Thompson sisters lead Spartans

   POUGHKEEPSIE – She’s got a sister?

   She’s got a sister.

DUTCHESS COUNTY CLASSIC

   Spackenkill is now 4-1 overall; the Pioneers dropped to 4-2.

   “They were both terrific tonight,” Spackenkill coach Don Niese said of the Thompson sisters. “It was a fight between the quicker defense and the bigger team. They went big on us and their size was their advantage. But I thought we played well defensively and our pressure in the second half got us some steals and some buckets to change the tide. Anna gave us some big hoops from the outside, and Cat was 15-for-18 from the foul line.”

   Dominique Douglas had 11 points for Spackenkill, which trailed by five at the half but used an 8-0 at the end of the third quarter to regain the lead for good.

   Ja’Lisha Higgs scored 12 points for Poughkeepsie and Elantra Means had 10. Cat Thompson and Poughkeepsie’s Tanisha Coleman were named to the Classic’s all-tournament team.

Coleman knocks off John Jay

   POUGHKEEPSIE – It was an interesting scenario. The small, but ultra-successful Class D school going up against a Class AA school that has enjoyed its own success these last two seasons.

   In the end, tiny John A. Coleman Catholic High School notched the biggest win of the season so far.

DUTCHESS COUNTY CLASSIC

   Makenzie Burud had 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists to lead the Stateswomen to a 54-49 win over John Jay on Thursday in a Dutchess County Classic tournament game held at Spackenkill High School.

   Coleman, which won the Class D state championship in 2009 and went to the Final Four this past season, is now 5-0 on the season. Jay fell to 6-2.

   Burud nailed 9-of-10 foul shots in the fourth quarter to keep the Patriots at bay.

   “Coleman’s a great little team and they have a nice player in Makenzie,” John Jay coach Larry Brooks said. “They did a nice job on us defensively, but we just didn’t put the ball in the hole. I think we didn’t defend real well, didn’t execute on offense and didn’t play as hard as we could have. It wasn’t a good game for us. We made a nice run in the fourth quarter but it was a little too late.

   Sisters Emily and Nicole Curley combined for 16 points and 18 rebounds for Coleman.

   Brittney Gullo had 18 points for Jay, while Brittany Gregory scored 12 off the bench.

LaCourt takes over for Dover, scores 31 in win against OLL

   POUGHKEEPSIE – This is what Jalen LaCourt’s first six games have looked like for the Dover High School boys’ basketball team.

DCBCA TOURNAMENT

   33 against Putnam Valley.

   15 (foul trouble) against Pleasantville.

   26 against Arlington.

   21 against Ketcham.

   And 31 more on Thursday night in a 67-59 win over Our Lady of Lourdes in the third and final game of the Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament at Poughkeepsie High School.

   The Dragons went 2-1 in the tournament and are now 4-2 heading into league play. OLL lost all three of its games in the DCBCA tourney.

   Actually, one of Dover’s two losses was the season-opening loss to Lourdes.

   “They came out and they were absolutely on fire in that first game,” Dover coach Adam Repinz said. “We needed to play better defense against them and tonight I thought we did.”

Duffy's career-high leads Arlington

   POUGHKEEPSIE – Hey, that gaudy 7-1 record heading into the league season belongs to none other than the Arlington High School girls’ basketball team.

   The Admirals got a balanced attack on offense, including a career-high 11 points off the bench from senior Kristen Duffy, and Arlington beat Highland, 62-26, in the Dutchess County Classic in a game played at Spackenkill High School.

   Nicole Lanteri and Jocelyn Strack both had 10 points apiece for Arlington, Jackie Rywalt and Gabi Esposito each scored seven points, and Sarah Kaminsky had a nice floor game with five steals and five assists. 

   Lanteri was named to the All-Tournament Team. 

DUTCHESS COUNTY CLASSIC

   “It was a good all-around team performance tonight and a good tournament overall for the girls,” Admirals coach Kim Costello said.

Alonzo lifts RCK to win

   POUGHKEEPSIE – All-tournament selection Sam Alonzo had a game-high 16 points, and the Roy C. Ketcham High School girls’ basketball team beat Millbrook, 48-32, in the Dutchess County Classic on Thursday.

   The game was played at Spackenkill High School.

   Allison Ginter had 11 points and Jackie Hart added seven for the Indians.

   “I really thought we picked up our defense in the second half,” Ketcham coach Kristie Worrel said of her team, which held the Blazers to seven points total after the intermission.

   Ketcham is now 4-4 heading into league play.

MVP Gugumuck guides Spackenkill to tourney title

   LITTLE FALLS – The Spackenkill High School boys’ basketball team left for upstate New York three days ago a 1-2 team, wondering what its place will be after the holidays when it returned to Mid-Hudson Athletic League play.

KASNER KLASSIC

   Four players scored in double figures on Wednesday night, leading the Spartans to a 66-54 win over Waterville in the title game of the Kasner Klassic tournament up in Herkimer County.

   Tournament MVP Steve Gugumuck scored all 10 of his points in the second half after sitting out most of the first half in trouble. He added nine rebounds.

   “Our bench came up big for us tonight,” Spackenkill coach Terry Feeley said. “The early foul trouble and a key injury forced some players into roles they might not always fill.”

   Spackenkill’s Quinn Horvath (six assists, three rebounds and a steal) and Tyler Lipscomg (11 points, five assists) were named to the all-tournament team. Josh Riley led the Spartans with 12 points, and Jimmy Kruk added 10.

Pine Plains boys win Bomber Booster;

Rhinebeck takes girls' crown

   PINE PLAINS — Calling it “the most complete game my team has played this year,” Pine Plains High School boys’ basketball coach Brendan LoBrutto watched his squad win their own Bomber Booster Tournament on Wednesday night with a 65-53 win over Germantown in the championship game.

   Rob Lamont earned tournament MVP honors after his 30-point, 12-rebound performance.

   In the girls’ tournament, Rhinebeck took home the title with a 37-25 win over Germantown as Candace Bernitt earned MVP honors.

BOMBER BOOSTER TOURNAMENT

   Pine Plains took the boys’ crown with a combination of strong inside play on offense and solid defense.

   “Our post play was outstanding tonight, led by a great game from Rob Lamont,” LoBrutto said. “He was a beast in the paint and never stopped working on both ends of the court.”

   Zach Lydon had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Bombers, and Tyler Lydon had six points, seven boards and three blocked shots.

   “We knew coming in that Germantown liked to push the ball and run an up-tempo fastbreak style. We did a good job neutralizing that aspect of their game, especially our guards Justin Cooper and Marquis VanDeWater,” LoBrutto said.

   Bernitt scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half, including nine in the final three minutes, 19 seconds, to rally Rhinebeck for the win and the title.

   Meredith Mimoso had eight points for the Hawks and Izzy Garland had three points, but made her presence felt on defense.

   “Izzy Garland was outstanding on defense, controlling the paint, rebounding and blocking shots,” Rhinebeck coach Marc Berg said. “I was pleased with the overall effort and play.”

   In the girls’ consolation game, Pine Plains won its first game of the year with a 45-16 decision over Webutuck. Nikki Lengyel had 16 points and Maria Farias added 13 reboundds for the Bombers.

   “We were able to work out some built up frustration after losing several close games and played our best offensive game of the year,” Pine Plains coach Eric Sullivan said. “Hopefully we continue to get contributions from everyone and build on this for the second half of the season.”

FDR's defense stops Lourdes 

  POUGHKEEPSIE – Matt Kennedy scored a game-high 18 points for the second night in a row, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School boys’ basketball team beat Our Lady of Lourdes, 51-36, in the Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association consolation bracket on Wednesday.

DCBCA TOURNAMENT

   FDR is now 3-2 on the year.

   “Matt’s been shooting the ball with a lot of consistency,” Presidents coach Kevin Hart said. “He deserves every accolade he gets. He worked extremely hard in the offseason.”

   Felix Riascos added 16 points for Roosevelt and Tim Miller had eight.

   “I was very pleased with our defensive intensity for four quarters,” Hart said. “Our guys are starting to pick it up on the defensive end. What we practice is really starting to come to fruition so I’m happy with our overall executions.”

LaCourt, Lloyd shine as Dover downs Ketcham

   POUGHKEEPSIE – This time, Jalen LaCourt had help.

   LaCourt scored 21 points Wednesday night and got 20 from teammate and big man Daivon Lloyd, and the Dover High School boys’ basketball team beat Roy C. Ketcham, 62-55, in a consolation round game of the Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament.

DCBCA TOURNAMENT

   Dover is now 3-2 overall while RCK drops to 2-4.

   The game was played at Our Lady of Lourdes High School.

   “It really was a tale of two halves,” Dover coach Adam Repinz said. “Not to take anything away from Ketcham, but we couldn’t do anything right in the first half. We were totally flat.”

   The Indians used a 24-8 run in the first half to take a 30-22 lead on Dover at intermission. But the Dragons came roaring back in the second half.

   “We run on Jalen. As he goes, we go,” Repinz said. “As I tell the team, cars run on fuel and we run on Jalen, and he was flat in the first half.”

   Lloyd finished 9-for-10 from the foul line for Dover.

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   POUGHKEEPSIE – The mark of a good coach – halftime adjustments.

DCBCA TOURNAMENT

   Did they ever.

   The Bulldogs, who scored just 24 points in the entire first, broke open a tight game with a 22-point explosion in the third period, and went on to beat the Warriors, 67-50.

   Beacon will play Poughkeepsie in one semifinal tonight at OLL’s gym; the Warriors play Roosevelt in a loser’s bracket game.

   Spenser McElhoney and Anthony Clark led the Bulldogs with 14 points each, with McElhoney especially right in the middle of the key sequence in the game. Beacon trailed 28-24 at the break and was still down 34-31 early in the third quarter when it went on a 15-2 run to turn the three-point deficit into a 46-36 lead.

   McElhoney had eight of the points during the spurt.

   “He actually was the recipient of a lot of hard-working stuff that was going on up top,” Powers said. “He’s always one of our outlets to score if they collapse on our other players.”

   The Bulldogs dominated Lourdes on the glass, getting second and third shots seemingly at will against a depleted Warrior team that didn’t do itself any favors by landing three of its players in foul trouble.

   A Grant Thomas three-pointer at the end of the third quarter momentarily stopped the surge, pulling OLL to within seven heading into the final period. But a big three-pointer by Jordan Morales and yet another inside basket by McElhoney gave Beacon at 57-44 lead.

Gugumuck leads Spartans into finals

   LITTLE FALLS – Steve Gugumuck led a balanced attack with 15 points and the Spackenkill High School boys’ basketball team advanced to the finals of the Kasner Klassic with a 64-57 win over Holland Patent on Tuesday night.

   Spackenkill will take on the winner of Waterville vs. host Little Falls in tonight’s championship game at 5 p.m.

   “We were able to jump on them early scoring some easy points off of our defensive pressure,” Spackenkill coach Terry Feeley said of his team, which jumped out to a 16-4 lead. “We allowed them to stick around late in game by missing our free throws. But Jimmy Kruk did some really nice things for us tonight”

   Kruk had 14 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals. Quinn Horvath added 10 points for the Spartans and Tyler Lipscomb had nine.

   Gugumuck had a team-high 13 rebounds.

   “Steven had a great game for us despite being out-sized by their 6-5 big guy,” Feeley said.

Jay picks up where it left off

Patriots, 3x winner over RCK last year, beat Indians again

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   POUGHKEEPSIE – Right now anyway, the John Jay High School boys’ basketball team owns district rival Roy C. Ketcham.

DCBCA TOURNAMENT

   The Patriots, winners of all three games against RCK last season, picked up right where it left off on Tuesday night, jumping out to a 9-0 lead and coasting to a 51-38 victory in the first round of the Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament at Our Lady of Lourdes High School.

   Jay is now 2-4 overall and will meet another rival, Arlington, in tonight’s semifinals back at OLL.

   Ketcham will play Dover in a loser’s bracket game.

   Jay’s Nick Segarra led all scorers with 14 points. In fact, it was his driving layup that opened the game and his three-pointer that capped a 9-0 run in the first five minutes,

   “That was a great start for us,” John Jay coach Matt Hayes said. “This is our sixth game of the year, and that was the first first quarter we won. But give Ketcham credit, because just as quickly as we got that lead, they came back.”

   RCK did settle down, but the Patriots got a pair of layups by Tom “The Consigliere” Hagan to lead 13-8 after one period.

   The Indians pulled to within three points on Francisco Meza’s two free throws to open the second quarter, but that was as close as RCK would get on this night. Segarra’s two free throws and a three-pointer jump-started another run, this one 11-2, and the Patriots took a comfortable 26-14 edge at intermission.

   “We came out with a lot of intensity and energy, and we wanted to pour it on,” said Segarra, who was helped by 12 points from teammate Rob McMahon.

   “When they came back and started to key on (Segarra), some other guys made some plays for us,” Hayes said. “It wasn’t pretty offensively for us. It’s not always going to be pretty for us offensively, but we found a way to win.”

   McMahon’s two strong moves inside for hoops quelled any thoughts of a Ketcham rally after the Indians pulled to within 32-26 early in the fourth quarter.

Pioneers topple FDR

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   POUGHKEEPSIE – There was a bit of a problem with the Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament and the participation of the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School boys’ basketball team.

DCBCA TOURNAMENT

   Still, there was a crisis of conscience – what if Roosevelt won its first two games and was in the DCBCA championship on Thursday?

   Perhaps that’s why tournament organizers put the Presidents, winner of one game all last season, up against Poughkeepsie, two-time Section One, Class AA finalist, in the first round on Tuesday night.

   The Pioneers made the whole philosophical question a moot point, jumping out to a 16-2 lead en route to a 68-47 win over the Presidents in a game played at Our Lady of Lourdes High School.

   Poughkeepsie will face Beacon in a semifinal game tonight at 8 p.m., back at OLL.

   Nate Gause was one of four players in double figures for the Pioneers, leading all scorers with 24 points. Matt Kennedy had 18 for FDR.

   “You play three games in three days and you want to get off to a good start,” Poughkeepsie coach Brian Laffin said. “Today I thought we were good in spurts. I thought we got a little lackadaisical on defense at times.”

  It certainly didn’t start out that way. Although Gause is the acknowledged star of this team, the Pioneers have great depth and showed it in the opening moments as Basheem Bennett, Gause, Tyre Coleman and Elijah McLaurin scored the game’s first four buckets for an 8-0 Poughkeepsie lead.

   After a timeout, Kennedy’s bucket put FDR on the board, but Gause hit a three-pointers, Bennett scored in transition and McLaurin hit a triple, and suddenly it was 16-2, which grew to 24-5 at the end of the first quarter.

   But, to their credit, the Presidents stayed with it behind Kennedy and sophomore guard Felix Riascos, never letting the Pioneers truly blow it out and, in fact, cutting the deficit to nine at one point in the second half.

Admirals overpower Dover

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   POUGHKEEPSIE – The largest school in the Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament was matched up against the smallest school on Tuesday afternoon.

DCBCA TOURNAMENT

   The big school had too many players that wore down the small school.

   Dover High School hung with mighty Arlington for a quarter-and-a-half, but the Admirals were just too strong and overpowered the Dragons, 63-53, in the first round of the annual tournament at Our Lady of Lourdes High School.

   Arlington will take on John Jay, a winner over Ketcham, in today’s semifinals back at OLL at 6:15 p.m.

   Dover takes on Ketcham in a loser’s bracket game at 4:30 p.m.

   Josh Wright had 16 points to pace the Admirals and Julian Martinez added 13.

   Dover’s Jalen LaCourt led all scorers with 26 points and teammate Daivon Lloyd had 10.

   “We had great energy,” Arlington coach Matt Hoyt said. “It was a real team effort. We put a lot of pressure on them and that seemed to work. We were nervous about what they could do.”

   Dover was right there early in the second court, behind by just two at 21-19 after a Lloyd layup.

   But the Admirals turned up the defensive pressure, were relentless on second shot opportunities and used the sparkplug-play of Martinez to scored 12 consecutive points – and 18 of the half’s final 20 – to take a 39-21 lead at the break.

   “I wouldn’t say I’m the sparkplug,” Martinez said. “We had a lot of new guys and we needed to build some chemistry.”

   Wright’s power layup started the 12-0 streak, followed by an offensive rebound putback by Alex Russell, a driving layup by Martinez, an offensive putback by Wright, a strong power move by Dan Kane, and another transition hoop from Martinez.

   Suddently, 21-19 went to 33-19, prompting a timeout with 2:13 to play in the half from Dover coach Adam Repinz.

   Although LaCourt slowed the bleeding with a basket out of the timeout, consecutive in-the-paint hoops from Kane, Brian Brocker and Wright pushed the advantage to 18 at the break.

   The Dragons did a nice job of cutting the deficit to 11 heading into the final period, and they cut it to seven three times in the final four minutes thanks to buckets by McCourt.

   “Until you see him live, you have no idea how good he is,” Hoyt said of McCourt. “I thought he did a great job of keeping them in the game.”

   Arlington’s Scocozza did a nice job of answering, though, hitting a couple of big power moves to keep the Admirals comfortably ahead.

 

 

Red Hook girls gain tournament final

 

   FORT MONTGOMERY -- Sienna O'Han had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists on Tuesday night, and the Red Hook High School girls’ basketball team stormed to a spot in the championship of the James I. O’Neill Tournament with a 44-33 win over Minisink Valley.

 

TOURNAMENT BASKETBALL

 

   Sabrina Eggink had 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists for Red hook, which is now 5-0 overall, and Jordyn Dezago added five points and five boards.

   LOURDES 51, BURKE 38 – The Warriors looked like the OLL of old as they manhandled John St. Burke in the semifinals of the Richard J. McNichol Tournament in Rockland County.

   Teneka Whittaker had a game-high 25 points for Lourdes, which will take on host Albertus Magnus in tonight’s championship game.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

   VERNON, N.J. – Red Hook High School boys’ basketball coach Rod Chando entered the first round of the Viking Holiday Tournament in Vernon, N.J., just five wins from 600 for his career.

   He’s still five wins away.

   The Raiders suffered their first loss of the year on Tuesday, falling to Minisink Valley, 64-49, in the opening round of the tourney.

   Red Hook will play in the consolation game today.

Blizzard cancels Marist women's trip to Arizona; Allenspach named MAAC Player of the Week

   POUGHKEEPSIE – The Marist College women's basketball team's game at Arizona State University, which was originally scheduled for this afternoon, then moved to Wednesday, has been cancelled altogether.

   The blizzard was the culprit, as the Red Foxes could not get on a flight either Sunday or Monday for the trip to Tempe, Ariz., to play the Sun Devils.

   Marist (9-2) and reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Week Erica Allenspach will next open the conference portion of its schedule on Sunday against Rider at the McCann Center. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.

   For the second time in as many weeks, Allenspach was named the MAAC Player of the Week on Monday. After she won the award on Dec. 20 she scored a career-high 34 points against Houston to help the Red Foxes win the Duel in the Desert Tournament title.

   Allenspach was named Duel in the Desert Tournament MVP after she scored a career-high 34 points to help Marist to the championship in a 78-70 win over Houston on Monday. Her point total tied for fifth on the program's single game list. Allenspach scored 15 first half points to help the Red Foxes to a 14-point advantage at the intermission. She sank a season-high six field goals in the first half and tallied a career-high 11 makes in the game.

   With five minutes to play in the first half, Allenspach scored the final five points of a 7-0 Marist run to put the Red Foxes up by 12, 30-18. With 1:26 to play, she hit a pair of free throws to put the Marist lead back to 10 and keep Houston at arms-length in the final minutes of the contest.

Tourneys set to begin today

   OK, now that the effects of the Christmas Blizzard have moved on, we can get down to business with some great high school holiday tournament action.

   Rather than try to squeeze the entire schedule onto the chalkboard, here’s a better look at today’s action so you can plan your Valley-hopping schedule.

   It starts at 9 a.m. with the kickoff of the Mid-Hudson Wrestling Tournament at Arlington, and it ends around, oh, 10ish tonight when the fourth of four games in the Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament wraps up.

   Here’s a look at today’s complete schedule.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament

At Our Lady of Lourdes High School

Arlington vs. Dover, 2:45 p.m.; Poughkeepsie vs. Roosevelt, 4:30 p.m.; John Jay vs. Ketcham, 6:15 p.m.; Lourdes vs. Beacon, 8 p.m.

Bomber Booster Tournament

At Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School

Pine Plains vs. Rhinebeck, 7 p.m.; Germantown vs. Webutuck, 7 p.m.
Kasner Klassic

At Little Falls High School

Spackenkill vs. Holland Patent, 3 p.m.

Viking Holiday Tournament

At Vernon Township (N.J.) High School
Red Hook vs. Minisink Valley, 5 p.m.
Non-League

Tuxedo at Haldane, 6 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Slam Dunk Tournament

At Westchester County Center, White Plains

Haldane vs. Ursuline, 10 a.m.
James I. O’Neill Tournament

At James I. O’Neill High School

Red Hook vs. Minisink Valley, 1 p.m.
Richard J. McNichol Tournament

At Albertus Magnus High School

Lourdes vs. Burke Catholic, 2 p.m.
Bomber Booster Tournament

At Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School

Pine Plains vs. Rhinebeck, 5 p.m.; Germantown vs. Webutuck, 5 p.m.

WRESTLING
Mid-Hudson Tournament

At Arlington High School

Multiple teams, 9 a.m.

TRACK AND FIELD

Pearl River Holiday Festival

At Rockland Community College
Multiple teams, 9 a.m.

Brown's career-high propels Bulldogs past Hen-Hud

   BEACON – Sophomore Marquis Brown scored a career-high 18 points Wednesday night, and the Beacon High School boys’ basketball team beat Hendrick Hudson, 54-42, in a non-league game.

   The Bulldogs squared their record at 2-2.

   Brown scored 11 of his 18 in the third quarter.

   “He played his most solid game yet,” Beacon coach Tom Powers said of Brown. “We just turned up the pressure and he was at the front of it.”

   Ray Silva came off the bench and had 10 points and eight steals for the Bulldogs, who open play in the Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament on Monday night against Lourdes.

Coleman knocks off Valley Central

   TOWN OF ULSTER – For a small guy, Ben Mesuda plays pretty big.

   Mesuda scored half of John A. Coleman High School’s 52 points on Wednesday, and the Statesmen beat Valley Central, 52-39, in a non-league matchup.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

   “It’s a good win for us against a Double-A school,” Coleman coach Alex Albany said of his Class D team.

   Mesuda scored 26 points on three three-point field goals, five two-pointers and a seven-for-eight performance from the free throw line. He also grabbed 10 rebounds for the double-double.

   “He just hit big shots for us whenever we needed them,” Albany said. “He ran the offense and did a heck of a job.”

   Coleman’s defense wasn’t too shabby either, holding VC to just 13 points in the first half.

   “We just played our regular man-to-man, but we flooded the lane off the ball and they couldn’t get in the paint,” Albany said. “They just struggled with it. They couldn’t get any backdoors against us.”

Arlington spanks Ramapo by 47;

Marlboro rolls over Saugerties

   FREEDOM PLAINS – Nicole Spaulding led a balanced attack with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Arlington High School girls’ basketball team whipped Ramapo, 78-31, in a non-league game Tuesday night.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

Pioneers blast Lincoln Hall

   POUGHKEEPSIE – The Poughkeepsie High School boys’ basketball team has been hit with the injury bug of late.

   A banged up knee here, a tender shoulder there.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

   Couldn’t tell from their play on Tuesday, though.

   The Pioneers had four players in double figures, and Poughkeepsie rolled Lincoln Hall, 85-29, in a non-league game.

   The Pioneers are now 3-0.

   Nate Gause had a game-high 24 points, Elijah McLaurin had 15, Basheem Bennett added 11 and Jayson McCaster had 10 points. Sophomore Jermar Dancy chipped in with eight points.

   “Jayson was very active, particularly around the basket,” Poughkeepsie coach Brian Laffin said. “He got to the foul line a few times. He’s an athletic kid. If he can give us those kinds of numbers it’s a bonus.”

   Dancy is a new name that has cracked the Poughkeepsie rotation.

   “Jermar comes off the bench, and he defended the perimeter and pushed the ball,” Laffin said. “And he’s only a sophomore. He’s a baby. He’s going to be a talented player.”

   Poughkeepsie next plays on Monday in the Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament against Roosevelt at 4:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes.

   LAS VEGAS – Forget that old saying about what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

   This was a three-day weekend the Marist College women’s basketball team will be talking about for a long, long time.

   Senior guard Erica Allenspach scored a career-high 34 points as Marist held on for a 78-70 win over Houston to win the Duel in the Desert title on Monday at Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

   Allenspach's point output ranks tied for fifth on the Red Foxes' single-game scoring list, and as a result she was named Duel in the Desert Tournament MVP. With the win, Marist moved to 9-2 on the season and has won its last five games and third in as many days.

   “Obviously, Erica showed that she’s the MVP,” Marist coach Brian Giorgis said on the goredfoxes.com radio postgame show. “If she can continue playing like that, we’ll be tough to beat.”

   It was an unbelievable weekend for the Red Foxes. To put it in perspective, consider the following:

On Saturday night, Marist opened with a 74-68 win over Louisville, a Big East Conference team that was in the national championship game as recently as 2009.

On Sunday, Marist beat Nebraska, currently the 21st-ranked team in the country, 65-60.

And, Monday night, the Foxes beat Houston, a team that was 8-1 coming into the game.

   “I think it shows the fight in us,” Allenspach said of the Vegas weekend.

   Added Giorgis: “There’s something about this team that I really love. It’s different people and they pick each other up.”

   Allenspach, the reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Week, shot 11-for-18 from the field, 5-for-8 from three-point range and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. She also grabbed eight rebounds, including five on the offensive end, and added two assists and a steal. Marist also got nine points from junior guard Corielle Yarde and freshman Leanne Ockenden netted eight points and two triples.

   Houston (8-2) scored the first five points of the game over a span of 2:08 to vault the Cougars to a 5-0 lead. However, at the 13:55 mark, senior Elise Caron used a layup to spark a 6-0 run over a span of 1:23 to take the lead for the remainder of the game. Classmate Maria Laterza gave the Red Foxes a 12-11 lead with 13:31 to play in the first half, and the run closed with a triple by freshman Emma O'Connor. Following the run Marist led by four, 15-11, with 12:32 remaining in the opening stanza.
   Marist used a 7-0 run to push the lead to 12 points with 4:53 remaining in the period. Laterza opened the run with a second chance opportunity, and Allenspach closed the run with five straight points to make the score 30-18 in favor of the Red Foxes.

Sophomore Kelsey Beynnon netted layups on consecutive possessions that helped Marist to a 14-point advantage, 39-25, at halftime.

   Marist pushed the lead to 17, 47-30, with 16:48 to go in the game on an Allenspach three-point play. The margin was the largest of the game for either team.

Houston did not go away as it used a 9-0 run from the 10:11 mark until there was 7:16 remaining to get within three, 58-55.

   The Red Foxes got the lead back to double digits with 1:26 left, and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 1:42 of the game to secure the 78-70 win. In the final 1:42 junior Kristine Best, Allenspach and sophomore Kate Oliver nailed a pair of free throws each.

   In the second half, Houston outscored the Red Foxes 45-39. The Cougars had three in double figures including Courtney Taylor, Brittney Scott and Porsche Landry. Taylor posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

   The Red Foxes return to the hardwood on Tuesday, Dec. 28. Marist will travel to Tempe, Ariz. to face the Arizona State Sun Devils. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. ET.

Four bowlers roll 600s as Ketcham nips Arlington

   POUGHKEEPSIE – Wow. This was everything you would have expected, and more.

BOWLING

   The Ketcham boys nipped the Admirals, 4-3, as four players – Ketcham’s Mike Brought and Jon Savas, and Arlington’s Bryan Golding and Chris Natoli – fired three-game series’ of 622 or better.

   Natoli’s game of 256 and his 676 series were match highs.

   “It was a great match between two good teams,” Arlington coach Bob Jacovino said. “When you have four guys bowl 600 or better at Mardi-Bob, (that’s good) because it’s a difficult house.”

   Mike Nobile didn’t have much difficulty. The Beacon student rolled a career-high 581 series to lead the Bulldogs to a 7-0 win over Carmel.

   “Mike carried us today,” Beacon coach Brian Mahon said. “The rest of the guys had trouble adjusting to the lanes.”

   The John Jay boys were also victorious, beating Mahopac 5-2 as senior Kevin Winant exploded for a 716 series that includes games of 256, 245 and 215.

   Ketcham, Arlington and Jay are all at the top of the Dutchess-Putnam Interscholastic Bowling League. The Indians are 38-11, the Admirals are 36-13 and the Patriots are 35-14.

   The Arlington girls maintained their league lead with a 4½ - 2½ win over Ketcham.

Golden Gloves coming to Po'town

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Former boxer, trainer and now promoter Brian Burke and former two-time world champion Tracy Patterson have pulled off quite a coup.

   Burke’s Final Round Productions is bringing a preliminary round of the New York Daily News Golden Gloves tournament to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, the first time in the 84-year history of the famed tournament that it will take place north of Westchester County.

   The event draws nearly 800 fighters who duke it out over the course of two-plus months, beginning on Jan. 20 and ending with the finals at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden on April 8 and 9.

   The Poughkeepsie card will be part of the preliminaries and will be held on Saturday, Feb. 5 – the night before the Super Bowl. Ticket prices start at as little as $15 and go all the way to a special sponsor table that features a five-course meal, tickets to the event and sponsorship on the marketing posters for $1,000 for a table of eight, or $125 per person.

   “We’ve been talking with (Golden Gloves Director) Brian Adams for about a year now,” Burke said. “We finally got the green light and it was Tracy who got us in there to see him.”

   Patterson, the adoptive son of former two-time heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, is friendly with Adams, who also does commentating work for MSG. Tracy Patterson and Burke worked together for years when Burke worked Patterson’s corner during his championship rise in the early 1990s.

   The Golden Gloves, which both Pattersons fought in, is considered the biggest and most respected amateur boxing event in the world, having produced world champions from Sugar Ray Robinson to Riddick Bowe.

   Burke said that while his initial hope was to have one of the quarterfinal or semifinal round events, he’s thrilled with the preliminaries as he hopes to have some local fighters on the card that night in Poughkeepsie.

Zuvic goes for 30 in Haldane win

BOYS' BASKETBALL

   The senior had 30 points and 13 points to lead the Haldane High School boys’ basketball team to a stirring 51-46 overtime win over Hendrick Hudson on Monday night.

   The Blue Devils are now 3-2.

   Zuvic scored 23 of his 30 in the second half, including all six of his team’s points in the extra session.

   “He just refused to lose tonight and took over the game,” Haldane coach Joe Virgadamo said. “We also did the best job of ball movement we’ve had all season.”

   Jimmy Meekins, who finished with seven points and five steals, hit two big shots in the fourth quarter for Haldane.

Peck, Tamburri pace Marlboro

   MARLBORO – Tyler Peck and Mike Tamburri had 18 points apiece Monday night, and the Marlboro High School boys’ basketball team beat archrival Highland, 68-51, in a Mid-Hudson Athletic League game.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

   “Our defense really carried us,” Marlboro coach Mike Koehler said of his team’s first win of the season in four tries. “We really came up with some big defensive stops, especially late in the game.”

   Highland, which trailed for most of the contest, pulled within 41-39 early in the fourth quarter.

   Taquan Lewis had 12 points for the Iron Dukes.

   Dan Chenery led Highland with 14 points and Chris Ranalli had 11 for the Huskies.

Anthony paces Army women

   WEST POINT – Senior Erin Anthony and sophomore Molly Yardley paced the Army women’s basketball team in a 60-52 win over visiting Loyola (Md.) in non-conference women’s basketball action on Sunday afternoon at Christl Arena.

   Senior Laura Baranek led all players with 12 rebounds as the Black Knights snapped a two-game losing skid and head into the holiday break on a winning note.

   Army improved to 4-7 on the year.

   Anthony’s 22 points led all players. She shot 6-of-10 from the field and was 10-of-12 from the free throw line. All 10 of her free throws came in the second half. 

   Yardley totaled a career-high 20 points, including five three-point buckets, in the victory. Fourteen of the 2010 Patriot League All-Rookie Team honoree’s tallies coming during a key second half for the Black Knights. Army led 21-20 at the half and outscored the Greyhounds 60-52 in the second stanza to secure the win.

     Army held Loyola to a 33 percent (20-of-61) effort from the field. Miriam McKenzie, who fouled out of the contest, led three players in double figures with 14 points. Reigning MAAC Player of the Week Erica DiClemente and Katie Sheahin followed with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

   Army turned what had been a one-point halftime lead (21-20) into a 13-point edge (58-45) with just over a minute to play. The teams played back-and-forth to start the second half each team taking turns holding the lead. Army broke a 43-43 tie with 5:38 to go on a Yardley foul shot and the Black Knights never looked back. While Loyola struggled to hit shots, Army benefited from a 13-0 run over the next four-plus minutes to take their largest lead of the game (58-45) with 1:08 to play.

Marist men go down again, fall to Holy Cross

   POUGHKEEPSIE – A double loss on Sunday for the Marist College men’s basketball team.

   Not only did the Red Foxes fall on the court again, but the program suffered another loss when 6-foot-7 forward Rob Johnson decided to transfer out. The Poughkeepsie Journal first reported the news of Johnson leaving the Red Foxes.

   Johnson wasn’t playing much this season and he probably wouldn’t have been any help on Sunday when Marist lost to Holy Cross, 65-57, at the McCann Center. Junior guard R.J. Hall (pictured) led the Red Foxes with 14 points to go along with three assists, two rebounds and two steals.

   Hall shot 4-for-7 from the field, 1-for-2 from three-point range and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. He was the lone Red Fox to score in double digits. Senior forward Korey Bauer, freshman swingman Jay Bowie and red-shirt freshman forward Menelik Watson tied for the team lead in rebounds with six apiece.

   The Red Foxes led just once during the contest, as a layup by Hall at the 17:30 mark put the Red Foxes up 4-3. However, a basket by Holy Cross’ Andrew Keister at the 16:00 mark put the Crusaders up 5-4. Marist sophomore guard Candon Rusin split a pair of free throws on the Red Foxes’ ensuing possession to tie the score at five apiece, but a layup by Holy Cross’ Devin Brown on the next possession put the Crusaders in the lead to stay. On the benefit of 10-0 and 11-1 runs, Holy Cross took a 35-27 halftime lead.

   A three-pointer by Bowie on Marist’s first possession of the second half cut the Red Foxes’ deficit to five. However, they would not come any closer the rest of the way. Holy Cross led by as much as 24 in the second half.

   Keister led three Holy Cross scorers in double digits with a game-high 16 points to go along with seven rebounds. Eric Obeysekere had a game-high 17 rebounds.

   Marist shot just .362 (17-for-47) from the field and .267 (4-for-15) from three-point range. Holy Cross held a 45-33 edge in rebounds, and had 16 offensive boards. The Crusaders committed just seven turnovers, while Marist had 11.

   Marist is now 2-10 on the season. Holy Cross improved to 1-8.

   After a 10-day layoff – its longest during the season – Marist returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 29 in a home game against Ivy League foe Penn. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, contact the Marist Ticket Office at (845) 575-3553.

Another team effort carries John Jay

 

   WICCOPEE – Brewster High School has a good girls’ basketball team this season, good enough to make some noise in the sectionals.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

  

   Carlee Hirt scored all 20 of her points in the second half, and the Patriots jumped to an early lead and never let up in a 64-50 non-league win over Brewster on Thursday.

   Jay is now 4-1 overall.

   “We just played great team basketball tonight,” John Jay coach Larry Brooks said. “It’s a great win for our program.”

   Once again, Jay was balanced throughout the lineup. Brittany Gullo had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Calli Balfour had six points and Shannon Spring played a terrific floor game with seven points and six assists.

   On defense, Maggie Gallagher held Brewster’s leading scorer to just 14 points, spread out over all four quarters.

   “Maggie did a great job,” Brooks said. “She’s just a smart defensive player. She never let the Brewster kid get off on a hot streak.”

   John Jay jumped out an 18-7 lead after one period and never trailed.

   “We’ve been talking about coming out and establishing momentum, and I thought that was the difference in the game,” Brooks said.

Cold shooting dooms Pawling

   KATONAH – Not a good shooting night for the Pawling High School boys’ basketball team.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

   The Tigers scored in single digits in the first and second quarters, fell behind 22-5 after one period and 38-11 at halftime, and lost to Somers, 64-56, in a non-league game on Thursday night.

   Pawling is now 1-3 overall on the season.

   The Tigers put up a strong effort in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter when they outscored the Tuskers 26-12, but the hole they dug in the beginning was too much.

   Matt Morrison had 19 points and Marco Dominguez added 15 for Pawling.

Beacon girls win first

   MILLBROOK – The Beacon High School girls’ basketball team got contributions from both ends of the spectrum on Thursday to win its first game of the season, 55-22, over Millbrook.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

   Brittani Romanelli had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and fellow senior Carolanne Delbene had 14 points.

   That was the senior contribution. Two freshmen, Brooke Dennin and Talah Hughes, also played a big part in the win. The former had six points, eight rebounds, seven assists and nine steals, and the latter had six points and a game-high 16 rebounds.

   “The big thing we’ve been talking to the girls about was, we were dominated on the offensive glass and turned the ball over way too much,” Beacon assistant coach John Philipbar said. “Tonight we held them to seven offensive rebounds for the game and only had nine turnovers. We did a good job of getting out running tonight.”

   Savannah Rose had six points for the Blazers.

Inexperienced John Jay drops to 0-4

   WICCOPEE – Granted, it’s still early in the season, but in each of the John Jay High School boys’ basketball team’s four games this year, the opposing team has come in undefeated.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

   Unfortunately for them, the opposition has also left undefeated.

   Nick Segarra had 20 points for Jay on Wednesday night in a spirited effort, but Mahopac scored the last five points of the game to snap a tie and defeat the Patriots, 66-61, in a non-league game.

   “We’re very inexperienced and we don’t have a lot of size,” John Jay coach Matt Hayes said of his team, which lost four starters from last year’s club. “But I’m happy with how we’re progressing. We’ve been in a lot of close games and I think we’re going to be in a lot of close games as the season goes on. But right now we’re doing it with kids who don’t have a lot of experience in close games.”

   Antonio Hinton had 10 points for John Jay and teammate Daen Riviere added nine.

   Ryan Wagner led the Indians with 18 points.

   John Jay was down seven points after one quarter and 10 in the second period before it began to whittle its way back – and that included having Hinton on the bench for an eight-minute stretch in the third and fourth quarters due to foul trouble, and another player who cut his chin in the layup line at halftime that required stitches and missed the second half.

   The Patriots’ defense also struggled in the first half, giving up seven three-point baskets to a team that a combined six total coming into the game. Mahopac ended up scoring a total of 30 of its 66 points on three-point shots.

   “With all that, we came back and tied it up with two minutes left,” Hayes said. “I like the way we made adjustments. You have to point out, whether in practice or in games, the things we do well. And we did some good things in this game. Now is not the time to take an inexperienced team and drop the hammer.”

Pentz's 3 lifts Wallkill; Arlington drops first

   WALLKILL – Raven Pentz drilled a three-point shot with 14 seconds left, and the Wallkill High School girls’ basketball team nipped Marlboro, 40-39, in a Mid-Hudson Athletic League game on Wednesday night.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

   Pentz had eight points and six assists for Wallkill. Kristin Lundy added eight points and five assists, and Kelly Warren chipped in with seven points.

   Down at Peekskill, the Red Devils jumped all over Arlington in the first quarter, outscoring the Admirals 31-11 en route to a 54-36 victory. It was the first loss of the year in five tries for Arlington, which was led by the game-high 18 points from Nicole Lanteri. Stevi Sala added six and Jocelyn Strack had 12 rebounds.

   “I was pleased with the girls’ effort and ‘never give up’ attitude,” Arlington coach Kim Costello said of her team, which outscored Peekskill 25-23 over the final three quarters. “We learned a lot from this game and I think those lessons will be very helpful throughout the rest of the season.”

Bugbee leads Highland to match win

   HIGHLAND – Tyler Bugbee won a pair of matches at 140 pounds on Wednesday night and the Highland High School wrestling team defeated Fallsburg and Millbrook in a three-way meet.

WRESTLING

   Bugbee pinned Farfael Clan of Fallsburg in the first match, and then pinned Tommy Cummings of Millbrook in his second match to help solidify the victories for the Huskies.

   It was the first wins of the year for Highland.

   “We graduated six seniors, and the program itself has only been around for six years, so we’re kind of reloading this year,” Huskies coach John McFarland said. “We’re good, but we’re young.”

   WAPPINGERS FALLS – Roland Archie delivered the Roy C. Ketcham High School boys’ basketball team to the threshold of victory.

   Steve Bizzaro carried them over.

   Archie had a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Bizzaro scored on a short shot as time expired, giving the Indians a 65-64 win over Lincoln Hall on Tuesday night for their first victory of the season.

   RCK is now 1-2.

   “We saw some things to work on, but getting that first W under your belt is important,” Ketcham coach Matt Paino said. “Hopefully this builds some confidence in these kids.”

   Ketcham led the back-and-forth game by a point with 16 seconds left when Lincoln Hall brought the ball down the court. The Indians gambled and ran a trap, but the visitors beat it for an easy layup and a 64-63 lead.

   RCK called timeout and Lincoln Hall did a nice job of defending the inbounds pass, tipping it away and creating a chaotic chase for the ball. But it rolled right to Bizzaro, who drove the baseline and put in a layup as the buzzer sounded for the win.

   Bizzaro finished with 19 points.

   Archie dominated the rest of the game with his double-double.

   “He really stepped up tonight. We’ve been begging him for a year and a half to have a game like this and he played phenomenal,” Paino said. “He carried us on his back.”

   Ketcham’s Earl Snead scored nine points and had eight assists, constantly drawing defenders in the high post and finding open players underneath for easy hoops.

   FREEDOM PLAINS – When you start out on the wrong end of a 17-2 score at the beginning of the game, it’s bad enough.

   When you’re down by 25 points moments into the second half, well, that’s when you mentally throw in the towel and look for teaching moments.

   “At that point in a game, it’s hard to think you’re going to come back,” Arlington High School boys’ basketball coach Matt Hoyt said.

   And then a funny thing happened on the way to a loss. The Admirals began to chip away, first slowly and then with a fury, and recorded what has to be the greatest comeback in school history, a 68-63 non-league victory over Brewster on Tuesday night.

   Arlington, now 2-2, was down 21 at the half and 25 after the Bears scored the first two buckets of the third quarter to lead 42-17. From that point on, the Admirals outscored Brewster 51-21, including 33-12 in the fourth quarter.

   “It was like, ‘Hey, we’re playing better, maybe we can build on this,’ ” Hoyt said. “But then you look up and we cut it to 16 going into the fourth quarter, then got it under double digits, and then when Julian (Martinez) hit a big three-pointer to pull us within 57-52, you start to think you can win the thing.”

   Martinez had two big triples in the final period to finish with 10 points. Mike Scocozza had 12 points for Arlington and Dan Kane led the Admirals with 18 points.

   “We couldn’t do a thing right on both the offensive and defensive end in the first half,” Hoyt said. “Funny thing is, we did nothing different in the second half. But all of a sudden we started to get tips and deflections and turnovers off our pressure. I have an inexperienced team but they finally got it in the second half.”

Balanced Jay wins again

   DOVER PLAINS – The John Jay High School girls’ basketball team is finally going home.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

   Jay has won three in a row, and each win has been marked by a balanced attack. Against the Dragons, Calli Balfour and Brittany Gregory had 12 points apiece, and Brittney Gullo and Carlee Hirt added eight points each.

   “It was a good team effort,” John Jay coach Larry Brooks said. “We did a lot of things real well tonight. I thought we were balanced on both ends of the floor.”

   Brooks said he got “great minutes” off the bench from Erin French, Jade Dennett, Kristin Fernandez, Amber Velazquez, Olivia Oppenheim and Katie Cobb.

Keenan returns, Millbrook wins

   MILLBROOK – He’s back.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

   Millbrook High School football star Peter Keenan, who blew out his knee in the fourth game of the football season, made a triumphant return to competitive sports Tuesday night less than three months after the injury.

   Keenan scored nine points as the host Blazers beat Spackenkill, 56-50, in a Mid-Hudson Athletic League game.

   “I’m very happy for him, he deserves it,” Millbrook coach Adam Peek said. “It’s awfully hard to sit out like that.”

   Evan Hurley led Millbrook with 20 points, and Danny Blayney added nine.

   Steve Gugumuck led the Spartans with 18 points.

   “It was a back-and-forth game,” Peek said. “It really see-sawed until the middle of the fourth quarter, when we really tried to pound it inside and had a bit more success.”

Zuvic's double-double leads Haldane

 

   COLD SPRING – Jackson Zuvic had a double-double and Jimmy Meekins ran the point to perfection, helping the Haldane High School boys’ basketball team to a 52-34 win over Children’s Village on Monday night in a non-league game.

 

BASKETBALL

 

   Zuvic, a senior, finished with 32 points and 12 rebounds. Seven of his points came in a pivotal turn in the fourth quarter after Children’s Village had cut the lead from 14 to seven.

   “We got him the ball and he kind of took over inside,” Haldane coach Joe Virgadamo said. “He only got seven that quarter but they came in a bunch and we immediately got the lead back up to 14-15.”

   Virgadamo also had high praise for Meekins.

   “He was our backup last year and he’s doing a phenomenal job of taking care of the ball and being a leader on the court,” the coach said. “He only had four points tonight but he pushes it when we need it and he’s a huge part of our team right now.”

   Will Hoffman had five points and helped control the inside for the Blue Devils, and Gary Patterson added seven points.

   Haldane’s girls’ basketball team was also in action Monday, losing 60-35 to Poughkeepsie.

Marist's Watson earns MAAC honors

   EDISON, N.J. – Marist College redshirt freshman forward Menelik Watson was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Rookie of the Week on Monday.

   Watson averaged 11.0 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting .571 from the field this past week as the Red Foxes faced a Big East team in Rutgers and two defending conference champions in Lehigh of the Patriot League and Vermont of the American East Conference.

   Watson led Marist in points and rebounds with 15 and eight, respectively, at Rutgers on Dec. 7. Both totals were career highs. He also shot 7-for-7 from the free-throw line against the Scarlet Knights. On Dec. 10 against Lehigh, Watson finished with 14 points and five rebounds as he shot 6-for-7 from the field, which included a three-pointer. He finished with four points at Vermont on Dec. 12.

   On the season, Watson is averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, and is shooting .468 from the field. He has appeared in all 11 of Marist’s games, and has made eight starts.

   Watson’s award is the first of his career, and it gives the Red Foxes the MAAC Rookie of the Week winner for the second straight week. Swingman Jay Bowie was last week’s recipient of the award.

   Marist will return to action on Sunday, when the Red Foxes host Holy Cross. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.

Team chemistry, great defense and an awesome staff help Arlington girls to 4-0 start

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   The high school team off to the hottest start has to be the Arlington girls’ basketball squad, with its unbeaten 4-0 mark heading into Wednesday’s non-league game down at Peekskill.

   Head coach Kim Costello has three reasons why – team chemistry, great defense and a coaching staff that is unparalleled on any other high school team, in any sport, in the area.

   The Admirals opened the season by winning twice to take the Lisa Moray Tournament at Roy C. Ketcham, then beat John Jay Cross River and Washingtonville. Arlington is giving up an average of just 26 points per game in the four wins.

   “I’m really pleased with the defensive effort,” Costello said. “We’ve been mixing it up a lot. We play man, we zone, we press … we have a whole bunch of different things going on.”

   Arlington lost three starters off of last year’s team, but Costello is pleased with the way seniors Nicole Lanteri, Stevi Sala, T.K. Starzyk, Brittany Tobin and Kristen Duffy have provided leadership to juniors Nicole Spaulding and Danielle Axelrod, and a group of sophomores up on the varsity that include Jackie Rywalt, Jocelyn Strack, Gabi Esposito, Sarah Kominsky and Bridget Thomas.

   “The team chemistry is much different this year,” Costello said. “This group is really tight. We have a lot of fun together and they all put the team first.”

    Then, of course, there’s that coaching staff – Costello, her assistant Sarah Mesuch, and jayvee coach Myndi Hill.

   Mesuch won state championships as a player and coach at Our Lady of Lourdes; Hill is a former Division I college basketball coach at Manhattan.

   “It’s fantastic. I feel like it’s my job to put together the best staff for the program, and they’re just absolutely great,” Costello said. “Sarah has been terrific. She’s very strong with scouting. She’s home watching tapea s we speak. It’s nice to know I can go to her in game situations and ask for advice. Myndi isn’t on the bench as much during games because she helps (video)tape, but at halftime she’ll come over if she sees something. It’s amazing to have these resources.”

   COMING UP – Don’t forget a bunch of holiday tournaments are coming up in the next few weeks.

   This weekend it’s the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Bard College. Red Hook vs. Pine Plains, Rhinebeck vs. Millbrook, boys’ and girls’ basketball. Four games starting at 1 p.m.

   On Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 27 and 28, it’s the Bomber Booster Basketball Tournament at Pine Plains featuring the hosts, Rhinebeck, Webutuck and Germantown.

   Next month, Pine Plains is also hosting a boys’ basketball event on Sunday, Jan. 16, with a doubleheader pitting the Bombers against Lourdes and Rice Catholic against Middletown.

   And, of course, the four-night Dutchess County Basketball Coaches Association Tournament will be held starting Monday, Dec. 27, featuring Poughkeepsie, Roosevelt, John Jay, Ketcham, Lourdes, Beacon, Dover and Arlington.

OLL girls lose to St. Peter's, fall to 0-2

   POUGHKEEPSIE – This isn’t the same Our Lady of Lourdes High School girls’ basketball program that Al Viani remembers when his daughters starred at the school.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

   OLL is 0-2 for the second consecutive year.

   St. Peter’s was ranked seventh in NYC coming into the game. OLL’s Teneka Whittaker had 19 points to pace the Warriors while freshman Paige Decker had 12.

Beacon athletes dominate at Section 1 indoor kick-off meet

   NEW YORK – It was a raw, rainy, miserable day outside on Sunday.

   Inside, it was beautiful for the Beacon High School indoor track team as Victoria Alexander, Domonique Peterson and Alex Bowen shined at the annual Section One Kick-Off Meet at the Armory in Manhattan.

INDOOR TRACK

   Alexander won the 55-meter dash in a time of 7.31 seconds, just six one-hundredths of a second off her personal best. The three-event state finalist last year also ran a 41.49 in the 300 meters, a personal best that was good for second place in that event.

   “Tori has a variety of college options she’s weighing so this was an excellent start to her senior year,” Beacon coach Jim Henry said.

   Peterson’s shot put of 31 feet, seven inches was a new Beacon indoor school record and fourth overall in school history. It was good for second place in the meet.

   “Each of her three tosses today was a foot longer than the previous one and she would have earned three more throws in the final were it not for the fact that the meet had run over schedule and the officials had to drop the "finals" portion of the competition,” Henry said.

   Bowen, who has been competing in track and field for just one year, won the high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 4 inches.

  And he did it on his first attempt, tying his personal best from last spring.

“His clearance of 6' 4" was easily two inches above the bar,” Henry said, “and I have great confidence that he will have a clearance of 6' 6" quite soon.”

   Also at the meet, John Jay junior Gabrielle Robert battled for a second-place finish in the 1,500 run with a time of 5:11.00.

   “She had the gumption to go for the win after a bad start, passing many girls to get herself into the top two position,” Jay coach Johanna Roth said. “It was a great start to the season for her.”

   DURHAM, N.H. – Oh baby, what a couple of days for Army men’s basketball coach Zach Spiker.

   First, he becomes a dad again for the second time after wife Jen gave birth to their second son, Tucker Liston Spiker, at 11:17 p.m. on Wednesday night.

   Less than 24 hours later, after making it up to New Hampshire just a few hours before game time, Spiker coached the Black Knight to victory as sophomore Ella Ellis registered his first career double-double with career-best totals of 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 71-63 road win over the Wildcats of UNH.

   Army led by 12 points with 5:35 to go, but saw its lead shrink to just three points with less than a minute to go. The Black Knights knocked down five of their six foul shots, including three makes in four tries by Ellis, in the closing seconds to hold on for the victory. 

   Ellis was one of four players in double figures for the Black Knights.  Junior Julian Simmons tallied 15 points, while freshman Chris Welker contributed a career-high 11 points. It was the rookie’s first career double-digit scoring game. Senior Mitch McDonald also reached double figures for the first time in his career with 10 points in 22 minutes. McDonald also chipped in four rebounds, four assists and tied his career best with four steals.

   Jeremy Hence had his string of eight straight games scoring at least 10 points come to an end, but the senior forward still managed to just miss his second double-double with a nine-point, nine-rebound performance. Hence took only five shots and knocked down three, including two three-pointers.

   Ferg Myrick led four New Hampshire players in double figures with 13 points. Dane DiLiegro registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Tyrone Conley and Chandler Rhoads added 12 and 10 points, respectively.

   The Black Knights were able to overcome 18 turnovers and a 36-34 rebounding deficit by limiting the Wildcats to only 37 percent shooting. Army hit 53 percent of its field goal tries (24-45), including a 7-for-15 effort from long range (47 percent).

   The Black Knights scored first, but the Wildcats controlled play for most of the first 10 minutes. After its early deficit, UNH scored 17 of the next 25 points to take their largest lead of the half at 17-10 with 10:39 left. Myrick hit three three-pointers during the run to pace the Wildcats, while Army made just three of its eight field goal tries.

   Army started its first-half comeback with an old-fashioned three-point play by McDonald that kickstarted a 9-0 spurt that gave the Black Knights a 19-17 lead with 9:11 left. Ellis scored four points during the run. The Wildcats countered with the next five points to reclaim a three-point edge. New Hampshire led 25-22 with 5:35 left on the first-half clock, but the Black Knights outscored the Wildcats 11-5 for the remainder of the half to go into the locker room with a 33-30 edge.

   McDonald scored nine of his 10 points in the first 20 minutes to lead the Black Knights. Hence added seven first-half markers.

   Simmons made a three-pointer to start the second half as the Black Knights built a 47-39 edge. The Wildcats cut the lead to four points, but Army went on a 9-2 run to claim its first double-digit lead at 56-45 with 10:14 remaining.

   The Black Knights continue their swing through the Granite State on Saturday when they travel to Dartmouth. Tip-off in Hanover, N.H. is set for 7 p.m.

Red Hook starts with win

   KYSERIKE – The New York State Class B semifinalist Red Hook High School boys’ basketball team might have lost a few key players, but the Raiders still look sharp.

   Ryan Dalton and Dan Totten had 18 points each Thursday night, and Red Hook beat Rondout Valley, 64-26.

  It was the first boys’ varsity game in Rondout’s new gym.

   “I think some of the boys were either a little nervous or a little too excited to play in our new gym,” Ganders coach Pete Colomer said. “Red Hook outplayed us most of the game, but our boys never stopped playing. The nice thing to take from this game is we’ll keep fighting.”

Marlboro girls do it again

Capture second straight Goshen Tournament title

   GOSHEN – It’s 50-50 whether the Marlboro High School girls’ basketball team gets invited back to the George McGinnis Goshen Tournament again next year. After all, they’re not very good guests.

   For the second year in a row, the Dukes captured the tournament, this time by beating Middletown in the finals, 49-38, on Thursday night.

   Erin Cunningham led the way for Marlboro with a terrific game – 19 points, seven rebounds and seven steals. Teammates Yazmin Lewis added nine points and 10 rebounds, and Emily McDonough had seven points, seven boards and three steals.

   Marlboro was clutch from the free throw line, making eight of 11.

   Yazmin Lewis was named to the All-Tournament team, and Erin Cunningham was named Tournament MVP.

Stars shine bright

Ross, Coleman lead first annual HVSR Football All-Star team

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   What a year !

   Three sectional champions, a sectional finalist, two sectional semifinalists, four league champions, and three of them undefeated in the regular season.

   It was one of the truly great seasons for high school football in the area – and that’s what made picking the first annual Hudson Valley Sports Report All-Star Team such a time-consuming, difficult task.

   For almost every first-team selection, an argument could be made at each position that the second-team had just as good a season.

   In fact, it was so difficult that we picked not one, but two Coaches of the Year to recognize the phenomenal efforts put in Roosevelt’s Brian Bellino, who revived a program up in Hyde Park, and Millbrook’s Sean Keenan, who ran the table, going 10-0 in winning the Section Nine, Class C title.

   The one place where we didn’t have a tough time was in selecting our Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. Millbrook running back Jimmy Ross and Poughkeepie defensive end Tyre Coleman were so dominant for their respective teams this year, that it was a no-brainer. In fact, Ross’ season was so dominant that he made the HVSR All-Star as a first-team running back, first-team kick returner and second-team punt returner.

   Both players are so good, they two will earn similar honors on Sunday as the Poughkeepsie Journal Offensive and Defensive players of the year when the newspaper publishes its version of an all-star team.

   The All-Star team is selected on consultation with the area’s coaches, who are asked to nominate their own players, players from other teams, and to suggest candidates for Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year.

HVSR OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JIMMY ROSS, MILLBROOK

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   The funny thing is, Tyre Coleman knew it was coming.

   The double teams, the triple teams, the running plays away from his side of the field, the fullbacks doubling as a lineman to add an extra blocker.

   And through it all, the Poughkeepsie High School star simply played his game, finishing the year with 82 tackles from his defensive end spot, forcing nine holding calls against him throughout the year, and added to his school record sack total of 21.

   For his efforts, Coleman is the Hudson Valley Sports Report Defensive Player of the Year.

   Coleman just might have been the most dominant force on the defensive side of the ball in Section One. In fact, he was the Defensive MVP of the section’s Exceptional Seniors Game.

   “I have never seen someone consistently get double-teamed, and sometimes with a running back waiting for him, and still beach each blocker in turn,” Poughkeepsie coach Ken Barger said. “He has a very explosive first step. He is able to get into a blocker or step into a gap before the blocker can get to him. He has a great motor and is a a great learner of the game. He studies the opponent a lot and is constantly learning.”

   Coleman said he credits much of his work to teammate Brandon Weir, an offensive lineman – and HVSR All-Star – whom he went up against every day in practice.

   “We challenged each other to get better and better,” Coleman said. “He made me a better player and I hope I did the same for him.”

   Coleman said he didn’t mind the double-teams and actually looked forward to them.

   “Makes you play harder,” he said. “I know I came into every game wanting to play as hard as I could, harder than the game before.”

   Coleman is being looked at by some solid Division I-AA schools, including Albany, Wagner, Assumption and Fordham.

Defensive stars are stingy

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   You won’t score on this defense.

   Period.

   The First-Team Hudson Valley Sports Report Defense is that good.

DL – Tyre Coleman, Poughkeepsie. The senior was the HVSR Defensive Player of the Year (please see separate story on home page).

DL – Jahsiem Davis, Wallkill. Studly in every way. Davis had 83 tackles, including 16.5 sacks, and four fumble recoveries. He was the key figure on an overwhelmingly smothering Wallkill defense that limited six-time defending Section Nine champion Cornwall to 25 points in two victories.

DL – Bryan Manzione, John Jay. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior earned a nod to the Section One Exceptional Seniors Game after a season in which he had three sacks, forced three fumbles, recovered one of them, and had an interception to boot.

DL – Eric Holden, Roosevelt. Blessed with great speed and field awareness, Holden led the Presidents with 91 tackles, including two sacks, guiding the team to the Section Nine, Class AA, Division II crown.

LB – Tom Covino, New Paltz. The anchor in the middle of a defense that gave up just four touchdowns in the first 10 games of the season, Covino could either stuff the run or drop back into pass coverage. Pick your poison.

LB – Ben Cary, Marlboro. Cary is not only a terrific running back, but he played this defensive position with tremendous skill. The senior finished with a team-high 101 tackles, including an interception, as the Iron Dukes won the Section Nine, Class B regular-season league title.

LB – Stephen Vitale, Millbrook. The heart and soul of the Blazers’ defense, Vitale was a three-year captain and four-year starter for coach Sean Keenan’s teams. He led the team in tackles and, for the third year in a row, was a Section Nine playoff game Defensive Player of the Game.

DB – Jarrid Williams, Poughkeepsie. Here’s all you need to know about Williams – he gave up playing the premier spot in the game, quarterback, so Fabian Stone could shine there while Williams himself performed brilliantly in the secondary. He had 73 tackles from his strong safety spot, and has drawn interest from the likes of New Hampshire and Fordham.

DB – Joe Ortiz, Wallkill. The best free safety in the area, who plays his position with excellence. Ortiz had 76 tackles and nine interceptions this year – 25 for his career – including two in the Section Nine, Class A championship game against Cornwall.

DB – Eric Traditi, Arlington. Maybe because he’s such a good quarterback on the other side of the ball that Traditi has an instinct of what to expect as a defensive back. He had five of Arlington’s 18 interceptions this season.

DB – Nick D’Onofrio, Millbrook. One of the hardest hitters on the team, if not the hardest, D’Onofrio was second on the Blazers in tackles and also had three interceptions.

P – Greg Carnazza, Marlboro. Consistently kept Marlboro out of trouble with a steady foot. Averaged almost 32 yards per kick, including a long of 61.

PR – Khariff LaBoy, New Paltz. Get this – he’s only a freshman. How scary is LaBoy going to be in three years? Five punt returns went for touchdowns this season, not to mention a kickoff return as well.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL – Nick LaMela, Marlboro

DL – John LaMela, Marlboro

DL – Jon Schmidt, New Paltz

DL – Sam Grey, Roosevelt

LB – Mark Scott, Roosevelt

LB – Travis Wallace, Lourdes

LB – Nick Loughran, Spackenkill

DB – Franco Bianchi, Arlington

DB – Willie Brown, Marlboro

DB – Taylor Galano, Millbrook

DB – Jovan Wilkins, Poughkeepsie

P – Mike Krieger, Lourdes

PR – Jimmy Ross, Millbrook

Offensive stars move the chains

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   What can we do with our Hudson Valley Sports Report first-team offense?

   Run trough you. Run around you. Pass over you. And basically beat you up with our line.

   Here’s a look at our 2010 First-Team HVSR All-Stars.

QB – Fabian Stone, Poughkeepsie. Stone finished 2010 with 1,609 passing yards, the most in the Hudson Valley, a school record at Poughkeepsie and, according to maxpreps.com, the eighth-most passing yardage in New York State this season. Stone completed 61% of his throws, including 15 for touchdowns.

RB – Jimmy Ross, Millbrook. The senior was the HVSR Offensive Player of the Year (please see separate story on home page).

RB – Jimmy Ryan, Lourdes. What can you say about Ryan’s senior season? Four 200+-yard games, a total of 1,327 yards on the ground, and 22 touchdowns – the most rushing TDs in Section One this season.

OL – Tyler Murphy, Arlington. Murphy played in 27 consecutive games over three years, all of them as a starter at offensive guard. One of the top Admiral players in the weight room, here’s the only stat you need to know about the team captain – he didn’t allow a single sack during the last three years.

OL – Skyler Vera, John Jay. The senior, who goes 6-foot-2, 245 pounds, was John Jay’s best offensive lineman on a unit that cleared the way for Patriot running backs to rush for more than 1,700 yards on the season. Vera played and started in the Section One Exceptional Seniors Game.

OL – Brandon Weir, Poughkeepsie. Weir did not gave up a sack all season – in large part because he went up against Defensive Player of the Year Tyre Coleman every day in practice. Not only is Weir a 3.4 GPA student, but he’s only a sophomore.

OL – Paul Fratto, Lourdes. An honors student all four years at Lourdes, the 6-1, 280-pounder was one of the big reasons why running back Jimmy Ryan ran for more than 1,300 yards. Fratto helped open gaping holes for the OLL runners.

OL – Kyle Roberts, New Paltz. The Huguenots had one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the area this season, and Roberts was a huge reason why in leading the Huguenots to the Section Nine, Class B title.

REC – Ryan Atkins, Wallkill. The senior was quarterback Eric Wellmon’s favorite target, as he caught 20 balls for 485 yards and eight touchdowns to help the Panthers win the Section Nine, Class A championship.

REC – Dane Myers, Poughkeepsie. Arguably the fastest, most dangerous player in the area. Myers led all receivers in New York State with an average yards per catch of 36.4 yards. Six of his 15 catches went for touchdowns as Myers earned a spot in the Section One Exceptional Seniors Game and scored a TD.

REC – Josh Riley, Spackenkill. Riley is only a sophomore, meaning he has two more years for defenses to figure out how to play him. He caught 21 passes from his tight end position for 311 yards and five touchdowns – and also scored two rushing TDs and was 3-for-4 passing from the wildcat QB spot.

PK – Aidan Little, Millbrook. This might have been the toughest spot to pick between Little, Wallkill’s Pat Toole, Arlington’s Tyler O’Dell and Marlboro’s Greg Carnazza. In the end, Little edged out everybody by hitting four of six field goals, nailing 50 of his 54 extra points – and two of the misses were on bad snaps – and kicking 40 of his 67 kickoffs for touchbacks.

KR – Jimmy Ross, Millbrook. There’s a reason why the Blazers always started out in good field position. Ross returned 14 kickoffs for 501 yards – an astounding average of 47.9 yards per return – and took three of them back for touchdowns.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

QB – Eric Wellmon, Wallkill

RB – Aaron Morganstern, Ketcham

RB – Ben Cary, Marlboro

OL – Kyle Stiscia, Millbrook

OL – Kyle Kuhns, Arlington

OL – Adam Rohl, Wallkill

OL – Zach Sholz, Dover

OL – Adam Howard, Wallkill

REC – Vito Boffoli, John Jay

REC – Dylan Patora, Arlington

REC – Mike Benigno, Ketcham

PK – Pat Toole, Wallkill

KR – Khariff LaBoy, New Paltz

Bad second quarter foils Indians in opener

   LAKELAND – One eight-minute stretch was enough to do in the Roy C. Ketcham High School boys’ basketball team on Tuesday night.

   The Indians suffered a mental and defensive breakdown in the second quarter against Lakeland, and the Hornets beat RCK, 54-44, in a non-league season opener.

   Ketcham gave up 26 points in the second period.

   “Our defensive intensity and effort was lacking,” RCK coach Matt Paino said. “Our lack of communication allowed for some easy points by Lakeland.”

   The Indians were down by 15 in the second and couldn’t come all the way back.

   “I thought in the second half our intensity was better, but then we started turning the ball over,” Paino said of his team’s 18 turnovers. “With a senior-heavy group, the turnovers and the lack of intensity in the second quarter really no excuse for a team with experience.”

   Roland Archie and Steve Bizzaro led RCK with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

   HIGHLAND 57, ONTEORA 47 – In the season opener for the Huskies, Dan Chenery had 13 of his 17 points in the first half, and Nick Ranalli had all 13 of his points in the final period as the hosts shut down the Indians.

   GIRLS' BASKETBALL

Dennett named one of region's best

   John Jay High School field hockey star Jade Dennett has been selected to the 2010 Harrow Sports/National Field Hockey Coaches Association High School All-Region Team.

   Dennett is one of 16 players chosen from the North region.

   Dennett was instrumental in leading the Patriots to a 15-3-1 mark with eight goals and 17 assists.

   The full All-American team will be announced on Dec. 13.

Milner's 18 points leads Haldane

   COLD SPRING – Make it 2-0 on the season for the Haldane High School girls’ basketball team.

   Liz Milner scored 18 points and also hand out five assists to lead the Blue Devils to the 67-19 victory over New Paltz in a non-league game on Monday night.

   Ilana McConville had 13 points for Haldane, which travels to Mahopac on Wednesday for another non-league game