Another high school basketball season goes in the books, and it was a good winter campaign in the Wasaren with quality girls and boys teams enjoying a competitive regular season and faring well in post season play, culminating with the Cambridge girls winning a state title Saturday night in Troy. Continue reading
Cambridge 57 Watkins Glen 43
Leading Scorers: Indians – Sophie Phillips 24 Stasia Epler 14 McKayla McLenithan 10 Watkins Glen – Andrienna Solomon 11 Danielle Leszyk 10 Taylor Kelly 10
Cambridge can run with anyone and their opponent Watkins Glen feels the same way. For three quarters of the Class C state final Saturday in Troy, the two squads rode transition games that had brought them to the championship run producing a fast paced, competitive game where the biggest lead by either team was five points.
Then the Cambridge defense took over. Continue reading
Cambridge 75 Maple Grove 43
Leading Scorers: Indians – Lily Phillips 22 Sophie Phillips 21 Fiona Mooney 17 Maple Grove – Bre Hill 10
The Indians were firing on all cylinders putting their highest point total of the season on the board in rolling to the “W” in their Class C state semifinal. Cambridge opened and closed the first period on a pair of scoring runs, 12-2 to start and an 8-0 streak to finish the quarter, taking a 28-10 lead to the second.
Cambridge led 49-27 at halftime shooting lights out over the first sixteen minutes connecting on 18 of 27 from the floor and 8 of 9 from deep.
If there was any doubt, the Indians put the game away by scoring the final 15 points of the third frame to stretch their advantage to 66-34 with the final eight minutes, an extended celebration for the Cambridge faithful.
Cambridge (24-1), will face Watkins Glen (21-4), Saturday at 7 p.m. at HVCC for the Class C championship.
Just a year ago the Cambridge Indians, with three freshman in their starting lineup made a surprising run to the girls basketball state final four, where they fell 56-52 to Millbrook in the semi’s. Despite losing five seniors from that squad, Cambridge returned a talented seven and the goal for the Indians this season was another mid-March trip to Troy.
Lofty aspirations for a roster that includes five sophomores and a pair of freshman, with an all underclassman starting five, but on Friday they’ll face Maple Grove from Section VI at HVCC in a 3:15 tip with the winner advancing to play for a state title. Continue reading
Two Wasaren girls teams were still standing as regional finals got underway on Saturday in all classifications. Both Cambridge and Mechanicville after hours on the road stepped on the floor in Class C and B runs, one win away from the state final four next weekend.
Both squads were tested and played well with Cambridge taking the next step with a 60-47 win over Moriah in the C’s while Mechanicville lost a heart-breaker, 58-57 to Canton in Class B. Continue reading
MVP Jon Kempf Jr. Hoosick Falls
First Team
Tristan Williams Jr. Cambridge
Bobby Valigorski Sr. Waterford
John Walsh Sr. Greenwich
Brian McNeil Jr. Stillwater
Frank Zotto Sr. Tamarac
Second Team
Isaac Carlo Sr. Hoosic Valley
Josh Germaine Jr. Mechanicville
Michael Talavera Jr. Waterford
Bo Catherwood So. Tamarac
Jacob DeFreest Sr. Tamarac
I’m not sure if there’s any truth to the rumor that coaches Goverski and Phillips considered chartering airplanes for traveling to their regional finals on Saturday, but when directions to the venues for both Cambrdge and Mechanicville include, “If you reach the Canadian border you’ve gone a couple miles too far”, it would be a great way go.
Mechanicville faces the Canton Golden Bears Saturday at 2:45 in the Class B Regional Final at SUNY Potsdam while Cambridge meets Moriah in the Class C Regional Finale with a noon tip at Beekmantown High School with the winners advancing to their classification’s final four. Continue reading
Mechanicville 41 Northeastern Clinton 35
Leading Scorers: Red Raiders – AJ Joseph 12 Charli Goverski 11 Taylor Grayson 9 Jada Brown 6 Amy DiSiena 3 Clinton – Audi Hollister 12
Keys: Mechanicville used a 22-12 advantage over the middle two periods, including a third quarter where they didn’t allow a made field goal, to build a 34-27 lead heading to the final frame. Leading 38-35 with :11 remaining AJ Joseph calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to ice things and send the Red Raiders to the Class B regional final on Saturday at 2:45 at SUNY Potsdam where they’ll face Canton from Section X.
Playing before a sold out SUNY Plattsburgh Field House both squads had trouble making shots, but the Raiders showed that defense travels and their ability to guard, holding Clinton in the mid 30’s, showed that Mechanicville not only can win in a shootout, but also a defensive grind.
The Raiders head back to the north country on Saturday, one win away from the state final four.
As we’ve said about the Cambridge Indians it’s a question of when, not if. When will they put together a run that gives them a lead after they’ve trailed, or give them total command of the game. Last night at Shenendehowa in a girls Class C regional semifinal it once again was the latter.
With their defense fueling the Cambridge transition game the Indians quick feet, active hands and most importantly their length turned Madrid Waddington over time and again in the second period leading to runouts and a 25-5 advantage in the quarter. That gave Cambridge a commanding 40-14 lead at the break and the rest was simply bookkeeping as the Indians posted a 59-31 victory and moved on to the regional final on Saturday at noon at Beekmantown High School where they’ll face Moriah from Section VII.
Cambridge buried six triples and placed three players in doubles with Sophie Phillips scoring 19 points, Lily Phillips 13 and Stasia Epler 10 points.
But defense put this game in win column for the Indians, there 22nd “W” in 23 outings, and defense travels.
Sometimes jump shots get lost in the spacious arenas teams play on this time of year, but traps, resulting in tipped balls that lead to transition buckets plays anywhere. It’ll play next at high noon in Beekmantown on Saturday where Cambridge sits one win away from a return trip to the state Final Four.
It was quite a weekend for the Wasaren with four schools vying for sectional titles. On Friday night it was an all league affair in the Class C girls final in Troy between Cambridge and Hoosick Falls, while in Glens Falls the Hoosick Falls boys faced Lake George in the Class C title game. Saturday morning the Red Raiders of Mechanicville carried the league’s torch into the Class B girls championship game with Fonda at HVCC in Troy
When the smoke cleared Cambridge and Mechanicville wore the crowns but all four squads represented. Each team well prepared for post season play after enduring the gauntlet of the Wasaren schedule.
How about the effort from both Hoosick Falls teams. Continue reading
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