WHITE PLAINS — The knock on Byram Hills entering the postseason was that its perfect Section 1 record had been padded against a soft schedule. That belief appeared to have merit when the Bobcats needed baskets at the buzzer in both regulation and overtime just to survive at home against 17th-seeded Beacon in the opening round.
But a deeper look at Byram Hills’ recent history proves close calls are something it has come to live with. The Bobcats have thrived in spite of them, as evidenced by them winning the 2011 Class A championship despite trailing in the final minute of the sectional quarterfinals at Pelham.
Byram’s resiliency and County Center chops were displayed again Wednesday night against anything but a cupcake. The top-seeded Bobcats settled a halftime tie with a dominant second half and pulled away from No. 5 Peekskill 66-47 in the Class A semifinals.
They advanced to their second championship game in three seasons and will meet No. 3 Poughkeepsie at 7 Sunday night.
“We love this court. We thought we had to make a statement,” said senior Ryan Golden, who had 14 points and five rebounds. “The Beacon game was the best thing that happened to us. We tasted defeat, but we bounced back. Everyone is talking us down, that we’re overrated. I think we needed to make a statement and we did that.”
Byram Hills (19-1) gained momentum throughout the third quarter behind senior Jeff Lynch, who scored 11 of his 21 points and had three of his six assists during a 21-point period.
After a quiet first half, Lynch was aggressive to start the third. He scored nine straight points for the Bobcats, mirroring fellow Golden, who scored the first nine points to lead his team to a 13-8 lead after one quarter.
“We just turned it up to a whole new level,” Lynch said. “I was ice cold in the first half, but Ryan Golden and Andrew Groll were not. That’s what kept us in it. I just happened to spark us in the second half.”
Peekskill managed to pull into a 23-23 tie at halftime despite foul trouble to big men Laron Holt and Musheed Muhammad. Chavis Pigott scored nine straight to briefly give the Red Devils (16-5) a lead, but their forwards couldn’t keep Groll off the glass. The 6-foot-7 sophomore scored a modest eight points but finished with 17 rebounds.
Byram Hills seemed to control every phase of the game in the second half and Peekskill’s frustrations mounted, peaking with a technical foul that led to a skirmish among fans in that caused a delay early in the fourth quarter.
Holt eventually fouled out and his team ended up committing 20 turnovers.
“They’re good. They’re very good, but I thought we were an equal,” Peekskill coach Lou Panzanaro said. “I thought we would be there.”
Photos courtesy of Seth Harrison/The Journal News. For a complete gallery, click here.
59 Comments
I don’t really think anyone knows what to say anymore as it seems we are all talking to a immature, disrespectul child on here. You need to find somewhere else to take out this anger as this is a highschool blog. Sorry you are such a baby and can’t deal with fans turning there backs as they do every game and as I have seen other highschool teams do that. Sorry you care so much about the difference of college and highschool games. Sorry for the fact that you are embarrasing yourself on these blogs. Get over the fact that Peekskill lost, its done, Byram played better and won by a decent amount. The kids from Byram and Peekskill deserve respect for what they put out on the court. Enough.
Vet Coach, please ask a single kid on the Peekskill team if they were upset when the Byram fans turned their backs? Seriously, if one kid says that he was upset by it let me know. It’ll be shocking, but probably won’t stop the BH fans from doing it. Don’t fix what ain’t broke
Lets keep the record stright Peekskills jock and please holdup on the sainthood for your beloved coach, Rich Cardell was a ringer from Manhattan who quit school right after putting Peekskill his back to win the states, he had no offers from no schools after playing 4 your guy so he attended prep school n NC for 2yrs and w no help from your man he got a free ride to St. Francis where he star at, he’s now playing pro ball overseas. Hilton had one offer from a college and it wasnt UConn and while playing there he took his game to another level, next is Ralph Watts, another ringer from LakeLand taking a kids spot from Peekskill and getting free education paid 4 by the taxpayers of Peekskill like me. When you let your so call star players play varsity ball at the 8th or 9th grade level instead of letting them take their lumps at the jv level u set yourself with no feeder system for your program. The same kids ur turn into spoil brats go to the next level reality step n where coaches isnt baby them so they leave the team or walk off the bench but one thing dont happen at this level, the coaches dont send coach headley after them to begged them to play. It appears this guy gets credit for everything right but anything wrong its not his fault. Did you hear about the sandal at the school on grade changing? I guess you failed to mention about his step son playing and getting a free ride thanks to paying taxpayers too. Coaches at the next level dont respect his program now thats why there is no kids getting free rides now. Peeksillfan being that ur go w numbers let the readers no his record on getting his kids to college after playing for him, i ask the MV coach the same question and his record was almost perfect, it wasnt just the stars going but the 12th man too.
I ending w one last comment, do u know how much this guy was making at camp inc? Was any of the grade changers that r being investigated working after school at this camp? Why do kids parents ve to spend 600.00 dollars or more at westchester hawks where kids in MV or the players in NJ that is being run by former NBA player TIm Thomas go for free, when people of a community expect nothing but wins from a basketball program u get nothing in return. Enough from me on this blog on the subject.
Lou,
It sounds to me that 1 either you were cut for the team or 2 your kid couldnt make the team. I worked at Camp Inc for 3 years, non of the people in the scandal were ever involved. The fact that coach P has a step son that goes to school is irrelevent sense he has to pay tuition to go there i have proof if you need it just stop in the controllers office at the district office. Another thing AAu is not free and i know that most of the parents in Peekskill do not have the money to spend to have there child play AAU. Rich Cadell was helped into the prep school down south and then actually worked out with some peekskill alum the summer before being helped by coach P to St Francis so whoever told you that other bogus story is wrong. Please get your facts straight before you throw out rediculous accusations. and get a life!! Some people always looking for freebies, bring your kid to the park and teach him how to play basketball maybe that will help.
Peekskill: hoops! My name is What i post and i dont hide behide some nick name, Rich lived w a very close friend of mine his senior year and w coach headley his junior year, he didnt live n Peekskill and he went home on the weekend. I know his father very well so i really dont know where u get your information from because your man didnt do jack for him after he put Peekskill on his back to win the state that year and received the MVP while doing it. My son made the team and he ve more skills n his off hand then your hero step-son but i see you and the rest of his fans have no problem with this kid getting major playing while taking a kid spot from Peekskill, i guess the only way you assure this kid plays is to coach him because this coach could never pull this off in Harlem, BX, Bk, Queens or any place else but here . I guess that’s why you lose by 30 when you got a kid playing what position? Ha ha! How many turnovers Peekskill had in the game? I cant tell Elton where to spend his money but Peekskill is a small place and to sponsor a AAU teams like so many pro ballers do in other places isnt that hard. You stated some people looking for freebies, that’s a joke, i m a homeowner an a taxpayer not a fan. I really like to know what you do for a living because i m retired and i dont ve to count on this guy feeding me or my family
Oh! I guess you dont ve to teach your kid how to play if you coach him at Peekskill!lol Please, reframe from anymore comments because you really dont know what u talking about, keep cheering and playing Panas, Hen Hud while you lose by 30 when you play some real comp. Let the people on this blog know where his seniors are going to college being you’re good w the stats!smh If you pile on wins playing cream puffs and your seniors go nowhere what kind of program is that? I really spent more time replying then i shouldve w YOU!lol
Dam! I just read your comment, he was feeding you for how many years? You need to get a life and get off his jock dude!Wow
I call it white fight in Peekskill when you see the school bus pull into the parking lot in the morning and all the white high school kids that parents ve money getting on the bus to attend schhol else where. When you’re a teacher in a district and want your kid to attend the school you must pay the tax not tuition.smfh