It’s the last full week of the regular season. The final day to play a Section 1 game and have it count toward seeding is Monday, Feb. 16 and the brackets should be out Tuesday, Feb. 17. There are a few more tune-ups in the CHSAA, as well, and the diocesan tournaments get underway next week.
Monday, Feb. 16
Byram Hills 62, Ardsley 43
BH: Kevin Kendall 26P, 7R; Ben Wolf 17P, 6R; Max Miller 10P, 4R, 8A.
Hamilton, 58, Pawling 45
Mount Vernon 71, North Rockland 66
MV: Kaiden Tyler 18P; Zion Watkins 16P; Joe Holness 12P.
NRk: Ehan Ilyas 27; Ayden Pignard 12P; Sydney McMurrin 11P.
Yorktown 77. Poughkeepsie 70
Yk: Connor Morhardt 21P, 4R; Colin Worden 17P, 10R, 7A; Sean Davis 13P, 13R, 4S; Franklin Ringel 11P, 12R.
Pou: Victor Nelson 24P.
Monday, Feb. 9
Leffell 68, Children’s Village 44
LS: Jeremy Seiden 23P; Yoav Mandelbaum 15P; Jack Horowitz 14P.
Bronxville 54, Croton 32
Bx: Desi Heathwood 19P; Theo Hoffner 11P.
CH: Vin Flynn 15P.
Mount Vernon 85, Ossining 55
MV: Kaiden Tyler 21P; BJ Robinson 16P.
Clarkstown North 61, Eastchester 45
CN: Rotimi Esiso 23P, 8R, 4S; Javonte Johnson 11P, 7R, 5A; Kyle Kirkland 8P, 7R; Jack Kavanagh 10P, 3S.
Ea: Greg Poli 15P; Peter Telesco 14P.
Poughkeepsie 54, Fox Lane 48
FL: Arthur Shevick 16P; Ethan Mayers 18P; Janak Bain 8P.
Woodlands 75, Obama School 47
Wd: Aaron Woodberry 23P, 9R, 2B; Sean McKenney 16P, 10R, 2B; Noah Cherubin 10P, 7R.
OS: Jaiden Hunter 13P; Ebrahima Jabbi 11P.
Tappan Zee 48, Harrison 25
TZ: Christian Sanchez 14P; Timmy Alexandre 14P; Jack Piccione 8P; Isaiah Leveille 8P.
Pleasantville 51, Ardsley 40
Pv: Nate Barreto 15P, 4S; Declan Bruder 19P, 5R, 3A; Connor Day 4P, 5R.
Byram Hills 58, Dobbs Ferry 53
BH: Ben Wolf 26P, 11R; Kevin Kendall 18P, 5R; Max Miller 6P, 9A; Reid Dutoit 3P, 5R.
DF: Anthony Ficarrotta 32P, 11R; Mateus Hertz-Bird 9P, 4A.
Greeley 59, Brewster 49
HG: Jake Sheehy 19P, 9R; Levi Sack 10P, 6R, 7A; Jaxson Thomas 10P, 6R.
Bw: Kaden Anderson 20P; Max Rivera 12P.
Roosevelt 63, Saunders 56
Rs: Oudai Alnnashash 16P; Lawrence Iyalekhue 15P.
Sau: Alex Vasquez 34P; Abdul Sadiq 9P; Gerneus Charles 9P.
Yorktown 67, Carmel 61
Yk: Connor Morhardt 20P, 4R; Franklin Ringel 17P, 10R; Colin Worden 15P, 6R, 7A.
Ca: King Mercer 19P, 12R; Dylan Sullivan 12P; Owen Yost 11P; Gabe Bernier 8P, 7A.
Rye 54, Clarkstown South 50
R: Ben Hudson 16P; Carson Miller 16P; Sebastian Lewis 10P; Henry Shoemaker 7P.
CS: Elijah Lavallee 19P; Christian Termine 10P.
Note: The Garnets finish 6-0 in league play to claim the championship.
Irvington 79, Gorton 40
Irv: Nick Grados 30P, 11R; Riley Hein 11P, 14R; Alex Shevrin 6P, 4R, 6A.
John Jay-Cross River 71, Hen Hud 61
JJ: Braydon Gates 22P; Marc Fein 21P, 7R, 6A; Alex Palacio 12P, 11R.
HH: Kane Wamack 24P; Hunter Kennedy-Brown 22P.
Yonkers Montessori 67, Valhalla 49
YMA: Alex Grullon 29P; Gabe Azulay 21P.
Riverside at Sleepy Hollow
St. Mary’s at Salesian
Edgemont at Hamilton
Ramapo at Ketcham
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Scarsdale 59, White Plains 57
Sc: Andrew Roseman 10P, 8R, 5B; Ryan Sussberg 12P, 4R; Hunter Ross 10P, 6R; Ethan Grossberg 8P, 5A.
WP: Thulani Boateng 19P, 5R; Otto Armstrong 10P, 4A; Jeremiah Turner 10P, 4R; Nathan Plummer 8P, 7R.
Hastings 53, Blind Brook 47
Hs: Dylan Heilakka 21P; Anthony Moore 10P.
BB: Tyler Taerstein 15P, 10R, 5A, 4S; Ryan Brown 11P, 4R, 3A; Cooper Smith 8P, 6R, 4A.
Peekskill 62, Hen Hud 53
Pk: Jahmir Williams 18P; JoJo Walker 17P; Darius Smythe 16P.
HH: Hunter Kennedy-Brown 16P; Kane Wamack 15P; D.J. McCarthy 11P.
Keio 72, Greenburgh/North Castle 66
Rye Neck 78, Lincoln 40
RN: Davey Ryan 22P; Thomas McNiff 12P; Logan Williams 12P.
Note: The Panthers have won nine in a row.
Leffell 61, Tuxedo 26
LS: Jack Horowitz 21P; Jeremy Seiden 15P.
Pearl River 90, Bronxville 65
PR: Ryan Houston 25P; Jack Pritts 18P; Luke Murray 14P; T.J. Lanese 11P; Ryan Burke 10P.
Bx: Desi Heathwood 14P.
North Rockland 51, Arlington 50
NRk: Ehan Ilyas 16P; Aaron Rivera 13P.
Arl: Cyrus Cowings 19P, 15R; Brady Dunne 12P.
Tuckahoe 69, North Salem 58
Tk: Luca Del Conte 28P; Marco Formato 16P; Jack Bamford 10P.
NS: Pat Dooley 11P, 3A; Isaiah Jeter 11P, 4R; Andrew DeLarco 11P, 7R.
Lakeland 63, John Jay-Cross River 53
Lk: Mateo Lugo 25P; Anthony Ray 16P; Luke Lulanaj 8P, 6R; Mike Lucia 6P, 6A; Louis Murray 2P, 8R.
JJ: Nate Summer 19P; Braydon Gates 12P; Alex Palacio 6P, 7R.
Nanuet 37, Suffern 35
Sf: Jake Pampolina 19P, 5R; Kobe Thornton 10P, 10R; Arthur Mpesha 5P, 9R.
Putnam Valley 60, Briarcliff 51
PV: Logan Moriarty 15P, 4R, 5A; Zach Gabriel 13P, 10R; Ethan Tescher 11P, 4R; Mike Frye 6P, 5A.
Bc: A.J. Alomar 19P.
Mount Vernon at John Jay-East Fishkill, PPD
Stepinac 64, Christ the King 38
AS: Josh Rivera 25P, 6R; Hassan Koureissi 12P, 3R, 4A; Jasiah Jervis 11P, 7R, 8A, 3S; Adonis Ratliff – 7P, 7R, 5B.
Note: Rivera connected seven times from behind the arc.
Salesian 60, LaSalle 51
Sal: Kev Mitchell 13P; John Lagos 14P; Joe Secola 13P.
Don Bosco, N.J. 83, Iona Prep 55
Children’s Village vs. Riverside
John Volpe Classic
Sacred Heart 54, Gorton 39
SH: Marion Morgan 21P
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Rye disrupts Senior Night celebration at Clarkstown North
NEW CITY – Over the years, Carson Miller has developed a knack for spinning an extraneous thread motivational masterpiece.
It’s part of what makes Rye so hard to send home.
The playoffs tip off in a week, but when the Garnets stepped onto the court Wednesday at Clarkstown North, this was not a clash between two of the leading contenders in Class AA. Miller applauded each of the 10 seniors the Rams honored before the game, then dropped 26 points in a 69-48 statement win.
It was kind of, sort of personal.
“Look, that’s a great team with some great players,” said Miller, a senior guard. “But you know, when it’s Senior Day and they book you, it means somebody thinks you’re going to be an easy opponent, so it’s kind of nice when you can ruin that parade.”
North came into the season finale having won 15 in a row. The rotation was adjusted to give all of the seniors a run and Rye immediately threw cold water on the celebration. Ben Hudson capped a high-intensity, high-execution opening quarter in the final seconds, giving the Garnets a 21-6 cushion.
A packed student section had no reason to make noise.
“The fun never fades,” Rye senior forward Henry Shoemaker said of the Garnets’ ability to win important games across multiple sports. “Coming into a place like this, an atmosphere like this, it gets you excited to play. We don’t know anyone in the stands here, so it’s a chance to make an impression and represent your town and play for your teammates.”
Turning point
Rotimi Estimo narrowed the gap to 12 with six minutes to go in the half, and while Rye had a few second-quarter possessions short circuit, the Rams could not solve a united defensive front and was limited to just two more field goals before the break.
Box score
Rye (15-4): Ben Hudson 17P; Carson Miller 26P; Henry Shoemaker 15P; Luke Scully 2P; Sebastian Lewis 5P; Gavin McKiernan 2P; Jackson Pineault 2P.
Clarkstown North (17-3): Kyle Kirkland 9P; Justin Santos 2P; Sean Bankey 11P; Jack Kavanagh 13P, 6R; Eyal Gabai 1P; Christian Salcedo 2P; Rotimi Esiso 10P, 11R, 6A.
Takeaways
When the ball is moving without hesitation and Rye is only taking smart shots from behind the arc and the defense maintains a high level of intensity, the Garnets win. There is no gray area. When any of those three boxes is left unchecked, this team struggles.
The Rams still have a chance to have a historic season and get to the County Center, but there was more to the letdown than an unfamiliar rotation. And it starts on the defensive end. Rye hit wide open cutters time after time and the Garnets had plenty of time and space each time they stepped behind the arc.
Obama School 61, Croton 35
OS: Eli Mitchell 17P; Ebrahima Jabbi 10P.
CH: Vin Flynn 14P.
White Plains 64, Spring Valley 48
Jeremiah Turner 11P, 6R, 3A; Davin Plummer 10P, 5R; Otto Armstrong 10P, 6R; Thulani Boateng 9P, 4S; Bryce Thomas 8P, 6A; Nathan Plummer 6P, 6R.
Mamaroneck 58, New Rochelle 45
Mk: Will Plunkett 20P, 10R; Brandon Burrell 19P, 5A; Jonah Walsh 10P.
Note: Plunkett moved to the top of the program’s career rebounds list.
Yonkers Montessori 59, Irvington 53
YMA: Gabe Azulay 23P, 9R; Xavi Grullon 10P.
Irv: Jarrett Ourman 17P, 3R, 3A; Adrian Aybar 16P, 5R; Luke Graeber 8P, 8R.
Haldane 73, Dobbs Ferry 57
Hd: Ryder Griffin 22P; Zane Del Pozo 19P; Luke Bozsik 17P.
DF: Anthony Ficarrotta 40P, 14R.
Nyack 66, Eastchester 42
Edgemont 50, Pelham 33
Ed: Aidan Ruane 12P.
Pel: Drew Bier 11P.
Fox Lane 50, Panas 35
FL: Arthur Shevick 13P, 7R; Ethan Mayers 18P, 3A, 5S; Janak Bain 9P, 8R; Chris Sanchez 7P.
Westlake 54, Byram Hills 48
Ws: Marcus Jackette 18P; Nick Stancarone 12P; Liam Hannon 9P, 11R; Gjorge Krasnici 5P, 7R.
BH: Kevin Kendall 18P, 4R; Max Miller 13P, 6R, 3A..
Greeley 67, Carmel 62
HG: Jake Sheehy 17P, 8R; Jaxon Thomas 17P, 5A; Levi Sack 13P, 6A; Alex Horowitz 11P.
C: King Mercer 18P, 11R; Connor Murphy 17P; Gabe Bernier 11P.
Tappan Zee 48, Mahopac 45
TZ: Christian Sanchez 15P; Isaiah Leveille 13P; Timmy Alexandre 10P; Jack Piccione 8P.
Ma: Matt Reilly 16P.
Rye 69, Clarkstown North 48
Yorktown 44, Harrison 37
Yk: Colin Worden 15P, 13R, 7A; Franklin Ringel 13P, 12R, 4A; Lucas Schrade 7P.
Ha: Ryan Ianniello 11P.
Mount Vernon 60, John Jay-East Fishkill 45
MV: Zion Watkins 18P; Kaiden Tyler 17P.
Saunders 52, Sleepy Hollow 46
Sau: Alex Vasquez 24P; David Mitchell 9P, 5A; Abdul Sadiq 8P.
Note: Vasquez became the program’s all-time scoring leader.
Children’s Village at Gorton
Brewster at Peekskill
Keio at Lincoln
Thursday, Feb. 12
Suffern gets a memorable triple-overtime win at North Rockland
THIELLS – Pick a moment, any moment.
Suffern had a hero on call for each and every critical possession of a three-overtime thriller at North Rockland that played out Thursday in a storybook atmosphere.
It was standing room only for the age-old rivalry.
Jake Pampolina punctuated a frantic closing run with a clutch 3 to force overtime. Paul Velez hit a timely jumper in the initial overtime that allowed the Mounties to survive a cold-blooded 3 at the other end. Jaiden Clemente drained a desperation 3 from the corner to knot the score with less than a second to go in the second overtime. Elijah Reitz pulled up along the baseline and connected on a teardrop jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining that gave Suffern a 72-70 win.
Given the intensity on and off the court, the pressure to deliver was immense.
“It felt like slow motion,” Reitz said. “I got the ball in the corner and decided to drive. I knew the shot clock was winding down and I had to shoot. Coach has faith in every single one of us, so I had the faith to put up the shot.”
Amen.
Reitz was pressed into service along with Tyler Harris and Noah Chery when Pampolina, Kobe Thornton and Arthur Mpesha fouled out.
It’s going to be a day or three before the adrenaline fades.
“North Rockland has been our rival for so long,” Clemente said. “They beat us in the playoffs last year, so this one felt personal. A lot of those guys over there are my boys and stuff, but today we were all dogs out there, fighting against each other. It was such a good game to be part of.”
When it was over and the rivals lined up, there were more hugs than handshakes.
“I had a smile on my face the whole time because this environment is awesome,” Suffern coach Scott Wright said. “I’m so thankful North Rockland wanted to play after the section broke up our league. There is no better game. Every time we play them, the next game we’re better. It always sets us up to improve, win or lose, and hopefully it’s the same for them.”
Turning point
Ehan Ilyas hit a baseline jumper to give the Red Raiders a 49-41 lead with three minutes to go in regulation, but North Rockland got a little fast and loose with the ball. The Mounties went on an 8-0 run to force overtime.
Pampolina scored the final seven points.
“The energy in that place tonight, it’s the commitment to our school from this community that creates that electricity and it just doesn’t happen all the time,” Red Raiders coach Jamie Ryan said. “You play in that atmosphere, you take a brutal loss and it becomes a life lesson. You have to get up off the mat the next day and go to school. We’ll get over it. Tonight was a testament to (Suffern). And it was a game where one bounce here or there determined whether you were happy or not.”
Box score
Suffern (18-2): Paul Velez 13P, 7A; Elijah Reitz 2P; Jake Pampolina 29P, 7R; Arthur Mpesha 8P, 10R; Jaiden Clemente 16P, 5R; Kobe Thornton 4P, 12R.
North Rockland (16-3): Ayden Pignard 23P; Sydney McMurrin 6P; Alex Quezada 2P; Ehan Ilyas 13P; Aaron Rivera 22P; LeSean Goode 4P.
Takeaways
A loss to Nanuet earlier in the week raised some doubts, but Suffern answered important questions here and has to be considered the favorite heading into the Class AA tournament. None of the other contenders have this kind of depth in the starting five and the chemistry is obvious.
Pignard was outstanding start to finish in this one. He’s the kind of player who can make the Red Raiders a serious threat in the Class AAA tournament. Rivera, though, was the star in a difficult loss. He gave North Rockland fans multiple chances to raise the roof. He dropped a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left in the first overtime to extend the game. He attacked the rim and shifted momentum with a noisy layup, fouling out Pampolina in the final minute of the second overtime. He broke down another defender and gave the Red Raiders another chance, knotting the score 70-70 seconds before Reitz called game.
Pearl River 65, Albertus Magnus 47
PR: Jack Pritts 22P; Ryan Houston 17P; T.J. Lanese 17P.
AM: Joe Buckley 16P.
Tuxedo at Leffell School, cancelled
Riverside 63, Keio 28
Woodlands 62, Tuckahoe 44
Wd: Aaron Woodberry 24P, 5R, 4S; Sebastian Benitez 15P, 5R, 5A; Sean McKenney 7P, 10R, 10A.
Hastings 38, Briarcliff 33
Hs: Theo Suniewick 9P; Dylan Heilakka 7P; Michael Leyden 7P.
Lakeland 56, Putnam Valley 47
Lk: Mateo Lugo 18P; Luke Lulanaj 10P, 6R; Mike Lucia 5A; Louis Murray 7R.
PV: Zach Gabriel 17P, 10R; Logan Moriarty 14P.
Pleasantville 50, Somers 39
Pv: Declan Bruder 25P, 9R, 4S; Nate Barreto 18P, 3R; Connor Day 5P, 4R.
Children’s Village 64, Greenburgh/North Castle 59
GNC: Darron Brown 18P.
Irvington 55, Hen Hud 53
Irv: Jarrett Ourman 16P, 5R, 4S; Joe DeNardo 16P, 10R, 3A; Adrian Aybar 15P, 5R, 3A; Jake Piersol 4P, 11R.
HH: Kane Wamack 22P.
Rye Neck 44, Ardsley 29
RN: Davey Ryan 25P; Logan Williams 8P.
Note: The Panthers closed the regular season on a 10-game winning streak.
Poughkeepsie 77, Peekskill 68
John Jay-East Fishkill 54, Ketcham 45
Yonkers 89, Gorton 32
Friday, Feb. 13
Mount Vernon is very much back in business
MOUNT VERNON – We’ve seen this before.
A year after failing to advance beyond the quarterfinals of the Section 1 tournament for the first time since 1988, the most celebrated program in the state is back in the conversation.
It would be an upset if Mount Vernon again falls short at the County Center.
The Knights quickly corrected a focus issue Friday, went full throttle in the fourth quarter and ran away from New Rochelle, posting a 63-26 win. There is one last non-league game to play on Monday against North Rockland before anyone starts thinking about winning another gold ball.
And there are some details that need attention.
“It looks like we’ll have a nice chunk of practice time before sectionals,” Mount Vernon coach Bob Cimmino said. “We have to catch the ball. We cannot be so nonchalant on catches. We have to make every possession valuable. We don’t always do that.”
The Knights are likely to be the No. 2 seed when the brackets come out Tuesday.
On the defensive end, this group is fully engaged. On the offensive end, it’s less of a struggle than it was last season when the ball moves and halfcourt buckets are mixed in with the transition layups.
“We all want to score, but it starts on defense,” senior guard Zion Watkins said. “We need to get those stops first because that leads to more scoring and turns us up even more.”
Turning point
Mount Vernon was coasting with a 44-33 lead in the closing minutes of the third quarter, but that lead was down to four at the buzzer. A quick sideline chat reignited the passion and the Knights opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run, taking a 55-40 lead on a Jayden Munroe layup.
“They kind of came back and we had to speak on some stuff,” junior point guard Kaiden Tyler said. “We came back out with a different kind of energy and got them. We have to work on that. We can’t relax. If we have the lead, we have to keep going and keep going.”
Box score
New Rochelle (10-10): Greg Martin 4P; Bryce Seward 5P; Donovan Jenkin 11P; Asher McLeod 2P; Gabe Grass 3P; Fynn Bowman 6P; Zachary Campbell 4P; Cristain Waldron 8P; Brandan Alvarez 3P.
Mount Vernon (15-4): B.J. Robinson 3P; Kaiden Tyler 10P; Zion Watkins 17P; Joe Holness 10P; Tyrus Lee 4P; Jayden Munroe 4P; Wayne Deir 13P.
Takeaways
New Rochelle is the defending Section 1 Class AAA champion and will likely have to win a road quarterfinal to get back to the County Center. Scoring is sometimes a struggle for this team but on the big court, this group would have an edge defensively against most teams.
The Knights are better offensively this year because of the passing of Tyler and the scoring of Watkins. And role players like Joe Holness, Wayne Deir, Tyrus Lee and Munroe can all be trusted with the ball on critical possessions.
Eastchester 63, Ardsley 46
Ea: Greg Poli 17P; Trent Lindemann 15P.
Ard: Seb Chacon 13P; Justin Jaeger 11P.
Mahopac 71, Panas 45
Ma: Drew Lichtenberger 17P, 8R, 3A; Ethan Dedvukaj 15P, 5R; Matt Reilly 14P, 9R, 4A, 3B; Ryan LaRue 2P, 7R, 5A, 2B.
Harrison 69, Roosevelt 45
Ha: Jack Badner 27P, 5A; Matt McCoy 23P, 5A, 5S; Jason Crupi 2P, 9R; 4A, 2B.
Rs: Lawrence Iyalekhue 14P
Nyack 54, Clarkstown South 52
Greeley 69, Carmel 44
HG: Levi Sack 17P, 5A; Alex Horowitz 15P, 4S; Jaxon Thomas 12P, 6R.
C: King Mercer 15P, 18R.
Fox Lane 56, John Jay-Cross River 31
FL: Arthur Shevick 18P; Ethan Mayers 13P, 3A; Janak Bain 12P, 10R.
JJ: Braydon Gates 11P; Nate Summer 9P.
Bronxville 57, Blind Brook 40
Bx: Theo Hoffner 21P; Desi Heathwood 12P.
BB: Tyler Taerstein 16P, 15R, 4A; Jayson Aguilar 7P, 4R.
Nanuet 85, Yonkers 57
Nt: Boris Berthomieux 27P; Ford Banton 20P; Mekhi Vines 13P, 9R; Connor Mullen 10A.
Dobbs Ferry 67, North Salem 66 OT
DF: Anthony Ficarrotta 44P, 16R; Calvin Higgins 10P; Mateus Hertz-Bird 4P, 6A.
NS: Max Cotrone 15P; Bryce Bryant 13P; Lucas Virzi 14pts
Note: Ficarrotta hit the game-winning 3 with seven seconds to play.
Iona Prep 68, Rye 64 OT
IP: Joe Wolf 20P; Mike Kmetz 15P; Chase Robinson 12P.
R: Carson Miller 26P; Ben Hudson 16P; Henry Shoemaker 14P.
Byram Hills 51 Yorktown 33
BH: Kevin Kendall 21P; Ben Wolf 18P, 7R, 4A; Max Miller 9P, 6R, 6A.
Yk: Ben Silverman 10P; Colin Worden 8P, 5R; Connor Morhardt 7P, 5R.
Mamaroneck 61, White Plains 48
Mk: Jonah Walsh 15P, 5A; Will Plunkett 15P, 7R; Brandon Burrell 12P, 5A.
WP: Eli Turuseta 10P; Otto Armstrong 8P; Jeremiah Turner 6P, 7R.
Note: Mamaroneck locked up the League A title.
Saturday, Feb. 14
Tuckahoe 56, Hastings 41
Tk: Marco Formato 20P; Luca Del Conte 14P; Rocco Briante 11P.
Hs: Dylan Heilakka 19P.
Eastchester 70, Gorton 49
Ea: Greg Poli 11P; Trent Lindemann 10P.
G: Tyshawn Lightfoot 27P.
Lakeland 48, Brewster 37
Lk: Mateo Lugo 21P; Mike Lucia 8P, 5A
Nanuet 61, Somers 60
So: Kareef Martin 16P; Chris Decker 12P; Leo Keimig 11P.
Note: Ford Banton went end to end at beat the buzzer for the win.
Green Tech 98, Ossining 35
Tappan Zee 53, Albertus Magnus 44
TZ: Christian Sanchez 19P; Timmy Alexandre 12P; Jack Piccione 9P.
AM: D.J. Louis 19P; Ethan Senatus 13P.
Mike Dougherty covers high school basketball for The Journal News/lohud.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Lohud boys basketball schedule, scoreboard, Feb. 9-17
Reporting by Mike Dougherty, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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