NYSSWA blog: Rice boys, St. Michael's girls wrap up Federation titles

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Leading off today: The highest of highs nearly became the lowest of lows for coach Maurice Hicks and his Rice boys basketball team.

A day after burying the PSAL's Abraham Lincoln for New York City bragging rights, the Raiders had to return to Glens Falls Civic Center and barely survived the Federation Class AA final. Rice ended up dispatching Newburgh Free Academy yesterday, 70-68, but it took an overtime. Miami-bound Durand Scott, the tourney MVP, led all scorers with 23 points, and teammate James Stukes added 18.

"I've seen a lot of things happen," Hicks told The Daily News. "The biggest fear for us was that we beat Lincoln by 27 and had to come back here and play another game."

Scott pump-faked and hit a three-pointer with 15.4 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 63 and force overtime. With Rice up 67-66, Jermaine Sanders hit a three-pointer with about a minute left and blocked a shot at the other end to seal the victory.

Two-time champs dethroned: St. Michael's Academy completed its injury-plagued breakthrough season with a 62-58 victory over Murry Bergtraum in the girls Class AA final in Glens Falls.

The Eagles knocked off the two-time defending champions -- who have 11 straight PSAL titles -- to win their first Federation crown.

"I knew I would (get over the hump) because I’m not good at Xs and Os, but I’m great at having a plan and a vision," eighth-year coach Apache Paschall told The Post-Star. "From club ball to high school ball, the knock on us has always been is we can’t win the big game, we will never get there. And for eight years we haven’t. So for us to finally do that and get the monkey off our back. ... What are they going to say now? There’s nothing they can say."

Jelleah Sidney made two free throws with :15.5 left to break a 58-58 tie.

St. Michael's surrendered the game's first seven points bur rallied behind Jennifer O’Neill (13 points, six rebounds) to a 14-12 lead. Bergtraum moved back out to leads of 33-22 and then 39-29 after back-to-back three-pointers by CeCe Dixon (20 points) and Shanee Williams (17).

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St. Michael's clawed its way back into the game and built a four-point lead with 4:15 to go as part of a 21-11 run in the fourth quarter.

Benefit attracts 450: More than 450 people showed up at Classics V in Amherst for a weekend fundraiser for Sweet Home football player DeShanaro Morris, who suffered a spinal injury in a December car accident, The Buffalo News reported.

"Buffalo outdid themselves. There were 450 people there. I don’t think we could have done much better,” Sweet Home coach John Faller told the paper.

Proceeds will be used to assist the Morris family with medical expenses. Morris, who ran for 1,500 yards, scored 25 touchdowns and made 137 tackles for Sweet Home’s state Class A championship team last fall as a junior, is undergoing outpatient rehab therapy at ECMC and is now able to walk short distances with assistance.

"He’s got major movement on the left-hand side, in the lower extremities on the left-hand side," Sweet Home administrator Rob McDow said. "It’s his right side that hasn’t fired up as much. He has total movement in his hips. Everything above his hips is perfectly fine. And his left leg, not too many major issues. He doesn’t have a ton of strength in it yet but we foresee him —- and the doctors have said that —- he will someday walk again."

Irvington projecting cuts: Irvington's school board is proposing the elimination of two dozen positions and cuts in sports spending in a $51.3 million budget the will be sent to voters.

Superintendent Kathleen Matusiak's plan calls for increaes of 1.4 percent in spending and 1.6 percent in the taxe rate. To achieve that, more than $120,000 would be cut from the athletics budget, eliminating five varsity assistant positions and the freshman boys basketball team.

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