Boys’ Hoops Notebook: Mahopac, Croton, Put Valley Prevail in Putnam Challenge

The Putnam County basketball officials IAABO Board 161 has come a long way in six years with the Putnam Challenge it hosts annually at Brewster High School. The event lost money its first year, despite the members having donated their time to officiate the games and cover everything from concessions to raffles.

The latest rendition last Saturday saw a $500 scholarship awarded to one lucky player (TBA) and the expansion of the field to 12 teams with six games, featuring Class AA powers Mahopac and White Plains in a mid-afternoon tip-off that saw the Indians prevail, 72-70, in overtime behind a career-best 37-point effort from MVP Brendan Hynes.

Co-chairs Mark Farrell and Joe Padovano, put their best foot forward, and while there are still some kinks to work out, the day saw two of the four Putnam County-based teams to compete prevail (Mahopac and Putnam Valley). Class C Haldane (vs. Class B North Salem) and Class A host Brewster (vs. Class AA Arlington) came out on the short end. Carmel did not compete but the essence of a true Putnam Challenge demands the Rams’ future presence.

Mahopac vs. White Plains was a war of attrition: 51 combined fouls, physical battles in the paint, overtime… anything that could drain the body. In the end, though, Hynes was the difference; his career-high 37 points and 10 boards the deciding factor.

“I hate losing,” Hynes said. “Maybe that comes from having five siblings and none of us likes to lose. Whatever it is, it’s left me with a strong will to win.”

His Indian teammates feed off that and fear that at the same time. Hynes will be the first to get in a teammates’ grill if need be, and he did so on several occasions Saturday, but he holds himself more accountable than anyone else. Hynes slithered through a crack in the Tiger defense with just under four minutes left in regulation to bank home a 57-50 lead, but the Tigers went on an 8-0 tear behind junior G Mike DeMello, who drained a baseline fade-away with 38 seconds remaining for a 58-57 White Plains lead. DeMellos was downright dirty down the stretch.

Mahopac senior G Anthony Lenahan then hit 1-of-2 free throws to tie it 58-58 and force overtime when Mahopac Coach Kevin Downes schemed a defense that utilized Mahopac’s three remaining team fouls to thwart the Tigers’ final attempts at a win in regulation.

In overtime, Mahopac thrived at the charity stripe, hitting 9-of-11 before going cold in the waning seconds (the Indians were 29-of-41 for the game compared to White Plains’ 12-of-18), but streaking Indian Dan Tully sealed the deal with a breakaway layup and a three-point lead late in OT. Tully also hit a clutch trey in the fourth. Ryan Simone added 13 key points for Mahopac, which has reeled off three-straight wins and appears poised for a run.

“Xxx,” Coach Downes said.

PUTNAM VALLEY’s 56-45 win over John Jay CR in the Putnam Challenge was closer than some expected, but we did warn the state-ranked (No.10) Tigers (8-1) that John Jay (4-5), besides being as well coached as any team in the section under Tom Nelligan, was more athletic that people know (just ask Carmel, who needed double OT to prevail). PV’s 6’4” junior Jelani Bell-Isaac’s 18 points and 11 rebounds was the difference. Junior G Zach Coleman and sophomore G Ryan Basso each scored 13 points while senior F Andre Soto chipped in with eight points and seven assists.

The night before was Zach Nolan’s turn to shine. The sophomore G dropped a career-best 22 on Hen Hud in a 75-50 romp of Hen Hud. Bell-Isaac had 10 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks in another dominant performance. Coleman, at less than 100%, had eight points and six steals. Hunter Glashoff led the Sailors with 17 points.

In an interesting conversation with LoHud Varsity Insider Josh Thompson, we wondered if down the road PV might be affected by the big stage; should the Tigers happen to advance to the County Center for the first time in school history this March. While I’m not ready to put the cart before the horse just yet, I will admit the County Center and a top-2 seed is becoming more and more realistic. But Coach Greg Muller’s state-ranked (No.6) Briarcliff Bears (6-0) are still the team most people have pegged as the team to beat. Woodlands plays a scary style the Tigers have only seen from Peekskill. Lourdes, which placed second in the Dutchess tourney, is also a team to watch; and yet another Catholic school playing in a Class B system in which it does not belong.

Trust me when I tell you; if Putnam Valley can bring its IQ to the next level and stop finding itself in foul trouble, it can make a strong Final 4 run. The implausibly poised Tigers won’t be phased by the big stage that is the Mecca of Section 1 hoops; should they be so lucky.

First-year YORKTOWN Coach Chris Caputo chalked up his first varsity W in visiting Yorktown’s 62-45 win over rival Lakeland where Mason Dyslin and Anthony Coutsouros did major damage with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

BREWSTER senior Brian McNeill led the host Bears with 20 points and nine rebounds in a 66-50 loss to a rock-solid Arlington club, which improved to 7-1 and harbors visions of the County Center dancing in their heads. To the best of my knowledge, Arlington has never paid the County Center a post-season visit, but the Bears were in over their heads. Donnell Patterson added 11 points but the Bears were outworked on the boards and shot only 32% from the floor while committing 16 turnovers.

Peter Cirocco led the Bears with 13 points in a 59-48 loss to Mahopac the night before. Hynes had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists to lead the Indians while teammates Ryan Simone (16 points and 11 rebounds) and Dan Tully (13 points) were solid contributors.

“Mahopac just backed us in close to the basket,” Coach John Martino admitted. “We didn’t have the size to match up with them. We’re a team of 10 guards and two small forwards.”

HALDANE’s Peter Hoffmann had 15 points in the Blue Devils’ 75-49 loss to Class B North Salem. Truth be told; we expected a better showing from Haldane at the Putnam Challenge. We expected the Blue Devils to give Putnam Valley a good run in the upcoming league games, but we seriously doubt that now.

PEEKSKILL had a surprisingly tough time with Kennedy in a 70-67 Red Devil win Friday. Thanks to G Jay Cabell’s game-high 17 points, the state-ranked (No.8) Class A Red Devils (4-1) prevailed. Peekskill’s back court bailed the team out when guards Chavis Pigott and Ramon Searight had 11 and 10 points, respectively. Dominick Cristiano had 17 points and Danny Cruz and Chris Gillen both had 16 points for Kennedy, which is apparently on the uptick under first-year boss Al Morales, despite the sub-par record.

NWE/Putnam Examiner-area Slick Six Hoop Poll

We’ll get some clarity in the unavailing poll below in the days ahead with Mahopac set to tangle with Carmel, Somers and Peekskill between now and Jan.26th, and Carmel bracing for monster jump-offs with Somers Tuesday and Put Valley next Monday.

No.1 PEEKSKILL –Coach P’s Class A Red Devils (4-1, No.8 in NYS) barely hang on to No.1 with narrow win over Kennedy (2-6). Red Devils should cruise unblemished to league title this season, but the fact they struggled to put away JFK is somewhat alarming.

No.2 MAHOPAC – Coach Downes Indians (5-3) should get on a little run here now and add to this current three-game win streak with North Salem and John Jay CR up before Saturday’s showdown with visiting rival Carmel (4 p.m. tipoff). “Mahopac Maniacs” have been a little sparse compared to recent seasons, so they need to come out in full force to upstage the “Rama Lama Ding Dongs”.

No.3 PUTNAM VALLEY – Coach Ed Wallach’s state-ranked (No.10) Class B Tigers (8-1) should step up in class and challenge Mahopac at the 2013 Putnam Challenge. Minus Hynes, my money would be on PV. Coach Downes, Coach Wallach; can we work on this?

No.4 SOMERS – Class A Tuskers (5-1) will be plenty well-rested for showdown with host Carmel Tuesday (6:00 p.m. tip). A loss there would undo a lot of early-season doings. Put Valley just beat the John Jay team that ended Somers’ season, so the Tigers get the three spot.

No.5 CARMEL – Coach Coates’ Class AA Rams (5-2) needed overtime to prevail against John Jay CR, which is kind of a concern heading into their “Rivalry Week” against Somers and Mahopac. Seriously, a win over Mahopac would score major points with this pollster, as would a last-minute loss. We’re also curious to see if Carmel can hang with Put Valley on Monday the 14^th. This could either be a very big week or a very bad week for Coates and Co. Either way, it’ll be telling.

No.6 CROTON – Coach Thom’s Tigers (4-2) are steadily improving and could be a tough quarterfinal out for some unsuspecting fools.

HM PANAS – All five of Coach Sully’s Panthers’ losses have come by three points or less, including 70-67 OT loss to Nyack, in which Vaughn Dweck had 28 points and Tim McCauley  26 for Panas. Panthers will be a tough quarterfinal out for some unsuspecting Class A fools.