Valhalla Tops Hastings In Dramatic Playoff Opener
By Danny Lopriore
The Valhalla boys’ basketball team opened the Section 1, Class B playoffs Friday evening with a game that had all the elements of a Hollywood movie, including an injured star, dominant hero, reserve player heroics, comebacks, an animated coach and last-second shots, all in a 59-55 overtime victory.
Playing without senior team leader Ethan Bartlett, who injured his left ankle just prior to the game, senior Orlando Clarke played the lead role in “Remember the Vikings”, by scoring 18 points and gobbling up 15 rebounds.
The seventh-seeded Vikings (13-8) will try to produce a thrilling sequel when they advance to the next round of the playoffs against Irvington. No. 10 Hastings was eliminated.
“We all knew we had to do more and that everyone had to contribute to make up for Ethan, who is our main rebounder and scorer” said Clarke, who played the entire game except for 50 seconds. “I looked for my shots and really concentrated on getting rebounds. We had to step up because we haven’t had a sectional win in a long time.”
Magical and dramatic, from the opening credits and introductions to the final scenes.
Junior Jordan Rush scored on a put-back layup at the buzzer to send the game into overtime tied at 50-50 and classmate Nick Petrilli scored the eventual game-winning bucket to make the score 57-55 with less than five seconds left in overtime. Rush finished with 12 points and Petrilli added 10.
“I honestly had no idea exactly how much time was left until I heard the buzzer, but I tried to stay in the moment and make a good shot,” Rush said. “This is my first year on varsity, so getting a playoff win as a team is amazing. Everyone stepped up when we needed them.”
The list of role players included junior John Lynch, who was inspirational, playing tough defense, running the floor, rebounding and making big shots. Lynch made a steal and scored the final basket of the game to close out the Jackets.
Junior guard Eric Reyes, who has also been slowed by injuries this season, played the role of game saver, hitting a 3-pointer to tie the score at 45-45 with less than a minute to go in regulation time.
“Eric is one of our shooters, he was injured this year but came back strong,” Clarke said. “He came up big. John (Lynch) is our high-energy guy, the most active on the team. We just were not going to lose.”
The teams stayed within two or three points of each other with six lead changes in the game as Hastings, hampered by injury to their own star player, Justin Carballo, fought hard. The Yellow Jackets extended to a nine-point lead midway through the third quarter before the Vikings took over the screenplay.
Down 47-38 late in the third, Sean Kelly made a 3-pointer and Lynch scored four of his six points to close the gap to just five points after three quarters. Clarke donned his superhero cape and scored seven of the Vikings’ next 10 points to pull the Vikings to within 46-45. The teams traded baskets the rest of the fourth quarter until Rush forced the movie’s final scenes with his tying bucket.
Vikings coach Richard Clinchy was producer/director of a “life imitates art” script. Clinchy screened the movie “Hoosiers” earlier this week and when his star was injured used another pre-game film to motivate his cast of characters.
“We used every motivational thing we could,” Clinchy said after a jubilant celebration following the game. “We did watch Hoosiers two days ago, and I showed them another film with the lights out before the game. I won’t reveal which one. Ethan is such a big part of what we do. This was a total team effort, a great win for the kids.”
With leading scorer Carballo hobbled by a leg injury, Chris Rotiroti scored 21 points and Sebastian Scioscia added 19 to lead the Yellow Jackets (10-11). Rotiroti hit the go-ahead basket with four seconds remaining in regulation time.
The plot thickened when the Vikings changed zone defenses in the third quarter.
“We changed defense four minutes into the second half,” Clinchy said. “I didn’t want to go to it in the first half. I didn’t want to give them time to adjust and the kids played it very well. It was a very exciting win for us.”
Sophomore Drew Drayton-Bay contributed seven points and five rebounds and Kelly, another sophomore, added three.
Bartlett, who was wearing a boot to support his rolled ankle as he celebrated the win, said he hoped to be back in his leading-man role in the next round of the playoffs.
“The guys played great,” he said. “I think I might be ready to play the next game.”
Movie fans stay tuned.
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