Every year at Championship Week, I leave with at least one lasting image that will remain in my memory forever.

Last year’s was the vision of Joe Lombardi of Briarcliff trying to punch the ball out of Marc Miller’s hands in North Salem’s overtime championship victory.

In 2007, it was Sherrod Wright slamming down an alley-oop off the inbounds.

In ‘06 it was watching Jonathan Mitchell of Mount Vernon hand his MVP plaque to Michael Coburn after an explosive fourth-quarter against Suffern.

In ‘05, it was watching thousands of fans pile into the County Center to watch New Rochelle end Mount Vernon’s five-year reign as champs.

We had Taj Finger’s clinching dunk in ‘04; Beacon’s buzzer beater over Peekskill in ‘03; two years of Kyl Jones win games that felt like 5-on-1 for Pleasantville and two years of Ben Gordon magic.

My 2009 memory has already been set. It was tonight where I sat in my chair and got a panoramic view of mayhem, euphoria, shock and relief. There have been some wild celebrations at the County Center. But nothing has been quite like Lincoln Hall’s.

What ensued after the final buzzer tonight at the County Center was unbelievable. Lincoln Hall fans jumped off the balcony. White t-shirts showered onto the court. The coach was crying, the players were sprinting in different directions and flopping onto the floor. Nobody really knew how to celebrate their stunning 41-39 last-second win over Pleasantville — but they weren’t about to stop and ask for directions.

I don’t want to give away too much of my story that will run in tomorrow’s Journal News, mainly because I think it’s one of my most proudest. But I think Lincoln Hall coach Henry Taylor gave the best first-person account of winning:

“I didn’t know where I was running, I just ran out on the floor. I was dizzy. I was crying. The feeling was just so good.”

Lincoln Hall probably had no business celebrating a championship last night. It played right into Pleasantville’s hands for 31 minutes. The pace was slow, the score was low and the Panthers were right where they wanted to be: protecting a lead in the fourth quarter, something they probably do better than any team in Class B, maybe Section 1.

Pleasantville was up 39-34 with under five minutes left. That’s it. Against Pleasantville, the game is supposed to be over. The Panthers are too disciplined, too well-coached and simply too composed to blow a lead like that.

But Lincoln Hall learned a thing or two in losing three times to Pleasantville in the regular season. And Panthers coach Bob Delle Bovi knew what it was:

“Sometimes talent beats fundamentals.”

Delle Bovi wasn’t trying to be condescending with his remark. He knows that, over the court of 128 minutes spanning four games, Lincoln Hall’s talent would eventually be better than Pleasantville’s.

And in many ways, Delle Bovi is content with that.

“We played hard. What am I going to do? We lost by two points to a team that’s 15-20 points better than us, and we were ahead the whole game.”

Lincoln Hall’s comeback was simply remarkable. Tysean Saigo, the MVP, had seven points in its 12-3 spurt to finish the game, including the winning put-back with 1.9 seconds left. Sir Aaron Taylor played like a man, recording 12 points and 12 rebounds. And despite using five players almost the entire game, the United proved to be quicker, stronger and tougher down the stretch.

The first boys game wasn’t quite as good as we’d hoped. Valhalla convincingly beat North Salem for the Class C title, disproving my theory that “the team with the best player always wins the Class C championship.” Apparently, having five of the Top 10 is good enough, too.

Valhalla’s starting five of James Jensen, Dan Annunziata, Jon Filipe, Oasiris Yates and Tom Hart were brilliant this week, all taking turns carrying the load. Annunziata got the MVP for his stellar second half against Hamilton in the semis and ability to dictate the tempo today. But it could have been any of the five.

Personally, I would have given it to Yates, who’s developed so much physically this season — but has matured as much as anybody. He gave up the spotlight as the scorer and instead accepted a defensive- and rebounding-oriented role, which has unquestionably been the difference from this being a very good team to one that could win a state title.

“He’s sacrificed more of himself for the team than any player I’ve ever coach,” Vikings coach Dave Greiner said.

But if I go home feeling good for anybody tonight, it’s Greiner. I’ve known him and his family since I was in high school. He took some lumps as a coach when he was back at Panas for not winning with the Russian 7-footer (he wasn’t really that good at that time, by the way). But there isn’t a more genuine and deserving person to have a moment like he had today — almost in tears on the bench as they carried out the table with the Gold Ball on it.

Whatever happens tomorrow likely won’t top today’s event. The vision of Lincoln Hall students jumping off the balcony is forever burned in brain.

FINAL SCORE: Lincoln Hall wins the Class B championship 41-39. Pleasantville led by seven with five minutes before getting outscored 12-3 to end the game. Tysean Saigo (17 points) put back the game-winning shot with 1.9 seconds left.

The postgame celebration was as wild as it gets. The 200 or so fans from Lincoln Hall were rocking in the upper deck, tossing white t-shirts in the air. A few (which was dumb) decided to jump off the upper deck and rush the court.

Pleasantville had beaten Lincoln Hall three times in the regular season.

What an incredible game. Amazingly Lincoln Hall beat Pleasantville in its own game.

6:33: LincolnHall wins 41-39.

6:31: Another timeout

6:29 p.m: Tysean Saigo put back a miss for Lincoln Hall to give the United a 41-39 lead with 1.9 seconds left. Pleasantville ball inbounding under its own basket.

6:27 p.m.: Sir Aaron Taylor made 1 of 2 free throws to tie the game at 39-39 with 39.3 seconds left

6:26 p.m.: Pleasantville leads 39-38 with 45 seconds left.

Third quarter: Pleasantville leads 30-26 after three. Jack Bramswig had eight of 16 points that quarter for Pleasantville

Halftime: Lincoln Hall held Pleasantville scoreless for over five minutes and taken a 20-18 lead. Sir Aaron Taylor has 10 points for the United.

First quarter: Pleasantville leads 14-6 after the first. Robbie Delle Bovi has hit two 3-pointers for the Panthers.

Pregame: This one should tip off in 20 minutes. To watch the game live, click over to our Mogulus broadcast and feel free to comment there at any time.

The game will tip off in about 12 minutes. To watch it live, click over to our Mogulus broadcast. I’ll be providing play-by-play, commentary and answer your questions live.

FINAL: Valhalla 57, North Salem 43 — It’s a wrap, Valhalla just won the Class C title. The game essentially was over with 3 mins left, when both coaches started to pull their respective starters. Even without making many free-throws down the stretch, Valhalla was able to hold off North Salem. Dan Annunziata led a balanced Valhalla scoring attack with 14 points. He was named MVP of the tournament.  Josh O’Neill led North Salem with 18 points.

END OF 3RD QT: Valhalla 44, North Salem 32 — This is Matthew Ng with an in-game update, North Salem which was trailing by as much as 19 points, has mounted a slight comeback to cut the Vikings lead to 12 pts. Josh O’Neill has been their main source of scoring with 14 points.

HALFTIME: Valhalla 33, North Salem 17 — This is Josh Thomson checking in with some halftime stats. It’s been all Valhalla in the first half. Dan Annunziata has gone hard to the basket and been effective. He has 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Oassris Yates has nine points and is 3 for 8.

North Salem has had trouble getting open shots against Valhalla’s zone. Josh O’Neill has six points and two assists for the Tigers and teammate Greg Shea has six points and four boards. But open looks have been hard to come by. They’ve combined to shoot 5 for 15.

Well here we are: The best day of the season.

Class AA championship
Who: No. 1 Mount Vernon (19-3) vs. No. 3 Poughkeepsie (20-2)
When: Sunday, noon
How they got here: Mount Vernon beat Roosevelt and Lincoln to get to the County Center and rallied to beat Yorktown, 54-47, in the semifinals. Poughkeepsie defeated Mamaroneck and New Rochelle in the first two rounds, before defeating North Rockland 47-42 to reach the final.
Regular season meetings: They didn’t meet.
Key matchup: Sherrod Wright of Mount Vernon vs. Brandon James of Poughkeepsie. The Dayvone Whitaker-Jabarie Hinds matchup will be fun to watch. But the Wright-James one will dictate the outcome. Wright is the best player in Section 1 and James just might be the most underrated. James can hurt opponents from the perimeter and is a force on the block. If this game is close late, expect these two to be tangled up for loose balls on every possession.
How Mount Vernon can win: Pass, dribble, shoot. Sounds basic, right? Well, that’s all the Knights have to do to be successful. As the Yorktown game proved, they must move the ball better and protect it more. And the overall shot selection and execution has to be better. Mount Vernon doesn’t often score only 54 points in a game. And it can’t expect to keep winning if it does.
How Poughkeepsie can win: Take away the interior. Whether it means playing a zone with three men in the paint or making all five crash the boards, the Pioneers must make Mount Vernon beat it from the outside. Jabarie Hinds and Jordan Lessane struggled shooting for the Knights, who made up for it with second- and third-opportunities. Limit those and the Pioneers have a chance.
Who will win: As is the case pretty much every season, this is Mount Vernon’s title to lose. Poughkeepsie has played so well of late, highlighted by wins over New Rochelle and Peekskill. But Mount Vernon now has a point to prove after a near-disaster to Yorktown. And I’m confident the Knights are going to prove it.
Prediction: Mount Vernon 75, Poughkeepsie 69

Class A championship
Who: No. 1 Peekskill (21-1) vs. No. 2 Lakeland (17-4)
When: Sunday, 7:15 p.m.
How they got here: Peekskill beat Spring Valley in the quarters and romped Pearl River, 91-37, in the semifinals. Lakeland defeated Beacon and Pelham in the first two rounds before beating Rye, 51-40, to reach the final.
Regular season meetings: They didn’t play.
Key matchup: Daquan Brickhouse of Peekskill vs. Gary Austin of Lakeland. Austin is the quick, physical guard who can put a body on Brickhouse and make him work. Nobody has been able to stop Peekskill’s point guard all season. If Austin can at least keep the ball out his hands, Lakeland’s upset bid becomes realistic.
How Lakeland can win: Slow the tempo. Lakeland is a team that is so good at getting out in transition and scoring in bunches. That is, of course, when it’s not playing Peekskill. Nobody plays that style better than Peekskill and the Hornets shouldn’t even try to match it. Since they have the ball-handlers to handle the pressure, Lakeland’s best bet is slowing down the pace and be aggressive on the glass. Trying to outrun Peekskill simply won’t work.
How Peekskill can win: Get to the rim. When Brickhouse settled for jumpers against Spring Valley, he had one of his worst halves of a game this season. When he penetrates like he did against Pearl River, there’s almost no stopping in. Brickhouse thrives off taking his man one-on-one. Cutting down the lanes and forcing him to take jumpers is vital.
Who will win: Peekskill. Based on what I saw the other night against Pearl River, this is a team is a speeding train. Once again, the Red Devils are on a mission.
Prediction: Peekskill 79, Lakeland 63

I’m not going to lie. I’m exhausted.

Championship Week has a way of taking a major toll on me and tonight’s games didn’t help. North Rockland-Poughkeepsie was good one. But Lakeland’s win over Rye was tough to watch because of the constant whistles and both teams’ inability to get in a flow offensively. Mix in a pair of lopsided girls games and Day 5 at the County Center hardly compared to any of the first four.

We didn’t even get any controversy! How am I supposed to keep this blog going now?

Before I head off to sleep (I’m partially there now), let’s look back on tonight’s two games:

Poughkeepsie 47, North Rockland 42

For North Rockland to have the ball down three with 10 seconds left against a team as good as Poughkeepsie is remarkable. Few gave the Red Raiders, a team with 10 underclassmen rotation, a chance to win this game. Yet had they been able to execute the inbounds, it could have had a 3-point attempt to tie at the buzzer.

North Rockland coach Chris Roff had a great outlook after the game. He knew he can’t “be greedy” with this year’s group and be disappointed it didn’t reach the Class AA final, not with a team this young. But he felt this was a great starting off point for next season, which he believes could realistically be a championship one.

Poughkeepsie got quite a scare, like Mount Vernon did, and for similar reasons. It’s one thing to be losing in the fourth quarter against an opponent you know you’re more talented than. It’s another when your shots aren’t falling and the score is stuck in the 40s. The fewest points Poughkeepsie scored before today was 63. Mount Vernon consistently scores in the 80s and had only 54 against Yorktown.

What sort of championship game does this set up? I think a very good one. There’s no way both of these teams come out and play this sluggish again. Both were probably looking ahead to Sunday and a chance at winning a championship.

Dayvone Whitaker didn’t play great in the first half, scoring just two points before putting up 14 in the second. Nate Gause and Elijah McLaurin, the sophomores, each played well late, and Brandon James made a clutch shot in the fourth to get the momentum going. Poughkeepsie finished strong and it left confident. That’s most important.
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Lakeland 51, Rye 40

Of all the teams that made it the County Center this week, Rye might have been the biggest longshot in the preseason.

I spoke to Garnets coach Chris DiCintio for quite a while after the game and he couldn’t help but smile when discussing this group. I remember running into him in a restaraunt back in November and he ran down a whole list of question marks he had for this year’s team. The players responded to every one and got as much out of their talent and effort as any team in the section. Maybe more than any.

Garnets senior Matt O’Neill had 17 points and walked off the court in the final minute to the Rye crowd chanting his name. He deserved it. He didn’t have his best shooting game — nobody on Rye did actually — but he played his heart out. All of the Garnets did. They didn’t lose tonight because of a lack of effort, that was for sure.

Lakeland was clearly the better team. Based on what I saw, I actually couldn’t understand how it could have lost to Rye in the regular season. DiCintio pointed to the fact Gary Austin was just getting comfortable with his new team and that Rye shot the ball extremely well. The Garnets could have really used shooting guards Brian Mintz (injury) and Clark Antico (suspension) tonight. But I don’t think it’s why they lost.

The Hornets have some real talent in Chris Fazio, Lavor Morris, Austin, Chris Jennings and Paul Ljuljdjuraj (pronounced LA-JU-DIE). When they put it all together and share the basketball, they’re very good. But they stray from that too much and freelance. Surely, they’ll be on the same page against Peekskill in the championship knowing it could get ugly otherwise.
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Off to sleep. Got a big day tomorrow.

Update, 10:09 p.m.: It’s over (thankfully). Lakeland wins an ugly one, 57-42. Peekskill-Lakeland for the title.

Update, 9:49 p.m.: Lakeland leads 38-28. Start 4th

Update, 9:19 p.m.: Halftime and Lakeland leads 22-17. Not a pretty game. If you’re still watching, you’re quite loyal.

Lakeland’s clearly the better team here and I’m not quite sure how Rye beat it in the regular season. If the Garnets pull this off, I’ll be surprised.

Update, 9:03 p.m.: Lakeland up 13-6 after the first

Update, 8:46 p.m.: Tipping off…

Update, 8:05 p.m.: Tonight’s final game — the A semi between Rye and Lakeland — will get underway in about a half hour. It shouldn’t be much after 8:40 by my calculations.

Predictions?

Update, 6:23: Poughkeepsie wins 47-42. Davyone Whitaker stole the inbounds with 10 seconds left and went down the floor for clinching dunk (maybe) to seal it.

Update, 6:21 p.m.: Another North Rockland timeout. 10 seconds left.

Update, 6:20 p.m.: Video is being worked on. Sorry! Poughkeepsie up 45-42 with 19.2 seconds left. McLaurin hit a jumper. North Rockland ball in a timeout.

Update, 6:18: Poughkeepsie leads 43-42 with 40.7 seconds left. PK ball.

Update, 5:58 p.m.: Poughkeepsie up 35-33 after three quarters. Going to come down to the wire once again this week.

Updated, 5:43 p.m.: Forgot to include this before. Jeff Jackson has 12 points and John Perez has eight for North Rockland. Yes, that’s all 20.

Updated, 5:36 p.m.: Can you remember a team looking so sluggish and somehow leading at the half? North Rockland is doing it right now, leading 20-19 at halftime over Poughkeepsie.

John Perez gave North Rockland its only lead of the game, scoring off a put-back with 2 seconds left in the quarter to go ahead.

Poughkeepsie has to shaking its heads in the locker room right now. It did a good job defensively, got John Perez and Jorge Cruz in foul trouble and is losing at the break.

Crazy game so far. Won’t be shocked up if Poughkeepsie comes out in the third quarter and puts up a big numbers. Oops, just jinxed them!

Update, 5:18 p.m.: Poughkeepsie leads 13-4 after the first quarter. As bad as it was for North Rockland, which didn’t score until there was 1:43 left in the quarter, it could have been far worse. To only be down nine to a team as good as Poughkeepsie is lucky. Brandon James has seven points for Poughkeepsie.

Update, 4:48 p.m.: The game will be tipping off in five minutes. If you want to watch the game live, click over to our Mogulus broadcast.

Update, 4:16 p.m.: It took a while but TZ football finally got the correct response to the two questions – Brian Browne and Todd Landers. Congrats. The free pass is yours. An email is on the way.

Update, 3 p.m.: This is it. There’s one free pass left to be had for Championship Weekend, so I’m going to make you earn it. Yes, it’s only good for free entry for ONE person (we had an odd number of tickets to give away).

This is a two-part contest. Read carefully.

First, a very difficult trivia question:

Sherrod Wright of Mount Vernon has a chance to become the latest player to win four Gold Balls. The only players who’ve ever done were on Mount Vernon in the last 10 years, including Dexter Gray, Michael Coburn and Jonathan Mitchell. Who was the first boys player to win four Gold Balls in Section 1 history?

And now, a photo contest…

Below is a picture of a trophy. Who was awarded the first of these from the County Center this week?

The people of Pleasantville and Valhalla will be very happy when they read this post.

As the semifinals proved — and as we’ve said all season — the Class B and C tournaments are going to be completely unpredictable. It’s made it fun to watch but impossible to predict. But, of course, I will try anyway:

Class B championship
No. 5 Lincoln Hall (17-6) vs. No. 7 Pleasantville (15-7)
When: Saturday, 5:15 p.m.
How they got here: Pleasantville beat Edgemont in the opening round, upset No. 2 Dobbs Ferry in the quarters and outlasted Croton-Harmon 50-43 in the semifinals. Lincoln Hall edged Irvington in the first round, won at Nanuet in the quarters and knocked off top-seeded Albertus Magnus, 58-51, in the semifinals.
Regular season meetings: Pleasantville beat Lincoln Hall three times this season: a 41-38 nailbiter the on Dec. 13; a smooth 53-46 victory on Dec. 22 and a comeback 54-47 victory on Jan. 23.
Key matchup: Jack Bramswig of Pleasantville vs. Tysean Saigo of Lincoln Hall. The Panthers need their biggest and most versatile defender to stick with Saigo, who burned Albertus for three 3-pointers, and still be able to rebound. Bramswig is that type of athlete. It will be up to Saigo to make him work for everything he gets.
How Pleasantville can win: Let Lincoln Hall play into your hands. Yes, Pleasantville has beaten the Hall three times this season. What’s incredible is that the three games were so drastically different. All three centered around discipline and trusting the offense. The Panthers aren’t flashy. They just sit back, hope to keep it close until the fourth quarter and wait for you to make a mistake. As good as Lincoln Hall was versus Albertus, it made plenty of them.
How Lincoln Hall can win: Get out running. The best way to beat a zone defense is to not let the opponent get into it. Lincoln Hall should be scoring more points than it does. It has to use their superior athleticism and the large court to its advantage. The Panthers are going to find a way to put bodies on Saigo and Sir Aaron Taylor. The key will be how much Jonathan Bryant and Zach Alston get out in the open floor and finish.
Who will win: In the preseason I picked Albertus to win the title. But many of you felt Pleasantville was “my team.” The Panthers took a windy route to get to the final and Lincoln Hall took the toughest. Yes, Pleasantville beat the United three times already this season. But who’s playing the best basketball right now? Lincoln Hall is.
Prediction: Lincoln Hall 54, Pleasantville 51

Class C championship
No. 2 Valhalla (18-4) vs. No. 4 North Salem (12-10)
When: Saturday, noon
How they got here: Valhalla beat Hawthorne-CK in the quarters before knocking off Hamilton, 60-49, in the semifinals. North Salem defeated Children’s Village first and then upset top-seeded Blind Brook, 49-42, to reach the final.
Regular season meetings: Valhalla won at North Salem, 58-54, on Dec. 9. It was the first game of the season for North Salem, which had seven guys making their varsity debut. Yet it nearly rallied back in the fourth thanks to poor Valhalla free-throw shooting.
Key matchup: Christopher Wood and Trevor Sherman of North Salem vs. James Jensen of Valhalla. As great as the North Salem guards are, North Salem cannot win if Jensen controls the interior.
How Valhalla can win: Play with poise. What impressed me most about Valhalla in its win over Hamilton was how calm and cool it played in the second half. It wasn’t rattled by Rich Anikote draining five 3s in the third quarter, and even went from trailing at the half to leading into the fourth. And in that fourth quarter, the Vikings knocked down free throws to close out the win. Blind Brook couldn’t do those things against North Salem and lost because of it.
How North Salem can win: Let the vets lead you. The way Josh O’Neill and Greg Shea complement each other on the court is beautiful to watch. O’Neill is always in attack-mode and Shea quietly deliver the daggers. As long as those two guys are on their games — and why wouldn’t they be given what they’ve done the last two years – the  Tigers are in good hands.
Who will win: The Class C team with the best player always wins. Next year that will be James Jensen. This year, though, it’s Josh O’Neill. North Salem has drastically improved thanks to a brutal schedule and is playing good basketball. Either way, this could be a classic.
Prediction: North Salem 58, Valhalla 54

I spent my morning at Irvington Middle School as a guest speaker for a career ed class. Speaking to kids is one of the highlights of my job. It was nice talking to people who don’t care about how many points Peekskill scored, what the Mount Vernon assistants do on the bench or what the Pearl River fans are chanting.

Once I got back home, I found a hundred unread blog comments, which I combed through for a while. What a treat!

If you’d like to take a break, check out the stories in today’s Journal News.

First, I wrote about Sherrod Wright carrying Mount Vernon to a 54-47 victory over Yorktown in a Class AA semifinal. Do you realize that he scored 20 straight points for Mount Vernon from 2:45 left in the third until 15 seconds left in the game? That’s remarkable.

Rick Carpiniello wrote a great column on Yorktown’s near-upset. He spent time talking to Keith Thomas, the Huskers center who transfered two years ago from Mount Vernon. Thomas was excellent, recording 13 points and 19 rebounds.

And apparently, Peekskill blew out Pearl River in a Class A semi. The final score was 91-37. And it felt worse.

Wasn’t today supposed to be the quietest day of Championship Week?

Mount Vernon and Peekskill were supposed to waltz into the County Center, cruise to victories and secure places in Sunday’s championship games.

Instead, we got what will likely be the most controversial day of Championship Week 2009 all because of something I wrote and something Lou Panzanaro didn’t do.

Two lightning-rod subjects arose from today’s two boys basketball games:

1. Did I cross the line by calling Mount Vernon “overrated” today?

2. Did Peekskill run up the score on Pearl River?

I’ve thought long and hard about the first, and let coaches from both teams answer the second.
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Is Mount Vernon overrated?

According to a friend who was sitting up on the stage today, my line referring to Mount Vernon as ‘Maybe the Most Overrated Team in Section 1’ was “the talk of the County Center.”

I explained in my game thread my thoughts on this matter. I won’t take it back. The comment was made somewhat tongue-in-cheek after I predicted Mount Vernon to beat Yorktown today 80-59. The Knights instead needed a fourth-quarter comeback to win 54-47 in what was nearly one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.

My only regret is that the comment might have been perceived as a dig at Yorktown, which is entirely not the case. Today was the second time I’d seen Yorktown play live. The potential for guys like Keith Thomas and Jordan Moody is enormous. I have so much respect for this team, coach Steve Veteri, and the way they came out today and, as Knights coach Bob Cimmino said: “Didn’t care who they were playing today and took it to us.”

The game was a reminder that, as good as Mount Vernon is, it’s not at all unbeatable. Teams in recent years have been. This one has shown vulnerability all season, been outplayed and outhustled several times, and doesn’t play with the sense of urgency you’d expect.

And that’s my biggest issue with this Mount Vernon team. There have been times this season where I felt it played down to its opponent, lacked toughness, made carless mistakes and was even a tad lazy. They don’t look motivated until they have to be.

After the game, I posed a difficult question to coach Bob Cimmino. I asked: “This is a group of kids that almost didn’t have a basketball team because of budget cuts. They almost didn’t have a season. Because of that, do you think they should play with a greater sense of urgency at times? Shouldn’t they not take anything for granted?”

Cimmino thought about it for a moment and felt that all budget issues and fundraising was too long ago to draw inspiration from. That’s his opinion. To me, the image of the players walking around Gramatan Avenue in their uniforms asking for money is burned in my memory. I don’t feel it was that far back.

None of that, though, will matter if the Knights go out on Sunday and win a championship. If you know Mount Vernon, you know they’ve definitely laid some eggs at the County Center and rescued themselves just in time to win. Today was another example of that. I don’t think it will happen again on Sunday.
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Did Peekskill run up the score?

I stayed at the County Center tonight until 11:30 and then went for a burger with Journal News staffer Josh Thomson. I pretty much talked about the fourth quarter of the Peekskill-Pearl River game the entire time, speaking with many coaches and knowledgeable fans.

In case you missed it, I watched as Peekskill coach Lou Panzanaro was confronted after the game by several upset Pearl River coaches who felt he didn’t pull in the reigns in Peekskill’s 91-37 win. Clearly, they had a few words and each side walked away disatisifed.

Here are the facts in case you don’t know:

• Peekskill was pressing Pearl River up 40 points in the third quarter


• Peekskill kept Ralph Watts and Daquan Brickhouse in the game 4:11 left in the fourth quarter


• Pearl River emptied its bench before Peekskill did


• Peekskill’s reserves were in a half-court trap until the final buzzer


• Peekskill scored eight points in the final 1:30

After the game, I offered Pearl River coach Jerry Houston the opportunity to give his side. He smiled, shook his head and said “It’s not really worth it.”

Panzanaro spoke about it for a few moments afterwards. Here’s how it went:

When I asked him about the discussion with the Pearl River coaches afterwards:

“The other coaches were unhappy that we didn’t go and sit back in a 2-3 zone. But that’s not how we play basketball. I understand that philosophy, that you can always get the points back. But I don’t know about my team. I want my team to play aggressive. That was basically our 2-3 zone. We weren’t playing man-to-man in the second half.”

When I asked about the reserves playing aggressively and trying to steal the ball despite the huge lead:

“I tell the second team kids that the only way they can get to be on the first team is if they get aggressive in practice. But then I have to tell them ‘Well, not tonight.’ I can’t do that. I might be wrong, but I can’t do that.”

When asked about Ralph and Daquan being in the game as long as they were:

“That was a miscommunication with Daquan. Nyjee (Wagner) was supposed to go in there to start the fourth but Nyjee didn’t. I didn’t want to embarass Daquan by taking him right out there so I let him play a few minutes and then pulled him. … Looking back, I might have kept (Watts) in a little too long.”

Afterwards I spoken to about a dozen coaches and officials about that fourth quarter. The responses were pretty much divided 50-50.

Some said it was up to Pearl River to wave the white flag earlier and empty the bench; others felt Peekskill’s starters had no business being on the court past the middle of the third quarter.

There were those who agreed that Peekskill should run the shot clock down to 10 on offense and sit in a zone on defense; and there were plenty who believed the bench players are just as entitled to play as the starters.

A few felt Peekskill had some sort of axe to grind, perhaps with the chanting Pearl River fans screaming when the game was out of reach in the first quarter; the vast majority, though, agreed Peekskill can “pretty much do whatever it wants” in this situation. They’re right. What are the repercussions? Is Pearl River supposed to return the favor some day? When will that be, exactly?

Personally, I would have removed the starters earlier. Brickhouse and Watts proved just how good they are in the first quarters and were practically toying with Pearl River in the third. Fifty points, even with those two on the bench, is pretty safe to me.

I don’t, however, completely agree with the 2-3 zone idea. Basically it would be Peekskill telling it’s bench players not to play hard. Those kids (two of which were seniors who rarely play) are desperately trying to make an impact and increase their playing time down the line. They’re entitled to the opportunity to play by going to practice every day and working hard. This is their time to shine, just like it’s the Pearl River’s kids who came off the bench.

Whatever your philosophy is, it’s probably already been mentioned. The fact is the game’s over and it’s too late to go back and change anything.
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Ugh, what a day. It’s 2:15 a.m. I’m going to bed… just so we can do it all again tomorrow.

Final: Peekskill 91, Pearl River 37

Update, 8:21 p.m.: Through three quarters, Peekskill leads 67-28

Update, 7:49 p.m.: Eventually one of these No. 1 seeds was going to come in here and put on a show. Unfortunately for Pearl River, it was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Peekskill leads the Pirates 44-14 at the half. It got ugly quick and was no better as it went on.

It’s too bad for Pearl River. It’s had a great season, endured so much adversity and is seems to be shooting into a rim with a lid cover it. I don’t doubt they’ll come out and play hard in the second half.

Ralph Watts has 17 points and Daquan Brickhouse has 14.

Update, 7:27 p.m.: Well, that got ugly quick, huh? Peekskill leads Pearl River 20-4 after one quarter. The Red Devils scored the first 14 points and held the Pirates without a basket until 1:30 left in the quarter. Ralph Watts and Daquan Brickhouse each have seven points.

Update, 6:58 p.m.: Peekskill and Pearl River will tip off their Class A semifinal in about nine minutes. Can at lease one No. 1 seed have an easy time here in the semfinfals?

Updated, 7:16 p.m.: Congrats to Dan for getting the answer to tonight’s question: George Johnson and Aaron Prince. You receive two free passes to any day of games you choose.

Updated, 7 p.m.: This one is a trivia question. Get it correct and you receive two free passes to any of the remaining days at the County Center. Please remember to enter a valid email address when posting your comment.

Throughout the season I’ve posted a list of the season’s 1,000-career point scorers. Which TWO players were the first ever to do it at their respective schools?

Google quick.

Update, 3:13 p.m.: Thank you for playing but GAME has cracked the case. Yes, sadly, that hideous fellow in the picture is me. I was going to penalize him for not putting the Jr. but won’t. An email is being sent to you with details of your winnings.

Update, 3 p.m.: Time for another ticket giveaway. Correctly identify this person and you and a guest will get passes to any day of games you choose at Championship Week.

Please give the FIRST AND LAST NAME of the person in the photo. Be sure to also include a valid email address when submitting your response.

Update, 9:12 p.m.: Wow, I seem to have struck a nerve with by using the word “overrated” with Mount Vernon. Let me explain.

First, know that I made the statement somewhat tongue-in-cheek. I, like many others, felt the Knights would win this game running away. Sometimes we all make Mount Vernon out to be unbeatable, especially when it’s not playing teams like White Plains, New Rochelle or Poughkeepsie. For a team like Yorktown to be beating the them in the fourth quarter seems so far-fetched. But it’s not at all.

It’s no secret that this Mount Vernon team isn’t the Ben Gordon or Keith Benjamin or Jonathan Mitchell teams. They’re very good, and I think they’re the best team in Section 1 hands-down. But I think sometimes we all let the uniform blur our perceptions.

So yes, this team isn’t unbeatable the way people make it seem. Based on what I saw today, whoever wins tomorrow has a legitimate shot of winning the championship.

To the Mount Vernon fans who took such offense, relax. Nothing I wrote above is wrong.

Update, 4:31: Final score: Maybe Section 1’s Most Overrated team wins. Mount Vernon beats Yorktown, 54-47.

Update, 4:23 p.m.: Mount Vernon leads 51-47 with 35 seconds left. Yorktown ball. MV is 6 for 17 from the line in the game.

Update, 4:03 p.m.: Could we be witnessing one of the biggest upsets in County Center history?

It’s possible. Yorktown is tied 39-39 with Mount Vernon through three quarters. Incredible effort so far by Yorktown, which led by as many as six in the quarter. The Huskers took a 28-27 lead in the opening seconds of the half and never gave it up.

Keith Thomas has 11 points and Jordan Moody has 12 for Yorktown.

Sherrod Wright leads Mount Vernon with 14.

Updated, 3:35 p.m.: Halftime: Mount Vernon holds a 27-26 lead over Yorktown. Great game so far. Mount Vernon is struggling to get into a flow offensively. Yorktown has outhustled them on a few trips and Tom Kelly hit a couple of key shots late.

Updated, 3:18 p.m.: After one frenetic quarter Mount Vernon and Yorktown are tied at 9-9. Sherrod Wright slammed home an alley-oop fade in the opening seconds and then the sloppiness ensued. Mount Vernon couldn’t get anything to drop in the paint. Yorktown got away with being a little nervous and missing some gimmies. But they’re playing hard.

Updated, 2:49 p.m.: To watch the game live head over to our Mogulus broadcast by clicking here.

Updated, 2:38 p.m.: The buzzer has sounded and we’ll be tipping off in 20 minutes.

A good crowd has already started to filter into the County Center despite the early time. Yorktown spent the last 20 minutes walking around the court in awe. They can’t stop smiling.

Mount Vernon looks far more collected. I’ll continue to monitor the facial expressions and body language to try to determine the outcome of the game. I need any edge I can get.