White Plains Edges Scarsdale at Slam Dunk; Yorktown Bops Byram
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Mahopac Remains Unbeaten; Westlake Whips Pleasantville; Lakeland Licks Panas
By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays
The Examiner-area boys’ hoopers came out of the holiday break refreshed, recharged and full of vim and vigor as varsity league play began in earnest as 2023 turned to 2024 and the annual Slam Dunk Challenge was featured over the start of a snowy weekend.
CLASS AAA
Turns out WHITE PLAINS had the biggest win of the week among the Examiner-area teams, and is headed in the right direction under the management of senior swingman Logan McCormick, who orchestrated an 83-35 win over Lincoln earlier in the week before Saturday’s 51-50 win over 2023 Section 1 Class AA runnerup Scarsdale in the Slam Dunk Challenge at the fabled Westchester County Center. Veteran Coach Spencer Mayfield is pushing all the right buttons and the state-ranked (No.22) Tigers (9-1) are flat-out ballin’.
Against Scarsdale, McCormick chalked up an MVP nod after dropping 22 points against one of the more stout defensive clubs in the section.
“Logan’s versatility playing inside and outside with a good handle makes him a tough matchup,” Mayfield said. “He is unselfish and the ultimate team leader.”
Tigers Luke Brooks (14 points, 9 rebounds), Daniel Herzner (8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists),
Nick Triolo (4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) and Miles Johnson (3 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds), who gave a great defensive effort, were key figures in the statement win against the 2023 Class AA runner-ups.
“I thought it was a tremendous collective effort of everyone contributing what they do best,” Coach Mayfield said. “Our two unsung heroes all year, Daniel Herzner and Luke Brooks, are special players. Before fouling out, Herzner gave us eight points with two tremendous threes down the stretch and doing so many little things; rebounding and providing tremendous help defense. And then Luke Brooks, not just his 14 points, but his rebounding and outstanding defense. Miles Johnson sacrificed his scoring and dedicated himself to playing defense for the good of the team, keeping us in the game until Logan McCormick was able to take over the game and hit some big shots under pressure. Brendan Locke came off the bench to take two momentum-changing offensive fouls.”
Turns out, team play and sacrifice are paying major dividends at White Plains.
Against Lincoln, McCormick dropped 23 points, just par for the course for a baller averaging 19 points per game, eight rebounds and three assists for the Tigers. He’s been as good as advertised.
Tigers Herzner (15 points, 4 assists), Johnson (9 points, 8 assists, 4 steals) and Asa Hamlin (8 points) put up big numbers, and make sure to keep your eyes on sophomore Triolo, a budding rookie.
League games against Greeley and Fox Lane are on tap this week.
OSSINING opened league play by defeating Port Chester, 105-33 (not a misprint). The Pride (5-1) were led by Asher Cort (23 points, 6 rebounds), Sebastian DaCosta (14 points), Donte Williams (14 points, 5 steals), Mateo Taylor-Lowe (11 points, 5 rebounds), Sean Frith (9 points), Ahlers (8 points) and Aki Williams (8 points).
Ossining has had a cupcake schedule to date (15-39 opponents combined records) and we will know a heck of a lot more about the Pride in the coming days, what with Fox Lane, Suffern, Greeley and White Plains on tap, not to mention undefeated, state-ranked (No.21) New Rochelle. Saddle up, boys.
CLASS AA
In a game that featured a pair of Final 4 County Center hopefuls, Class AA YORKTOWN defeated Class A BYRAM HILLS, 59-50. The Bobcats stormed out to an early first-quarter lead, but the state-ranked (No.12) Huskers (7-2) ratcheted up their defensive intensity and assumed control in the second and third quarters, doing so behind the efforts of Kaden Gonzalez (16 points),
Brandon Montero (15 points), Billy Feeks (14 points) and Justin Price (8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists), who were stellar on the defensive side as well with a lot of help from C Ryan Duffy. Yorktown limited the number of open looks for Bobcat hotshot Tyson Repa, who finished with 14 points. Chris Amenedo (12 points) and Zachary Efobi (9 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 blocks) helped the state-ranked (No.10) Bobcats (6-1) storm back in the fourth quarter to make it respectable, but the day belonged to Yorktown.
“They came out very hot,” Feeks said. “They hit a lot of threes early and we knew we had to lock in defensively. Our defensive effort in the second quarter and second half allowed us to get out in transition and really take control of the game.”
Defense and transition allowed the Husker lead to balloon to 18 points midway through the final quarter.
“Yorktown is very good,” Bobcat Coach Ted Repa admitted. “They have four skilled playmakers and a solid big man, and it’s clear they are very experienced playing together.
“We started out well, but I think fatigue and not enough ball movement caught up to us,” the coach added. “A lot of that is due to how Yorktown played us, so credit to them. It was a great challenge, and something we will definitely grow from. We are looking forward to the rematch in a few weeks.”
Yorktown gave Class AAA Mamaroneck a solid run but fell, 65-49, in Friday’s rendition of the annual Slam Dunk tourney at the Westchester County Center.
The Bobcats bounced back to defeat John Jay CR, 53-41, in their home opener Friday. Efobi continued his dominant double-double-type play with 16 points and 20 boards in a monster effort. Repa chipped in 17 points and Amenedo another 10.
MAHOPAC was looking for that “statement win” – the kind of win that people would take note of – and the undefeated, state-ranked (No.24) Wolf Pac (8-0) did just that in a 44-34 victory over Poughkeepsie.
“We played well, in control throughout,” Mahopac Coach Matt Calabro said. “Poughkeepsie is a good team ,athletic and we know they will bring a ton of pressure- and I was happy with how our guys played.”
Wolf Pac F Liam Scanlon (9 points, 17 rebounds, 5 blocks) was huge on both ends of the floor.
“Liam held Poughkeepsie’s big to five points in an unbelievable effort.”
Senior G Danny Koch played 30 minutes, had zero turnovers and did a little bit of everything (9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals), as did G John Kearney (9 points, 4 boards) and C/F Daniel Dedvukaj (9 points, 7 rebounds). Ignore the Indians at your own peril, but bring every ounce of athleticism you have.
SOMERS, winners of four in a row, chalked up a 61-48 win over John Jay CR behind a superbly balanced effort, including great guard play from Nate Cohen’s double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 deflections), Andrew Violante (13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals), Brady Leitner (11 points, 5 assists) and senior F Jacob Hauser (10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks).
Somers (6-3) followed that win up with a 53-40 triumph over visiting BREWSTER. Violante (22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals), Cohen (10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals), Phil
Santore (9 points, 3 assists, 2 steals) and Leitner (6 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals) were an absolute nuisance for the Bears to deal with, holding Brewster to four fourth-quarter points.
Brewster was led by 14 points from Lucas Cabiati. Senior big man Matt Thompson added 10 points in the defeat. Brewster (3-6) played one of their better defensive games holding a solid Somers team to 53.
FOX LANE (3-2) took a 52-41 decision over Class D Tuckahoe when Arthur Shevick (21 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds), Kevin New (16 points, 4 rebounds), James Minotti (4 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds), Eli Daglio (3 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds), Will Oliverio (2 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds), VJ Bomba (3 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound) and Logan Mammola (3 points, 1 assists, 3 rebounds) all filled the state sheet. We’re about to find out what Coach Mike Tomassi’s Foxes are made of this season as they face Ossining and White Plains this week, two teams with a combined 14-2 mark.
PEEKSKILL (8-1) is conjuring up memories of Red Devils past with an improbable start in Coach Tyrone ‘Seadawg’ Searight’s second season at the helm. It’s been a rough go for the Red Devils the last decade or so, and it’s good to see them putting up W’s but their opponents, thus far, are a combined 24-41. Lakeland, Panas, Hen Hud and Nyack are on tap. If the Red Devs can go .500 against those four, that’ll be impressive and get us all on board.
GREELEY crushed Lincoln, 71-39, behind three double-digits scorers, including Nick Tasso (12), Zach Boyriven (10) and Benji Ricardo (10). White Plains, Fox Lane and Ossining are on deck, so we’re about to see what the Quakers (7-2) are made of in the telling days ahead, but the start has been impressive.
CARMEL (2-6) fell to Arlington, 70-63, despite solid outings from Aiden White (15 points), Joey Loughlin (14) and Nate Antonuik (13). Losers of three straight games, the Rams have some winnable games on the horizon if they find and grind ways to win. The Rams were grinding against Harrinon but came up short, 57-46, despite 19 from White. There remains untapped potential in #RamLand.
CLASS A
LAKELAND came out of the break swinging, taking down a red hot HEN HUD squad by a 55-50 count. The 1-2 combo of Hornets Sean Perry (17 points) and Grady Leonard (14 points) led the way for Lakeland (5-5), an abstract squad who could produce major problems down the road. Gino Wamack (23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists), Jeremy Heady (13 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, 3 assists) and Joey Abboud (9 points, 8 caroms) had noteworthy efforts to lead the Sailors (4-5)
Lakeland then went on to crush rival WALTER PANAS, 53-28. (Stats were not provided)
Panther C Logan Tolbert (24 points, 29 rebounds, 5 assists) and G Tyler Greene (26 points, 5 boards, 4 assists, 6 steals) combined for 25 first-quarter points during a 25-13 run in PANAS’ 65-37 win over Sleepy Hollow. Tolbert’s 29 boards is believed to be a school record, though Coach Mike Auerbach could not officially confirm.
PLEASANTVILLE lost in OT to Nanuet 68-67. The Panthers (1-4) led by Daniel Picart’s 19 points, followed by Etai Nunberg (18) and Declan Bruder (17), but squandered a second-half lead along the way. The Panthers, like many of the aforementioned clubs, have some very winnable games in the days ahead should they hope to turn this thing around.
PUTNAM VALLEY (3-6) notched a gritty 58-45 win over CROTON-HARMON (4-4) when junior wing James Apostalico continued his brilliant play with 24 pints, and a now-healthy Conner Flynn added 20. This duo could get PV on a roll here with some winnable league games on the horizon. Battles against Pawling and North Salem had better fatten the win total before PV faces Haldane, with fellow Putnam County foes Brewester and Carmel to follow.
Croton was led by Orlando Gomez with 18 points and Gavin Dugan (17).
BRIARCLIFF (3-4) took care of Rye Neck, 40- 26, behind double digits from Luke Lawler (12) and Chris D’Onofiro (10). Winners of two in a row, the Bears, who had lost four straight, will face Pleasantville and Westlake this week in a revealing set of games.
CLASS B/C
WESTLAKE got on a real roll this week with wins over Pawling, 56-27, and PLEASANTVILLE, 63-53, thus improving to 6-2 on the season. The development of sophomore F Marcus Jackette under Coach Chad Charney has been something the Wildcats are quite proud of. Jackette went for 22 points in each win and looks the part of a future All-Section player should he continue on his current path of ascension.
In the win over Pawling, Nick Castellano (15 points), Anthony Marzziotti (8 points) and Luis Beato (6 points) joined Jackette in the scoring, and in the win over Pleasantville the Wildcats saw Castellano pop for 16 points, Anthony Marzziotti (11) and CJ Prosperino (7).
State-ranked (No.4) Class C HALDANE crushed North Salem, 62-43, to take a giant leap toward its league title. Matt Nachamkin scored a career-high 31 in the win while Evan Giachinta (10 points), Nate Stickle (5), Mike Murray (5), Luke Bozsik (4), Fallou Faye (3), Zane Del Pozo (2), and Ryan Van Tassel (2 )all scored for the defending Section 1 Class C champion Blue Devils (6-1), who could run the table based on their remaining games, though Beacon is always a tough out. Turns out the 2023 state finalists Blue Devils are, once again, the team to beat in Class C.
Rye Neck stormed back in the second half to defeat VALHALLA, 42-41, despite Viking Mikeale Martinez’s 23 points, but the Vikings (5-5) bounced back in a 51-38 win over Yonkers Montessori behind 16 from Robert Foisset. Martinez (10 points, 10 boards) added a double-double while Antonis Paloungos added 11. Valhalla Coach Jon Carlo Angiolillo
credited Foisset with a strong finish, including three steals and 12 points in the third to put Valhalla in front. The defending Section 1 Class C champion Vikings were playing without captain and leading scorer Julian Amorosa.
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Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
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