Giorgis, Martin set for meet and greet

   POUGHKEEPSIE  – The Marist Athletics Department invites all fans to join basketball head coaches Brian Giorgis and Chuck Martin on Wednesday for the Coaches and Cocktails event. The gathering will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the lounge area at Cosimo’s Restaurant & Bar, located on Delafield Street in Poughkeepsie.

   Appetizers will be provided and a cash bar will be available. Fans will have the opportunity to interact with both coaching staffs as they prepare for their upcoming home games.

   The cost of the event is $10, and all proceeds benefit the Red Fox Club.  

   Fans need not RSVP as this event is open to the public.

   Both Marist basketball programs will be in action this weekend as the Red Foxes host home games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

   The Marist men’s basketball program will square off against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foe Niagara on Friday at 7:30p.m.  The Marist Athletics Department welcomes all members of the Marist community to this game for the annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night promotion.

   The Marist women’s program will kick-off its home schedule on Saturday as the Red Foxes take on St. Bonaventure at 7:30 p.m.  The Marist Athletics Department will honor the members of the 2009-10 MAAC Championship women’s basketball team prior to the game with a special banner raising ceremony and NCAA ring presentation. 

   The Marist men’s basketball team will close out the weekend on Sunday with a 4 p.m. tilt with MAAC opponent Canisius. 

Army falls to Northeastern

   ST POINT – After trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half, the Army women’s basketball team pulled within five of visiting Northeastern with less than four minutes to play but could not come all the way back, falling to the Huskies 65-56 on Monday  night at Christl Arena.

   Seniors Laura Baranek and Jessie Coiffard paced Army with 17 and 12 points, respectively, while senior Erin Anthony led all players with a season-high 16 rebounds.

   Baranek’s season-high 17 points included a 6-of-8 effort from the free throw line. The Orefield, Pa., native also dished out a team-high four assists and played all but three minutes. All 12 of Coiffard’s points came from behind the arc, as she led the Black Knights to a season-best seven triples on the night. Anthony added nine points, narrowly missing her second double-double of the year.

   “I’m very proud of the way we didn’t quit,” said Army head coach Dave Magarity. “We missed a lot of shots and just weren’t shooting well as a whole, but we still hung in there. I thought (Laura) Baranek probably had one of her best games of the year and it was good to see (Jessie) Coiffard shoot herself out of a slump.

   “All-in-all, it was a solid effort but needed more efficiency,” he added. “Give Northeastern credit – they bothered us all night. They’re a very well-coached and very balanced team. Northeastern’s defense was really good tonight. They did a lot of switching and played a lot of match-up zone. They kept us off balance and we were never really able to get into a flow until late in the game.”

   Northeastern (2-3), which held a 32-17 halftime advantage, took its largest lead of the game (37-19) just 1:18 into the second half on a Rachael Pecota three-pointer. The Black Knights whittled the lead down to nine three times over the next seven minutes before getting consecutive threes courtesy of Coiffard and Baranek to make it a five-point game (54-49) with 5:02 to play. The Black Knights would get no closer and fell to 2-4 on the season.

    Northeastern junior Kashaia Cannon led all players with 24 points, while Conroy and Pecota chipped in with 13 and 12 tallies, respectively.

   Closing out a busy stretch of three games in six days, Army heads east on Route 17 to visit Binghamton on Wednesday night. The Black Knights will be in search of their first road win of the year as the teams meet for the fifth time in program history and first time since 2003-04. A 7 p.m. tip-off is at the Events Center is scheduled.

Marist women knock off Villanova

   VILLANOVA, Pa. – It was a good month for the Marist College women’s basketball team.

   And, now, it’s time to come home.

   The Red Foxes concluded the month of November with a 4-1 record after it posted a 71-60 win over Villanova on Sunday afternoon at The Pavilion.

   Marist’s first five games of the season were all on the road, and the only loss was to nationally ranked St. John’s.

   The Red Foxes were paced by a game-high 26 points from junior guard Corielle Yarde behind 7-for-11 shooting from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. Both her free throws made (11) and free throw attempts (12) are career highs.

   “Obviously today was just really a tremendous win for the program,” Marist coach Brian Giorgis told Hudson Valley Sports Report after the game. “To beat a Big East school, on the road at their place, I thought was huge for us.”

   As a team, Marist shot 22-for-27 from the free throw line in the game, including a 20-for-23 clip in the second stanza. Marist shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and hit 14 field goals. Junior forward Brandy Gang (pictured) scored 16 points and added a game-high eight rebounds, one shy of her career-high nine.

   Gang scored Marist's first seven points of the game on a three-pointer and a pair of layups, one of which was after an offensive rebound. Over the first 5:01 of the game, Marist jumped out to a 12-2 lead behind nine points from Gang.

   After sophomore Kelsey Beynnon extended the Red Foxes' lead to 14, Villanova (4-3) used an 11-0 run that closed the first half, and extended into the opening minutes of the second period. Following an Emily Suhey three-pointer with 19:48 remaining, the Wildcats cut the deficit to three points, 34-31.

   “Villanova is tough to defend. They basically play five guards and some of our bigs didn’t play as much as they normally would have,” Giorgis said. “Kelsey is a guard who can play the four and she would be in there to give kids breathers.”

   Following the Wildcats' run, the teams traded baskets from the 18:41 mark until there was 12:56 remaining in the contest. During the stretch, Villanova got the game as close as one point, 44-43, after a successful three-point play by Sarah Jones with 13:08 to go.

   From there the Red Foxes used a 16-4 run over 3:16 to get the lead back to double figures for good. During the run, Yarde went 4-for-4 from the free throw line and Gang contributed a three-point play of her own. With 7:14 to play a Kate Oliver three-point field goal put the Red Foxes ahead by 12, 60-48.

   “The biggest part of the run was our defense,” Giorgis said. “I think at one point Erica (Allenspach) had three straight steals. When you play somebody like Villanova that perennially is a team that takes care of the ball, it’s a testament to our defense. We did some right things at the right time. Each time they made a run, we responded.”

   Villanova got the deficit to as little as 10 on two occasions in the final 5:10, but could never draw closer.

   For the second consecutive game, the Red Foxes led from start to finish. Marist held the edge in rebounds 36-27 and controlled the offensive glass with a dominating 11-3 advantage. Villanova attempted three free throws in the game.

   Allenspach totaled seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals. She needs six points to reach 1,000 in her career. Classmate Elise Caron totaled three assists and as many rebounds in the game.

   With the win, Marist got its fourth win against a member of the Big East Conference and is 1-1 against members of the league this season. Additionally, it was the first time that the Red Foxes defeated Villanova in program history.

   In its next contest Marist will open the home portion of its schedule. The Red Foxes will take on St. Bonaventure on Saturday. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. at the McCann Center. Prior to the game, the Marist Athletics Department will honor the 2009-10 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Champion women's basketball program and raise the championship banner.

Fall's over, bring on the winter HS season

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   The fall high school sports season officially came to an end over the weekend with the New York State football championships.

   And, based on what happened, a few of our local teams should have no shame that their respective seasons ended short of making it to Syracuse.

   In Class A, Harrison lost in the state title game to Aquinas, 24-13, but this was a Harrison team that knocked off both Poughkeepsie and Wallkill to get to the championship game.

   In Class C, Bronxville, as expected, won the state title with a 34-14 win over General Brown. It was Bronxville that stopped Millbrook’s undefeated season

   And in Class D, Tuckahoe won the state crown with a 27-0 win over Caledonia. Tuckahoe twice beat Haldane during the season, including in the Section One title game.

    WINTER SEASON IS UPON US! – OK, break time is over. Back to the games this week.

   The 2010-11 winter season begins on Tuesday with the annual Section Nine Dual Meet wrestling tournament, and a boys’ basketball game between Fallsburg and Ellenville.

   Wednesday and Thursday bring the first matches in the Dutchess-Putnam Interscholastic Bowling League, and on Friday night you can’t ask for a better opener than this – Poughkeepsie vs. Kingston in a boys’ basketball game at neutral Vassar College.

She shoots, she scores !

Former RCK star Cerrone lifts Boston College women's soccer to Final Four

   NEWTON, Mass. – Former Roy C. Ketcham High School girls’ soccer star Hannah Cerrone helped make history for her Boston College team.

   Amidst flurries at the Newton Campus Field on Saturday, Cerrone scored an overtime game winning goal to defeat Washington 1-0 and earn the BC women's soccer team its first trip to the NCAA Final Four next weekend in Cary, N.C.

   A strong gust of wind was all Cerrone needed to turn her corner kick from a cross into a goal. As several players waited in front of the net, the ball arced suddenly towards Washington's goaltender Jorde LaFontaine-Kussman and slipped past her for the only score of the game with 4:46 remaining in the first overtime.

   The game started out as a back-and-forth effort, with both teams' defenses stepping up to stop the offenses. BC goaltender Jillian Mastroanni made two huge stops as the Huskies' Alex Webber hammered out consecutive shots from the left corner before finally kicking the last one wide.

   Washington was the main aggressor at the beginning of the second half. They kept the ball in BC's end but big clears by Chelsea Regan, Alyssa Pember, and Kate McCarthy kept the Huskies off the scoreboard. Mastroanni caught a crossing corner kick for another huge save.

   The Eagles had a few good chances at the 26 minute mark. Mewis, Natialie Crutchfield, and  Cerrone all fired off shots but none found their way past the Huskies' defense.

   Another opportunity came in the 18th minute as Amy Caldwell crossed the goal from the right side to Mewis, whose header in front of the goal was saved.

   The last 15 minutes saw increased intensity on both sides but the second half ended the same as the first and Boston College and Washington headed into overtime.

   Mastroanni made five saves in the win. BC had 15 shots to Washington's 17, but held an edge on corner kicks with 10 to the Huskies' four.

   The win improves BC's record to 17-6-1, while Washington ends its season at 13-9-2.

Better effort, but same result

Marist plays good first half, but falls to Wake Forest

   WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest University men’s basketball team isn’t the same Wake Forest you’re used to. The Demon Deacons have already lost three times this year, including on their home court to Winthrop.

   But it’s still Wake Forest.

   Marist played what is arguably its best half of the season Tuesday night, but in the end Wake was just too big, too powerful and too talented, and the Demon Deacons beat the Red Foxes, 81-59, in the final game of the 2010 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off for both teams.

   Marist ended its season-opening streak of five consecutive road games by falling to 0-5 with its 23rd consecutive loss dating back to last year.

   But it was a good effort by the Foxes in a first half that featured six lead changes and seven ties. Marist actually led 24-22 late.

   “We played really, really hard,” Marist coach Chuck Martin told WKIP radio after the game. “I thought we had some good moments.”

   But after the Foxes took that two-point lead, Wake Forest closed the last seven-and-a-half minutes of the first half with a 19-5 run to make it 41-29 at halftime.

   Red-shirt freshman guard/forward Anell Alexis led Marist with 10 points and also grabbed five rebounds in his first career start. Freshman forward had a team-best nine rebounds in 17 minutes. Sophomore guard/forward Rob Johnson had nine points and seven rebounds. Senior forward Korey Bauer grabbed eight rebounds, including five on the offensive end, and red-shirt senior guard Dejuan Goodwin had a team-high three assists and no turnovers in 25 minutes.

   “I thought Anell did some good things,” Martin said, “and I thought Aadam did some good things in the post.”

   Wake put the game away early in the second half, going on a 13-3 run that turned the 41-29 lead into a 54-32 rout.

   Between the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half, Marist went 11:06 without a field goal. The Demon Deacons' largest lead of the second half was 25.

   Terrell and Travis McKie paced Wake Forest with 16 points apiece, and McKie had a game-high 11 rebounds. Seven-footer Ty Walker (pictured) had 11 blocked shots, breaking Tim Duncan’s 14-year old school record.

   Marist will play its home opener on Saturday when the Red Foxes host UC Irvine in a return game from last year's ESPN BracketBusters contest. Tip-off at the McCann Center is set for 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available.

Vassar women shake off slow start to crush Hunter, 70-48

   POUGHKEEPSIE – After a slow start, the Vassar College women’s basketball team ramped-up its defensive intensity and took advantage of a fluid transition game to ease into Thanksgiving break with a 70-48 victory over Hunter College Tuesday evening at the Athletics & Fitness Center.
   The key to victory was Vassar’s presence inside the paint, overpowering Hunter with 32 points, 20 tallies that which came in the second half. Vassar’s 27 field goals were secured off 18 assists and aided by 13 offensive rebounds.
   Vassar improves to 2-1 and travels to Hartwick College for a Sunday afternoon game at 3:00 p.m.

Hence leads Army men

   WEST POINT – Senior forward Jeremy Hence scored a career-high 22 points to lead Army to a 72-58 victory over Binghamton in men’s basketball action at Christl Arena on Tuesday night.

   The Black Knights have won three straight and are off to a 4-1 start for the second straight year, a first for the program since the Mike Krzyzewski Era.

   Army battled back from an early 11-1 deficit to lead by eight at the half and as many as 19 points in the second half.

   Senior guard Mitch McDonald handed out a career-best nine assists, sparking the Black Knights off the bench. He committed just one turnover in 20 minutes of work.

   Freshman Josh Herbeck had the best game of his young career with 15 points, including a 4-for-5 night from three-point range. Junior Julian Simmons chipped in with 14 points to round out the Black Knights’ top scorers.

   Army continued its strong three-point shooting, hitting 12 of its 26 shots from downtown (46.2). It was the third time in the last four games Army has made at least 10 three-pointers. The Black Knights shot 51.9 percent for the game (27-52) overall.

   Binghamton (1-3) was playing without top scorer Greer Wright (17.7 ppg), but Chretien Lukusa picked up the slack with 22 points, including four three-pointers. Kyrie Sutton added 14 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds.

   Hence has now scored in double figures in all five of Army’s games this season, including a pair of 20-point efforts. Entering the season, the Fredericksburg, Va., native had just one double-digit scoring game to his credit.

   Binghamton seized control early, jumping out to an 11-1 lead four minutes, 20 seconds into the game on the strength of three three-pointers. Hence hit a three-pointer with 15:20 left in the half to snap Army’s 0-for-5 start from the field that included four misses from behind the arc.

   The Bearcats lead 16-6, but the Black Knights poured in 15 straight points to take a 21-16 lead with 9:50 to go. Army made seven straight shots, including four three-pointers, during the run. Herbeck was 2 for 2 from long range in that span. Lukusa ended the Bearcats’ five-minute, two-second drought with a long three-pointer at the end of the shot clock to pull Binghamton with two at 21-19 with 9:13 left.

   Lukusa’s third three-pointer was just a bump in the road as the Black Knights scored the next 11 points to complete a 26-3 run that put them up 32-19 with 4:37 left.

   Binghamton scored the next five points to pull within 32-24 on a dunk by Sutton with 2:34 left in the half. The basket ended a span of six minutes, 39 seconds without a field goal for the Bearcats. Army stretched its lead back to 10 points, but the Bearcats scored the final basket of the half to go into the locker room down by eight at 34-26.

   Army rebounded from its 0-for-5 start to make 13 of its last 22 shots and finish the half at 48.1 percent. The Black Knights made six of their final 11 three-point tries. After their hot start, Binghamton made just three of its final 15 shots over the last 14:15 of the first half.

   Hence led the Black Knights with 10 first-half points, while Lukusa paced the Bearcats with 14 points in the first 20 minutes.

   The two teams started the second half even before Pancoe went coast-to-coast and converted an old-fashioned three-point play to put the Black Knights up 42-31 with 17:28 left. Binghamton closed the gap to seven points with 13:49 left on the clock, but Army scored the next eight points. Herbeck’s fourth triple of the game pushed Army to a 55-40 lead with 12:12 left.

Haldane volleyball falls in title game

   GLENS FALLS – That first game was looking pretty good for the Haldane High School volleyball team on Sunday.

   The Blue Devils won the first six points of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D championship match on

Sunday afternoon, and turned it into a Game One victory over Randolph in a best three-out-of-five.

   But when Randolph pressed back, the youthful Blue Devils struggled.

   The Cardinals rallied to stun Haldane, 17-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-15, to win the state title at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

   Haldane, which doesn’t have a senior on its roster and is certainly primed to make at a run at it again next year, was looking for its third state title and first since 2007.

   So that ends the 2010 high school sports fall season, and there were no local stater champions this time around. Haldane and Arlington volleyball, and Arlington cross country, were the only teams left standing this weekend. Haldane lost the state final, Arlington lost in Saturday’s Class AA state semifinal pool play, and the Admirals’ cross country team finished 17th in the New York State Federation cross country championships.

   Both Haldane and Randolph advanced to the state championship match by posting 5-1 records in pool play during Saturday’s semifinals, including splitting two matches against each other.

   Lauren Etta, just a sophomore, led Haldane with 20 kills and eight assists in the title game.

Army sets sights on Navy

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Army football is in a classic catch-22.

   The Black Knights will post their first non-losing season since 1996 and will go to a bowl game; that much is a given.

   But with a 6-5 record and three weeks to prepare for the annual season finale against Navy on Dec. 11, they certainly don’t want to head into that match on the down note that was a 27-3 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday at Yankee Stadium.

   Except for the opening drive, Army was completely shut down by the Fighting Irish.

   “We didn't play very well, and we got clobbered,” Army coach Rich Ellerson said. “Interesting they came out and played a defense frankly that looked a little bit like what Rutgers played. Was not on our short list of things to work against.”

   Still, down 17-3 at halftime, Ellerson felt somewhat comfortable – or, at least, not in a state of panic.

   “I felt like if we could come out and have a good drive coming out of halftime, we could

make that interesting,” he said. “The guys understood exactly what needed to happen, and the antithesis of that happens when you do the things you can't do.”

   Instead, Army quarterback Trent Steelman was intercepted and the pass was returned for a touchdown, giving the Irish a 24-3 advantage.

   Still, Ellerson says the Cadets will be ready for Navy.

   “The big concern (coming out of the Notre Dame game) is just the injury part of it, just

trying to get some guys well,” he said. “We had some guys out, but I don't know that we suffered anything seriously and that should help.”

Vassar comeback falls short

   SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – Down by as many as 14 points in the first half against Mount Holyoke in the Seven Sisters Classic, the Vassar College women’s basketball team mounted a furious second half comeback and was able to draw within a single point of tying the contest with 1:39 to play, but the hosts hung on for a 54-51 victory on Sunday afternoon.
   Vassar overcame a difficult opening half, one in which the Brewers went scoreless for 5:42, a duration of time that allowed the Lyons to take a slim 10-9 lead and build it into a 24-12 margin. Most costly in the opening 20 minutes were 17 Vassar turnovers that led to 12 Mount Holyoke points and an additional 10 points scored by the hosts on second chance opportunities. The Brewers had fewer second half turnovers (10), but the Lyons were still able to secure 10 points off Vassar miscues – eight off second chance opportunities – and maintain a lead for all but 1:17 of the contest.
   In the second half, though, the Brewers were nearly able to erase a 28-19 halftime deficit and overcome a 1-for-12 afternoon shooting from 3-point distance. After trailing by anywhere from six to 10 points the first 15 minutes of the second half, Vassar started its comeback when freshman forward Hannah Senftleber canned a jumper in the paint to cut the Lyons lead to 47-41 with 5:14 to play. Two free throws by freshman guard Cydni Matsuoka with 3:55 to play brought the Brewers within 47-45, the closest Vassar had been since it took a brief 2-0 led to start the contest.
   Vassar’s next three points all came off free throws from Senftleber, the last bringing the Brewers within 49-48 with 1:39 to play. The Lyons responded by scoring their next four points from the free throw line, two each coming from Angelica Pascual with 1:25 remaining and from Tricia Chase with 29 seconds remaining for a 53-49 lead. Brewer junior guard Brittany Parks connected on a layup with 15 seconds to play to slice the deficit to 53-51, but a single free throw with 13 seconds remaining by Mount Holyoke’s Annabel Barrett forced Vassar into needing a 3-pointer to tie the contest, one that Parks missed with four seconds remaining.
   Parks led the Brewers in scoring with 15 points, getting 11 of those off free throws. Matsuoka had 14 points and four assists, while Senftleber tallied 13 points for the second consecutive game and added seven rebounds. For their efforts, Parks and Matsuoka were named to the All-Seven Sisters Classic Team.
   Mount Holyoke was led in scoring by Pascual with 15 points, while Chase and Barrett each had 12 points. Chase led all rebounders with 13.

Haldane advances; Arlington eliminated

   GLENS FALLS – And the absolutely, positively last high school team standing during the falls sports season in the Hudson Valley is ….

   Haldane volleyball.

   The Blue Devils posted a 5-1 record Saturday during semifinal pool play in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association volleyball championships at the Glens Falls Civic Center, and advanced to today’s Class D state title game against Randolph.

   First serve is at 2 p.m.

   The Arlington volleyball team wasn’t so fortunate.

   The Admirals, the Section One, Class AA champions riding a 20-game winning streak, lost all six games during pool play on Saturday and were eliminated from competition.

   The volleyball semifinals run a little differently than other sports. Instead of the Final Four squaring off in two matches for the right to go to the final, all four teams play off against each other – two games each to 25, for a total of six games. The two teams with the best record after pool play meet for the state title.

   Haldand and Randolph both went 5-1 in pool play, the only loss coming to each other. The Blue Devils dropped the first game to Randolph, 25-11, before rallying for a 26-24 win in the second game. Haldane also swept Argyle, 25-19 and 25-23, and Shelter Island, 25-21 and 25-18.

    Arlington’s fate might have turned in its fourth game of the day. Having already lost to Webster-Schroeder, 25-17 and 25-23, and 25-15 to Lindenhurst, the Admirals faced a 23-16 deficit in their second game against Lindenhurst before fighting off seven game points and rallying to take a 24-23 lead. But Arlington couldn’t get that 25th point, and the Long Island champs came back for a 32-30 win.

   The Admirals then dropped two games against Baldwinsville, 25-21 and 25-19, to close out their first trip to the state finals with a record of 0-6.

Irish rough up Army, 27-3

   NEW YORK – On its first drive of the game, the Army football team easily moved down the field, converted key third-down plays, and basically took it to Notre Dame in taking an early 3-0 lead.

   Then the Fighting Irish roughed up the Black Knights for the rest of the game.

   Freshman Tommy Rees threw a touchdown pass, Darrin Walls returned an interception 42 yards for a TD, and Notre Dame beat Army 27-3 on Saturday night in the first football game at the new Yankee Stadium.

   Rees threw for 214 yards in his second career start and the Fighting Irish (6-5), breaking out the green jerseys, became bowl eligible with their sixth victory.

   Combined with last week's 28-3 victory against Utah, it's the first time the Irish have held two straight opponents without a touchdown since their 1988 national championship season against Rice and Penn State.

   The triple-option befuddled the Irish when they lost to Navy last month, but Army's version managed one long drive that produced a field goal on its opening possession and not much after that. The Black Knights ran for 135 yards.

30-0 run lifts Marist women

   BURLINGTON, Vt. – Sophomore Kate Oliver scored a game-high 14 points, including 12 in the second half, as the Marist College women's basketball team collected a 77-46 victory over Dartmouth in its second game of the TD Bank Classic, hosted by the University of Vermont.

   It was the third victory in a row for the Red Foxes, who opened the season with a 64-50 loss to nationally ranked St. John’s.

   Marist claimed the TD Bank Classic Tournament Title in its first appearance in the event. Both the Red Foxes and Boston College Eagles were 2-0 on the weekend. The tie was broken because Marist allowed fewer points than the Eagles over the two-game span.

   Juniors Corielle Yarde and Brandy Gang joined Oilver in double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Gang led the way on the boards for Marist and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Yarde and senior Elise Caron each had six assists as the Red Foxes totaled 21 helpers in the contest.

   Marist scored the first seven points of the game over a span of 1:20. During the run, Yarde scored five of her seven first half points. Gang added a pair of free throws.

   Dartmouth (0-4) and Marist traded baskets until a Louise Vanden Bosch three-pointer cut the Red Foxes lead to five at 20-15 with 10:19 to play in the first stanza. The Vanden Bosch basket sparked a 7-0 run for the Big Green. Dartmouth took a 22-20 lead, its only advantage of the contest when Faziah Steen nailed a pair of free throws to put Dartmouth in front temporarily.

   At the 7:10 mark of the first half, the Red Foxes responded with a 30-0 run over the next 11:47 stretching into the second half. After the stretch concluded, Marist held a 50-22 lead. The Marist defense held the Dartmouth offense without a field goal from the 8:32 mark of the first half, until a Nicola Zimmer triple capped the Marist run with 16:12 remaining in the game.
   In the second half, the Big Green used six free throws from Sasha Dosenko to get within 19 points, but could draw no closer.

   Conversely, the Red Foxes finished the game with their largest lead of the contest, 31 points, after Dulin hit a pair of free throws.

   Defensively, Marist collected a season-high 15 steals and won the rebounding battle. The Red Foxes snatched 44 caroms to the Big Green's 34. The team forced 19 Dartmouth giveaways during the contest. 

   Individually, Yarde shot an efficient 5-for-6 from the floor including 2-for-3 from beyond the three-point line. Allenspach shot 4-for-7 from the field, grabbed six rebounds and amassed three steals. Both Allenspach and Yarde were named to the TD Bank Classic All-Tournament Team.

A step back in time

Army, Notre Dame meet tonight at Yankee Stadium

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Army.

   Notre Dame.

   Yankee Stadium.

   Does anything else really need to be said?

   Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the two teams will resume one of the great rivalries of college football at one of the great venues – well, sort of.

   Army and Notre Dame met 22 times between 1925 and 1969 at Yankee Stadium but, of course, it was the old Yankee Stadium, since demolished last year to make way for the new facility.

   Still, tonight’s game conjures up the great ghosts of the pasts – Knute Rockne, the ‘Win one for the Gipper’ speech, Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, and more.

   These two teams first met in 1913, with Notre Dame winning 37-8 to begin a domination of the series. The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series with the Black Knights, 37-8-4.

   The last time Army defeated Notre Dame was 1958.

   “When you get to the game, frankly that stuff stays on the sideline,” Army coach Rich Ellerson said of the history and awe value. “They’ll be very focused and engaged. When you get to the game, it’s the next game, it’s the most important game of the year first and foremost because it’s the only one we get to play all week long, and that’s how we’ll approach it.”

   Army (6-4) defeated Kent State, 45-28, last weekend to earn bowl eligibility for the first time since the 1996 squad played in the Independence Bowl. Army jumped out to a 28-7 halftime lead and held off the Golden Flashes in the second half. The Black Knights defense forced four Kent State turnovers in the contest.

   Notre Dame (5-5) enters Saturday's action fresh off a 28-3 victory over nationally-ranked Utah last week. Freshman quarterback Tommy Rees threw for three touchdowns in his first career start, leading Notre Dame to the upset win. The Fighting Irish, who had dropped two straight prior to defeating the Utes, need to beat Army on Saturday or defeat USC in their season finale to qualify for a bowl game.

   Army's offense, which has scored at least 20 points and rushed for at least 225 yards in each of its first 10 games, is coming off one of its most prolific performances in several years. The Black Knights' 45 points scored against Kent State were the most piled up against an FBS schools since totaling 48 against Cincinnati in 2004.

   The Black Knights do the majority of their damage on the ground via their triple option offense. Army comes into Saturday's tilt versus Notre Dame ranked eighth nationally in rushing yards per game, averaging 272.8 yards per contest. Army has already posted three 300-yard rushing performances this fall.

   Rees, who is filling in for the injured Dayne Crist, leads the Notre Dame offense into Saturday's showdown with Army. Rees, who has played in a total of six games this season, is completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 542 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also tossed four interceptions in 83 pass attempts.

   Junior wide receiver Michael Floyd, who is an All-America candidate, is Notre Dame's most dangerous weapon in the passing game. The third-year standout leads the Fighting Irish with 59 receptions for 767 yards and nine touchdowns.

   Following tonight’s game versus Notre Dame, Army has three weeks off before taking on Navy in Philadelphia on Dec. 11.

Red Foxes collapse late, lose 21st straight

   BOSTON – Despite leading with as late as under 14 minutes to play, the Marist College men's basketball team suffered a 58-37 loss at Boston University on Friday.

   Sophomore guard Candon Rusin led the Red Foxes with 16 points, including three three-pointers.

   Rusin was the lone Red Fox to score in double digits. Red-shirt freshman forward Menelik Watson led Marist with five rebounds, and red-shirt senior guard Dejuan Goodwin had a team-best three assists against just one turnover in 21 minutes at the point. Playing in his first collegiate game, freshman forward Adam Kemp blocked three shots in 18 minutes.

   Boston University jumped out to an early 10-3 lead, but the Red Foxes stayed in the game by holding the Terriers scoreless for nearly seven minutes and without a field goal for almost nine. Boston University led 15-7 with 7:13 left in the first half, but a 10-0 Marist run – with Rusin scoring every point – gave the Red Foxes a two-point lead. The Terries answered with a 6-0 spurt of their own, but the Red Foxes trailed just 21-20 at halftime thanks to a conventional three-point play by Rusin with 26 seconds left in the first half.

   With 14:04 to play, a jumper by freshman swingman Jay Bowie gave the Red Foxes a 28-27 lead. However, consecutive three-pointers by BU's Matt Griffin gave his team the lead for good. Griffin's three-pointers started the Terriers on a 23-1 run over 8:16. In that span, Griffin scored 16 points. The Red Foxes went 11:10 without a field goal until a three-pointer by Rusin with 2:54 remaining.
   Griffin led all scorers with 21 points, and did not miss a shot in 29 minutes. He went 7-for-7 from the field, 5-for-5 from three-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. The Terriers' Patrick Hazel had a game-high 13 rebounds.

   Marist shot just .267 (12-for-45) from the field and .235 (4-for-17) from three-point range.

   The Red Foxes (0-3) will return to action next week, as they play their third- and fourth-round games in the 2010 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off. Marist will face Belmont on Monday at 4:30 p.m., and Wake Forest on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Both games will take place at Wake Forest.

Three-point barrage carries Marist

   BURLINGTON, VT. - The Marist College women's basketball team hit nine three pointers in the first half of a 76-49 win over the University of Vermont in its first game at the TD Bank Classic, hosted by the Catamounts.

   Sophomore Kate Oliver led Marist (2-1) with 14 points, while junior Brandy Gang and Kelsey Beynnon each chipped in 10 points. Beynnon's 10 points were a career-high and it came in front of her hometown friends and family – the sophomore is from Burlington.

   Kristine Best and freshman Leanne Ockenden scored nine points apiece and senior Elise Caron added eight more to the Red Foxes offense. In addition senior Erica Allenspach tallied nine assists to go along with five points and five rebounds.

   Lauren Wheeler of Vermont scored the first basket of the game 44 seconds into the contest. The Red Foxes responded with a 10-0 run over the next 1:58 to take a 10-2 lead with 17:03 to play in the half. During the run Allenspach hit a layup, Oliver nailed a jumper, and junior Corielle Yarde and Caron each hit a three.

   Ockenden kept the Marist lead at eight points after she hit a three-pointer on consecutive possessions. The pair of three-point field goals surrounded a Tonya Young layup for Vermont (0-3). Young scored a game-high 22 points.
   Allenspach followed Ockenden's three-pointer with one of her own to cap a stretch where Marist hit a three on three straight possessions.

   At the 6:40 mark an 8-0 run concluded with the Red Foxes gaining their largest lead of the half, 18 points, 38-20, at the 2:46 mark. Beynnon tallied the final five points of the run on a pair of free throws and a three-point basket. Marist took a 15-point advantage into the locker room with a 43-28 lead over the Catamounts.

   In the first half, Marist shot 14-for-30 from the field and assisted on all 14 field goals it made in the stanza, including six helpers from Allenspach. The Red Foxes hit nine three-pointers in the period behind three from Ockenden. The nine three's in a half was the most since Feb. 10, 2008, when Marist hit 10 three-pointers in the first half against Canisius in a 91-46 win at the Koessler Athletic Center.

   The Red Foxes used strong team defense in the second half to never allow Vermont within less than 17 points in the half. Marist got four steals and forced seven turnovers in the final stanza.

   With 6:03 remaining, Caron completed a three-point play to extend the lead to 25 at 68-43. In the final minutes, Beynnon extended the lead to 28 as she hit two out of three free throws. The score at that point was 74-46.

   For the game, Marist shot 44.3 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from three-point range. The Red Foxes shot 27-for-61 from the field behind a 7-for-16 performance from Oliver. Additionally Marist shot 11-for-14 from the free throw line and assisted on 24 of 27 field goals.

   The Red Foxes out-rebounded the Catamounts 38-32. Marist committed a season-low seven turnovers. The Marist defense forced 19 Vermont turnovers.

   In a quick turnaround, Marist will return to action today to conclude play at the TD Bank Classic. The Red Foxes will take on Dartmouth to wrap up play at the tournament. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m.

Army knocks off NJIT on halfcourt heave at the buzzer

   NEWARK, N.J. – Jeremy Hence’s halfcourt shot at the buzzer propelled Army to a stunning 63-60 win at NJIT on Thursday night in a non-conference men’s basketball game.

   Hence’s 45-footer capped a career-high 19-point night for the junior forward.

   Army led 60-54 with 2:12 to go, but three straight turnovers, including two by Hence gave NJIT the opportunity to tie the score and take the lead. NJIT missed its last shot and the ball went out of bounds, giving Army possession with 3.7 seconds left. After a timeout, Hence’s heroics provided Army its first road win of the season.

   “I had a lot of focus on that shot,” Hence said. “I committed two those two turnovers at the end, and I had to get it back somehow. I knew it was going in. I had to get redemption. I made the shot, but this was a total team effort tonight.”

   Hence just missed his first career double-double, with eight rebounds to go along with his 19 points. He hit 7-of-13 shots, including a 4-for-7 showing from three-point range. It was his career-best third straight game in double figures.

   Sophomore Ella Ellis registered his third consecutive game in double digits with 14 points. Sophomore Jason Pancoe continued his strong play at the point with eight points, five assists and only one turnover in 30 minutes of work.

   Lamar Kearse led the Highlanders with 13 points, while Chris Flores chipped in with 12 markers.

   Army shot 40.4 percent from the floor, making 10 of its 22 three-point attempts (.455).  One game after allowing 101 points, the Black Knights defense limited NJIT to just 38.3 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from three-point range (5-23). Army outrebounded the Highlanders, 36-35.

   The victory snapped the Black Knights’ six-game road losing streak.

   A 9-0 run gave Army a 60-56 lead with 1:16 to go but a bucket by Isaih Wilkerson trimmed the lead to 60-58. Army failed to break the NJIT pressure and Chris Flores laid in an easy score to tie the game at 60-60. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Hence’s attempt at a deep ball was intercepted and the Highlanders called timeout. Flores missed a jumper and the Black Knights got the ball with 3.7 seconds left.

   Army called a timeout to draw up the game-winning play. After receiving a pass, Hence took two dribbles just to the other side of halfcourt and let the buzzer beater go just before the horn. The ball touched nothing but net, setting off a jubilant celebration by the Black Knights’ bench.

Marist men, women in action tonight

   The Marist College men’s and women’s basketball teams will both be in action tonight, with each playing their third game of the season.

   The women, 1-1, travel to Burlington, Vt., to play in the TD Bank Classic. The four-team tournament is set up in friendship style – the Red Foxes will play host Vermont at 7 p.m. tonight and then, win or lose, will take on Dartmouth on Saturday at 1 p.m.

   The Red Fox men, 0-2, head to Boston to play Boston University. Marist should be pretty familiar with the Terriers – head coach Chuck Martin and his staff had a chance to see BU up close and personal on Tuesday and Wednesday as both competed in the

Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off regional at Villanova, where both faced George Washington and No. 6 Villanova. BU beat GW, 76-67, and lost to Villanova, 82-66.

   Marist lost 79-59 to George Washington and 84-47 to Villanova.

   Speaking of the NIT, the Red Foxes learned late Thursday morning that they will face Belmont and Wake Forest in its third- and fourth-round games Season Tip-Off. The Red Foxes will face Belmont at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, and Wake Forest at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Both games will take place on Wake Forest’s campus at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.

   Belmont is located in Nashville, Tenn., and competes in the Atlantic Sun Conference. One of the country’s top mid-major programs, Belmont has won at least 20 games and reached postseason play in five of the last seven seasons, including NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The Bruins opened the NIT with an 85-76 loss at Tennessee before rebounding for a 93-60 triumph over Arkansas State.

   Wake Forest, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, is 1-2 on the season. In their first two NIT contests, the Demon Deacons defeated Hampton 63-56 in the first round before falling to Virginia Commonwealth 90-69 in round two. Last year, Wake Forest went 20-11 and earned its 22nd NCAA Tournament bid in program history. Eight former Demon Deacons are currently playing in the NBA, headlined by Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets.

Observations from the first two games

Plan afoot to save ESGs?

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Plans are underway to save the Empire State Games – at least, the 2011 Summer Games in Rochester.

   Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks told WHEC in Rochester that she’d like to try to raise upward of $1 million to keep the Games.

   “It's worth fighting for,” she told the television station. “This is a competition that when hosted here has an economic impact of about $10 to $12 million. To me, that's worth fighting for.”

   ESG Administrator Lisa Del Signore on Tuesday notified Games officials in each of the regions that next year’s event was off.

   WHEC also reported that Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy, the Lt. Governor-elect, said the new Cuomo administration will take another look at the Empire State Games situation when they take office on January 1.

    Whether they can pull it off remains to be seen. For one, the Games cost about $2 million to $2.4 million to host, so even if Brooks can muster the $1 million she seeks, that still leaves a gap of at least $1 million. Two, the state’s decision to end the ESGs seems to have an air of finality to it, especially considering it shuttered the ESG website that lists information and past performances.

Marist loses to GW

   VILLANOVA, Pa. – The longest losing streak in the country continues to grow.

   The Marist College men’s basketball team fell behind by 14 points early in the game, and the Red Foxes lost their 20th consecutive contest dating back to last season, 79-59, to George Washington on Wednesday night in the second round of the 2010 Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off at The Pavilion on the campus of Villanova University.

   The game was the second in two nights for Marist, which lost to No. 6 Villanova on Tuesday, 84-47.

   Sophomore guard Candon Rusin led the Red Foxes with 15 points, while red-shirt freshman swingman Anell Alexis contributed 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

    The Red Foxes never led in the contest, as George Washington scored the game’s first four points and jumped out to a 19-5 lead. Marist then used a 12-3 run, capped by a lay-up from Alexis, to cut its deficit to 22-19 with 9:28 left in the first half. The Colonials answered with an 8-0 run of their own, and then took a 43-28 halftime lead.

   George Washington led by as much as 24 in the second half, and Marist never got closer than 16. The Colonials shot .417 (10-for-24) from three-point range, including .500 in the first half (7-for-14), while the Red Foxes were just .250 from deep (7-for-28). Rusin led the Red Foxes with three three-pointers.

   George Washington also held a 42-28 edge in rebounds. Marist shot .824 (14-for-17) from the free-throw line, marking the second time the Red Foxes shot at least 80 percent from the line is as many games.

   Tony Taylor led George Washington with 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Marist fell to 0-2; George Washington now stands at 1-1.

   NIT play resumes for the Red Foxes next week, as they will play third- and fourth-round games this coming Monday and Tuesday. The exact site and opponents will be announced today.

   In the meantime, Marist will return to action on Friday, when the Red Foxes head back to the road to take on Boston University of the America East Conference. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Haldane ready for Final Four

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Melissa Rossano says she doesn’t know much about the other three teams participating in the New York State, Class D volleyball championships this weekend.

   But she knows her Haldane High School team.

   “It’s nice to have somewhat of a general idea about the teams you’re playing, but it’s also nice to go in and say we’re going to go in blind and to focus on what we do best.”

   The Blue Devils are looking for their third state championship in volleyball when they head to the Glens Falls Civic Center on Saturday and Sunday for the state Final Four. There are no straight semifinal games – all four teams will play against each other in pool play. Two games to 25 against each team. The two teams with the best six-game records after pool play advance to Sunday’s state championship match.

   Haldane opens against Randolph in the afternoon wave at 3:30 p.m., to be followed by matches against Argyle and Shelter Island.

   Shelter Island eliminated the Blue Devils in last year’s regional final.

   Arlington High School is also in Glens Falls competing for the state Class AA championship. The Admirals are in the morning wave and open against Webster-Schroeder in the first match, followed by contests against Lindenhurt and Baldwinsville.

   Rossano said she has mixed feelings about pool play as opposed to head-to-head semifinal matches.

   “It’s interesting,” she said. “It kind of gives you a feel for the team you would play if you move on and play for the championship, so that’s a benefit. But if your first game doesn’t go well, if you come out flat, it kind of puts you in a hole. It’s a long day. You have to play six games and you just have to have the right mindset.”

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Red Hook High School basketball star Sabrina Eggink wanted to sign a National Letter of Intent early, wanted to stay close to home, and wanted a small campus atmosphere that was similar to what she experiences every day in high school.

   Check.

   Check.

   And check.

   Eggink signed her NLI on Monday afternoon to play basketball at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Rockland County next year.

   “I decided during my junior year during the AAU season that, if I could, I wanted to sign early,” said Eggink, the daughter of former Marist College star Steve Eggink. “If I didn’t like the schools that offered, I would wait. But I visited (St. Thomas) three times to make sure I was sure about it. I really like the coach and the facilities and just the level of basketball – everything as a whole.”

   Eggink said she felt very comfortable on campus. St. Thomas is a Division II school in sports.

   “There’s only about 3,000 people, and it has a lot of majors to choose from which was important to me,” she said. “I don’t know what I want to do yet and they have a lot to choose from.”

   In September, St. Thomas Aquinas College was named a Top-Tier Regional University (North) by U.S. News & World Report in their 2011 Best Colleges annual report. The exclusive rankings of more than 1,400 schools nationwide has grown to be the most comprehensive research tool for students and parents considering higher education opportunities.

   Eggink became the ninth 1,000-point scorer in Red Hook girls’ basketball history back in February during a 21-point, 10-rebound performance in a 58-39 Mid-Hudson Athletic League victory over New Paltz.

   She led the Raiders to the semifinals of the Section Nine, Class A tournament before losing to Wallkill.

   Eggink, who also received a scholarship offer from Concordia, said she wanted to stay close to home.

   “Yeah, it was important to me,” she said. “I like being home and I like knowing that in college I’ll be able to go home if I want to.”

Let’s tip it off !

Marist men set to face Villanova in season opener

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Villanova University men’s basketball coach Jay Wright says his teams always seem susceptible to smaller schools.

   “Mid-major teams did give us trouble last year,” the head coach told the school website after the Wildcats opened the season with a 68-52 win over Bucknell last Friday. “We really should have lost to George Mason early, and then we had trouble in the NCAA tournament against Robert Morris and St. Mary’s (Calif.). Small lineups hurt us at times.”

   It’s highly doubtful the Wildcats are going to have any trouble with any lineup Marist College puts on the floor tonight.

   It’s a new season for the Red Foxes as they open the 2010-11 campaign tonight in the Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off at Villanova. But while there is much enthusiasm around the Marist program, the bottom line remains that this is a game between a team that was 1-29 last year and riding an 18-game losing streak, and a team that is currently ranked sixth in the country.

   Win or lose, teams are guaranteed four games in the NIT. So Marist will play again Wednesday night against either Boston University or George Washington, back at Villanova’s home court, and will wrap up the tourney with two games next week.

   Ironically, the Red Foxes could be playing BU in consecutive games if the two teams meet Wednesday night in the NIT, because that contest is followed by a regularly-scheduled matchup against the Terriers in Boston on Friday night.

    Marist returns pretty much the same cast of characters from last year’s 1-29 team, including four players who started at least 20 games last season. It did not have a player average in double figures in scoring last season.

It will be better than last year. I think.

   The Marist College men’s basketball team is going to lose its season opener tonight.

   The Red Foxes are going to lose, and they’re going to lose by a fairly wide margin.

   They’re going to extend their own school record with their 19th consecutive loss, and they’re going to do it on national television.

   That’s not the point.

   The point is, you don’t expect a team that was 1-29 last year (Marist) to beat – or even hang with – a team that is ranked sixth in the country and is a legitimate national championship contender (Villanova).

   But there is an expectation level for the Red Foxes this year. In large part, that’s due to the simple, timeless philosophy that transcends sports and carries over to every aspect of life – when you’re down, there’s no place to go but up.

   And Marist is about as down as it gets. Even in its worst season of basketball prior to last year, the Red Foxes still won six games. So to go 1-for-30 and tie for the worst record in the nation is, well, in a word, pathetic.

   But then you dig a little deeper and you see things that can be improved that will automatically make this team better.

   No. 1 – The Red Foxes are a year older. Marist has four returning starters back – three of them were freshmen last year. There were so many first-year players on the floor for the Foxes that it looked like Romper Room last year. Presumably, a year older means a year better.

   No. 2 – The Red Foxes are a year wiser. Not just on-court basketball savvy, but among the coaching staff and the faculty advisers. Remember, this was a program that lost two players to academic ineligibility last year. Inexcusable.

   No. 3 – The Red Foxes a year chastened. Nobody wants to go 1-29. It was embarrassing. The program was a laughingstock last season. But it was never for a lack of trying. Save for a couple of games, notably a lack of effort at Hartford, Marist never quit.

   So, what are we to expect of these Red Foxes this year? It’s pretty realistic to set the bar at 10 wins. Even a 10-19 record sucks, but it’s a hell of an improvement on 1-29. Can they do it? I don’t see why not.

   Frankly, looking at Marist’s schedule you can easily see 0-5 to start. But you can also see the games, especially at home, especially in conference, that Marist can win.

   It’s going to be a slow road back to respectability, no doubt about that. Marist is going to lose tonight to Villanova. It won’t be the last time this year. But a single win won’t be the norm, either.

Marist volleyball falls in finale

   LOUDONVILLE – The Marist College volleyball team fell to Siena 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-13) in its final Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) match of the regular season on Sunday before the conference tournament.

   Senior Lindsey Schmid had a match-high 11 kills and four total blocks.

   Senior Allie Burke contributed to the Red Foxes effort with five kills and three total blocks, while freshman Gabby Lutjen led Marist with 19 assists and five digs.

   Marist (13-17, 8-10 MAAC) found itself behind 4-0 to start the first set.  Siena held a 10-3 advantage following a service ace when it forced Marist to take its second timeout.  A block assist from Schmid and Lutjen sparked a four-point rally from the Red Foxes trailing 17-11 and forcing a Saints timeout. Another block from Schmid and Lutjen brought Marist within four points at 23-19, but Siena was able to put the set away 25-20.

   The second set began with the teams trading points to start off at five points apiece. From there, Siena (9-19, 8-10 MAAC) took a 12-8 lead at the first timeout.  The Saints went on to distance itself further from Marist, taking a two-set lead winning 25-15. Siena also held the advantage from the start of the third set, and Marist would not see a lead after the first point. The Red Foxes were within two points at 7-5 with a block from Burke, but the Saints ran away with the set 25-13, giving Marist a 3-0 loss in the match.

   Siena received nine kills and 17 digs from Taylor Akana, while Brianne Bobo tallied nine kills of her own along with three service aces. Sarah Sivertson added 34 assists for the Saints.

   Marist hits the road to compete in the MAAC Championships at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. beginning Thursday. The Red Foxes will compete as the seventh seed in the tournament, and will face 10th-seeded Rider in the opening round on at 11 a.m. The winner of that match will face second-seeded Iona at Thursday at 5 p.m.

Two Vassar runners qualify for NCAA championships

   POUGHKEEPSIE – Vassar College juniors Elizabeth Forbes and Johanna Spangler earned bids to the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Waverly, Iowa, as announced by the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee on Sunday afternoon.
   Forbes and Spangler placed a respective 13th and 16th overall in the NCAA Atlantic Regional meet hosted by SUNY Oneonta on Saturday. With five teams selected for the National Championships from the Atlantic Region, both Forbes and Spangler earned individual qualification spots to the national meet.
   For the first time this season, Forbes led Vassar at the finish line, placing 12th overall in the 6k Regional Meet in 22:50.2. Spangler finished 15th overall (22:54.4),
   After missing the 2009 cross country season due to injury, Forbes came back in the spring of 2010 to earn All-ECAC honors in the 5,000m in track competion. Spangler is a 2008 National Championship Qualifier, and was a provisional qualifier for NCAA's in the 5,000m and 10,000m track events last spring.
   This fall both runners have earned All-Seven Sisters, All-Liberty League, and All-Regional honors, and served as co-captains for the cross country team.
    “We are ecstatic for both Johanna and Elizabeth,” said head coach James McCowan. “They have been integral components of our team efforts all season long, and have more than earned their spots at Nationals. I know that they would both rather be traveling with the entire team to the National Championships, but they are ready to represent Vassar well next Saturday.”

   Each of the eight NCAA regions qualify the top two teams, with the top five teams being eligible for at large births. The top seven individuals not on a qualifying team also qualify. The Atlantic Region qualified five teams and the Brewers finished sixth.

   A day after all three local high school football teams were knocked out of the state playoffs on Friday, six of our area high school teams hit the volleyball court, soccer pitch and field hockey field on Saturday in various New York State quarterfinal playoff games.

   Only one is booking travel to the Final Four next weekend.

   Arlington High School swept Horseheads, 3-0, in a state Class AA quarterfinal match for the right to head to Glens Falls next weekend. The Admirals will join Haldane, which won a Class D state quarterfinal game on Thursday, as the only two local teams left in the state playoffs.

   Ironically, the other five teams that played on Saturday looking for berths in their respective Final Four were shutout.

   In a Class C boys’ soccer quarterfinal, Friends Academy blanked Haldane, 5-0.

   In a Class B girls’ soccer match, Bronxville stopped Highland, 3-0, in a quarterfinal.

   In field hockey, Briarcliff shut out Rhinebeck, 7-0, in a Class C quarterfinal game while in Class B it was Lakeland 5, Red Hook 0.

   And back in volleyball, Thomas A. Edison swept Pawling, 3-0, in a Class C state quarterfinal match.

Foxes 'Gang' up on Grambling

   MANHATTAN, Kan. - Junior forward Brandy Gang scored a career-high 19 points and was one of four Red Foxes in double figures as Marist College (1-1) cruised to an 82-61 victory over Grambling State at the Commerce Bank Wildcat Classic at Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday afternoon at Kansas State University.

   The win secured third place in the tournament.

   Gang, who led all scorers, was joined in double figures by senior guard Erica Allenspach who scored 15 points, and sophomore forward Kate Oliver and junior guard Corielle Yarde who notched 12 and 10 points, respectively. It was the first time since Feb. 19, 2010 that four Red Foxes notched double-digit scoring efforts in the same game.

   Gang and Yarde tied for the game-high in rebounds with eight a piece. Additionally, Gang shot 7-for-13 from the floor.

   As a team, the Red Foxes shot 46.2 percent from the field in the game, including a percentage of 51.6 (16-for-31) in the second half. Marist shot 9-for-20 from three-point range and sank 13 of 17 free throws in the game. Additionally, Marist held a 41-32 edge in rebounds.

   Tonishea Mack opened the game with a three-point basket 54 seconds in for Grambling. The Red Foxes responded with a 25-4 run over a span of 10:24. The end of the run capped Marist's largest lead of the stanza, an 18-point advantage. At the 17:14 mark, the Red Foxes took a 5-3 lead and never trailed for the rest of the game.

During the stretch, Marist was led by Oliver who scored eight points, while Allenspach and senior Elise Caron added five and four respectively.

   Grambling (0-2) cut the Marist lead to as few as seven with 4:11 to play in the opening frame. Kristen Harper hit a three-point field goal to make the score 27-20. The Red Foxes opened the lead up to nine by halftime. The score at the break was 34-25.

   The Red Foxes scored the first five points of the second half behind a layup from Oliver and a three-pointer from Allenspach with 18:42 to play in regulation.

   With 5:52 remaining, an Allenspach jumper gave Marist a 20-point lead. Following the basket, Grambling would never close within 20 points. The lead grew to as many as 27 with 3:08 to play after senior Maria Laterza hit a layup off a pass from junior Emily Stallings.

   For the second straight game, Marist only surrendered 10 turnovers. On Saturday the Red Foxes handed out 21 assists as a team behind a game-high six from junior Kristine Best.

   The Red Foxes outscored the Lady Tigers 36-10 in the paint and got 21 points off 17 Grambling turnovers.

   Mack led Grambling with 14 points. She shot 5-for-10 from the field and 4-for-8 from distance.

   Gang was named to the Commerce Bank Wildcat Classic after she averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and shot 9-for-19 from the floor for a percentage of .474. Additionally, she went 3-for-6 from three-point land and 4-for-5 from the free throw line.

Army wins sixth game to become bowl eligible for first time since 1996

   KENT, Ohio – Bowl eligible !

   Army (6-4) scored its sixth win of the season on Saturday, a 45-28 victory over Kent State (4-6) at Dix Stadium to ensure its first non-losing season and to become bowl eligible for the first time since the 1996 season.

   The Black Knights rushed for 233 yards against the nation’s No. 1-ranked rushing defense entering the game.
   Army’s six wins are the most for the program since the Black Knights won 10 games in 1996.

   Sophomore quarterback Trent Steelman threw for a season-high 149 yards, completing nine of his 10 throws to lead the Army offense to its highest offensive output against a Football Bowl Subdivision team since a 48-29 win over Cincinnati in 2004. Steelman also rushed 13 times for 37 yards and two touchdowns.

   Army does not have a primary bowl tie-in this season, but the Black Knights have entered into a pair of secondary agreements.
   Army’s first bowl option is with the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl that will be played in Dallas, Texas on Dec. 30, 2010. That game’s primary tie-ins are with the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA, but should either of those leagues not have enough teams to fill their slots in the game, the Black Knights will play in the game.
   The Black Knights’ second agreement is with the Military Bowl presented by Northrup Grumman that will be played in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 29.  Army’s deal with the Armed Forces Bowl will take precedent should an opening be available for the Black Knights in that game, but if either of the Military Bowl’s primary tie-ins with the ACC and Conference USA are not filled and the Armed Forces Bowl does not select Army, the Black Knights will play in Washington, D.C.

   Sophomore Jared Hassin led the Black Knights against Ken State with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, snapping his string of 100-yard games at four. Sophomore Brian Cobbs added 64 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Freshman Raymond Maples was the season-high fourth Army player to score a rushing touchdown, the first of his career.
   The Black Knights defense forced four turnovers, while the offense did not give the ball away. Senior Richard King intercepted two passes, while senior Donovan Travis picked off another. Senior Mike Gann recovered a fumble to account for the final takeaway.

BLACK FRIDAY

All three local football teams KO’d from state quarterfinals

Class A: Harrison 35, Wallkill 20

Class B: Croton-Harmon 27, New Paltz 0

Class C: Bronxville 42, Millbrook 0

Powerful Bronxville proves too much for Blazers

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   MAHOPAC – In the beginning of the game – even at halftime, when they were down by three scores – the Millbrook High School football team had the optimism and belief that they could knock off Section One powerhouse Bronxville in Friday’s New York State Class C quarterfinal.

   With one caveat.

   “We needed a perfect storm of things to happen,” Blazers coach Sean Keenan said.

   Instead, it was Bronxville who rained down the storm.

   The Broncos showed why they were state finalists last year and are currently the No. 2 team in the state, as they overwhelmed Millbrook, 42-0, at Mahopac High School.

   Bronxville remains unbeaten at 10-0 and moves on to the state semifinals next weekend, while Millbrook’s dream season ends at 10-1 with its first loss of the year.

   “That,” Keenan said after the game, gesturing toward the Broncos, “is a very good football team. They’re going to win the state championship this year, and if they don’t I’d like to see the team that beats them.”

   It was a heck of a year for the Blazers, who continued to thrive despite losing star running back Peter Keenan to a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game of the season. Fellow senior Jimmy Ross became the featured back and racked up almost 1,300 yards rushing after finishing Friday night’s game with 127 yards on 23 carries.

   But Millbrook was just too small for a physically-dominant Bronxville team that featured 6-foot-5, 286-pound Henry Palermo anchoring its defensive line.

   “This is the best team we played all year,” Ross said. “That was the most physical game I played in my life. All of them are strong and huge.”

   The Blazers did a nice job on the opening drive, stiffening deep in their own end and forcing the Broncos to settle for a field goal and a 3-0 lead. But after punting away following its first possession, Millbrook’s defense lost Bronxville receiver Jack Near on a post pattern, and quarterback Dillon Mitchell found him for a 45-yard gain that set up a 4-yard TD run, and the Broncos were up 10-0.

   It was the largest deficit Millbrook had faced all year – the Blazers fell behind John S. Burke 26-21 in a regular season game and 19-13 in the Section Nine, Class C championship game. And both times Millbrook came back and answered immediately.

   Not this time.

   Not against this team.

   Everything had to be perfect, and a potential momentum swing came and went for Millbrook in the second quarter. After stopping Bronxville on three consecutive plays, the Blazers were whistled for a personal foul that gave the Broncs a first down. Two plays later, Mitchell found Near for a 38-yard strike and a 16-0 lead.

   “It kind of got away from us a little bit,” Keenan said. “I thought we played tough and hard, but we needed everything to go our way to beat this team.”

   Bronxville led 22-0 at the half and, in a sequence that summed up the game, Millbrook the opening kickoff of the second half and got two first downs – both on penalties – before turning the ball over on downs. In fact, the Blazers were 0-for-5 on fourth down plays.

   Mitchell then scored from 19 yards out to make it 28-0 and put the game away.

   “It’s one of the best seasons Millbrook has had since 2000,” Ross said. “We’ll try to remember winning sections and not this game.”

Wallkill rally proves too little, too late vs. Harrison

   MAHOPAC – For the first time all year, the Wallkill High School football team was caught flat-footed.

   Harrison did to the Panthers in a New York State, Class A quarterfinal on Friday what it did to Poughkeepsie three weeks ago in the Section One semifinals – score early, score often, put the opponent on their heels and ride out the victory.

   Harrison raced to a 28-0 halftime lead, and a shocked Wallkill couldn’t catch up, falling 35-20 for its first loss of the season.

   The Panthers ended the season at 10-1; Harrison moves on to the state semifinals.

   Harrison’s Tanner Knox capped his team’s first series with a one-yard plunge, followed it up with a 79-yard run for a score, and then helped spring teammate Steve Riccardi for a 79-yard run as the Huskies led by three scores before Wallkill caught its breath.

   It was 28-0 at the half, and the Panthers never were closer than 21 again.

Croton-Harmon shuts out flat New Paltz

KINGSTON – In the end, it didn’t matter whether Tom Tegeler coached the New Paltz High School football team or Don Shula.

   On this night, Croton-Harmon was just too good.

   The Section One champions scored on two big plays early in the game, and rolled over a stunned New Paltz team, 27-0, in a New York State, Class B quarterfinal game at Dietz Stadium.

   CH moves on to the state semifinals while the Section Nine champion Huguenots finish the year with a 9-2 mark.

   A Section Nine, Class B champion still has not won a state playoff game since Rondout Valley won the state championship in 2000.

   It was a trying week for New Paltz coming off the huge, emotional win over Marlboro last Saturday for the sectional title. Some four-plus hours after the Huguenots beat the Iron Dukes, Tegeler was arrested for driving while intoxicated after being pulled over by state police on Route 32 in New Paltz at 1:31 a.m. Sunday morning.

   There had been some question all week as to whether he would coach in the state quarterfinal game until a school official finally offered something other than a ‘no comment’ when district superintendent Maria Rice said Tegeler would coach in the game.

   But on this night, it didn’t matter. Croton-Harmon was that good, and the Huguenots were that flat.

   CH caught New Paltz napping on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Jesse Mainiero to Matt Tralli for a 7-0 lead with just under six minutes remaining in the first quarter.

   Then, on Croton-Harmon’s first possession of the second quarter, Tralli took off on a 57-yard scoring run that made it 13-0. It was that way at the half, and then CH put it away with a Mainiero TD pass and a short run by Kevin Soares in the third quarter.

 Marist games might not make local TV

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   If you’re looking to catch a Marist College men’s or women’s basketball game this season, don’t look on TV.

   Time-Warner Cable (TWC) has decided not to produce Red Fox basketball games, leaving Marist officials in a quandary as they sort through various options to get the teams on television by the first of the year. Television, even local telecasts for small programs like Marist, is an important recruiting tool.

   “I’m optimistic we can put something together,” Marist director of athletics Tim Murray told Hudson Valley Sports Report. “Nothing is totally out of the water just yet. Producing TV isn’t cheap, and it’s a matter of the economics of it.”

   Previously, TWC handled production of Marist basketball. That meant the company paid all costs for the game – which can range from $4,000 to $6,000 per game, including the production truck, cameramen, on-air talent, etc. – and then recouped the money through sponsorship and advertising sales on the broadcast.

   But TWC decided against doing production of the games this season, a sign that the company probably is breaking even or operating at a loss on the games. TWC officials could not be reached for comment.

   Murray said that Time-Warner would be interested in airing Marist basketball, but only if a third-party production company assumed the costs to produce the games – something that hasn’t materialized yet but could be in the works.

   Time-Warner shared broadcast of Marist games with Cablevision last season. Asked if it was possible that Cablevision would assume the production costs, Murray said that “At this point, it doesn’t look like Cablevision will be involved.”

   Murray added that he’s hoping to get a deal in place by the time the men and women begin their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference league schedules in earnest in January, but that the 18-to-20 game combined package of men’s and women’s games would likely be reduced to 10-to-12 games on TV.

   “There’s nothing concrete yet. This might take a few more weeks,” Murray said. “But I’m optimistic we’ll get something done.”

Football teams seek Final Four berths

WHO: No. 9 Wallkill (10-0) vs. No. 12 Harrison (9-1)

WHAT: New York State Class A Quarterfinal

WHEN: Today, 8 p.m.

WHERE: Mahopac High School

THE SKINNY: Two teams that are ridiculously similar. Wallkill can grind when it wants to, but has big-play capability behind quarterback Eric Wellmon and running back Dominic Calvanico. Harrison will grind behind its superb fullback, Tanner Knox, but also has a home run hitter itself with running back/receiver Alex Acompora. Wallkill’s special teams are the best around – could it come down to a blocked kick or a Pat Toole field goal?

THE COACH SAYS: “To beat Cornwall (in the Section Nine final) and get that monkey off our back was huge,” Wallkill coach Brian Vegliando said. “Our kids have been really good this year about accomplishing something, feeling good about, and moving forward. They didn’t harp on that Cornwall victory. Saturday it was like ‘Let’s get back to work.’ So I’m expecting us to come out and play a great game.”

THE HVSR PREDICTION: Wallkill 23, Harrison 17

WHO: No. 9 New Paltz (9-1) vs. No. 3 Croton-Harmon (9-0)

WHAT: New York State Class B Quarterfinal

WHEN: Today 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Dietz Stadium, Kingston

THE SKINNY: A terrific matchup of two top-10 state-ranked teams. Croton-Harmon runs a 35 stack defense, with three men up front including a true noseguard. The Section One champs might be bigger than New Paltz, but the Huguenots have some speed on their receivers and could take advantage of their team speed when Croton is in man coverage.

THE COACH SAYS: “Obviously they’re very, very good to be ranked second in the state, and they’re one of the fastest teams I’ve seen,” New Paltz coach Tom Tegeler said. “But nobody should underestimate how good a team we are, too. We need to formation them out of being comfortable, similar to what we did to Marlboro (in the Section Nine championship win). They weren’t prepared for it.”

THE HVSR PREDICTION: New Paltz 19, Croton-Harmon 16

WHO: No. 9 Millbrook (10-0) vs. No. 2 Bronxville (9-0)

WHAT: New York State Class C Quarterfinal

WHEN: Today 5 p.m.

WHERE: Mahopac High School

THE SKINNY: A battle of two state-ranked top 10 teams for the right to go to the state semifinals next week at Kingston. It will be a classic matchup of speed (Millbrook) vs. power (Bronxville). Expect the Blazers to pull out all the stops in this one, including running several formations and offenses that they haven’t used in a while.

THE COACH SAYS: “We’ve had a great week of practice,” Millbrook coach Sean Keenan said. “We’ve watched the film and our kids realize they’re a good team – but they also realize we can play with them. … I think a fast-paced no-huddle offense might affect their bigger guys a little bit. We’re a very well-conditioned team. We’re used to that pace that we play. The games we’ve seen them, nobody has played a no-huddle against them.”

THE HVSR PREDICTION: Bronxville 27, Millbrook 24

Haldane volleyball advances; Red Hook, Rhinebeck fall

Three teams left for western New York

   One came back a winner.

   The Haldane High School volleyball team swept Southern Cayuga, 3-0, in a New York State Class D quarterfinal game on Thursday to advance to the state Final Four next weekend.

   Haldane was one of three local teams to play at Corning West High School on Thursday in state playoff games.

   In Class B, Red Hook fell to Windsor, 3-1, and in Class C, Rhinebeck lost to Edison. 

Marist women set for another title run

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Five consecutive conference championships and five consecutive years in the NCAA Tournament create a lot of expectations around a college basketball program.

   The very word itself is often a bane to a team when fans and boosters ‘expect’ the same kind of results year after year.

   So when the Marist College women’s basketball team kicks off its season Friday night, what are the expectations?

   None.

   “We’re not big on expectations. We’re big on goals,” Red Foxes coach Brian Giorgis said. “Our goal is to win the MAAC again and get to the NCAA tournament. We feel we have enough talent to win our conference and get to the NCAAs and cause problems.”

   That journey will start with a heck of a season-opener – against 16th-ranked St. John’s on Friday in the Commerce Bank Wildcat Classic at Kansas State. The hosts will play Grambling in the second game of the two-day, four-team tournament.

   It’s a season of transition at Marist as the Red Foxes will hit the court for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 season without all-time leading scorer and rebounder Rachele Fitz.

   But that doesn’t mean the cupboard is bare.

   This season, Marist returns four starters from the 2009-10 MAAC Championship team in senior guard Erica Allenspach (pictured), junior guard Kristine Best, sophomore forward Kate Oliver and junior guard Corielle Yarde.  Allenspach was named the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year at the conference’s media day on Oct. 26, while she and Yarde were both Preseason First Team All-MAAC selections.

   At the end of last season, Allenspach was a First Team All-MAAC choice, Yarde was chosen to the second team.

   The St. John’s game represents an interesting opener. Many thought the two teams were going to meet in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season – the Red Foxes instead played and lost to Georgetown – and SJU was the team Giorgis made his college debut against in 2002 after his ultra-successful 19-year career at Our Lady of Lourdes High School.

   Marist lost the game, 68-50.

   “They have four of their top five kids back; they’re very talented,” Giorgis said of St. John’s. “They have more talent than us. Does that mean we can’t beat them? I think if we play the way we’re capable we can beat them. We have to limit their second-chance opportunities, take care of the basketball and make baskets against their pressure.”

   Giorgis said he won’t hesitate to dig down deep on his bench.

   “I think our biggest strength is our depth – well, you hope it’s your depth or we’re in a lot of trouble,” he said with a laugh. “But I feel like I can play 12 kids. I could see 10 people getting at least 10 minutes.”

Paulsen nets school career scoring mark

   Well, it might be a couple of weeks late, but Ellenville High School boys’ soccer star John Paulsen found out he’s a record-holder.

   Paulsen closed out his career with 55 goals, and Blue Devils head coach Maxwell Mead – who is new to the Hudson Valley and new to the school – didn’t realize it was a record until he consulted former coach and longtime Ellenville resident Lee Augustine.

   It was discovered that the previous mark was 41 goals, set by 1982 Ellenville graduate Pablo Castro.

   Mead also found out that the 14-win season that culminated with a division title and a berth in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League title game was a school record for most victories in a season.

   “John does not play any club soccer, so you will not find him in any special rankings or anything like that, but John is a college-caliber player who should get some good looks from college coaches,” Mead said. “He has tremendous athletic ability, great balance, a sound work ethic, and can flat-out play the game. Any college would be lucky to have this guy. I know Ellenville is going to miss him.”

Watson earns coaching honor

   NEW PALTZ – Fourth-year State University of New York at New Paltz men’s soccer head coach Eric Watson has been named the 2010 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year.

   Watson enjoyed his most successful year at the helm of the program in 2010, achieving an 8-9-1 overall record while going 4-5-0 in league matches. It marked the most wins in a season for a New Paltz men's soccer team since 2004, and the Hawks were in contention for a berth in the conference championship tournament until the final day of SUNYAC play.

   In addition, the blue and orange posted seven shutouts on the year, which is as many as the previous three seasons combined. In recognition of a fortuitous season, the conference’s men’s soccer head coaches voted three of his student-athletes on the 2010 All-SUNYAC teams.

   On his career, Watson owns an overall record of 89-63-19, which includes his tenure at Linfield College. While coaching the Wildcats, he was named the 2005 Northwest Conference Men's Soccer Coach of the Year.

New Paltz has tough decision on Tegeler but, really, precedent with school board prez has been set already

   It appears Tom Tegeler will coach his New Paltz High School football team on Friday in the New York State Class B quarterfinals against Croton-Harmon.

   Was it the right thing to do? Hard to say.

   Really, it was the only thing to do.

   For a brief moment on Monday and Tuesday, there was some doubt as to whether that would actually happen. Tegeler, 37, was arrested on Sunday morning at approximately 1:31 a.m. on Route 32 on New Paltz, about four hours after his Huguenots shut out Marlboro, 13-0, for the Section Nine, Class B championship at Faller Field in Middletown.

   He was charged with driving while intoxicated. Clearly, he had gone out and savored the victory.

   Tegeler did not return a phone call; New Paltz athletic director Toni Woody said it was a “personnel matter under investigation” and declined further comment.

   But there’s a thin line here, a catch-22 if you will.

   Is it a personnel matter, or a personal matter?

   Tegeler is the head football coach and a physical education teacher at New Paltz. Like it or not, good or bad, fair or unfair, someone in his position is held to a higher standard. It’s why you’re reading about him right now in this space. It’s why there’s a story in the Daily Freeman and the Middletown Times-Herald Record. Because, most assuredly, somebody else was popped on Saturday night/Sunday morning for blowing a breathalyzer over the .08 limit, and you most assuredly do not see their name in a headline, do you?

   Tegeler made a mistake. He’ll own up to it, I’m sure. He’s a good man.

   But at some point, he will be disciplined for that mistake.

   Just not now. Because, really, what choice does New Paltz have? To be frank, a precedent has already been set here – the man now occupying the position as the president of the New Paltz school board was once busted on charges of marijuana possession and driving while ability impaired.

   Donald Kerr was pulled over by state police in Gardiner in the spring of 2008 and charged with possession of wacky weed and DWAI. He fought the charges for two years and had it busted down to reckless driving. At the time of his arrest, he was already on the school board. Not only was he re-elected to another three-year term in 2009 but,  earlier this year, he was appointed by school district trustees as board president.

   So how in good faith can the school make an example out of Tegeler?

   They can’t.

   Of course, there’s another dynamic at play here. Do you penalize the players and all their hard work by taking away their head coach in the biggest game of their lives? Or do you punish Tegeler by suspending him for the game and using it as an example to the kids as a repercussion of what can happen when you make poor choices?

   That’s a tough call.

   Look, there’s no disputing what happened here. DWI is bad. Too many cases of people’s lives being torn apart by the decision to get behind the wheel.

   But, really, what choice does New Paltz have? The school principal, the athletic director, the superintendent and the board are in no man’s land here thanks to the precedent.

   Punishment? Heck, Donald Kerr was rewarded. And by the public, no less.

   Maybe it really is a personal matter and not a personnel matter. But, either way, it appears Tegeler will be on the sidelines on Friday night.

Dutchess County schools didn't just "opt" out of joining Section Nine; Section Nine schools made the decision for them

   I want to move.

   I want to move into the house on the next street over. I’m not particularly happy with my neighborhood so I’d like to move. Oh, and I’d like the existing homes around my new house to shuffle their spots. Yeah, I think the colonial that’s further up the street would look far better next to my new house than the raised ranch next door. It’s a better fit for me.

   Implausible, right? Too demanding, right?

   Well, now you know the back story of why the remaining Dutchess County high schools that still participate athletically in Section One have “opted” not to join Section Nine.

   They can’t.

   They’re not wanted.

   Oh, they can put on a good song and dance about how the “research” for such a move isn’t complete, and that they need more time, yada, yada, yada. But Arlington, John Jay, Roy C. Ketcham, Our Lady of Lourdes, Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Dover and Pawling aren’t going anywhere.

   The Poughkeepsie Journal reported Tuesday that the remaining Dutchess County schools decided not to apply to join Section Nine for the 2011-2012 school year.

   In reality, those eight schools didn’t decide anything. It was decided for them.

   Not only did Hudson Valley Sports Report break the original story back in September, but we told you almost three weeks ago that the idea was dead in the water, and that Section Nine Executive Director Robert Thabet said his group was “twiddling our thumbs” waiting around for Section One’s response.

   There was a reason for that – many administrators in Section Nine didn’t want the eight Dutchess schools. At least, not the way they demanded to come into the section.

   The Gang of Eight wanted to all be together in an expanded Mid-Hudson Athletic League, which currently consists of 16 schools. Section Nine was not happy with that demand and wanted Pawling and Dover – two small, Class C schools – to join the MHAL, and the rest of the schools to join the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association.

   According to the minutes of the September OCIAA athletic director’s workshop, “Mr. (Doug) Murphy (the OCIAA president and Monticello athletic director) asked the OCIAA Athletic Directors of the C and D schools if they would be interested in school districts joining Section IX. Very little interest was shown and discussion was made.

   “Mr. Murphy asked the OCIAA Athletic Directors of the B schools if they were interested. The B schools showed a split interest of some schools in favor and others against.

   “The OCIAA Athletic Directors of the A and AA schools were more interested if they are placed in the OCIAA. Mr. Lou Cioffi, Cornwall, stated it would enhance competition among the large schools. Mr. Mike Bellarosa stated Valley Central is opposed to their placement in both OCIAA and Section IX.”

   You sort of can’t go where you’re not wanted, and that’s what’s happening here. Perhaps the eight Dutchess County schools will regroup and realize that, even though the travel distances would be the same as going down to southern Westchester and Rockland counties in Section One, the OCIAA and Section Nine truly are a better choice.

   Because right now, Arlington, Jay, RCK, OLL, Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Pawling and Dover are the red-headed step-children of Section One, with no power at all, especially in football.

   But, for now, there will be no application to join Section Nine by the Nov. 30 deadline.

   Not because the eight Dutchess County schools decided not to apply, but because, really, the decision was made for them.

Red Hook's Murphy ranked as state's best player by topdrawersoccer.com

Red Hook High School senior Kyle Murphy, who will play at Clemson University next year, is now ranked as the No. 1 overall player in New York State by topdrawersoccer.com for soccer players graduating in 2011.

   Topdrawersoccer is generally considered one of the country’s top websites for ranking  collegiate and premier club soccer players.

   Topdrawersoccer.com also has Murphy ranked fifth in the nation as a "Winger" for boys graduating in 2011, according to its Nov. 9 rankings.

   Murphy led the Raiders to the Mid-Hudson Athletic League championship this season, having a hand in all three goals – a tally and two assists – in a 3-1 win over Ellenville. He finished with 52 goals for his career, breaking the school career mark.

Montalto headed for NYS Soccer Hall of Fame

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Former Arlington High School boys’ soccer coach Gary Montalto, who retired last season and moved to Delaware, is making a welcome trip back to the Hudson Valley.

   Montalto, the legendary Admirals coach for 31 years, will be inducted into the New York State Soccer Hall of Fame during the state high school boys’ soccer championships at Middletown on Nov. 20 and 21.

   Montalto is one of three coaches to earn the Hall of Fame honor.

   “I’m very touched, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Montalto said. “The induction will truly be a culmination of having so much fun working with the soccer athletes at Arlington and in the Dutchess County area.”

   The induction will take place at dinner on Saturday night, Nov. 20, after the state semifinals are played.

   Montalto amassed a record of 542-83-43 during his career, winning three state championships along the way. Only two other New York State high school coaches have won more than 542 games.

   His final team went 19-1-1 and was ranked No. 3 in the country at one point last year en route to winning the Section One, Class AA championship, his 14th sectional title. But the Admirals were upset by eventual state champion Newburgh in the state tournament.

   Montalto and his wife, Sue, settled in the beachside community of Lewes, Delaware, but he has back to the area often to visit his daughter and friends. He caught several Arlington games during the year.

   In Delaware, he follows the Cape Henlopen High School team.

   “It’s not quite the depth of soccer in the Hudson Valley. The game is a little slower-paced,” he said. “But certainly a few of the players down here could play with the local schools in the Valley.”

From OLL to MSG

Lourdes grad Scott O’Neil is in his third season as president of Madison Square Garden

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   Back in the spring of 1994, Madison Square Garden with the center of the sports universe for a glorious two-week period. Both the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers were in the NBA and NHL finals, respectively, and the joint was jumpin’.

   Scott O’Neil recalls it vividly. A Newburgh native and Our Lady of Lourdes High School graduate, O’Neil was able to catch a couple of games that spring while working toward his MBA.

   “The one thing I remember,” he said, “is the building shaking. There was so much energy and excitement in there, the building was physically shaking.”

   Now he is that building.

   O’Neil runs the world’s most famous arena and the sports properties that come with it as the president of Madison Square Garden Sports, where he oversees the Knicks, Rangers and New York Liberty of the WNBA.

   He also manages the growing MSG Sports business, which includes college basketball, boxing, tennis, mixed martial arts and all other sports events and attractions at MSG-owned venues.

   “As a kid growing up in Newburgh and going to high school in Poughkeepsie, and growing up a Knicks and Rangers fan, it’s pretty amazing coming to work here,” O’Neil said in an interview with Hudson Valley Sports Report. “To think that I actually get to go down on that court and play basketball is amazing. It’s an amazing place. … Without sounding too cliché, it has all of the history and tradition of everything that’s right and means anything about sports.”

   O’Neil played basketball and soccer at Lourdes. Like many OLL students back in the day who attended the school when it was located in inner-city Poughkeepsie on North Hamilton St., O’Neil always made sure he had money in his pocket to go across the street from campus to the famed “Mama’s” deli and pizzeria.

   But that was just a few bucks.

   Today he oversees a multi-billion dollar business and an on-going renovation of Madison Square Garden that is costing between $775 million and $800 million.

   “That much money has never been spent on a new arena, let alone one that’s being transformed,” he said. “New lockerrooms, a new seating bowl, new suites being built under the stands, the fan decks … it’s going to be a building worthy of its reputation. The nice thing about coming here is there’s an amazing group of people. People here are smart and talented and energized. My job first and foremost is we consider ourselves stewards of these brands. We’re worried about our time here and making sure that when we leave these brands they’re as strong or stronger than we found them.”

   He is speaking, of course, of the Knicks and Rangers, two iconic franchises in their respective leagues. O’Neil doesn’t make personnel decisions for either team; you won’t find him in a war room on draft day telling Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni or general manager Donnie Walsh whom to select.

   But, as he said, he is the caretaker of those brands.

   O’Neil is a marketing whiz, having honed his skills as a senior vice president at the NBA, working under Commissioner David Stern. O’Neil oversaw the league’s team marketing and business operations, advising NBA and WNBA teams on ticket sales and service, sponsorship development, and marketing. He also managed the NBA’s Canadian business and the NBA Development League. Prior to joining the NBA, he oversaw the launch of HoopsTV, and honed his sales and marketing expertise with the Philadelphia Eagles and New Jersey Nets.

   He holds a degree in marketing from Villanova University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

   After eight years with the NBA, he was looking to get back into a team-side operation.

   “There’s really nothing like the sensation of winning or the pain of losing,” O’Neil said.

   In the spring and summer of 2008, The Garden was going through a difficult period – particularly off the playing surface, where then-Knicks GM Isiah Thomas was involved in a sexual harassment suit.

   The Knicks decided to clean house and O’Neil, who had worked on behalf of the NBA with Cablevision owner Jim Dolan, whose family owns the Knicks and MSG, was top of mind.

   “It felt like I was coming home, for sure,” O’Neil said. “What surprised me more than anything else was just how big everything is. … The one thing that somebody said to me here that I thought was pretty poignant was, one of our partners said ‘You know how big this business is, right?’ And I said that I had a pretty good sense. I mean, you know, I worked with the league, I worked with the Lakers and Celtics. And he corrected me and said, ‘There’s nothing like the Knicks. It’s a basketball town. When the Knicks are winning, they’re bigger than the Yankees.’ ”

   O’Neil, who now lives in New Jersey with his wife and three daughters, said he tries to get back to the Hudson Valley when he can, particularly when it pertains to the old high school.

   “I loved my experience at Lourdes,” he said. “It shapes who you are.”

On deck: the state playoffs

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   What’s next for our local high school section champions?

   On to the state playoffs !

   We have 13 Hudson Valley teams who will be participating in states this week – and that doesn’t even count the numerous individual athletes who will be off to the state swimming, cross country and tennis championships.

   Let’s break down where all the teams are headed.

FOOTBALL

   WALLKILL – The Panthers had a thrilling 24-22 win over Cornwall on Friday night to claim the Section Nine, Class A title. This Friday, Wallkill will play Section One champion Harrison in a state quarterfinal game at Mahopac High School at 8 p.m.

   NEW PALTZ – The Huguenots avenged their only loss of the season on Saturday when they beat Marlboro, 13-0, for the Section Nine, Class B crown. New Paltz will have something of a home game on Friday night when it meets Section One champion Croton-Harmon in a state quarterfinal game at Dietz Stadium in Kingston at 7:30 p.m.

   MILLBROOK – In what was probably the most exciting finish of the weekend, the Blazers stopped a last-minute Burke drive by recovering a fumble, and Millbrook came away with a 20-19 win over the Eagles for the Section Nine, Class C championship. The Blazers will face Section One powerhouse Bronxville, the No. 3 team in the state, at 5 p.m. Friday at Mahopac High School.

BOYS’ SOCCER

   HALDANE and WEBUTUCK – No disrespect intended in looping both programs together, because they play each other ! Haldane won the Section One, Class C title on Saturday and Webutuck wrapped up the Section Nine version last week. The Blue  Devils and the Warriors meet in a state regional game tonight at 6 p.m. at Faller Field.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

   HIGHLAND – The Section Nine, Class B champion Huskies will have had 10 days off when they finally play a game on Saturday. Highland gets the first-round bye in the states this year and will play Saturday against the winner of Rye vs. Chenango Forks in a state quarterfinal game at Faller Field in Middletown.

VOLLEYBALL

   ARLINGTON – The Admirals defended their Section One, Class AA title on Saturday with a come-from-behind win over Suffern. The reward is a first-round bye in the state playoffs, so Arlington won’t play again until Saturday against the winner of the Pine Bush-Horseheads matchup at John Jay Cross River High School.

   RED HOOK – The Raiders wrapped up the Section Nine, Class B championship on Sunday and are headed to the Binghamton area – Corning West High School, to be exact – on Thursday to take on Section Four champion Windsor in a state playoff match.

   RHINEBECK – The Hawks also won their crown on Sunday, taking the Section Nine, Class C title, and will face Section Four champ Edison on Thursday at Corning West High School at 12:30 p.m.

   PAWLING – The Tigers are the Section One, Class C champs and are sitting back waiting until Saturday to take on the winner of the Rhinebeck-Edison match at John Jay Cross River High School.

   HALDANE – The Blue Devils won their fifth consecutive Section One, Class D title on Saturday and are heading to Corning West to take on Section Four champion Southern Cayuga on Thursday.

FIELD HOCKEY

   RED HOOK – The Raiders took the Section Nine, Class B title last week with a 4-0 win over Onteora. Red Hook will now play Section One powerhouse Lakeland on Saturday at White Plains High School in a state regional game.

   RHINEBECK – The Hawks beat Spackenkill, 4-0, at the Hudson Valley SportsDome last week to win the Section Nine, Class B championship and advanced to Saturday’s state playoff game against Section One champ Briarcliff at White Plains High School.

LUCKY 13 !

Thirteen local teams are off to the state playoffs this week

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   What’s next for our local high school section champions?

   On to the state playoffs !

   We have 13 Hudson Valley teams who will be participating in states this week – and that doesn’t even count the numerous individual athletes who will be off to the state swimming, cross country and tennis championships.

   Let’s break down where all the teams are headed.

FOOTBALL

   WALLKILL – The Panthers had a thrilling 24-22 win over Cornwall on Friday night to claim the Section Nine, Class A title. This Friday, Wallkill will play Section One champion Harrison in a state quarterfinal game at Mahopac High School at 8 p.m.

   NEW PALTZ – The Huguenots avenged their only loss of the season on Saturday when they beat Marlboro, 13-0, for the Section Nine, Class B crown. New Paltz will have something of a home game on Friday night when it meets Section One champion Croton-Harmon in a state quarterfinal game

   MILLBROOK – In what was probably the most exciting finish of the weekend, the Blazers stopped a last-minute Burke drive by recovering a fumble, and Millbrook came away with a 20-19 win over the Eagles for the Section Nine, Class C championship. The Blazers will face Section One powerhouse Bronxville, the No. 3 team in the state, at 5 p.m. Friday at Mahopac High School.

BOYS’ SOCCER

   HALDANE and WEBUTUCK – No disrespect intended in looping both programs together, because they play each other ! Haldane won the Section One, Class C title on Saturday and Webutuck wrapped up the Section Nine version last week. The Blue  Devils and the Warriors meet in a state regional game on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at Faller Field in Middletown.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

   HIGHLAND – The Section Nine, Class B champion Huskies will have had 10 days off when they finally play a game on Saturday. Highland gets the first-round bye in the states this year and will play Saturday against the winner of Rye vs. Chenango Forks in a state quarterfinal game at Faller Field in Middletown.

VOLLEYBALL

   ARLINGTON – The Admirals defended their Section One, Class AA title on Saturday with a come-from-behind win over Suffern. The reward is a first-round bye in the state playoffs, so Arlington won’t play again until Saturday against the winner of the Pine Bush-Horseheads matchup at John Jay Cross River High School.

   RED HOOK – The Raiders wrapped up the Section Nine, Class B championship on Sunday and are headed to the Binghamton area – Corning West High School, to be exact – on Thursday to take on Section Four champion Windsor in a state playoff match.

   RHINEBECK – The Hawks also won their crown on Sunday, taking the Section Nine, Class C title, and will face Section Four champ Edison on Thursday at Corning West High School at 12:30 p.m.

   PAWLING – The Tigers are the Section One, Class C champs and are sitting back waiting until Saturday to take on the winner of the Rhinebeck-Edison match at John Jay Cross River High School.

   HALDANE – The Blue Devils won their fifth consecutive Section One, Class D title on Saturday and are heading to Corning West to take on Section Four champion Southern Cayuga on Thursday.

FIELD HOCKEY

   RED HOOK – The Raiders took the Section Nine, Class B title last week with a 4-0 win over Onteora. Red Hook will now play Section One powerhouse Lakeland on Saturday at White Plains High School in a state regional game.

   RHINEBECK – The Hawks beat Spackenkill, 4-0, at the Hudson Valley SportsDome last week to win the Section Nine, Class B championship and advanced to Saturday’s state playoff game against Section One champ Briarcliff at White Plains High School.

Time runs out on Jay girls

   YORKTOWN HEIGHTS – Time is a funny thing. It can be an eternity for a sports team waiting for it to count down with victory in sight. It can be a speeding train for a team on the losing end of a score hoping for more of it.

   Time finally ran out on the John Jay High School girls’ soccer team on Sunday.

   North Rockland ended a remarkable run by the Patriots that brought two New York State Class AA championships back to the Hudson Valley, as the Raiders beat Jay, 2-1, in the Section One, Class AA title game at Yorktown High School.

   Andy Curcio scored the game-winning goal for the Red Raiders, snapping a 1-1 tie with less than 10 minutes to play to give top-seeded North Rockland the eventual victory.

   The two teams traded goals in the first half, with Curcio opening the game with a tally and John Jay’s Sam McGuire answering before halftime.

   The Pawling field hockey team also suffered a heartbreaking one-goal loss, losing 1-0 to Briarcliff in the Section One, Class C championship game at Manhattanville College.

Tuckahoe overwhelms Haldane in title game

Red Hook, Rhinebeck capture Section Nine volleyball crowns

  NEW PALTZ – Two neighbors, two matches, two champions.

   The Red Hook and Rhinebeck high school volleyball teams both won their Section Nine championship matches on Sunday, and both are headed to the state playoffs.

   Red Hook defeated New Paltz, 3-1, for the Class B title in a rubber match between the two schools. The Raiders and Huguenots had split two regular-season matches during the Mid-Hudson Athletic League season.

   It was the eighth consecutive Section Nine championship for Red Hook, which will now head to the Binghamton area on Thursday to play Section Four champion Windsor in a state playoff match.

   Right after Red Hook won its match at the State University of New York at New Paltz, Rhinebeck took to the court and dispatched James I. O’Neill, also in four games, to win the Class C title.

   The Hawks are also headed west and will play Section Four champ Edison on Thursday at Corning West High School at 12:30 p.m. in a state playoff match. The winner meets Section One champion Pawling on Saturday.

IT'S MILLBROOK, IN A NAIL-BITER !

Blazers win Section Nine, Class C football crown with 20-19 win over John S. Burke

Arlington volleyball defends crown

   SOMERS – Back-to-back.

   The Arlington High School volleyball team won its second consecutive Section One, Class AA championship on Saturday night, again beating Suffern but this time doing it in dramatic fashion with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory in the title match at Somers High School.

   The scores were 25-22, 23-25, 25-27, 25-17 and 25-18 in the thrilling five-setter.

   Arlington, now 20-1, will play a state regional playoff game next Saturday back at John Jay Cross River.

   Ariana Wilson led the Admirals with six service points, 32 assists, four blocks, six kills and 16 digs, while Lauren Faugerstrom had an ace among her five service points, seven blocks, 12 kills and 14 digs, and Rachel Thoma added four assists, three blocks and 11 kills.

   Arlington, seeded second in the tournament, beat Suffern last year in three sets for the title, and also defeated the Mounties in a regular-season match in September in three sets.

   But coach Maria Greenwood expected a tougher match and she got it, especially when Suffern took games two and three to take a 2-1 lead.

   But Arlington bore down and rallied in the final two games. Keely Fink had six aces, 14 service points, two blocks, nine kills and 20 digs to help spark the comeback. Shannon Hughes ahd two aces, nine service points, a pair of blocks, 13 kills and 32 digs; Angela Silveri had three aces among her 10 service points, three blocks, 10 kills and 20 digs; and Molly Law had two aces, 15 service points, 21 assists and nine digs.

Devils take volleyball, soccer titles

   PURCHASE – Most assuredly, there were some Haldane High School fans who made the relatively short 22-mile trip from Somers High School on Saturday to the State University of New York at Purchase.

   If they did, their efforts were certainly awarded.

   Haldane won a pair of Section One championships on Saturday night, as the volleyball team beat Alexander Hamilton for the Class D title at Cross River and, down the road, the boys’ soccer team knocked off Solomon Schechter for the Class C crown at SUNY Purchase.

   The volleyball team certainly made it easy for those fans who had the desire to see both games. The Blue Devils started their match at 6 p.m. and won their fifth consecutive Section One title with a 25-11, 25-9, 25-15 victory over Hamilton. Haldane will play in a state regional playoff game on Thursday night against the Section Four champion somewhere in the Binghamton area.

   The Blue Devils’ Lauren Etta led the way with 14 kills, seven assists and six aces.

   Down in Purchase, Chris Marchese scored a pair of goals – one in each half – as Haldane beat second-seeded Schechter, 2-0, in a game that started at 8 p.m.

   The victory avenged an earlier 2-1 loss to Solomon Schechter back in September, and it puts the Blue Devils into a state regional playoff game on Tuesday night against Section Nine, Class C champion Webutuck. The game will be played at 6 p.m. at Middletown High School’s Faller Field.

New Paltz smothers Marlboro to win Class B

By Rich Thomaselli

HVSR

   MIDDLETOWN – The New Paltz High School football team did to Marlboro on Saturday night when Marlboro did to New Paltz two weeks ago – out-physical the Iron Dukes.

   In a spectacular, smothering defensive performance, the Huguenots held Marlboro to just one first down and rode it to a 13-0 victory in the Section Nine, Class B championship game at a cold, but jam-packed, Faller Field.

   The Huguenots avengref the 13-0 loss they suffered two weeks ago to Marlboro when the Iron Dukes clinched the regular-season title. Both teams are now 9-1 – except it’s New Paltz moving on in the state playoffs.

   The Huguenots will play Section One champion Croton-Harmon on Friday night at Dietz Stadium in Kingston in a state regional playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Amazingly, a Section Nine, Class B team has not won a state playoff game since Rondout Valley captured the state championship in 2000.

   Even more amazingly, Marlboro is now 0-8 in Section Nine championship games, including five in Class B and three in Class C.

   And even more amazing than that was the way the Iron Dukes were kept in check – one first down for the entire game, and even that didn’t come until 7:10 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 27-yard pass from Vinny Porcelli to Willie Brown.

   “We came out the physical team,” New Paltz coach Tom Tegeler said. “Certainly at halftime, when I saw Marlboro come out – and I’ve seen every game they played – I could tell we were beating them physically up front, and that was a good sign. Our defense is incredible. Coach (Sam) Phelps is an amazing coach.”

   So when New Paltz missed a field goal on the opening drive, there was a sense of déjà vu.

   It didn’t last long.

   After stopping Marlboro on the first of several three-and-outs, New Paltz’s exciting freshman, Khariff Laboy, raced 46 yards up the left sideline for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 2:36 left in the first quarter.

   “Big,” Laboy said of his score. “We really needed to get a touchdown against this team.”

   Still, Marlboro was hanging around thanks to its terrific defense, which came up with several big plays, including a fumble recovery, to keep it 7-0 at halftime.

   But late in the third quarter, New Paltz quarterback Kyle Januszkiewicz directed a drive that ended up with his own 1-yard sneak for a 13-0 advantage, and with the way New Paltz’s defense was playing you started to get the sense that 13-0 was becoming insurmountable.

   The Iron Dukes finally got a first down midway through the final quarter on the Porcelli to Brown pass that actually had Marlboro knocking on the door. But the Huguenots stopped the Iron Dukes four times from the 10 yard line to seal the victory with 5:48 remaining.

   “We executed a lot more of our plays,” said New Paltz’s Pete Ferrante, who was named the game’s Offensive MVP. “Our coaching was on point. We executed and played hard.”

JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME !

Wallkill takes rematch with Cornwall, wins Section Nine, Class A title

   KINGSTON – Sequels are rarely, if ever, better than the original.

   But for the Wallkill High School football team, Friday night’s rematch against Cornwall was ‘The Godfather II.’

   In a game that not only lived up to the hype of a No. 1 seed vs. No. 2, Wallkill proved that its regular-season victory over Cornwall was no fluke, as the Panthers stopped history with a thrilling 24-22 victory at Dietz Stadium in the Section Nine, Class A championship game.

   Wallkill remained undefeated at 10-0 and advances to a state regional game next Friday night against the Section One champion, either Horace Greeley or Harrison – which beat Poughkeepsie last week – at Mahopac High School.

   The Panthers ended the Green Dragons’ streak of five consecutive sectional championships, the last three of which came against Wallkill by a combined score of 97-21.

   Wallkill ended Cornwall’s six-year winning streak against Section Nine opponents last month with an amazing 7-6 win in which quarterback Eric Wellmon threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Calvanico with no time left on the clock to tie the game, followed by a Pat Toole extra point.

   The hometown fans stormed the field after that game.

   They did it again on Friday night.

   Wallkill trailed the Green Dragons 15-14 at halftime, but there was never a sense that Cornwall was going to run away and hide. The Panthers made all the big plays in the first half, including a 90-yard kickoff return for a score by Steve Moyer, and it continued into the second half.

   Toole, arguably one of the top two or three kickers in the Hudson Valley, booted a 22-yard field goal late in the third quarter to put Wallkill on top for good at 17-15. Jahsiem Davis then made the defensive play of the game, stopping Syracuse-bound running back Tyree Smallwood of Cornwall on a fourth-and-inches play on Wallkill’s 4 yard line, giving the ball back to the Panthers.

   The Panthers controlled the ball in the fourth quarter and made it a 24-15 game when Wellmon (pictured) scrambled 10 yards for a score with 2:05 left to play.

   Cornwall didn’t go down without a fight, of course. The Green Dragons needed exactly 74 seconds to score, as Tyler Lawlor threw a 46-yard strike to James Gargano that cut the lead to two with 46 seconds to play.

   But the Panthers recovered the onsides kick and took a knee for the victory.

All photos by Ed Diller, Hudson Valley Sports Photo Network

Haldane advances to title game

   FREEDOM PLAINS – The Arlington High School boys’ and girls’ soccer teams might have been eliminated from sectional play, but their field is still seeing a lot of great action.

   One night after John Jay needed to use the facility because its field was under water, top-seeded Haldane put itself in tonight’s Section One, Class C title game with a 2-1 victory over No. 4 Tuckahoe on Friday on penalty kicks.

   The Blue Devils won the shootout, 4-3.

   “It was a great victory for our team,” Haldane coach Ahmed Dwidar said. “We’re really excited for (tonight).”

   Tuckahoe actually jumped out to a 1-0 lead before Sean Daley tied it for Haldane in the 35th minute with a perfect header off a corner kick. The game stayed that way through the second half and the overtime periods.

   “My defense was excellent, but I felt like we had a lot of missed opportunities,” Dwidar said. “We controlled the ball the majority of the game but just couldn’t get that one goal.”

   Goal-scoring was not an issue in the penalty kick round. Jimmy Meekins, Stephen McCann, Alex Schaefer and Kieran Dillon all scored for the Blue Devils. In fact, Dillon’s goal was the walk-off, as Tuckahoe had just missed on its last opportunity.

   Haldane will face Solomon Schechter in tonight’s championship match, looking to avenge a 2-1 loss from earlier this year.

Big day for Pawling

   PAWLING – It was a big day for Pawling High School.

   The volleyball team swept its way to a sectional title and the field hockey team moved one step closer to winning one themselves on Friday in a pair of games.

   The Tigers’ top-seeded volleyball team captured the Section One, Class C title with a 3-0 sweep of No. 3 Croton-Harmon. The match was played at neutral Hendrick Hudson High School. Pawling got significantly stronger as the match went on, winning 25-23, 25-21 and 25-15.

   Back at Pawling, Sami Jorgensen scored the only goal of the game, and top-seeded Pawling beat No. 5 Dover, 1-0, in a Section One, Class C field hockey semifinal.

   The Tigers will play for the championship on Sunday at Noon against No. 2 Briarcliff.

Rhinebeck boys, girls take home Section Nine cross country titles

   BEAR MOUNTAIN – The Rhinebeck High School boys’ and girls’ cross country teams both captured Section Nine, Class C championships on Friday at Bear Mountain State Park.

SECTION NINE CROSS COUNTRY

   The Onteora and John A. Coleman girls, and the New Paltz boys, also won team titles. All members of the victorious teams now advance to the state meet; the next top five runners from other teams also qualify for states.

BOYS

   Rhinebeck’s Zach Karas was his team’s first finisher, coming in fifth on the three-mile course in a time of 17 minutes, .43 seconds. But it was the cluster of five runners between 10th and 15th places that gave the Hawks the Class A team title. Pine Plains devin dejoode and Ndue Palushi both qualified for states with times of 16 minutes, 49.52 seconds and 17:21.93, respectively.

   New Paltz ran away with Class B crown with 24 points, 41 points better than Onteora. The Huguenots’ Brian Busby had the overall best time of the day at 15:58.72 to take the individual crown. Red Hook’s Declan Dwyer-McNulty, Onteora’s Greg Johnsmyeer and Sean Alvarado, Ellenville’s Steve Stephens and Marlboro’s Kyle Marquis all are headed to the state meet.

   Coleman’s Marco DiBella qualified for states coming out of the Class C race.

GIRLS

   The closest team race of the day came in the girls’ Class B championships, where meet organizers had to go to the sixth runner to break a 48-48 tie between Onteora and New Paltz. Aliya Hardwick’s time of 23:35.06 was good for sixth on her team and 27th overall, giving Onteora the team championship.

   Spackenkill’s Deridre Dwyer won the Class B individual title in a time of 18:39.46, beating Onteora’s Emily Waligurski by just over 12 seconds. Gabby Mancuso, Naomi Bouchard and Camila Ferguson of New Paltz qualified for the states, as did Katherine DeWitt of Rondout Valley.

   In Class C, as expected, Rhinebeck won the team title with 40 points to Tri-Valley’s 58. The Hawks’ Anna Clark and Carol Tyson finished first and third, respectively, in times of 19:39.50 and 19:37.68.

   In Class A, Wallkill came in third in the team race, and Alyssa Crinieri made the cut for the state meet, finishing in a time of 21:02.04.

   And in Class D, Coleman took the team title by two points over S.S. Seward and five over Chapel Field, even though Chapel Field runners finished first, second and fourth. Coleman’s Kate Shults squeezed in at third with a time of 20:02.12.

O'Neill closes out young Millbrook

   MILLBROOK – It was as close as you can get.

SECTION NINE VOLLEYBALL

   “Unfortunately it was the same kind of little things that have hurt us all year,” Millbrook coach Shawn Stoliker said. “Miscommunication plays, bad decision-making … little tiny things that will come back to bite you against a great team like O’Neill.”

   O’Neill is now 22-0 and will play top-seeded Rhinebeck for the Class C sectional title on Sunday at SUNY New Paltz. The Indians beat No. 4 Burke, 3-1.

   Amanda Riebe led Millbrook with 12 kills and an ace. Christine Deschaines totaled nine kills and Rita Ouimet added 14 digs.

   “We’re young, and this was a good sign,” Stoliker said. “At times I had an eighth-grader, ninth-grader and 10th-grader on the court at the same time. But we’re very good for how young we are and we’ll be back.”

Arlington gets Suffern rematch

FREEDOM PLAINS – It will be the rubber match.

   For the third consecutive year, the Arlington High School volleyball team will play Suffern for the Section One, Class AA title, thanks to a 3-0 victory by the second-seeded Admirals over No. 2 Scarsdale on Thursday.

SECTION ONE VOLLEYBALL

   The scores were 25-17, 25-13 and 25-20.

   Ariana Wilson had two aces, six service points, 15 assists, two blocks, seven kills and 10 digs for Arlington, while Shannon Hughes had two aces among her 11 service points, three blocks, eight kills and 25 digs. Rachel Thoma chipped in two blocks, 10 kills and three digs, and Lauren Faugerstrom had three service points, a pair of blocks, six kills and 11 digs.

   Arlington will bring a 19-1 mark and a 17-game winning streak into the title match with Suffern. The Admirals lost the sectional final in 2008, won it in 2009, and also beat Suffern earlier this year in a non-league regular-season match.

   “We know it will be a challenge but playing Suffern earlier in the season gave the girls a confidence boost,” Arlington coach Maria Greenwood said of her team’s 3-0 sweep in September.

   Greenwood said her Admirals got off to a flat start against Scarsdale but quickly turned things around.

   “Scarsdale is very quick and got off some hits that I thought ‘No way they just got that of,’ ” she said “So it was important for us to place the ball instead of just hitting it, and the girls did a great job of that.”

   Arlington’s Keely Fink had three aces, seven service points, three kills and 17 digs; Molly Law totaled two aces, 14 service points, 17 assists and six digs; and Angela Silveria added three service points, five blocks, two kills and 14 digs.

   The Arlington-Suffern title match will be Saturday at 4 p.m. at John Jay Cross River High School.