Here’s Rick Carpiniello’s column on a state-final run that will be remembered around Section 1 for a long time:
GLENS FALLS — Lots of teams talk about how “nobody believed in us; nobody gave us a chance,” when in fact, that’s rarely true.
When the New Rochelle basketball team talks about where it was Sunday — in a state Class AA championship game it would lose to Section 5’s Bishop Kearney, 45-39 — it can honestly say those things.
Because not very long ago at all, New Rochelle was 8-9 after losing to Mount Vernon for the second time during the regular season. And nobody believed in the Huguenots, nobody gave them a chance.
That wasn’t disrespect. It was just simple fact. Why would anybody believe? Why would anybody give the Huguenots a shot in the Section 1 tournament as the No. 9 seed; a tournament that Mount Vernon had seven years in a row?
Right. Nobody would.
Then came “The Shot,” or in this viral age, “The Shot Seen ’Round the World.” Khalil Edney, a state championship quarterback a few months earlier, tossing in a 60-foot buzzer-beater as New Rochelle wiped out a late 10-point Mount Vernon lead at County Center, making champs of the Huguenots.
“The shot was magical, I guess, but after that we had to prove to everybody that it wasn’t just a matter of the shot; that we deserved to be here,” Edney said, a cut from a Bishop Kearney elbow still bloody by his left eye, and tears still coming from both.
“It was maybe magic to the fans and the media, but to us it was just our desire to win.”
Those kids, Edney and the basketball team’s star, Joe Clarke — also a crucial piece of New Ro’s state football champ, as was Terrence Holden — did a ridiculous day of media blitz, including a TV tour in New York City and a mind-numbing press conference at the school the next day, then had to begin the state tournament the following day. New Ro won that one, then won another game late, as Edney set up Clarke, who made a three-point play against Kingston, with 10.2 seconds left to reach the state final four.
Just as, in November, Edney-to-Clarke for a 12-yard touchdown beat Shaker with 30 seconds left, Clarke following that with a big tackle on the ensuing kickoff (wearing his kicking shoe), and an interception to seal the state semifinal win that sent the Huguenots to Syracuse.
Comparisons abounded. In 2004-05, New Ro, coming off a state football title in ’03, reached the football final again, with Ray Rice and Geoff McDermott (and Courtney Greene and a list of D-1 footballers), then Rice and McDermott teamed in hoops to beat Mount Vernon at the County Center and reached the state championship game, only to lose to an unbelievable Niagara Falls team with Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris.
This New Ro basketball team, and this New Ro football team, probably weren’t as good as those ’04-05 teams, nor was the current Mount Vernon team; and the Bishop Kearney team it faced Sunday, though loaded with height and skill, probably wasn’t as good as Niagara Falls back then. In fact, you could argue, this New Ro team may not be as good as its predecessor, with P.J. Torres and Antoine Mason, which couldn’t get by Mount Vernon.
If “The Shot” doesn’t go in, there’s probably a quote from first-year coach Rasaun Young somewhere in the next day’s papers, and that’s that. Fade to memory.
“That last shot, we call it ‘The Shot’ and that was tremendous,” Young said Sunday. “But a lot of people forget the last three minutes that led up to that shot, and they forget about Joe Clarke’s (taking a) charge, Derek Dorn’s offensive rebound. … They’re memorable moments for the kids.”
He also said, “They’re great kids, man.”
They were in a state final, overmatched by the opponent’s size, yet still in it, down by three late. Clarke was being Clarke, which is to say, heroic to the end.
“It was a great run for us,” Clarke said, sniffing back tears. “We weren’t expected to make it to the state championship. We weren’t expected to get out of our section.
“At (8-9) nobody thought Glens Falls was realistic for us, but we just kept our heads and played with heart and we made it to Glens Falls and made it to the state championship. We fell short, but it was one great season for us.”
One nobody would have believed, one not many will forget.
81 Comments
space…...
While we may be brothers from other mothers….....we are all bonded by the Brotherhood of the Four Square.
Coming from “south of the tracks” as I did and going to Nathan Hale, Fulton and Graham schools just adds a little extra spice to the recipe. LOL indeed!
Tomato,
Point agreed. The point remains is that the same schools that play AQ in Football are also at a disadvantage in hoops. To a lesser degree yes, but if you’re as big as Poughkeepsie in area but half as dense in population, there is no way you can match up vs AQ in Hoops either. I applaud them for even having their games that close. I don’t get who AQ who was a year ago playing MV and pretty well a that was allowed back in A for any reason. BK is the same thing, too many non densely located areas in Western NY to allow this to happen. Either play them in AA for the sports they actively recruit in no matter what, or play a Public reg season schedule, use the Freeman rankings to rank every team in State regardless of Section/AIS/CHSAA and have the upstate Catholics play with the AIS’ in as neutral sites as possible, give them their own state chip as a means to get into FEDS after.
SPACECADET/MVHS65,
LLLLLLOOOOOLLLLL,SOOOO TRUE,I WAS HIT WITH A LIGHTNING BOLT,LOVE THE BLOG
HRs
Yup, imagine if they gave Davis the ball. They cannot win without the kid. Love watching that kid play.
You’re right, pubs can beat privates. More so at the AA level than the others though. PSAL pubs are sort of like privates in that they can recruiting. Ill give you guys a perfect example. I work at a high school/middle school. ALL my 8th grade boys that like basketball applied to basketball schools…Lincoln, Boys and Girls..and all got in. Our best player just got into Lincoln. (Not a spectacular academic school though. They know which schools have the rep.
In the city, alot of the CHSAA’s recruit through CYO leagues while the PSALs recruit through the local rec leagues, and champ middle school leagues. The disadvantages fall for the public schools in the suburbs who cannot really recruit like Spring Valley, New Ro, WP, PK etc.
Up in FEDS I think the AA tourney will be good, and don’t really have a favorite to win (as long as Kearney doesnt win). LuHi does play the best and smartest basketball Ive seen so far though. But in A I like unheralded teams so I like Buffalo McKinley. Buffalo has been a dying city for years and really not much to cling on to. So I like the blue collar Macks in the FED tourney.
Longfellow South 5th. My backyard faced the school. Moved to the safe side of the tracks in 60. Didn’t stop me from venturing to the Avenue for my Cons, Johnny’s Pizza and an occasional banana split at the Bee Hive…
In a few days there will only be a few still hanging on to this thread, I have no problem exchanging emails with you and the Woodman. There are some good events during the off season for MV alum and I’ll keep you up. Golf outing in June which is a nice day..I can drive a mean cart and hit em into the woods with the best of them..
Gentlemen:
Why do we always complain about Public vs Catholic & Private Schools. Over the years we hear the same story, “It is not fair”, “Lets change the system”. I have been watching Westchester and NY State basketball for years, it has never been about the system, but about the teams. If you have a good public school team you win or great catholic school team you win. If you don’t believe me, check out the championships in Section 1 or NY State. The Public Schools are way ahead. Basketball is about execution on the court or having a great player who stands out. Stop complaining about the system and let the ballers decide their team fate on the court.
To my Brother, Crabby, Staff and Team: You did us proud by representing in Glens Falls. Words can’t express the “Love”, I have for you guys. Remember and Enjoy the “Moment”
It is wonderful to see Kennedy Catholic now have to compete in CHSAA. It took them 35 years to understand that their recruiting advantage was unfair to the small Class B teams.
Couldn’t handle playing in AA so they are finally gone. Good Bye!
Daymon, its a good post and I am in total agreement with not complaining about who is in your path on the way to a chip. If you want to be the best, you have to beat everyone in your way and leave no doubt.
Both coaches Fletcher-baseball and Morales -basketball could not win in section one AA,so they get to move to a very weak CHSAA B
league so the can bring home the chip.All other JFK sports team suffer. What a joke
Daymon little brother of Keith…......I remember when you were on the way up [sr. in h.s. or frosh at Wagner] and visited big brother up at SUNY NP. We had a nice game of round robin one on one that day before the full court runs began. Keith and I played together one year in the town league and tore it up….I believe this was before he headed off to play ball in Europe.
With respect to your point on private vs. public….......within the confines of Westchester County, NYC and the island….I wouldn’t argue with you on equity issues. There is a lot of parity in that respect.
The problem is UPSTATE where privates are more isolated and don’t have competition to cherry pick the better players in the area. Burke Catholic is a prime example. With an excellent coach and steady track record of success they have a foundation to bring in the best players year after year. And it’s not a level playing field since the local publics are restricted by the geographics of their school district.
It all gets compounded and out of whack when schools like Bishop Kearney start pulling in players from other countries [read my post from 12:44 pm today]. That’s where the system needs to be kept in check with reality.
And yes, what you say is also true, that what transpires on the court can make a world of difference….Mount Vernon found out the hard way this year…..and perhaps that’s a good thing b/c it will keep them humble and make them hungry to get back to where they are accustomed to being.
Tell Keith, JimA his front line partner in crime on the hardwood courts gives his warm regards.
space….........funny to hear you say you moved to the “safe side” of the tracks. I grew up across the street from Gaynor News and the South 4th Ave. fire station…the same building that P Diddy wanted to buy to set up a Hip Hop museum. Never felt safer than there.
In fact, as a twelve year old [circa ‘58 or’59], I got my a s s royally kicked up in Fleetwood by a group of northside goombahs because I, a southside goombah had encroached on their turf.
Yes, Johnny’s pizza was indeed the very best around. And I still have fond memories as a tyke going to the Bee Hive with my mom and pocketing a handful of individually wrapped sugar cubes every time we went. Their ice cream was heavenly.
p.s. Sorry space, the only golfing I ever did was playing miniature golf with Joey Williams [whose dad became principal at Nichols], Kenny Singleton and Arnie Moskowitz up on Central Ave. in Yonkers next to the Adventurers Inn.
Maybe some of the higher ups will see the heartbreak on these kids faces and realize that it’s about the kids not some private schools administrators pulling from all over to recreate the “dream team”. Enjoy that trophy that you recruited for. Parents of private school kids can you really say that this system is fair? Recruiting from Africa? Come on. And yeah no one from Mount Vernon or Tuckahoe was complaining when we won because we won despite the incredible odds stacked against us. The tremendous effort of our “homegrown” kids makes the victories against stacked teams that much sweeter. Contests to New Ro! We were all pulling for you and you made section 1 proud.
You guys should have never entertained MV75. And I’m sure he was never from the Vernon spreading lies!!! Traphagan people’s!!! Lol
MVHS65,
You put the upstate privates into perspective for sure. How do you think Section 2 feels? CBA, Maginn and Albany Academy have been wiping the floor with the rest of the section for a while now. Troy won this year but has one of those ‘once every decade teams” with (2) 6’8” kids on the same squad.
Im sure you saw that Newburgh is opening a charter school (Newburgh Prep). Will be interesting to see what they do athletically.Could you imagine Newburgh kids competing at the C or B level. Could be ugly. Years away from fielding a team but its possible for sure.
Ah man, Charter schools coming up this way. Can’t stand those money making schemes.
Ok, so New Ro has around 3000 kids and fields a team whose tallest player is what, 6-4 maybe? Kearney has about 500 enrollment and has a front line averaging 6-10 and multiple guys throughout the lineup taller than NR’s biggest guys. Yea, I guess the recruiting makes for a level playing field…. You private school apologists just don’t hold up in the light of day. I suppose all those tall recruits were brought in because of their academic contributions?
On a sepaprate note, the McKinley team was an absolute pleasure to watch. They played every possession like it was their last. Their coach was going 100 mph the whole game – very intense guy to match an intense team. It is nice to see something good happening in Buffalo – there has not been much for many years. Seeing them beat a handpicked team made it even better!
Scary,
You took the words right out of my mouth. Couldn’t have said it better. As for McKinley…Im 100% on the same page! Great to see an underdog team from an unheralded blue collar city make some noise in the state tourney.
Rocket/Scary,
I am on your wave. I’m sure Pok would like to go back in time and use the McKinley, run, run and run blueprint.
States,
Yeah man, McKinley sort of reminds me of PK a little bit, except they are bigger and a little more athletic. Their press is also intense..along the lines of MV. But they come from an underdog city thats been forgotten about. PK is not in as bad a position as Buffalo as a city but it tends to get overlooked alot too. You tell some people in the state Poughkeepsie and they say Pou what? Wheres that? However the Pioneers have been making a strong effort to put PK on the map.
Also McKinley’s coach is awesome. Just read on the nysswa site that after his players dosed him with water in the locker room celebration, a janitor came in to clean it, but he told the janitor to stop and had his players clean it up. Classy guy, class team. How can anyone not cheer for those guys? (plus they beat three privates on the way to the title )
Rocket,
Great post, always a pleasure to read it. From my work experience, what folks will call ‘OG’s’ know all about Poughkeepsie, lol. Honestly, most people these days are horrible with geography and culture to boot so people who venture out of their neck of the Woods will probably know the 20 largest cities in the state—PK being about 18 I think.
I love their grittiness and the fact they knocked off 3 privates was a pleasure. Love to see the passion of a troubled, blue collar city thrive once again.
I gotta tell ya’ win or lose ive never heard mvernon ppl/fans cry about who they played and how team was put together.
Play the competition and stop whining!!!!!
COMPETITION,
AND YOU NEVER WILL,#FACT,#WRITTENINSTONE
Competition,
You’ll post under a another name if the team you follow plays the United Nations in States pre Federation.
STATESMAN,
YOUR FINAL 4
I have to look at my bracket, it’s ugly though. Thinking L’Ville/Zaga/Indiana/Kansas were one.
Needless to say, this could get muddy very quickly.
THAT IS WHY I FILLED OUT 10,LLLLLLOOOOOLLLLL
WORKING ON THE GIRLS NOW
Wood,
lol, not mad at that. you’re bound to come back with something.
Wood.
that stone was written upon back in the days when they played teams like St.Agnes, McKinley and DeMatha without blinking an eye.. Fearless looking for a challenge outside of 4th street.
SPACECADET,
YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I DO,
New Ro had a nice run, highlighted by an incredible play. We should all be happy for them…and it seems even most of the MV guys are happy for them.
But all the whining about “unfair” and sour grapes is hypocritical.
When did anyone say sports are “fair”??? Is it fair for the Yankees to have a 200mm payroll and Brewers with a 35mm payroll? No (and I’m a Yankee fan).
Were any New Ro fans complaining after they inched by Mahopac that New Ro is a 3500 kid school and Mahopac is barely 1500? Were New Ro fans complaining that being over twice the size of Mahopac created an unfair advantage for themselves?
Kearney having two 6’9” Nigerian kids doesn’t make anyone feel good about the situation, but Kearney also is clearly not a dominant team. They were very beatable this year as several teams proved. The NYPHSAA AA as a whole was very down this year compared to years passed – think about it, both finalists lost 7-10 games – thats unheard of!
[...] post Column: A long shot and a great shot for New Rochelle appeared first on Varsity Insider. window._wp_rp_static_base_url = [...]