Saturday, February 28, 2015

Sectional Thoughts: Day 8

First ...
From Merriam-Webster:

speculation

noun spec·u·la·tion \ˌspe-kyə-ˈlā-shən\
: ideas or guesses about something that is not known
: activity in which someone buys and sells things (such as stocks or pieces of property) in the hope of making a large profit but with the risk of a large loss

Yeah.  Alliteration doesn't work with Sectional Speculations.  Soundings also sounds good, but that doesn't work either.

Second ...
Calling Tuesday "Day 1" is like stating the NCAA Tournament starts on Thursday with the Round of 64.  Traditionalists will feel that way, but the tournament starts with the four games played on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The same applies to Sectionals.  The tournament began last Friday, making yesterday ... Day #8

Now onto the games...

Friday, February 27, 2015

Sectional Scoreboard - Friday Quarterfinals

Boys
CLASS B
Quarterfinals - All games Fri 2/27
8-Schuylerville 51, 1-Hoosick Falls 58
5-Mekeel Christian Academy 76, 13-Ravena 78 (OT)
7-Voorheesville 61, 2-Broadalbin-Perth 59 (OT)
6-Cohoes 50, 3-Schalmont 59

Semifinals - Tues 3/3 at Glens Falls Civic Center
1-Hoosick Falls vs. 13-Ravena  - 8PM
7-Voorheesville vs. 3-Schalmont - 6:30PM

CLASS C
Quarterfinals
8-St. Johnsville 46, 1-Lake George 68
5-Middleburgh 56, 4-Hoosic Valley 68

Semifinals - Wed 3/4 at Glens Falls Civic Center
4-Hoosic Valley vs. 1-Lake George - 8PM

Girls
CLASS A
Quarterfinals - All games Fri 2/27
8-Holy Names 39, 1-Troy 64
5-Scotia 60, 4-Amsterdam 45
7-Mohonasen 34, 2-Averill Park 66
11-Hudson Falls 30, 3-Glens Falls 37

Semifinals - All games Tues 3/3 at Colonie High
5-Scotia vs. 1-Troy
3-Glens Falls vs. 2-Averill Park

CLASS C
Quarterfinals - All games Fri 2/27
1-Hoosic Valley 54, 8-Middleburgh 44
5-Mekeel Christian Academy 58, 4-Greenville 38
2-Greenwich 73, 7-Canajoharie 46
3-Maple Hill 38, 6-Lake George 44

Semifinals - All games Tues 3/3 at Cohoes High
5-Mekeel Christian Academy vs. 1-Hoosic Valley - 7:30PM
6-Lake George vs. 2-Greenwich - 6PM

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE
Boys
CLASS AA
Quarterfinals - all games Saturday 2/28 at Hudson Valley Community College
I4-Schenectady vs. S1-Shenendehowa - 7PM
I2-Catholic Central vs. S3-Bethlehem - 2PM
I1-Green Trech vs. I5-LaSalle - 5:30PM
I3-CBA vs. S2-Guilderland - 4PM

CLASS C
Quarterfinals
10-Hadley-Luzurne vs. 2-Greenwich - Sat 2/28 12:30PM at Hudson Valley Community College
11-Spa Catholic vs. 3-Waterford - Sat 2/28 11AM at Hudson Valley Community College

CLASS D
Quarterfinals - All games Sat 2/28 at Stillwater High School
9-Warrensburg vs. 1-Germantown - 2:30PM
5-Argyle vs. 4-Northville - 1PM
7-Loudonville Christian vs. 2-North Warren - 4:30PM
6-Fort Edward vs. 3-Fort Ann - 6PM

Girls
CLASS B
Quarterfinals - All games Sat 2/28
1-Hoosick Falls vs. 9-Mechanicville - 7:30PM at Hoosick Falls
5-Ichabod Crane  vs. 4-Tamarac - 6PM at Hoosick Falls
2-Watervliet vs. 10-Voorheesville - 7:30PM at Watervliet
3-Cohoes vs. 6-Schalmont - 6PM at Watervliet

CLASS D
Quarterfinals - All games Sat 2/28
9-Bolton vs. 1-Fort Edward - 7:30PM at Fort Edward
5-North Warren vs. 4-Heatly - 6PM at Fort Edward
7-Hartford vs. 2-Warrensburg - 7:30PM at Warrensburg High - ON FOX SPORTS 1230
6-Fort Ann vs. 3-Argyle - 6PM at Warrensburg High - ON FOX SPORTS 1230

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Sectional Speculations: Day 1

Sectional Scoreboard: Day 1
Sectional Scoreboard: Complete Tournament

1. Joel Wincowski
First, congratulations to Joel Wincowski.  The Lake George Standout scored 34 on his way to bypassing Jimmer Fredette for the most career points scored.

Wincowski scored his 21st point with two minutes left to play in the second quarter.  There was a timeout to celebrate the accomplishment, to which Jimmer Fredette's father, Al, presented the new career points leader with a game ball.

The UMBC commit now stands at 2,418 points, 13th in NYS.  He's unlikely to top the state's number one, Lance Stephenson, who scored 2,946 in his five seasons with Abraham Lincoln of the PSAL (New York City).  But he will move himself closer to the state's top 10 as long as the Lake George Warriors continue to progress in the tournament.

It's fun to see Joel Wincowski play, as he has great sight and intelligence to find the best plays possible, whether it's him driving the lane for the bucket or finding the open teammate.  We haven't seen much of him ... only being able to broadcast three games in the last two years, and only observe one other (Section 2 Semifinal last year vs. Spa Catholic), but we've seen enough to know that he is getting better with his young age, and look forward to seeing how he performs when he makes it to UMBC for collegiate ball this fall.

Lake George has a maximum of 7 games left in their season (three games left in the Section 2 tournament, then four games in the NYSPHSAA tournament).  They continue their push to make it to the Glens Falls Civic Center on Friday when they face St. Johnsville at Hudson Valley Community College on Friday at 5PM.

2. Maple Hill
While we're talking Joel Wincowski, we also have to talk Maple Hill.  A big thanks needs to go out to their team and their coaches for being very understanding about the accomplishment that was about to take place on Lake George's court by allowing the ceremony to take place after Wincowski scored the bucket to overtake Jimmer Fredette for the record.

They could have declined the ceremony.  They could have requested that the game take place and then allow a ceremony to take place during the half or after the game.  But they allowed the ceremonial break to take place, and were great sports about it.

3. Lake George
Finally, in regards to Joel Wincowski, it was great that Joel Wincowski was able to celebrate this accomplishment on his home court.  It was the last time Wincowski will ever play a Section 2 game on that court, as the remaining games in his career will take place on neutral sites.

He got to celebrate it with his fans, his classmates, his teachers and most importantly, his family.  When Jimmer Fredette passed Chris Ciaccio for the all-time lead in 2007, it was in the NYSPHSAA Semifinals against McKinley at the Glens Falls Civic Center.  According to the Bonnie Naumann recap for The Post-Star, the crowd acknowledged his accomplishment by standing ovation once an announcement was made over the P.A., but there was no pause like what happened Tuesday night.

That's what makes Wincowski's accomplishment even better.

4. Joe Cremo
One last comment regarding milestones before we talk the other games in Section 2.

Now that Joel Wincowski has surpassed Jimmer Fredette, it would be nice to see another great athlete in Section 2 surpass the 2,000 mark in Joe Cremo.  The Scotia senior is another athlete that is fun to watch, and currently sits with 1,924 points heading into the Class A Quarterfinals this Sunday, when the Tartans begin their postseason run with a game against the winner of tonight's Lansingburgh/Glens Falls game.

5. Hadley-Luzurne Representing
The Lake George Warriors are not the only Class C Adirondack League team heading to the quarterfinals.  The Hadley-Luzurne Eagles squeezed by the Canajoharie Cougars 64-62 to move onto the next round, when they face the Greenwich Witches on Saturday, 12:30PM at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Eagles have shown signs of improving when they squeaked by North Warren back in January, and their win over the Western Athletic Conference opponent supports their growth.

6. Away Difficulties
The Hadley-Luzurne Eagles were one of only three away teams come away from an opponent's gym with a victory on Tuesday.  In Class AA, LaSalle knocked off Shaker with a low-scoring 43-37 affair in Latham.

The Cadets move on to face the Independent top seed Green Tech on Saturday over at Hudson Valley Community College.

Meanwhile, over in Class B...

7. Patroon Difficulties
The Ravena Indians became the third away team to win on Tuesday when they knocked off the Patroon Conference champs.

Coming in as the #13 seed, the Ravena Indians were not intimidated by a Catskill team that had lost only one game all season, knocking them out of the tournament with the 73-69 win.  A member of the Colonial Council, Ravena suffered tough losses against good teams in Cohoes and Schalmont as they made their way to the Class B sectionals.

The Catskill Cats won easily against conference teams in the Patroon Conference, going unbeaten in league play as they suffered only one loss at the hands of Section 9's Saugerties.

In all, it was a tough evening for Patroon Conference members as they suffered four losses on Friday.  The conference's second place team, Hudson, dropped out after a 60-44 loss to the defending sectional champions, Voorheesville.  Cairo-Durham found Hoosick Falls too difficult to handle, as the Panthers more than doubled up on Cairo-Durham in the 62-30 win.  The Maple Hill Wildcats couldn't continue the momentum of winning their play-in game as they dropped to the Lake George Warriors 81-53 in the Class C Round of 16.  And Rensselaer found Hoosic Valley hard to handle as the Indians defeated the Rams 63-44.

There are no teams remaining in the Patroon Conference in this year's sectionals.

8. REMATCH!
A rematch is on the docket on Friday in Class B.

The Broadalbin-Perth Patriots quickly took care of the Granville Golden Horde in their 67-44 win.  The Patriots, seeded #2 in the tournament, won their third straight as Ryan Dingman scored 22 points in the win.  Meanwhile, Voorheesville scored 15 from Sean Nolan as they knocked off Hudson 60-44.

The two wins sets up a rematch from last year's Sectional Championship at the Glens Falls Civic Center.  In that game, Broadalbin-Perth started slow, surrendering an 11-0 run, as they fell to the Blackbirds 61-37.  According to media reports, the result left a sour taste for the Patriots, and have been longing for this opportunity since the March 1st championship last year.

The two teams will play this Friday, 6:30PM at Shenendehowa High School.

9. Old friends Reunite
Over at Hudson Valley Community College, two former conference-mates will meet again Friday night at 8PM.

The Hoosick Falls Panthers, as previously noted, won easily over Cairo-Durham 62-30.  Meanwhile, the Schuylerville Black Horses needed a comeback to surge past the Ichabod Crane Riders in their 68-63 win.

The win sets up a Hoosick Falls/Schuylerville match on Friday, the first time the two teams have met since Schuylerville departed for the Foothills Council at the end of the 2013-14 school year.  As members of the Wasaren League, the two teams swapped which team swept the two league meetings since the 2008-09 season, with Hoosick Falls sweeping the latest pair of games.

10. Fourth Quarter Woes
The Burnt Hills Spartans went to the half tied with the Queensbury Spartans at 27 a piece.  In the third quarter, Burnt Hills claimed the lead at 36-34.  However, Queensbury caught fire while Burnt Hills felt an icy-cold draft from outside.

The end result ... Queensbury outscored Burnt Hills 27-2 on their way to a 61-38 win at the Blue Gym to advance to the Quarterfinals in Class A.  Brett Rodriguez scored 20 points for the Queensbury Spartans in the win, and Keeghan O'Leary added 14.  Alex Wellington scored 12 for Burnt Hills.

Queensbury now faces Amsterdam at 1PM on Sunday at Hudson Valley Community College.  In the first meeting on January 23rd, Amsterdam made things tough for Queensbury with a full-court pressure as they beat the Spartans 77-63 at the Blue Gym.

11. Double High
Last year Mohonasen and South Glens Falls played to the wire, with Mohonasen walking away with the 58-55 win.  So when these two teams met last night, you had to think it was going to be a close affair.

Especially as the Bulldogs kept it close as they were only down 6 entering the fourth quarter.  They came back, and forced overtime with Mohonasen, which turned into a double overtime session.  However, Mohonasen advanced to the quarterfinals after beating South Glens Falls 79-72.

Mohonasen will now face Troy on Sunday at Hudson Valley Community College.

Section 2 Basketball Sectionals: Round of 16 Day 1 (Tues 2/24)

Tuesday scoreboard:

BOYS
CLASS AA
Round of 16 - all games Tuesday 2/24
S1-Shenenedehowa - BYE
S5-Columbia 66, I4-Schenectady 83
S7-Saratoga 42, I2-Catholic Central 64
I6-Albany 68, S3-Bethlehem 73
S8-Colonie 39, I1-Green Tech 58
I5-LaSalle 43, S4-Shaker 37
I7-Bishop Maginn 40, S2-Guilderland 84
S6-Niskayuna 60, I3-CBA 73

Quarterfinals - all games Saturday 2/28 at Hudson Valley Community College
I4-Schenectady vs. S1-Shenendehowa - 7PM
I2-Catholic Central vs. S3-Bethlehem - 2PM
I1-Green Trech vs. I5-LaSalle - 5:30PM
I3-CBA vs. S2-Guilderland - 4PM

CLASS A
Round of 16
1-Scotia - BYE
9-Lansingburgh at 8-Glens Falls - Wed 2/25 7PM
4-Amsterdam - BYE
12-Burnt Hills 38, 5-Queensbury 61
2-Troy - BYE
10-South Glens Falls 72, 7-Mohonasen 79 (2OT)
3-Averill Park - BYE
11-Bishop Gibbons at 6-Gloversville - Wed 2/25 7PM

Quarterfinals - all games Sunday 3/1 at Hudson Valley Community College
8/9 Winner vs. 1-Scotia - 6PM
5-Queensbury vs. 4-Amsterdam - 1PM
7-Mohonasen vs. 2-Troy - 4:30PM
6/11 Winner vs. 3-Averill Park - 2:30PM

CLASS B
Round of 16 - All games Tues 2/24
16-Cairo-Durham 30, 1-Hoosick Falls 62
9-Ichabod Crane 63, 8-Schuylerville 68
13-Ravena 73, 4-Catskill 69
12-Watervliet 47, 5-Mekeel Christian Academy 71
18-Granville 44, 2-Broadalbin-Perth 67 
10-Hudson 44, 7-Voorheesville 60
14-Johnstown 51, 3-Schalmont 61
11-Mechanicville 47, 6-Cohoes 69

Quarterfinals - All games Fri 2/27
8-Schuylerville vs. 1-Hoosick Falls - 8PM at Hudson Valley Community College
5-Mekeel Christian Academy vs. 13-Ravena - 6:30PM at Hudson Valley Community College
7-Voorheesville vs. 2-Broadalbin-Perth - 6:30PM at Shenendehowa HS
6-Cohoes vs. 3-Schalmont - 5PM at Shenendehowa HS

CLASS C
Round of 16
16-Maple Hill 53, 1-Lake George 81
9-Berlin 51, 8-St. Johnsville 60 
13-Rensselaer 44, 4-Hoosic Valley 63
12-Fort Plain 67, 5-Middleburgh 69
18-Whitehall 34, 2-Greenwich 70 
10-Hadley-Luzurne 64, 7-Canajoharie 62
14-Berne-Knox-Westerlo at 3-Waterford - Wed 2/25 7PM
11-Spa Catholic at 6-Stillwater - Wed 2/25 7PM

Quarterfinals
8-St. Johnsville vs. 1-Lake George - Fri 2/27 5PM at Hudson Valley Community College
5-Middleburgh vs. 4-Hoosic Valley - Fri 2/27 8PM at Shenendehowa High School
10-Hadley-Luzurne vs. 2-Greenwich - Sat 2/28 12:30PM at Hudson Valley Community College
6/11 Winner vs. 14/3 Winner - Sat 2/28 11AM at Hudson Valley Community College

CLASS D
Round of 16 - All games Wed 2/25 at Heatly High School
9-Warrensburg at 8-Heatly - 7:30PM
10-Doane Stuart vs. 7-Loundonville Christian - 6:00PM

GIRLS
CLASS AA
Round of 16
1-Shenendehowa - BYE
9-Ballston Spa at 8-Guilderland - Thur 2/26 6PM
4-Shaker - BYE
12-Bishop Maginn at 5-Columbia - Thur 2/26 6PM
2-Bethlehem - BYE
10-Saratoga 39, 7-Catholic Central 64
3-Albany - BYE
11-Niskayuna at 6-Colonie - Thur 2/26 6PM

Quarterfinals - All games Mon 3/2
8/9 Winner vs. 1-Shenendehowa - 7:30PM at Shenendehowa
5/12 Winner vs. 4-Shaker - 6PM at Shenendehowa
7-Catholic Central vs. 2-Bethlehem - 7:30PM at Shenendehowa
6/11 Winner vs. 3-Albany - 6PM at Shenendehowa

CLASS A
Round of 16 - All games Tues 2/24 at 6PM
1-Troy - BYE
9-South Glens Falls 46, 8-Holy Names 52
4-Amsterdam - BYE
5-Scotia - BYE
2-Averill Park - BYE
10-Queensbury 37, 7-Mohonasen 42
3-Glens Falls - BYE
11-Hudson Falls 49, 6-Lansingburgh 43

Quarterfinals - All games Fri 2/27
8-Holy Names vs. 1-Troy - 7:30PM at Troy
5-Scotia vs. 4-Amsterdam - 6PM at Troy
7-Mohonasen vs. 2-Averill Park - 7:30PM at Averill Park
11-Hudson Falls vs. 3-Glens Falls - 6PM at Averill Park

CLASS B
Round of 16 - All games at 6PM
16-Corinth 30, 1-Hoosick Falls 55
9-Mechanicville at 8-Fonda-Fultonville - Wed 2/25
13-Ravena at 4-Tamarac - Wed 2/25 
12-Hudson at 5-Ichabod Crane - Wed 2/25 
15-Coxsackie-Athens at 2-Watervliet - Wed 2/25 
10-Voorheesville at 7-Johnstown - Wed 2/25 
14-Broadalbin-Perth at 3-Cohoes - Wed 2/25 
11-Taconic Hills at 6-Schalmont - Wed 2/25

CLASS C
Round of 16 - All games Tues 2/24 at 6PM
17-Spa Catholic 21, 1-Hoosic Valley 61
9-Fort Plain 40, 8-Middleburgh 68
13-Berne-Knox-Westerlo 40, 4-Greenville 61
12-St. Johnsville 31, 5-Mekeel Christian Academy 65
15-Galway 33, 2-Greenwich 86
10-Stillwater 32, 7-Canajoharie 34
14-Cambridge 23, 3-Maple Hill 49
11-Mayfield 27, 6-Lake George 58

Quarterfinals - All games Fri 2/27
1-Hoosic Valley vs. 8-Middleburgh - 7:30PM at Hoosic Valley
5-Mekeel Christian Academy vs. 4-Greenville - 6PM at Hoosic Valley
2-Greenwich vs. 7-Canajoharie - 7:30PM at Greenwich
3-Maple Hill vs. 6-Lake George - 6PM at Greenwich

CLASS D
Round of 16 - All games Wed 2/25 at 6PM
1-Fort Edward - BYE
9-Bolton at 8-Germantown
4-Heatly - BYE
12-Hawthorne Valley at 5-North Warren
2-Warrensburg - BYE
10-New Lebanon at 7-Hartford
2-Argyle - BYE
11-Doane Stuart at 6-Fort Ann

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Boys Basketball: Seeding Thoughts

Well, I was correct on 32 teams when it came to projecting where teams were going to be seeding.  When it comes to analyzing my predictions, if a team opted out, that seeding would be taken by the next in line (18 would become 17 and so forth).  Green indicates an exact prediction, Orange notes where I was one seed high or low on, and red means I was completely wrong (more than one seed off their actual).

Below the jump, we start with Class AA and work our way down to D in looking at the seeds.  Coming on Friday will be a preview of the Sectionals and our picks for the four teams to make it to the Glens Falls Civic Center (or in AA, the Times Union Center).

Section 2 Girls Basketball Sectionals Brackets and Schedule

CLASS AA
Round of 16
1-Shenendehowa - BYE
9-Ballston Spa at 8-Guilderland - Thur 2/26 6PM
4-Shaker - BYE
12-Bishop Maginn at 5-Columbia - Thur 2/26 6PM
2-Bethlehem - BYE
10-Saratoga at 7-Catholic Central - Tues 2/24 6PM
3-Albany - BYE
11-Niskayuna at 6-Colonie - Thur 2/26 6PM

Quarterfinals - All games Mon 3/2
8/9 Winner vs. 1-Shenendehowa - 7:30PM at Shenendehowa
5/12 Winner vs. 4-Shaker - 6PM at Shenendehowa
7/10 Winner vs. 2-Bethlehem - 7:30PM at Shenendehowa
6/11 Winner vs. 3-Albany - 6PM at Shenendehowa

Semifinals - All games Thur 3/5 at Hudson Valley Community College
Shenendehowa Winners - 7:30PM
Bethlehem Winners - 6PM

Championship - Tues 3/10 at Times Union Center
Semifinal Winners - 6PM

CLASS A
Round of 16 - All games Tues 2/24 at 6PM
1-Troy - BYE
9-South Glens Falls at 8-Holy Names
4-Amsterdam - BYE
5-Scotia - BYE
2-Averill Park - BYE
10-Queensbury at 7-Mohonasen
3-Glens Falls - BYE
11-Hudson Falls at 6-Lansingburgh

Quarterfinals - All games Fri 2/24
8/9 Winner vs. 1-Troy - 7:30PM at Troy
5-Scotia vs. 4-Amsterdam - 6PM at Troy
7/10 Winner vs. 2-Averill Park - 7:30PM at Averill Park
6/11 Winner vs. 3-Glens Falls - 6PM at Averill Park

Semifinals - All games Tues 3/3 at Colonie High
Troy Winners - 7:30PM
Averill Park Winners - 6PM

Championship - Sat 3/7 at Hudson Valley Community College
Semifinal Winners - 4:15PM

CLASS B
Play-in Round - All games Fri 2/20 at 6PM
17-Emma Willard at 16-Corinth
18-Bishop Gibbons at 15-Coxsackie-Athens
19-Granville at 14-Broadalbin-Perth

Round of 16 - All games at 6PM
16/17 Winner at 1-Hoosick Falls - Tues 2/24
9-Mechanicville at 8-Fonda-Fultonville - Wed 2/25
13-Ravena at 4-Tamarac - Wed 2/25 
12-Hudson at 5-Ichabod Crane - Wed 2/25 
15/18 Winner at 2-Watervliet - Wed 2/25 
10-Voorheesville at 7-Johnstown - Wed 2/25 
14/19 Winner at 3-Cohoes - Wed 2/25 
11-Taconic Hills at 6-Schalmont - Wed 2/25 

Quarterfinals - All games Sat 2/28
16-17/1 Winner vs. 8/9 Winner - 7:30PM at highest seed of upper bracket
5/12 Winner vs. 4/13 Winner - 6PM at highest seed of upper bracket
15-18/2 Winner vs. 7/10 Winner - 7:30PM at highest seed of lower bracket
14-19/3 Winner vs. 6/11 Winner - 6PM at highest seed of lower bracket

Semifinals - All games Wed 3/4 at Averill Park
Upper Bracket Winners - 7:30PM
Lower Bracket Winners - 6PM

Championship - Sat 3/7 at Hudson Valley Community College
Semifinal Winners - 2:30PM

CLASS C
Play-in Round - All games Fri 2/20 at 6PM
17-Spa Catholic at 16-Duanesburg
18-Rensselaer at 15-Galway

Round of 16 - All games Tues 2/24 at 6PM
16/17 Winner at 1-Hoosic Valley
9-Fort Plain at 8-Middleburgh
13-Berne-Knox-Westerlo at 4-Greenville
12-St. Johnsville at 5-Mekeel Christian Academy
15/18 Winner at 2-Greenwich
10-Stillwater at 7-Canajoharie
14-Cambridge at 3-Maple Hill
11-Mayfield at 6-Lake George

Quarterfinals - All games Fri 2/27
16-17/1 Winner vs. 8/9 Winner - 7:30PM at highest seed of upper bracket
5/12 Winner vs. 4/13 Winner - 6PM at highest seed of upper bracket
15-18/2 Winner vs. 7/10 Winner - 7:30PM at highest seed of lower bracket
3/14 Winner vs. 6/11 Winner - 6PM at highest seed of lower bracket

Semifinals - All games Tues 3/3 at Cohoes High
Upper Bracket Winners - 7:30PM
Lower Bracket Winners - 6PM

Championship - Sat 3/7 at Hudson Valley Community College
Semifinal winners - 12:45PM

CLASS D
Round of 16 - All games Wed 2/25 at 6PM
1-Fort Edward - BYE
9-Bolton at 8-Germantown
4-Heatly - BYE
12-Hawthorne Valley at 5-North Warren
2-Warrensburg - BYE
10-New Lebanon at 7-Hartford
2-Argyle - BYE
11-Doane Stuart at 6-Fort Ann

Quarterfinals - All games Sat 2/28
8/9 Winner vs. 1-Fort Edward - 7:30PM at Fort Edward
5/12 Winner vs. 4-Heatly - 6PM at Fort Edward
7/10 Winner vs. 2-Warrensburg - 7:30PM at Warrensburg High
6/11 Winner vs. 3-Argyle - 6PM at Warrensburg High

Semifinals - All games Wed 3/4 at Saratoga High
Fort Edward Winners - 7:30PM
Warrensburg Winners - 6PM

Championshop - Sat 3/7 at Hudson Valley Community College
Semifinal Winners - 11AM

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Section 2 Boys Basketball Sectional Schedule

Section 2 Boys Basketball Pairings
CLASS AA

Round of 16 - all games Tuesday 2/24
S1-Shenenedehowa - BYE
S5-Columbia at I4-Schenectady - 7:30PM
S7-Saratoga at I2-Catholic Central - 7:30PM
I6-Albany at S3-Bethlehem - 7PM
S8-Colonie at I1-Green Tech - 7PM
I5-LaSalle at S4-Shaker - 7PM
I7-Bishop Maginn at S2-Guilderland - 6PM
S6-Niskayuna at I3-CBA - 7PM

Quarterfinals - all games Saturday 2/28 at Hudson Valley Community College
I4/S5 Winner vs. S1-Shenendehowa - 7PM
I2/S7 Winner vs. S3/I6 Winner - 2PM
I1/S8 Winner vs. S4/I5 Winner - 5:30PM
I3/S6 Winner vs. S2/I7 Winner - 4PM

Semifinals - Tues 3/3 at Times Union Center
2PM Winner vs. 7PM winner - 6PM
5:30PM Winner vs. 4PM winner - 7:30PM

Championship - Tues 3/10 at Times Union Center
Semifinal Winners - 7:30PM

CLASS A

Round of 16
1-Scotia - BYE
9-Lansingburgh at 8-Glens Falls - Wed 2/25 7PM
4-Amsterdam - BYE
12-Burnt Hills at 5-Queensbury - Tues 2/24 7PM
2-Troy - BYE
10-South Glens Falls at 7-Mohonasen - Tues 2/24 7:30PM
3-Averill Park - BYE
11-Bishop Gibbons at 6-Gloversville - Wed 2/25 7PM

Quarterfinals - all games Sunday 3/1 at Hudson Valley Community College
8/9 Winner vs. 1-Scotia - 6PM
5/12 Winner vs. 4-Amsterdam - 1PM
7/10 Winner vs. 2-Troy - 4:30PM
6/11 Winner vs. 3-Averill Park - 2:30PM

Semifinals - Thurs 3/5 at Glens Falls Civic Center
6PM Winner vs. 1PM Winner - 7:30PM
4:30PM Winner vs. 2:30PM Winner - 6:00PM

Championship - Sat 3/7 at Glens Falls Civic Center
Semifinal Winnerrs - 7:15PM

CLASS B
Play-in Round - All games Fri 2/20
17-Corinth at 16-Cairo-Durham - 7PM
18-Coxsackie-Athens at 15-Granville - 7PM
19-Tamarac at 14-Johnstown - 7PM

Round of 16 - All games Tues 2/24
16/17 Winner at 1-Hoosick Falls - 7:30PM
9-Ichabod Crane at 8-Schuylerville - 7PM
13-Ravena at 4-Catskill - 7PM
12-Watervliet at 5-Mekeel Christian Academy - 7:30PM
15/18 Winner at 2-Broadalbin-Perth - 7PM
10-Hudson at 7-Voorheesville - 7PM
14/19 Winner at 3-Schalmont - 7PM
11-Mechanicville at 6-Cohoes - 7PM

Quarterfinals - All games Fri 2/27
8/9 Winner vs. 16-17/1 Winner - 8PM at Hudson Valley Community College
5/12 Winner vs. 4/13 Winner - 6:30PM at Hudson Valley Community College
7/10 Winner vs. 15-18/2 Winner - 6:30PM at Shenendehowa HS
6/11 Winner vs. 14-19/3 Winner - 5PM at Shenendehowa HS

Semifinals - Tues 3/3 at Glens Falls Civic Center
Hudson Valley Community College Winners - 8PM
Shenendehowa High School Winners - 6:30PM

Championship - Sat 3/7 at Glens Falls Civic Center
Semifinal Winners - 5:30PM

CLASS C
Play-in Round - All games 7PM Fri 2/20
17-Schoharie at 16-Maple Hill
18-Whitehall at 15-Duanesburg
19-Cambridge at 14-Berne-Knox-Westerlo

Round of 16
16/17 Winner at 1-Lake George - Tues 2/24 7PM
9-Berlin at 8-St. Johnsville - Tues 2/24 7PM
13-Rensselaer at 4-Hoosic Valley - Tues 2/24 7:30PM
12-Fort Plain at 5-Middleburgh - Tues 2/24 7:30PM
15/18 Winner at 2-Greenwich - Tues 2/24 7:30PM
10-Hadley-Luzurne at 7-Canajoharie - Wed 2/25 7PM
14/19 Winner at 3-Waterford - Wed 2/25 7PM
11-Spa Catholic at 6-Stillwater - Wed 2/25 7PM

Quarterfinals
8/9 Winner vs. 6-17/1 Winner - Fri 2/27 5PM at Hudson Valley Community College
5/12 Winner vs. 4/13 Winner - Fri 2/27 8PM at Shenendehowa High School
7/10 Winner vs. 15-18/2 Winner - Sat 2/28 12:30PM at Hudson Valley Community College
6/11 Winner vs. 14-19/3 Winner - Sat 2/28 11AM at Hudson Valley Community College

Semifinals - Wed 3/4 at Glens Falls Civic Center
Friday's Winners - 8PM
Saturday's Winners - 6:30PM

Championship - Sat 3/7 at Glens Falls Civic Center
Semifinal Winners - 3:45PM

CLASS D
Round of 16 - All games Wed 2/25 at Heatly High School
9-Warrensburg at 8-Heatly - 7:30PM
10-Doane Stuart vs. Loundonville Christian - 6:00PM

Quarterfinals - All games Sat 2/28 at Stillwater High School
8/9 Winner vs. 1-Germantown - 2:30PM
5-Argyle vs. 4-Northville - 1PM
7/10 Winner vs. 2-North Warren - 4:30PM
6-Fort Edward vs. 3-Fort Ann - 6PM

Semifinals - All games at Glens Falls Civic Center
2:30PM Winner vs. 1:00PM Winner - Tues 3/3 5PM
4:30PM Winner vs. 6:00PM Winner - Wed 3/4 5PM

Championship - Sat 3/7 at Glens Falls Civic Center
Semifinal Winners - 2PM

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Section 2 Boys Basketball Seeding Preview

Today begins the final day of the High School Basketball regular season.

Tomorrow is the meeting that brings about the seedings for the upcoming sectionals.  There are 90 teams playing in Section 2 this year, plus Albany Academy who is playing as an independent league member and will not participate in Sectionals.

It's a tough job settling where teams should play.  First is the matter of sorting out as many as 23 teams (Class B).  Then you have to make a determination of whether or not a team with a decent record should be penalized seed-wise for playing a league filled with lower enrollment schools.  Or, perhaps, boosting a team with an average record because they played the largest schools in Section 2.

It makes for a tough job.

Like last year, I'm going to try to predict how the seedings will be tomorrow.  However, like any prediction, there's likely there will be some incorrect guesses.

The list is after the jump...

Monday, February 16, 2015

Thoughts From The Press Box: Foothills Council Championship

And the band plays on ... and on ... and on
First and foremost, congratulations to the Glens Falls Indians and the Scotia Tartans on their league championships.

With that being said, let's begin with the Girls Foothills Championship.

The Glens Falls Indians did what they needed to in order to avenge their loss to Amsterdam back in January.  They stayed out of foul trouble, which yielded the biggest statistical difference between the two games...

In the first meeting, Amsterdam made 30 free throws on their way to a 12 point win over the Indians at Glens Falls High School.  This time around, it was only 7.

Huge difference from the first time around, and it showed on the scoreboard by way of the 49-40 win for the Glens Falls Indians.

Amsterdam, to their credit, kept the game close.  After being down by 12, they tightened the gap.  When the Rams closed to within 6 points in the fourth quarter, the concern became whether or not the Glens Falls Indians would be able to seal the victory.  A steal prevented Amsterdam from closing any closer, as the Indians defense came up big when they needed to in the late stages of the game.

Glens Falls did something that no other Section 2 team was able to do this season, beat Amsterdam.  The Rams came into the game with a 16-2 record, with both of their losses coming north of the border, up in Montréal during the Thanksgiving weekend.

The win should help boost Glens Falls up to a #1 seed in the Class A sectionals.  The Indians would have been in consideration for a good seed for Sectionals, but having the league championship to their credentials helps set them up for a more favorable quarterfinal round matchup should they gain the first round bye.

SCOTIA: Fundamentals at its best

Having a single great player is good and all, and there are many teams out there who have a great scorer, but those teams will tell you that it takes more than one spectacular player in order to become a title contender.

The Scotia Tartans are five phenomenal athletes on the court.

People like to focus on Joe Cremo, the U-Albany bound senior for the Tartans.  And for good reason, the kid averages nearly 28 points per game, one of the best in Section 2, and is Scotia's greatest scorer ever.  But the reason why Scotia has won 45 straight games is because he isn't the only one making plays.

Scott Stopera used the long ball to help boost his stats on Friday.  Six threes shows what happens when you leave him unguarded outside the arch.  Mike Palleschi make the Queensbury Spartans for leaving him untagged inside the lane.  Diamond Corker has the speed to drive the lane with ease, and Joe Almond compliments the offense with another three point threat.

Those five make for trouble for opposing defenses.  When all five players are on the court, defenders have to stay on top of all five, otherwise they could give up the easy bucket.

When on offense, they pass the ball all over, looking for gaps in coverage to find an easy shot.  They're patient, not rushing to take the shot that might be unwise to take.

Watching the Scotia Tartans is a thrill.  It's fun watching them set up and do their thing.  That's why you should make the effort to catch them play at the Civic Center should ... no ... when they come back to play in March in the Sectional Semifinals and Finals.

Pep Band Party

Speaking of Scotia, special thanks to their pep band who made the journey up to Glens Falls.  As I stated on the air, having the pep band play during timeouts help increase the atmosphere at a game, something that's been missing at many high school venues across the area as funding for extracurricular activities such as band diminishes.

I grew up going to a high school that had a band at the home football games.  The energy from the band electrified the environment.

That's why it's great to see when a school has a pep band.  And judging by the response from the Scotia Pep Band on Twitter, they appreciated hearing the kind words that people had to say regarding their appearance at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Friday night.

The Pep Band is another reason why when Scotia comes back to play in March at the Glens Falls Civic Center, you should stop by and check them out.

Other Musings

Congratulations to the Lake George girls and boys, winners of the Adirondack League Championship on Saturday at Queensbury High School.  The girls win was a stunner, as Fort Edward entered the game undefeated and one of the top ranked teams in New York.

The boys was expected, as the Warriors defeated Fort Ann by 4 in overtime in the meeting on January 9th at Fort Ann.  Joe Wincowski inches closer to Jimmer Fredette, now 20 points behind the current New Orleans Pelican.

That Round of 16 game for Lake George may well be the most-attended Round of 16 game in sectional history as Wincowski looks to top Fredette's record of 2,404 career points scored.

And as we wait for the pairings to be released by the Section 2 seeding committee on Wednesday, we will have a prediction on where teams will get seeded on our blog on Tuesday.

After the pairings have been released, we will make it known where we will be next to cover local high school sports on FOX Sports Radio 1230.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Scotia Wins Third Straight Foothills Council Title

GLENS FALLS - Joe Cremo tipped the ball perfectly into Mike Palleschi's hands, who ran free to the bucket.

In the blink of an eye, the Scotia Tartans took a 2-0 lead.  It was a lead they would never see depart as they won the Foothills Council Championship easily over the Queensbury Spartans 79-43.

The Tartans win is their 45th straight win, the longest active streak in New York State.

The Spartans had a tough time getting the basketball to sink through the net, falling behind 20-3 before finally scoring a couple buckets to finish the first quarter down 23-7.

Meanwhile, the Tartans scored from all ends of the court.  Mike Palleschi was found in the lane for an easy lay-up.  Scott Stopera was seen hanging outside the arch for one of his six threes.  Joe Cremo would make moves to free other players on defense, and distributed the ball with ease for the score.

The Spartans had a tough time gaining an inside game, as the Tartans clogged up the key effectively.  The third quarter was the toughest for the Spartans, as they were outscored 27-7 as all chances at winning the Foothills Council Championship evaporated.


Joe Cremo scored 31 points, and Scott Stopera used six three point buckets on his way to scoring 20 for the defending State Federation Champions.  The Scotia Tartans have won three straight Foothills Council Championships, and now look to make it four straight years representing Section 2 in the NYSPHSAA State Tournament as Class A Sectional Champions.

For Queensbury, Keeghan O'Leary, like in the first meeting with Scotia this year, was kept under his average of 17 points per game as the senior center scored 10 points.  Justin Trolestra scored 8, all in the first half.  Brett Rodriguez added 7.


Glens Falls Girls win Foothills Championship with 49-40 win over Amsterdam

GLENS FALLS - The Tougas Sisters combined for 36 total points, each scoring 18 points a piece, as the Glens Falls Indians never trailed on their way to the Foothills Council Girls Championship with the 49-40 win over the Amsterdam Rams on Friday at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

The Indians used a 15-9 second quarter to take a 24-14 lead at the half.

The Amsterdam Rams started storming back, closing to within 6 points of the Indians in the fourth quarter, and took the ball off a Glens Falls turnover with the chance to close to within one possession.  However, the Rams coughed up the ball, the Indians bounced back.

The win brings an end to Amsterdam's 16 game win streak that dated back to last December.  The Rams had been undefeated in league play after losing their first two games against St. Laurent and Fernand-Lefebvre during a Thanksgiving weekend trip up to Montréal that was played under international FIBA rules, which included a shot clock set at 24 seconds instead of 30.

For the Indians, it was sweet revenge for their 64-52 loss to the Rams back in January.  In that game, the Rams scored 30 points from the charity stripe out of 42 tries, as fouls dominated the game.  By comparison, the Rams only scored 7 points from the free throw line this time.

Defensively, the Indians forced the Rams secondary scorer Guilianna Pritchard to only two points, and Nina Fedullo was kept to just under her average with 15 points.  Maria Lamonto added 11.

Next for both teams will be sectionals, as seedings will be announced on Wednesday.  The win improves Glens Falls's chances of walking out of the meeting with the #1 seed in Class A, and could drop Amsterdam down a few ranks.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Game Preview: Girls Foothills Council Championship

If the North is to win the Foothills Council Championship over the South tonight, the North needs to limit extra opportunities.

Especially in today's Girls Championship between the Glens Falls Indians and the Amsterdam Rams (5:30PM, Glens Falls Civic Center).

The first meeting between the two teams saw Amsterdam get 42 free throw opportunities, which they made 30 of them on their way to a 64-52 win.  And it was a team effort for Amsterdam, as Braelin Aldi was the team's highest scorer with only 12 points, as 10 different Rams scored points in the win.

The Rams have won 16 straight since starting the season 0-2 with losses to St. Laurent and Fernand-Lefebvre.  The Rams set up their visit to the Foothills Council Championship in their first year in the league thanks to an overtime win against Scotia.

Coach Eric Duemler likes giving his entire bench time out on the court, which leads to 14 different Rams registering points during the course of the season.  Nina Fedullo is the team's main scorer, averaging 15.7 points per game.  Guilianna Pritchard is the team's next scorer with 7.7 points per game.  Caitlin Gannon is the team's most dangerous three point shooter, dropping 28 from long range over the course of the season.

Mark Girard has a good 1-2 punch with the Glens Falls Indians.  The Tougas sisters of Sophie and Lucy, combine for over 29 points per game, and are the team's best free throw shooters.  Taylor Scarincio is also a shooter, scoring 7.2 points per game.  Adele Haraughty is the team's best three point shooter, scoring 19 this season.

The Indians have two losses on the season, both to South Division opponents.  They fell to Amsterdam 64-52 after losing to Scotia 54-46 the previous game.
The Indians cannot afford to give the Rams extra opportunities if they hope to claim the Foothills Council Championship.  The Rams have shown time and time again that they have a deep roster, and if Coach Duemler uses the bench wisely, Amsterdam will claim the championship in their first year as a member of the Foothills Council.

IF YOU GO...
Foothills Council Girls Championship
AMSTERDAM RAMS (16-2) VS. GLENS FALLS INDIANS (16-2)
5:30 PM, Glens Falls Civic Center
Radio Coverage on FOX Sports Radio 1230 @ 5:20PM

Players to Watch
Amsterdam Rams
Name
FG
3-Pt
FT
FTA
FT %
Pts
PPG
80
4
111
159
69.81
283
15.7
52
0
34
49
69.39
138
7.7
8
28
6
9
66.67
106
5.9
32
13
15
18
83.33
118
6.6

Glens Falls Indians
Name
FG
3-Pt
FT
FTA
FT %
Pts
PPG
95
4
68
107
63.55
270
15.0
100
5
47
77
61.04
262
14.6
52
0
26
51
50.98
130
7.2
17
19
10
26
38.46
101
5.6
Source: Albany Times Union