By Rick Carpiniello
It says something about a program when its losses are bigger than its wins.
With all the deserved attention brought about by Khalil Edney’s crazy buzzer-beater on Sunday, the victory for New Rochelle High was exponentially more remarkable because of who the Huguenots beat for the Section 1 AA boys basketball championship.
Mount Vernon had won seven consecutive championships, and 12 of the last 13, and in that time had added six state championships and 10 Final Four appearances. Yet three losses are remembered, outside of the community, than any of the wins: The 2005 loss to New Rochelle in the final, and the 2009 buzzer beater by Newburgh’s Will Bouton in the ’09 regionals, and now the Edney shot.
“A nice compliment in a crazy way,” Mount Vernon coach Bob Cimmino said.
But it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
“It was really tough,” Cimmino said 24 hours later. “Just really feeling for my players. They’re all hurting a lot and I’m trying to be as supportive as possible to them.
“We did in ’09, also. We thought we’d won. It’s just very difficult when it’s season ending. It’s not just a loss. It’s the end of your season and you basically have to tell your seniors they’re moving on, it’s done. It’s difficult to have the family break up.
“It hurts. I had practice at it in 2009. Your coaching instinct just goes to making sure your players are protected and that they’re OK and that you get them to start taking a step in the direction of moving on. I only hurt for them.”
Cimmino said he didn’t even ask Devonte Banner about tossing the ball that was caught by Edney, and only told him “just how special a kid he is and that I’m very proud of him for the whole year.”
Cimmino said that he had only heard about how the game-ending video had gone viral, and that his players are more attuned to the social media and that they say, “it’s all over the place, it’s just out there, and hopefully it will go away soon.”
And he tried to avoid it himself. But, before heading to school Monday morning, he had the TV on and one moment Matt Lauer was talking about the Pope, and the next he was showing the Edney shot.
14 Comments
The first half of this article is the preface all the people reporting about the shot need to know about, and that Cimmino was selected to coach the McDonald’s game in 2011. Thus a heck of a coach and program New Ro knocked off which is why it’s a bigger deal then the shot alone.
BOBBY C. IS WORRIED ABOUT HIS PLAYERS AND. THE SEASON IS OVER,ENOUGH SAID,WOW
dignity and grace, always a teacher
Haywood and space,
I completely agree with you both. His concern for his players is touching.
HAYWOOD and spacecadet,
Having to miss the game to move my mother in law was a blessing for me.
I don’t think I could have taken it….it I didn’t have a coronary at the very least I would have been inconsolable. I’m the kind of person who obsesses over things [eg. “why didn’t he just hold the ball?...why didn’t he just hold the ball?!]
But looking on the “bright side” I will save on gas, tolls and meals that I would have spent going up to Glens Falls [Waaaah!!]
Playing on my turn table, The Beatles, “Obla-di, Obla-da life goes on Brah, oh la how the life goes on”
p.s. WOOD…”What the heck are you doing up at 4:47 in the morning?!”
You are a class act Coach Cimmino! Every young man that is fortunate enouh to play for you will be a better man his entire life!
“enough ”
MVHS65,
I GET UP AT 430AM EVERY MORNING
65
If he had held on to the ball then we would not have witnessed perhaps one of the greatest 3 seconds of sports history. Someone has to be on the recieving end and the team with the most resolve to handle it is our boys. I was shocked at the turn around because I saw it was waived off and was not expecting it to be overturned..The place was crazy with emotions and for about 60 seconds it was one of the wildest sceene’s you could imagine. You had to feel for Bobby when you saw him sit down by himself waiting for the final decision to come on the video..
What Coach said in his interview is perfect. “If it does not kill you, it will make you stronger” Sure they hurt right now because the season ended so abruptly , but in a few weeks I believe they will say, Damn that was some shot.
Spacecadet…...Maybe you are a better at this sort of thing….. Rephrase that, Maybe I have a harder time dealing with losses than you.
Quite honestly, unless Mount Vernon is on the receiving end of miracle shots rather than once again falling victim to them….......................S..C.R..E..W.. missing out on the greatest 3 seconds of sports history.
You can’t get away from this “viral epidemic”...They were even showing it “locally” up in New England on Boston.com sports.
I really was looking forward to another trip to the Falls.
And remember this ‘cadet the sands in MVHS65’s hour glass are thinning out on the top end!!
p.s. Haywood: God bless the early risers…LOL!!
gonna miss you guys during this long off-season.
65.
Who am I trying to kid, cut my head open from falling down drunk Sunday at 4:00 in the afternoon. Have not sleeped in 3 days and kicked in a 40 inch flat screen.. I thought being 15 feet away from the Boutin shot would have helped.
LLOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLL in the words of brother Wood
On a more serious note, if you were there you would feel a little differently. It was amazing and you have to appreciate how special a moment it was..
Spot on with this write-up, I really think this web page wants far more consideration. I’ll in all probability be once more to read a lot more, thanks for that information.
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