Boys Hoops Notebook

Hen Hud, Panas Snag League Titles in Dramatic Fashion

Hen Hud’s Fraser twins, Austin and Dylan, are such fierce competitors they likely battled over who would see the light of day first. The feisty duo have been battlers since Day 1, and the proof was in the pudding with a 30-year title drought on the line last Tuesday.

Hen Hud (16-4, 7-1) fell behind visiting Poughkeepsie by nine points in the fourth quarter and needed the Frasers, the teams’ senior starting guards, to fight for that light at the end of the tunnel like they did that first day on earth. With Hen Hud seeking at least a share of its first league title since 1988, the Fraser boys went to work at the Donovan Gym, their home away from home, where the go-getting duo combined to score 16 of the Sailors’ 20 points and jump-start a 54-51 come-from-behind win over the Pioneers to complete a season sweep of Poughkeepsie.

Austin Fraser, who had nine of his 15 points in the fourth and dished four assists, and Dylan who dropped seven of his 13 points in the fourth and set up a monster lob for star swingman Mekhi Gray’s jam, triggered the winning rally. Neither would say die.

“Austin and Dylan definitely love to battle each other in practice, and probably in their own driveway, they just love to compete,” said fifth-year Sailor Coach Jordan Hirsch. “Austin and Dylan made big shots in the fourth, Mekhi (Gray) sparked a run in the third, and even with all of the defensive attention Kyle (James) has been getting, he still locked in to essentially have the game winning points on a hard-fought tip-in. Sometimes, it’s a few guys getting the hard-data stats, but all of our guys have made the difference in these tight games… box-outs, bench energy and 50/50 plays don’t get tallied in the book, but all of our guys give us those things, and for our team I think that has made the difference. We really feel every guy in the locker room makes our team successful. I’m thrilled for the kids to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in a long, long time…it’s all them, but we won’t take anything for granted.”

The Sailors followed up in form with a 63-50 win over Peekskill on Thursday to secure the League II-E title outright and, in doing so, locked down the No.4 seed in the upcoming Class A playoffs where Hen Hud hopes to end yet another drought. The Sailors, who also defeated an undermanned Croton club, 45-26, on Saturday, haven’t reached the Final 4 since 1991 when the jovial Mauro Bros., Chris Kelly, Keith Friedman, Ted Leshinksy, Chris Talma and the loquacious Tim McNulty ruled the roost before losing to Peekskill at the County Center.

That ’91 Hen Hud team defeated host John Jay in the sectional quarterfinals; the Stephen Silas-led Indians who had similar hopes of reaching a Final 4 before Silas went on to coach in the NBA (Charlotte Hornets), following the lead of his legendary dad, former Celtic great, Paul Silas.

There was greatness in the room that night and the 2018 Sailors can only hope to reach their limits, fulfill their promise and end a 27-year Final 4 drought…

NWE/Putnam Examiner Super 7 Poll

No.1 PANAS – The League II-C champion Panthers (16-4, 7-1), the No.2 seed in Class A, actually have a very tough draw with No.15 Harrison, who recently knocked off No.5 Byram Hills and No.7 Poughkeepsie waiting in the quarterfinal wings #Ouch!. No.3 Saunders, the prohibitive favorites, could be a semifinal foe, making this championship run all the more difficult. Still, winners of 13-straight vs. Section 1 foes, Coach Auerbach’s Panthers, who last won it all in 20014, are playing as well as anyone in Class A right now and cannot be taken lightly. “We’re on a pretty good run and we’re a pretty good team,” said senior G Brandon Ramos, who scored 14 of his game-high 21 points in the second half of 52-43 win over Put Valley. “I think we can make a run for the championship. This is a very big win for us, they kicked out butt at home in triple overtime and we had to get it back. We’re ready to make a run in the playoffs.”

No.2 HEN HUD – League II-E champion Sailors (16-4, 7-1), the No.4 seed in Class A, should eventually see No.5 Byram Hills in the quarters, which gives Coach Hirsch’s Sailors one of the tougher draws to reach the Final 4, where No.1 Rye would likely lie in wait. Hen Hud hasn’t been to a Final 4 since 1991 and the basketball Gods don’t seem to like them very much.

No.2A PUTNAM VALLEY – League III-E champion Tigers (16-4, 6-0), the No.1 seed in Class B, could see No.4 Blind Brook in the semis (God willing), which makes No.3 Briarcliff have to go through No.2 Irvington in the semis, which should/could set up a PV vs. Briarcliff finale at Pace U. in the finals. There is no doubt the Tigers have enough inside to get it done, but the PV backcourt will have to find its high-water mark in a hurry if the Tigers are gonna knock to advance to Final 4 or finals, what would be their 3rd championship appearance in 5 years.

No.4 OSSINING – The Pride (10-10), the No.14 seed in Class AA, blew a big chance to gain ground on a last-second foul-line box out against Put Valley (of all things) and a league loss to Fox Lane, but there is a clear path to the Great 8 should they upend No.19 Yorktown in the outbracket and then survive No.3 Mamaroneck in the opening round #ThisIsDoable.

No.5 MAHOPAC – Indians (10-10), the No.11 seed in Class AA, truly disappointed in their 61-57 fall-from-ahead loss to Arlington with League I-A title on the line, but they responded in kind with a big 74-63 win over neighboring Somers on senior day, thus setting up an opening round playoff game with No.6 Spring Valley. Certainly, been an improvement over last 3 seasons, but a playoff win would be a mad feather in the cap for the 7 seniors on the roster, who got Somers head to head after Saturday’s triumph.

No.6 SOMERS – Tuskers (11-7, 5-2), the No.9 seed in Class A, will have to wait another year to end their league title drought that dates back to 1989, but I’d sign up for their road to the Final 4 in a heartbeat, given the fact that No.24 Sleepy Hollow (outbracket), and the winner of No.8 Ardsley vs. No.25 Nanuet, are the only thing preventing them from a quarterfinal matchup with No.1 Rye, who has had a solid season but offers little by way of legitimate playoff history. It’s time to get over the loss of injured senior point man Gio Tradito and #BustBrackets.

No.7 BREWSTER – Bears (9-11), the No.19 seed in Class A, knocked off Arlington in season finale on a last-second fade-away from hotshot Harrison Dignan and would do well to win its outbracket against No.14 Magnus on the road, but the Bears would need to pull a lucky horseshoe from their collective butts at No.3 Saunders in the opening round, which is one heck of an unenviable task despite the solid season they’ve have posted.

HM HALDANE – Class C’s No.2 Blue Devils (14-6) will draw a surging No.3 Tuckahoe club in the semis, and that’s not what the doctored ordered. Getting to the finals just got a lot tougher.

HM LAKELAND – Hornets (6-14), the No.21 seed in Class A, came up big against Brewster last week and have a puncher’s chance against No.14 Nyack in the outbracket, but the road gets really bumpy with in an opening-round trip to Byram Hills. Good news is; lax and baseball is right around the corner.

HM PEEKSKILL – Red Devils (6-14), the No.22 seed in Class A, have to go through outbracket route with No.11 Pelham before a potential opening-round bout at No.6 Tappan Zee. The river city has changed demographically so much over the last five years that it could be years before we see the Peekskill hoops program we were once accustomed to.

HM YORKTOWN – Huskers (7-13), the No.19 seed in Class AA, have to go through the outbracket door at Ossining and would then draw No.3 Mamaroneck in the opening round, followed by the No.11 Mahopac vs. No.6 Spring Valley winner in quarters, should they survive. I can’t think of a better draw for a 19-seed, to be honest.

HM CROTON – Tigers (8-12), the No.13 seed in Class B, have been rocked and shocked by injuries and other misfortune, so we suspect a one-and-done scenario against No.4 Blind Brook, unless the Tigers can bust up a bracket.