V.L. after an 8-6 win over Loudonville Christian on Monday. Thomas Griffin led the offense with 3 hits but the Clippers used a well balanced attack to score those eight runs. Class D seems very strong this year the but Clippers have to be considered one of the more dangerous teams heading towards sectionals.
On the hill Larry Niebling went 6 innings giving up 6 hits, only 3 earned, on 7 hits and 5 walks while striking out 3. Cody Broast pitched the last inning and earned the save.
SOFTBALL
Chatham at Ichabod Crane
This game was important for two reasons, Chatham could really use a big win over one of the top 2 teams in the league heading towards sectionals and for the Riders, a loss here would have meant they'd have to defeat TH twice later in the week to earn a share of the league crown.
Chatham struck first off sophomore left hander Jess Van Alphen when Karsyn Sawyer drove in Courtney Mesick in the first inning but Van Alphen settled in after that first inning and shut down the young Panthers offense.
Kayla Doty was in control much of the game for Chatham but in the sixth ICC finally got to the freshman and were able to plate two runs after a single, a bunt single over the head of the charging infielders and then a two run double.
This win keeps the Riders hope for an outright league title alive when they host Taconic Hills on Wednesday. A Titans win would give them a crown, a Rider win would put everything on the line in their Friday showdown in Craryville.
Van Alphen and Doty each went the distance and gave up five hits while Van Alphen struck out 8 to Doty's 7. At the plate Van Alphen helped herself from the leadoff spot picking up three hits. Chatham got offensive contributions from their big three of Sawyer, Mesick and lone senior Aimee Palleschi.
Hudson at Cairo Durham
Hudson has been very inconsistent this year, which is not a big change from the past few years even with a new coach. The Bluehawks have plenty of talent both at the plate and in the field but have struggled to put it all together. A big key for Hudson is beating the teams they are supposed to beat and on Monday they took care of that, defeating Cairo 3-0.
Emily Gaylord has been handling the pitching duties all season for Hudson and this was no different as she went the distance giving up just two hits to the one win Mustangs while striking out seven.
Hudson picked up just four hits in the win, but used those hits and three walks to score three runs. Catherine Sundheim picked up two hits for the Bluehawks while scoring a run and Lindsey Garafalo who has been the catalyst at the plate for Hudson drove in one.
Taconic Hills at Troy
While the rest of the Patroon Conference was busy with league play the Titans took advantage of their off day by playing a non league game at Troy. Playing against a larger school didn't hinder the Class B Titans as they took care of Troy 4-1.
Taconic Hills took the lead with two runs in the second inning and added another in the third before Troy struck for their only run of the game in the bottom of the third. In the sixth the Titans added the final run of the game. Aleshia Link showed she can be just as dominant outside of the league as she can in it, as she went 7 innings giving up just 3 hits, all singles, and 2 walks while striking out impressive 20 batters.
At the plate Alexis McComb picked up 2 hits including the game's only extra base hit with a triple while driving in 2 runs and scoring 1. Aleshia Link also picked up 2 hits while scoring 2 runs and Nicole Torchia added a pair of hits and a run. Alicia Kostszewski added a hit and a run while Janine Ham drove in one. Elysse DeRuzzio and Michelle Link each picked up a single apiece.
Germantown at Loudonville Christian
In a battle for sole possession of first place in the C.H.V.L. the Clippers defeated the only team to top them in the league this year behind the pitching performance of junior lefty Carissa Phillips. Phillips has not played a game this year until Monday when she took the mound and hurled a 2 hitter while striking out 6 in an 8-0 Clippers win.
Linda Gerlach picked up 3 hits for Germantown while both Lauren Fix and Patti Cameron had a pair of hits. One of Fix's two hits was a two run home run as well.
BASEBALL
Chatham at Ichabod Crane
ICC remained undefeated in the league with just games left after again coming from behind and defeating Chatham. Last week the Riders mounted a massive and improbable come back in Chatham and although Monday the deficit was only one, the come back was just as satisfying as the Riders won 2-1.
Chatham got on the board first scoring a run after in the third inning but ICC quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning when Josh Ingham was driven home by Derick Horn. The score remained knotted at one until Ingham again scored, this time being brought home by Alex Mastrianni.
Mastrianni went the distance for ICC giving up only 2 hits, a double to Nick Shaw and a single to Trevor Madsen, and an unearned run while striking out 6. Cody Hall went the distance for Chatham giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 5 walks while striking out 3.
At the plate Derick Horn picked up 2 hits and an RBI, Mastrianni had a hit and an RBI while Ingham had a hit and 2 runs scored in the win.
Hudson at Cairo Durham
Most expected the Hudson-Cairo game on Monday to be a close and hotly contested match up on Monday but the game did not live up to expectations as the Mustangs blew out Hudson 18-0. Hudson managed just 5 hits in the game.
Seniors Alex Ebel, Brad Holmes, Gareth Hobson and junior Nick Louckes combined on the hill for Hudson giving up 18 runs on 18 hits and 9 walks while striking out 6. All 5 of Hudson's hits on the day were singles and by five different players Talib Barksdale, Ryan Clark, Brad Holmes, Chris Parmentier and Jack Rigos.
Germantown at Loudonville Christian
The Clippers moved to 13-0 in the C.H.V.L. after an 8-6 win over Loudonville Christian on Monday. Thomas Griffin led the offense with 3 hits but the Clippers used a well balanced attack to score those eight runs. Class D seems very strong this year the but Clippers have to be considered one of the more dangerous teams heading towards sectionals.
On the hill Larry Niebling went 6 innings giving up 6 hits, only 3 earned, on 7 hits and 5 walks while striking out 3. Cody Broast pitched the last inning and earned the save.
I'm back.....for now
Well after my hiatus from ccSCOOP during the fall and parts of the winter I was brought back on because it looked like things were going to be up and running full time for them. For the past few months I have been doing 3 articles a week for them and since they still hadn't figured out a way for me to post my own content, the stuff was only going up once a week and not even always on Mondays. It got to the point where I could no longer drag my feet waiting for them, and as of now, they cannot provide what I need. So whilst I explore other options I will keep working a bit on this blog just to stay active.
Right now my only way to get it out is via facebook so if you happen to see the blog, please feel free to link it to players, coaches and parents anyway you can. I know in internet form I cannot reach nearly as many as the Register Star can, and while I appreciate what they do, too often you find mistakes in simple things and there just aren't enough opinions, everything is so cut and dry. My goal here is to simply share results I get my hands on and any provide any other info I deem fit to add.
Right now my only way to get it out is via facebook so if you happen to see the blog, please feel free to link it to players, coaches and parents anyway you can. I know in internet form I cannot reach nearly as many as the Register Star can, and while I appreciate what they do, too often you find mistakes in simple things and there just aren't enough opinions, everything is so cut and dry. My goal here is to simply share results I get my hands on and any provide any other info I deem fit to add.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Boys Sectional Preview
Well it's been a while since I've done anything on here, but I figured I'd get a little bit going since ccSCOOP is updating just once a week....and that's supposed to be Monday yet my stuff doesn't get up til the end of the week. So anyway, brackets came out today on both the Boys and Girls side so I figured I'd do a little preview.
Here is the Boys breakdown...
CLASS AA
We have no local teams in AA so I'll skip this although I will say that after looking over it I have a weird feeling Shen could pull the big upset over CBA to win this title, but in order to do it Shen would have to go through probably a watered down Schenectady team but more importantly Maginn or Alb Academy and that is awfully tough to predict this early. If they do make a run to the finals, I think they could be in good shape to pull the major upset.
CLASS A
Just one team here and that is ICC. The Riders got the 5 seed, right about what I expected after their loss to Catskill. The top 3 (SGF, Burgh and AP) were locks in some order, and then I think the argument could have been made for ICC or Scotia, but since it's on a nuetral court it doesn't matter a lot. Scotia is a good team, but lack of the size of last year. Their core is 4 guards, led by Terrell Winney. Do they have other players who can step up? Sure they do but Winney is the key as he averages over 20 a game and nearly 4 triples. If ICC can control the tempo and get the ball inside they'll be able to score, the problem is you can often give up 3's in a zone and that's what the Riders like to do. I wonder if they'll go man and put Ingham on Winney? Only trouble with that is can the big guys of ICC keep up the Scotia guards? Maybe a box and 1? I don't want to pick ICC b/c they are the local team but I think this is a favorable match up for them.
If they do win they'll likely face Lansingburgh in the next round and again out of the big 3 this is the team I'd want to face. Tyler Hammet is a monster at 6'10 but he can't move all that well. They've got two good wings in Pryor and Knight, but I think this is the opposite of Scotia in that ICC should be trying to run and push the tempo to score in transition. Definitely come in as the underdogs here, and they haven't run as much this year as in the past but don't think an upset is out of the question.
Don't want to pick preview past there b/c the potential finals match ups could be against any of four different teams. If i was forced to pick a Class A winner now I think it's between SGF and AP and I'd lean towards South Glens Falls.
CLASS B
Three local teams in Class B and sadly the commitee opted to pit two teams against each other in the first round (CD-Cat) and if they win and Hudson were to win, they'd then face in the next round. Cairo comes in very hot right now, winning their last 5 I believe and they are a great defensive team who has some guys who can attack and score (Zimmerman and McGeever) and some kids who can shoot (the Halligans) but I think they'd struggle to stop Catskills up tempo attack. It's tough to beat a team 3 times in one year, but I'd give the edge to Catskill here.
The other team, Hudson, must head to Johnstown in the first round and just like with ICC, I'm not picking Hudson here b/c they are the local team, I honestly believe they are the better team despite their inconsistencies this year. Johnstown has two decent guards but between Nevin Sheldon, Lindon Alert and Jeff Crank they should be able to contain them. The Sir Bills live and die with big man Ian Yost and the key for Hudson is to have Barksdale at least slow him down. Hudson has been playing a zone most of the year (which I hate by the way for this team) and if they do again they must just deny the entry pass into Yost. Offensively they should have no problem scoring, but they've been wildly inconsistent the whole year. I'd hate to see the season end here when it doesn't really need to so I think Hudson can pull it off, maybe even OT although I think there is a better chance if they just pull it off in the fourth.
The next round of Hudson-Catskill would clearly favor the Cats although like I've said I am a fan of Hudson's talent, even if they haven't played up to it this year.
Again if I were to make a pick for Class B right now my gut says one of three teams, Fonda, Vliet or Schuylerville. I think Vliet is the most talented but I'd lean towards Schuylerville over them due to experience. I'd take Schuylerville close over Fonda in the finals.
CLASS C
Two more teams here, Maple Hill and Rensselaer. The Wildcats got the top seed which to me makes sense. Hoosick Falls and Voorheesville had to be in the discussion but I think MH deserved it. The Rams on the other hand were the real shocker. Yes they probably lost Mico Perez-De Los Santos for the rest of the season, but that isn't their fault, this team should be seeded based upon their season and their season showed them to be a top tier Class C team. I wouldn't put them in the top 3, but they had to be in the discussion with Schoharie and Canjo. Their records were similar and Rensselaer played in the tougher conference, giving them the 7 seed is an insult in my opinion.
Maple Hill doesn't even know who they'll play first but they know it'll be either Berne-Knox or Hadley-Luzerne. Both come from weaker leagues and didn't have great years so both should be good match ups for MH. B-K has two double digit scorers but do give up points while H-L is limited in terms of offense. The Wildcats would be heavy favorites against either one and would have an interesting next round match up. The 8-9 match in Class C is a really good one with Hoosic Valley heading to Lake George. HV plays in a tough league and they've got some kids who can shoot and a little bit of size while LG has two big guys who can both put up some points. Neither is a huge problem for MH who can certainly get up and down the court and score with the best of them, but the game could be interesting for sure.
Rensselaer as the 7th seed will host Mayfield in their opening round contest. Mayfield comes out of the WAC and has a bit of size and some scorers. If Mico was back I'd take the Rams, but without him it's tough. I'll take the Rams b/c I think Britt is that good but the next round against Hoosick Falls should would be a tough one.
My pick in Class C again comes from three teams. I think MH makes it to the finals, the question is which dominate big man do they get, McMahon from HF or Mackey from Voorheesville. Voorheesville has a tougher league, but I like HF's supporting cast better. I'll take HF and I like Maple Hill to top them in the finals. Both have good big men, but I think MH has the better supporting cast here.
CLASS D
Three teams here in Class D headline by #2 Germantown. They got seeded right where I thought they would and must feel comfortable with a first round bye. New Lebanon also got seeded where I thought with the fourth seed while Hawthorne Valley will head to the road as the 10th seed.
Germantown will get that bye then face off with either HV or Northville. They'd feel very confident against HV as they know what it takes to beat them while Northville has two very talented forwards who can score. HV is playing well right now and Northville has some dangerous talent, but a loss in this round would still be an upset and a major disappointment for the Clipps.
Like we just mentioned HV faces Northville and their talented twosome of Groff and Van Nostrand. HV has size and length and if they play with defensive intensity could pull the upset. Still it's a long trip and their guards aren't super strong, I think Northville escaps at home but it could be close.
New Lebanon got the fourth seed and will host Hartford in the first round. Hartford lacks ideal size or scorers so Potter should have a field day and move the Tigers on. The next round looks like it'd be Fort Edward. If Doane Stuart got through NL would feel good knowing they just have to stop big man Lucas Wager which they've done twice this year. FE isn't nearly as good as they've been in the past but they are disciplined and can defend. I think NL is strong enough to get through here and set up a big semi's match with #1 Argyle.
My pick for Class D is one of two teams, Germantown and Argyle. I think NL has a great player in Potter but lack depth while #3 Sharon Springs has a well balanced attack but who leads them? Argyle is deep and dangerous and has size while Germantown doesn't have great size but man oh man do they have scoring options. They defense wins titles and GTown would rather score than defend so I think Argyle takes it, but it wouldn't shock me to see the Clipps win this one. Watch out next year though, could a state title be in the cards for the Clipps? I could see it happening.
Here is the Boys breakdown...
CLASS AA
We have no local teams in AA so I'll skip this although I will say that after looking over it I have a weird feeling Shen could pull the big upset over CBA to win this title, but in order to do it Shen would have to go through probably a watered down Schenectady team but more importantly Maginn or Alb Academy and that is awfully tough to predict this early. If they do make a run to the finals, I think they could be in good shape to pull the major upset.
CLASS A
Just one team here and that is ICC. The Riders got the 5 seed, right about what I expected after their loss to Catskill. The top 3 (SGF, Burgh and AP) were locks in some order, and then I think the argument could have been made for ICC or Scotia, but since it's on a nuetral court it doesn't matter a lot. Scotia is a good team, but lack of the size of last year. Their core is 4 guards, led by Terrell Winney. Do they have other players who can step up? Sure they do but Winney is the key as he averages over 20 a game and nearly 4 triples. If ICC can control the tempo and get the ball inside they'll be able to score, the problem is you can often give up 3's in a zone and that's what the Riders like to do. I wonder if they'll go man and put Ingham on Winney? Only trouble with that is can the big guys of ICC keep up the Scotia guards? Maybe a box and 1? I don't want to pick ICC b/c they are the local team but I think this is a favorable match up for them.
If they do win they'll likely face Lansingburgh in the next round and again out of the big 3 this is the team I'd want to face. Tyler Hammet is a monster at 6'10 but he can't move all that well. They've got two good wings in Pryor and Knight, but I think this is the opposite of Scotia in that ICC should be trying to run and push the tempo to score in transition. Definitely come in as the underdogs here, and they haven't run as much this year as in the past but don't think an upset is out of the question.
Don't want to pick preview past there b/c the potential finals match ups could be against any of four different teams. If i was forced to pick a Class A winner now I think it's between SGF and AP and I'd lean towards South Glens Falls.
CLASS B
Three local teams in Class B and sadly the commitee opted to pit two teams against each other in the first round (CD-Cat) and if they win and Hudson were to win, they'd then face in the next round. Cairo comes in very hot right now, winning their last 5 I believe and they are a great defensive team who has some guys who can attack and score (Zimmerman and McGeever) and some kids who can shoot (the Halligans) but I think they'd struggle to stop Catskills up tempo attack. It's tough to beat a team 3 times in one year, but I'd give the edge to Catskill here.
The other team, Hudson, must head to Johnstown in the first round and just like with ICC, I'm not picking Hudson here b/c they are the local team, I honestly believe they are the better team despite their inconsistencies this year. Johnstown has two decent guards but between Nevin Sheldon, Lindon Alert and Jeff Crank they should be able to contain them. The Sir Bills live and die with big man Ian Yost and the key for Hudson is to have Barksdale at least slow him down. Hudson has been playing a zone most of the year (which I hate by the way for this team) and if they do again they must just deny the entry pass into Yost. Offensively they should have no problem scoring, but they've been wildly inconsistent the whole year. I'd hate to see the season end here when it doesn't really need to so I think Hudson can pull it off, maybe even OT although I think there is a better chance if they just pull it off in the fourth.
The next round of Hudson-Catskill would clearly favor the Cats although like I've said I am a fan of Hudson's talent, even if they haven't played up to it this year.
Again if I were to make a pick for Class B right now my gut says one of three teams, Fonda, Vliet or Schuylerville. I think Vliet is the most talented but I'd lean towards Schuylerville over them due to experience. I'd take Schuylerville close over Fonda in the finals.
CLASS C
Two more teams here, Maple Hill and Rensselaer. The Wildcats got the top seed which to me makes sense. Hoosick Falls and Voorheesville had to be in the discussion but I think MH deserved it. The Rams on the other hand were the real shocker. Yes they probably lost Mico Perez-De Los Santos for the rest of the season, but that isn't their fault, this team should be seeded based upon their season and their season showed them to be a top tier Class C team. I wouldn't put them in the top 3, but they had to be in the discussion with Schoharie and Canjo. Their records were similar and Rensselaer played in the tougher conference, giving them the 7 seed is an insult in my opinion.
Maple Hill doesn't even know who they'll play first but they know it'll be either Berne-Knox or Hadley-Luzerne. Both come from weaker leagues and didn't have great years so both should be good match ups for MH. B-K has two double digit scorers but do give up points while H-L is limited in terms of offense. The Wildcats would be heavy favorites against either one and would have an interesting next round match up. The 8-9 match in Class C is a really good one with Hoosic Valley heading to Lake George. HV plays in a tough league and they've got some kids who can shoot and a little bit of size while LG has two big guys who can both put up some points. Neither is a huge problem for MH who can certainly get up and down the court and score with the best of them, but the game could be interesting for sure.
Rensselaer as the 7th seed will host Mayfield in their opening round contest. Mayfield comes out of the WAC and has a bit of size and some scorers. If Mico was back I'd take the Rams, but without him it's tough. I'll take the Rams b/c I think Britt is that good but the next round against Hoosick Falls should would be a tough one.
My pick in Class C again comes from three teams. I think MH makes it to the finals, the question is which dominate big man do they get, McMahon from HF or Mackey from Voorheesville. Voorheesville has a tougher league, but I like HF's supporting cast better. I'll take HF and I like Maple Hill to top them in the finals. Both have good big men, but I think MH has the better supporting cast here.
CLASS D
Three teams here in Class D headline by #2 Germantown. They got seeded right where I thought they would and must feel comfortable with a first round bye. New Lebanon also got seeded where I thought with the fourth seed while Hawthorne Valley will head to the road as the 10th seed.
Germantown will get that bye then face off with either HV or Northville. They'd feel very confident against HV as they know what it takes to beat them while Northville has two very talented forwards who can score. HV is playing well right now and Northville has some dangerous talent, but a loss in this round would still be an upset and a major disappointment for the Clipps.
Like we just mentioned HV faces Northville and their talented twosome of Groff and Van Nostrand. HV has size and length and if they play with defensive intensity could pull the upset. Still it's a long trip and their guards aren't super strong, I think Northville escaps at home but it could be close.
New Lebanon got the fourth seed and will host Hartford in the first round. Hartford lacks ideal size or scorers so Potter should have a field day and move the Tigers on. The next round looks like it'd be Fort Edward. If Doane Stuart got through NL would feel good knowing they just have to stop big man Lucas Wager which they've done twice this year. FE isn't nearly as good as they've been in the past but they are disciplined and can defend. I think NL is strong enough to get through here and set up a big semi's match with #1 Argyle.
My pick for Class D is one of two teams, Germantown and Argyle. I think NL has a great player in Potter but lack depth while #3 Sharon Springs has a well balanced attack but who leads them? Argyle is deep and dangerous and has size while Germantown doesn't have great size but man oh man do they have scoring options. They defense wins titles and GTown would rather score than defend so I think Argyle takes it, but it wouldn't shock me to see the Clipps win this one. Watch out next year though, could a state title be in the cards for the Clipps? I could see it happening.
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