Leading off today: Here's a frightening thought for Class A basketball teams under the impression that they can take down Peekskill for a state championship:
Playing Lakeland Panas in the Section 1 semifinals last night in White Plains, the Red Devils (23-0) hit 15 of their first 20 shots, forced 13 turnovers in the first 10 minutes and opened a 30-point lead before halftime.
And they did it despite the fact that all-everything performer Mookie Jones had taken only one field-goal attempt. The final score was 79-47, with Ralph Watts scoring 23 points.
"There is a reason these guys are three-time state camps," Panas coach Shawn Sullivan said. "They're great offensively and defensively. They completely took us out of what we wanted to do on offense. Peekskill is like a big brother to us. Everything we do, they do just so much better."
Be afraid. be very afraid. Peekskill, two-time defending Federation champion, has won 21 consecutive playoff games. Next up is a sectional final against Port Chester.
Basketball milestones: Joelle Connelly of Pioneer became the leading scorer in Western New York girls history Thursday during a 53-37 win over East Aurora. Her put-back bucket with 59 seconds left gave Connelly 2,258 points in her career. The previous mark of 2,256 was set by Tawan Slaughter of Christian Central Academy in 2001.
Jim Burke's 500th boys basketball victory at Prattsburgh will have to wait nearly nine months. The Vikings fell to Northstar Christian, 45-42, in the Section 5 Class D final this morning at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester.
What would you do? Carlene Sluberski had a tough decision to make, but I'm wondering if it took her a week too long to make it.
Sluberski, the Fredonia junior who became the first girl to win a Section 6 wrestling championship last weekend, will skip the state tournament in Rochester next week in order to go to Sweden for a freestyle tournament in order to prepare for May’s qualifier for the junior world team.
There's no denying that the all-expenses trip is a great opportunity, but I'm of the opinion that she should have fulfilled her commitment closer to home. By participating in the Section 6 qualifier for the state tournament last week, she changed the dynamics of the Division II 96-pound draw.
Without her there, perhaps runner-up Ben Haas of Salamanca (who will take her place in Rochester) would have won, making the point moot. But there's no way to know.
By the way, scratch former state champ Nick Wilcox of Greene from the state meet. The Section 4 Division II champion at 119 pounds, who won a state crown at
