MHAL baseball tournament preview

By Will Montgomery | Published: May 17, 2013 | 3 Comments

Chris Ranalli of Highland squares to bunt during an at bat against Wallkill during their Boys Varsity baseball game on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. (CHET GORDON photo/Times Herald-Record)

The MHAL baseball tournament will be played Saturday at Pine Plains. Here’s a brief preview of the games. The championship game is set for 1 p.m. and will feature the semifinal winners.

MHAL semifinals at Pine Plains, Sat. May 18, 10 a.m.

Roosevelt (Div. I, 12-5) vs. Highland (Div. II, 10-6)

Season history: These teams met just once during the regular season, with Roosevelt winning 13-0 on April 29. Tyler Fefes had a three-run triple and Cody Perotti added a three-run double in Roosevelt’s win in Hyde Park.

What to expect: Highland has had a strong season and the Huskies got off to a great start thanks to a strong pitching staff. Highland figures to be one of the contenders in the Class B bracket this postseason, but Roosevelt just might have a little too much offense for the Huskies to handle.

Our records are a bit spotty if you go back further than 10 years, but neither one of these teams have played in an MHAL final in quite some time – if ever. Whichever team advances to the final will be making a bit of program history.

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Spackenkill (Div. III, 15-2) vs. Rhinebeck (Div. IV, 12-5)

Season history: These teams played on May 10, with Spackenkill beating Rhinebeck, 2-0.

What to expect: Spackenkill, the defending Section 9 Class B champion, has been no stranger to the MHAL championship game, having won in the semis but lost in the finals in both 2012 and 2011. In fact, Spackenkill beat Rhinebeck in this round last year, 9-1.

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My prediction: I think it’ll be Roosevelt and Spackenkill in the finals. Spackenkill beat FDR on May 7, by a score of 4-3. I would guess that should Spackenkill and FDR meet again, it’d be yet another very close game.

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I’ll be posting the Section 9 brackets as soon as possible when they’re released next week. I’ll also be covering a bunch of Section 9 playoff games in the weeks to come, so for live updates, check out my Twitter page: @THR_Montgomery.

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Section 9 championship draws

By Sal Interdonato | Published: May 16, 2013 | 1 Comment

Cornwall junior Ernesto Dillon earned the No. 1 seed in the Section 9 tournament following his third OCIAA title Thursday.

James I. O’Neill sophomore Davis Fleming, the OCIAA runnerup, is the second seed.

Cornwall seniors Matt Anastasi and Sam Lawyer, now the two-time OCIAA titlists and the defending section champions, are the top seed in doubles.

Play begins at 9:30 a.m. Monday at Match Point Tennis in Goshen. Semifinals will begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Here are the draws:

Section 9 championships
(Monday-Tuesday at Match Point Tennis, Goshen)

Singles
Round of 16
No. 1 seed Ernesto Dillon (Cornwall) vs. Jonas Lindholm-Uzzi (Red Hook); Eric Januszkiewicz (New Paltz) vs. Myan McCann (Onteora); Tyler Reede (Newburgh Free Academy) vs. Alec Cohen (Kingston); No. 4 Kevin Frommer (Valley Central) vs. Jamie Eigo (Warwick); No. 3 Jonah Berkowitz (Roosevelt) vs. Spencer Brief (Warwick); Luca Balbo (Spackenkill) vs. Carol Tyson (Rhinebeck); Max Flicker (New Paltz) vs. Darshan Rammohan (Highland) ; No. 2 Davis Fleming (James I. O’Neill) vs. Tyler Dupee (Pine Bush).

Doubles
Round of 16
No. 1 Matt Anastasi-Sam Lawyer (Cornwall) vs. Justin Barlow-Max Evanega (Marlboro); Nick Devine-Austin Custodio (Pine Bush) vs. Dominick Zadlo-Dan Considine (Roosevelt); Matt Terwilliger-Lucas Arora (Cornwall) vs. Brian Messmer-Ethan Longenecker (Red Hook); No. 4 Frank Lin-Justin Lin (Spackenkill) vs. John Ackerman-Jay Gohel (Roosevelt); No. 3 Jacques Laine-Danny Parris (Newburgh Free Academy) vs.  Avery Herzog-Lane Sulzer (Saugerties); Seth Roberts-Brian Villiers (New Paltz) vs. Alex DaPonte-Shawn Kollesar (Spackenkill); Jim Cappadora-Sammie Nweiran (Pine Bush) vs. Stavan Shukla-Rohan Patil (Newburgh Free Academy); No. 2 Andy Hu-Dan Stevenson (Monroe-Woodbury) vs. Pete Demosthenes-Matt Feeney (Kingston).

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VIDEO: Ernesto Dillon OCIAA singles champion

By Sal Interdonato | Published: May 16, 2013 | Leave a comment

Ernesto Dillon is back.

Back as an OCIAA singles champion.

Dillon, who chose to play high-level tournaments over high school competition last year, won his third title, defeating James I. O’Neill’s Davis Fleming, the defending champion, 6-1, 6-2 Thursday at Match Point Tennis.

The victory was a pretty good birthday present for Dillon, who turned 17, and puts the Cornwall junior in line to equal Andy Lake’s record of four OCIAA titles next season.

Dillon talks about his win.

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VIDEO: OCIAA doubles champion Matt Anastasi and Sam Lawyer

By Sal Interdonato | Published: May 16, 2013 | Leave a comment

Defending doubles champions Matt Anastasi and Sam Lawyer of Cornwall were locked in a tight match with Monroe-Woodbury’s Andy Hu and Dan Stevenson early in their OCIAA final.

The match was even at 2-2 in the first set before Anastasi and Lawyer began to find their groove. The Cornwall seniors won 10 of the next 12 games in a 6-3, 6-1.

Anastasi and Lawyer became only the second doubles team in the last 40 years to defend their title.

They talked about their historic win.

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BCANY boys’ basketball tryouts set

By Justin Rodriguez | Published: May 16, 2013 | 1 Comment

Last year, mid-Hudson’s team that competed in the Basketball Coaches Association of New York Summer Hoops Festival served as “The Redeem Team”, taking the bronze medal a year after going winless.

And what about this summer’s squad? Can they take the gold? We will find out later this summer. But, first, we have to see what the team looks like.

Tryouts for the mid-Hudson boys’ team that will compete in the BCANY Summer Hoops Festival will be held from 6-8 p.m. on June 5 and 8 at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

The third annual BCANY event will be held in Johnson City from August 2-4. The mid-Hudson team finished third at last year’s event. Nine regions will compete: New York City, Long Island, Buffalo, Rochester, Central, Hudson Valley, Capital District, Mid-Hudson and Southern Tier.

The boys’ coaching staff will include S.S. Seward assistant Sal Mineo and Pine Plains head coach Brendan LoBrutto. In order to participate, players must fill out the Hoops Festival application form and waiver form, and attend both tryouts. Players can see their own varsity coach for tryouts paperwork or contact Mineo at smineo@floridaufsd.org. The waiver form may be printed out by visiting BCANY.org.

Last year, many Division I, II and II coaches scouted the event.

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Section 9 girls’ lacrosse tournament schedule

By Justin Rodriguez | Published: May 16, 2013 | 2 Comments

Class A
Semifinals, Thursday, May 22-23 at higher seed
No. 3 Minisink Valley at No. 2 Warwick, 4:30 p.m on May 23.
No. 4 Monroe-Woodbury at No. 1 Kingston, 6 p.m on May 22.
Final, Tuesday, May 28, Dietz Stadium, Kingston
Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.

Class C
Semifinals, Thursday, May 23 at higher seed
No. 3 Millbrook at No. 2 John S. Burke Catholic, 4:30 p.m.
Final, Tuesday, May 28, Dietz Stadium, Kingston
Millbrook/Burke Catholic winner vs. No. 1 Red Hook, 7 p.m.

* Saugerties is the Class B champion as the only team in the Section 9 draw and advances to the state tournament.

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Tri-Valley’s DiMilia headed for Sacred Heart

By Ken McMillan | Published: May 16, 2013 | Leave a comment

Tri-Valley track and field standout Mareena DiMilia has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete for Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. The Pioneers are a member of the Northeast Conference.
DiMilia has been a multiple championship winner in a variety of events for Tri-Valley.

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Live OCIAA results: Dillon wins third singles title, Cornwall team repeats

By Sal Interdonato | Published: May 16, 2013 | Leave a comment

Cornwall junior Ernesto Dillon defeated defending champion Davis Fleming of James I. O’Neill 6-1, 6-2 to win his third Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association title on his 17th birthday at Match Point Tennis in Goshen.

James I. O’Neill sophomore Davis Fleming defeated Valley Central’s Kevin Frommer 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 to set up an Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association final between the past two champions.

Fleming, the defending champion, rallied from 5-2 down the first set. He took a 5-2 lead in the second set. Frommer rallied to 5-4 before Fleming held serve to win the match, which lasted 1 hour, 37 minutes.

Fleming will play Cornwall junior Ernesto Dillon, the 2010 and 2011 OCIAA champion, next. The final will start at 12:30 p.m.

Dillon defeated Newburgh Free Academy’s Tyler Reede 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles semifinals between defending champions Matt Anastasi and Sam Lawyer of Cornwall and Newburgh Free Academy’s Jacques Laine and Danny Parris and Monroe-Woodbury’s Andy Hu and Dan Stevenson and Cornwall’s Matt Terwilliger and Lucas Arora have yet to start.

OCIAA tournament
Singles
Final: Ernesto Dillon (Cornwall) d. Davis Fleming (James I. O’Neill) 6-1, 6-2.
Consolation final: Kevin Frommer (Valley Central) d. Tyler Reede (Newburgh Free Academy) 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Semifinals: Dillon (Cornwall) d. Tyler Reede (Newburgh Free Academy) 6-0, 6-1; Fleming (James I. O’Neill) d. Kevin Frommer (Valley Central) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.

Doubles
Final: Matt Anastasi-Sam Lawyer (Cornwall) d. Andy Hu-Dan Stevenson (Monroe-Woodbury) 6-3, 6-1.
Consolation final: Jacques Laine-Danny Parris (Newburgh Free Academy) d. Matt Terwilliger-Lucas Arora (Cornwall) 6-0, 6-1.
Semifinals: Matt Anastasi-Sam Lawyer (Cornwall) d. Jacques Laine-Danny Parris (Newburgh Free Academy) 6-4, 6-3; Andy Hu-Dan Stevenson (Monr0e-Woodbury) d. Matt Terwilliger-Lucas Arora (Cornwall) 6-1, 6-1.

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OCIAA early round singles results

By Sal Interdonato | Published: May 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

Top-seeded Ernesto Dillon of Cornwall advanced to the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association semifinals with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Pine Bush’s Tyler Dupee at Match Point Tennis in Goshen.

Dillon, the 2010 and 2011 OCIAA champion, will meet Newburgh Free Academy’s Tyler Reede in a semifinal at 10 a.m. Thursday. Reede knocked off fourth-seeded Spencer Brief of Warwick 6-3, 6-1 in a quarterfinal.

Defending champion Davis Fleming of James I. O’Neill, the third seed, was dominant en route to the semifinals.  Fleming blanked Troy Chuckran of Port Jervis 6-0, 6-0 in the round of 16 and topped Warwick’s Jamie Eigo 6-2, 6-0.

Fleming will play second-seeded Kevin Frommer of Valley Central. Frommer, who placed third in the OCIAA last season, defeated Kingston’s Alec Cohen 6-0, 6-0 in a quarterfinal.

OCIAA championship
(at Match Point Tennis, Goshen)
Quarterfinals
Ernesto Dillon (Cornwall) d. Tyler Dupee (Pine Bush) 6-0, 6-0; Tyler Reede (Newburgh Free Academy) d. Spencer Brief (Warwick) 6-3, 6-1; Davis Fleming (James I. O’Neill) d. Jamie Eigo (Warwick) 6-2, 6-0; Kevin Frommer (Valley Central) d. Alec Cohen (Kingston) 6-0, 6-0.

Round of 16
Tyler Dupee (Pine Bush) d. Gavan O’Brien (Washingtonville) 6-3, 6-1; Tyler Reede (Newburgh Free Academy) d. Stephen Meagher (Monroe-Woodbury) 6-1, 6-1; Spencer Brief (Warwick) d. Devon Flint (Pine Bush) 6-0, 6-2; Davis Fleming (James I. O’Neill) d. Troy Chuckran (Port Jervis) 6-0, 6-0; Jamie Eigo (Warwick) d. Josh Lieberman (Liberty) 6-1, 6-3; Alec Cohen (Kingston) d. Gene Doyle (Liberty) 6-1, 6-4.

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OCIAA notebook: Biagi rebounds on back nine

By Sal Interdonato | Published: May 14, 2013 | 4 Comments

Matt Biagi thought his chances of qualifying for his first Section 9 tournament were over.

Biagi, a Goshen junior, shot a 40 through his first seven holes at the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association championship at Grossinger Country Club in Liberty.

All Biagi needed was some refocusing to save his round.

“I just had to bare down,” Biagi said. “I had to let it go and let whatever happen, happen.”

Biagi hit the turn with a new attitude and fired the lowest score on Grossinger’s back nine. He shot an even-par 36 and finished with a 15-over 86, seven shots clear of the cut.

Once again, the par-5, 13th hole, which has an island green, proved to be the toughest hole. Eldred freshman David Powers, the OCIAA champion, had the only birdie on No. 13 in the field of 52 golfers. The stroke average on the hole was 7.1. Only 11 golfers made pars. The hole yielded two 10s, an 11 and a 13.

“I’ve never shot an even-par nine in a tournament,” said Biagi, who started the tournament on the third hole.

Ryan Rodriguez looked through Rangefinder and checked the distance from the 11th tee over the water to the green. Rodriguez, a Cornwall freshman who placed second in the tournament, took advantage of a new rule, allowing golfers to use devices that measure only distance through a global positioning system.

About a quarter of field (52 golfers) used Rangefinders.

“I’m so glad they are letting us use Rangerfinders,” Rodriguez said. “I use them in every tournament I play in…They don’t just help with distance to the flag. They also help with obstacles like water.

Rodriguez, who plays American Junior Golf Association, International Junior Golf Tour and Met PGA events, said he would push for Rangefinders to be allowed in the regular season. They were only permitted for the OCIAA and Section 9 tournaments.

 

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