Mamaroneck, Rye, Tappan Zee and Woodlands are two regional wins away from a NYSPHSAA semifinal appearance. North Salem has to win just once to make the state final four.
All five teams are in action this week and we’ll be posting our coverage here.
It’s been three years since the last Section 1 team won a NYSPHSAA championship. Tappan Zee beat Irondequoit in 2023. Haldane made the final the following season and Woodlands got to the title game a year ago.
Class AAA
Mamaroneck goes right back to work and sends Kingston home
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS – It’s no easy feat, coming into a subregional off the biggest moment in program history.
Mamaroneck captured the first Section 1 championship in program history over the weekend, got an escort back to school and were promptly reminded how close they were to a state title.
This could be the proverbial once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“We’ve talked all year about what a special group we have,” Mamaroneck coach Tyrone Carver said. “Obviously, we wanted to get the gold ball but we also thought we were capable of doing more. After the game Sunday, we talked about staying locked in. It’s a tribute to the kids. We had two very good practices and came out today and performed well again.”
Mamaroneck was dead serious from the jump Wednesday and broke open a close game in the second half, advancing to a Class AAA regional final with a 64-45 win over Kingston at Yorktown High School.
“We finally got that first-ever title and some of us play a spring sport and it can be hard to refocus, especially with the nice weather,” Mamaroneck senior Will Plunkett said. “Brandon (Burrell) and I kind of told everyone this next game is almost even bigger in terms of magnitude. We were four wins from a state title. Now we’ve got the first one.”
Jonah Walsh provided a needed jump start to break the game open.
He connected from behind the arc six times, helping Mamaroneck open a comfortable lead. It was a welcome boost on an otherwise hot-and-cold shooting day.
The defense after the break was outstanding, as well.
“Winning the sectional championship was a first for us and a first for the coaches, too,” Walsh said. “When we got back to school we went to our locker room and coach emphasized, ‘This isn’t all there is. Don’t relax.’ We’ve got more games to play and I think we’re all on the same page.”
Mamaroneck gets Long Island champion Bay Shore in the 12 p.m. regional final Saturday at Yorktown.
Turning point
Walsh hit from deep to break a 26-26 deadlock in the opening minute of the second half and spark the decisive 15-0 run. Mamaroneck point guard Brandon Burrell was struggling to make shots, but he was the ideal set-up man after the break, hitting Jake Reese for a 3 the next time down, feeding Plunkett in the paint for an easy bucket and then kicking out for a Walsh 3 that forced a Kingston time out.
Box score
Mamaroneck (19-3): Jonah Walsh 18P; Brandon Burrell 10P; Will Plunkett 24P; Jake Reese 4P; Jonny Smath 4P; T.J. Grimes 2P; Owen Reese 2P.
Kingston (16-7): Max Sheth 8P; Syed Lewis 2P; Jack Purvis 2P; Corey Heywood 5P; Kevin Castillo 12P; Declan McDermott 15P; Kurtis Owens 1P.
Takeaways
Burrell could not get into a rhythm but still had a huge impact on the game. He clamped down on Kingston point guard Max Sheth in the second half and went looking for open teammates at the other end.
“Watching everything Brandon does on any end of the floor, it’s huge for us to see,” Plunkett said. “Even when he can’t get it going because they’re hounding him, what he’s doing opens up other players, like Jonah in this one. His defense and rebounding were huge.”
There’s a good core of Kingston players coming back next season. It would not be a surprise to see a more experienced team back in the regionals.
Mike Dougherty covers high school basketball for The Journal News/lohud.
Class B
Woodberry shines as Woodlands rolls to ‘B’ regional final
MAHOPAC – Hitting the go-ahead shot in overtime to help deliver a championship is a sweet moment for any athlete. It served as a bit of sugarcoating for Aaron Woodberry, but for a superstar with supremely high standards, it wasn’t enough to cleanse the bad taste of what he considered a poor performance.
“We expect a lot out of ourselves and we know what our goal is,” the Woodlands senior said, still harshly critiquing his five-point outing in the Section 1 final. “I’m glad our other guys stepped up, but I know that if we’re gonna get far, I have to be better.”
His teammates believe that, too. That’s why the secondary emphasis of their subregional game — behind winning, of course — was to get Woodberry back into an offensive rhythm. He would be featured in the majority of sets, and the group would look to find him in advantageous spots when he wasn’t the one creating.
“He’s obviously very important to this team and we need him to be great,” senior Sebastian Benitez said. “We wanted to get him back on track. I told him before the game, ‘This is your show.'”
And when Woodberry got free in the lane for an emphatic one-hand dunk with 2:12 remaining, that essentially was his bow and blown kiss to the audience as the curtains closed.
That was the last among a panoply of highlight-worthy plays as the guard wowed the crowd at Mahopac High School, scoring 36 points and leading the Falcons in a 67-50 win over Section 9’s Onteora, which advanced them to the Class B regional final.
“That’s what we like to see,” Benitez said. “We wanted him to have a big game and he came through for us.”
Woodlands, which reached at least the state semifinals the previous two seasons, will face Long Island’s Carle Place on Saturday, 6 p.m. at SUNY Farmingdale.
“That’s never a concern for us,” coach John Rapaport said of his team avoiding complacency. “These guys know what we’re after and they know what it takes. We’re not taking anything for granted.”
Turning point
Onteora won its section for the first time since 2001 and had the bad-luck draw of facing a Woodlands squad with an abundance of talent and a chip on its shoulder after falling in the state final last winter.
The Falcons were in control from the outset and built considerable leads. But, to its credit, Onteora did enough early on to keep them from pulling away. Woodberry’s free throws gave Woodlands a 39-25 lead with 6:02 left in the third, but the Eagles followed with a sequence in which Ryder Bickel and Luc Millenson-Wilens each hit a three and Ryan Burgher blocked two shots under the basket.
“They run their stuff very well, they know where they’re gonna get their looks,” Rapaport said. “But we changed up our defense a bit, gave them different looks, and we were able to get some turnovers off that. And that’s when we’re at our best.”
Woodlands thrives in transition and center Sean McKenney has become adept at throwing quarterback-like outlet passes. He hit Benitez in stride for a layup that made it 48-33 late in the third. There was another to Woodberry that extended their lead to 56-42 with 5:20 remaining.
“That’s our style and it makes the game fun,” said Woodberry, whose punctuating dunk created the margin. “We’re an athletic team and you know, if we run hard and get down there, somebody is probably throwing a good pass and it’s an easy bucket.”
Box score
Woodlands (21-2) — Woodberry 36P; Benitez 12P; Noah Cherubin 6P; McKenney 6P; Jaden Gatson 4P
Onteora (15-7) — Millenson-Wilens 14P; Jameer Maize 12P; Burgher 9P; Even Pizer 3P; Calvin Peck 2P; Sam Storch 2P; Vaughn McDonagh 2P
Takeaways
Woodberry got into a groove early with layups and floaters in the first quarter then worked his way outward as his confidence grew. Feeling it in the second half, he pulled up for mid-range jumpers and step-backs, and splashed three 3-pointers.
“After our last game, the guys told me to keep my head up and keep shooting,” said Woodberry, who came within a point of his career high. “It feels good bounce back.”
Woodberry works extensively on his game and has deepened his offensive bag competing in summer leagues in New York City. He excels in the Falcons’ “free-form system with rules,” Rapaport said.
“We want him having the freedom to utilize his skillset and his versatility,” the coach said. “When he’s at his best, we’re at our best.”
Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
Class AA
Rye romps over Goshen, advancing to regional final
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS – Minutes after the clock ran out in the state final, while on the euphoric high of having just claimed the ultimate prize, Henry Shoemaker brought up basketball and how excited he was for practice the following day.
Maybe, the senior wondered aloud, that team could have a similar run.
It might’ve sounded chimeric then, but with each round that Rye advances and with each superb performance this group puts forth, those words are becoming prophetic.
“The feeling of winning states is incredible and you’re so happy, but then it’s done,” said Carson Miller, the star quarterback. “You’re looking to chase that feeling again, to get the joy from another journey, and we’re doing that now.”
The Garnets took another big step toward earning themselves another trip upstate with a 62-47 win over Section 9’s Goshen in a Class AA boys basketball subregional on March 10.
They led from the outset and looked almost invincible while building a 29-point lead in the third quarter and stifling a potent Gladiators offense.
“We’ve fallen short the last few years, so it feels great to be doing something special this season,” said point guard Ben Hudson, whose team last reached this round in 1989. “This has been a great year for a lot of Rye teams and there’s a lot of pride in being part of that.”
Rye faces the Long Island champion, Smithtown West, in a regional final on Friday, 7 p.m. at Yorktown High School.
“Every team up ahead is going to be really talented,” Miller said, “and we need to be playing at a state championship level. We’re going to grind, watch a lot of film and do everything we can to prepare for this next game.”
Turning point
The Garnets scored the first six points of the contest and Goshen drew no closer than 6-3 with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter. The separation came in the second, when Rye held the Gladiators to four points while racing to a 34-13 halftime lead.
Despite being at a height disadvantage, the Garnets did well in packing the paint but quickly adjusting to contest 3-pointers, one of Goshen’s strength. And, with their perimeter pressure, Rye forced several turnovers in the second and third quarters that turned into transition baskets.
Miller successfully guarded Jimmy Kelly, a 6-foot-5 senior who set a Section 9 record with 65 points in a game last month. He helped hold the Goshen star to 18 points — 10 of which came in the fourth quarter — and earned praise from teammates.
“I think we’re great on the defensive end,” Hudson said. “We keep going, keep running, and we take advantage of being an athletic team. We did emphasize pushing (the offensive pace), but we’re always focused on defense and pride ourselves on that.”
Goshen entered averaging 65.4 points per game but trailed 44-15 late in the third quarter. They did erupt for 25 points in the fourth, but it was obviously too late.
Box score
Rye (20-5): Carson Miller 18P; Ben Hudson 11P; Sebastian Lewis 10P; Luke Scully 7P; Henry Shoemaker 6P; Milo Shirakawa 4P.
Goshen (19-4): Jimmy Kelly 18P; Jake Giordano 11P; Gavin Kincade 8P; Ethan Greico 5P; Sean Kelly 5P.
Takeaways
Some of the key players on this roster were standouts on the football team whose basketball preparation was delayed because of the state championship run. It took them about a month to hit their stride and get into rhythm.
“We picked up a couple early losses because of it and got a little unlucky in the (playoff) bracketology,” Miller said of his team being seeded fifth in Section 1. “We’re a better team than our record indicated and I think we’re getting better as we go.”
The Garnets began playing to their standards in February and it’s been kicked up a notch in the playoffs. If what the players insist is true, that they’re capable of even more, it’s troubling news to the teams in their path.
Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
Class A
Tappan Zee again refuses to yield, heads back to regional final
MAHOPAC – Tappan Zee almost had to run through a wall to get this one.
Beacon got physical with the Dutchmen, who took the bumps and bruises in stride and posted a 49-33 win over the Section 9 champions Tuesday in a NYSPHSAA Class A subregional at Mahopac High School.
“That was one of those games that you feel afterward, one of those games that when it’s over you’re happy to have gotten through it,” Tappan Zee forward Isaiah Leveille said.
A standing-room only crowd added plenty of atmosphere.
“I really couldn’t hear the coaches,” junior guard Joe Linehan said. “It was so loud. We had to talk to ourselves and sometimes decide ourselves what plays to run.”
Through it all, the Dutchmen remained on task.
Ryan Landisi got the Bulldogs on the board first, but the lead was gone in 60 seconds. Beacon only got one more field goal the rest of the quarter. It was a 3 from Jahcier Ballard that knotted the score 5-5.
Tappan Zee only scored twice in the closing minutes of the first, but the usual tone had been set. Another high-scoring opponent was flustered.
Jack Piccione capped a determined 14-2 run to open the second quarter and gave the Dutchmen a 23-7 lead. There was some pushback, too, from the Section 1 champions, who only gave up three field goals in the second.
Beacon went seven minutes without a point.
“That was definitely the most physical game I’ve played in ever,” Leveille added. “Those are great athletes and that’s a well-coached team that definitely had a scouting report coming in that said to pressure the ball and play us physical. A lot of props to them because we’re going to feel that one, but we were gritty and tough enough to get through it.”
Next up for the Dutchmen is a 3:30 p.m. Saturday regional final game against Section 8 champion Floral Park at SUNY Farmingdale.
Turning point
Clean looks were hard to come by at both ends of the court, but Linehan and Leveille each drilled a 3 in a span of 30 seconds to give Tappan Zee a 21-7 lead. It’s not an insurmountable lead but against the Dutchmen it’s a steep hill to climb.
Box score
Beacon (22-2): Michai Thompson 7P; Brady Philipbar 4P; Jayden Bostick 1P; Marciano Rodriguez 3P; Jahcier Ballerd 5P; Ryan Landisi 13P.
Tappan Zee (22-2): Isaiah Leveille 19P; Jack Piccione 6P, 8B; Timmy Alexandre 9P; Christian Sanchez 7P; Joe Linehan 7P; Ryan Pashley 2P.
Takeaways
Piccione was playing like a 6-foot-7 center in this one. He got credit for eight blocks. Several were deflections, but he likely blocked or altered 12-14 shots over the course of 30 minutes.
Coming into the game Beacon had dropped at least 75 points on eight occasions and had never been held below 50 points. The defense came down especially hard on Bulldogs leading scorer Michai Thompson, who was shut out by Christian Sanchez in the first half and finished with seven points.
In a crazy loud environment it’s good to have teammates who’ve literally grown up together on the court. They have their own shorthand. “It helps so much,” Linehan said. “We all trust each other. We’ve been in these situations before and know if pass it to somebody they’re going to knock down the shot.”
Mike Dougherty covers high school basketball for The Journal News/lohud.
Schedule
Friday, March 13
Class AA
Regional final
Rye vs. Smithtown West, 7 p.m. at Yorktown High School
Saturday, March 14
Class AAA
Regional final
Mamaroneck vs. Bay Shore, 12 p.m. at Yorktown High School
Class A
Regional final
Tappan Zee vs. Florham Park, 3:30 p.m. at SUNY Farmingdale
Class B
Regional final
Woodlands vs. Carle Place, 6 p.m. at SUNY Farmingdale
Class C
Regional final
North Salem vs. Pierson, 2:30 p.m. at Longwood High School
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Mamaroneck and Woodlands advance to boys basketball regional finals
Reporting by Mike Dougherty and Stephen Haynes, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
