NEWBURGH – Standing in front of his bench and the quickly increasing swarm of students having to be held back from spilling onto the court, Beacon senior Ryan Landisi leaned over the chairs and embraced a group of jubilating fans. More than just a celebration, it seemed as if a collective sigh of relief registered through the Bulldogs’ bench and the bleachers.
A program that had been patiently waiting for its opportunity to break through after falling short each and every time, Beacon finally broke through. For the first time ever, the Bulldogs sit as Section 9 champions after bashing Red Hook from the opening tip in an eventual 62-38 blowout victory over the Raiders in the Class A final at Mt. Saint Mary College on Friday night.
“I don’t know If anybody ever deserves anything, but I know this group worked hard. I know they earned it,” said Beacon coach Patrick Schetter after the game. “I told these guys that I’m so proud of the men they’ve become. They show every day how hard they work. That’s going to carry them throughout life and they got a championship this year.”
Michai Thompson led the Bulldogs on the scoresheet with 17 points. Ryan Landisi tallied 14 in a supplemental effort while Jahcier Ballard pitched in 10.
Ever since merging over into Section 9 back during the 2021-22 season, there’s been a familiar cloud hovering over the Beacon program that has had its sights set on championship gold ever since becoming a member. Through successful seasons and top seeds, Beacon has had its chances over the past five seasons to break through and raise the Section 9 crown. Each and every time, the program fell short.
This season, from the opening tip, has been characterized by one single thing. A relentless pursuit of success. With a loaded and senior-laden lineup, Schetter had his group that was simply going to refuse anything less than championship gold. Nothing was going to stop the Bulldogs this year.
“That’s been a point of emphasis for us this year, coming out of the gate in the first quarter with energy. The last couple of years, that’s been something we’ve lacked as a program,” Schetter said. “We wanted to jump on them early and keep our foot on the pedal.”
That sentiment sang true on Friday with Beacon grabbing instant control and quickly jumping out to a double-digit lead less than four minutes into the contest. Rarely finding any consistent struggles, the Bulldogs’ rampant attack had the team at a comfortable margin throughout the entire contest.
Everything was operating to plan offensively, but it was the defensive efforts of both Jayden Bostick and Jah’Real Whitted that completely changed the narrative of this game. With both being assigned to primarily guard Red Hook’s Matt Simmons, the pair each shut the Raiders’ top scorer down excellently.
“Jayden Bostick is the greatest high school defender I’ve ever seen, I think a ton of people would attest to that. He elevates everyone around him in practice to be a good defender,” Schetter said. “That’s what it takes.”
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Beacon boys basketball rolls by Red Hook, earns first Section 9 title
Reporting by Eric Decker, Poughkeepsie Journal / Poughkeepsie Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
