MIDWEEK REPORT : BOYS BASKETBALL

Greg Dedrick
ccSCOOP Sports Editor

Since all of the local games were wiped out due to the ice on Wednesday, we have a chance to step back and look at the games that occurred on Monday and Tuesday and what it means to our Columbia County squads.

Maple Hill 90—Taconic Hills 53
This loss was not a shocking one for the Titans who have struggled so far this season while Maple Hill has been running roughshod over the Patroon Conference. Charlie Van Deven, the Titans leading scorer, was not in the box score, but whether he played or not may not have made a difference since the Titans just aren’t playing well enough at this point to knock off a team like Maple Hill.

The Titans have some talent on the roster. Van Deven is long and a good scorer. Dylan Ruffner, who was a play maker on the soccer field, has those same skills on the hard wood if he can slow his pace down. Chris Filli and Mike Jacobsen, who led the team in scoring in their loss to Maple Hill, both bring intangibles that can help this team get on the right track entering the second half of the season.


Coxsackie Athens 71—Taconic Hills 51
Charlie Van Deven showed up back in the box score and led the team in scoring with 11, but it was not enough. The Indians came in without a league win and looked like a likely candidate to give the Titans their first win, but it didn’t work out that way. While the Titans are currently struggling in a number of areas, going 15-36 from the free throw line is never a good thing when you’re searching for a win.


Hudson 52 —Rensselaer 58
Hudson continues to baffle with their inconsistent play. For a team with so much talent, size, depth, and athleticism this team just cannot seem to put it together on a consistent basis, and this game was a perfect example. While the Rams are far from a pushover, these two teams came in looking like near equals. The Bluehawks, with their experience, seemed to have a slight edge. Hudson started strong and finished strong against the Rams, but they struggled in the middle quarters.

The Bluehawks got good performances from Justin Brantley and Darien Moore, but their big two—Barry King and Jacori Anderson—were limited to a combined 11 points, which is simply not enough if Hudson expects to stay in the upper echelon of Patroon Conference teams.

Greenville 36—Ichabod Crane 57
A day after pulling off an upset over Catskill, Greenville looked to do the same against the Riders on Tuesday. After taking an early lead, the Spartans were locked up in the second and fourth quarter, scoring six points respectively in each of those quarters. The Riders really stepped up their defensive effort and made this close game a blowout, not allowing a single Greenville player to reach double digits. The key for Ichabod Crane will be getting players other than Sean Shattenkirk going on the offensive end and they got just that on Tuesday when junior guard Josh Ingham led the way with 14 points and Ben Gevlin added 12. Although they combined for just 14 points, junior big men Chris Larm and Derick Horn continue to contribute by doing the hard-nosed work defensively in the paint and on the glass.


Loudonville Christian 64—Germantown 60
The Clippers suffered their first Section II and Central Hudson Valley League loss of the year on Tuesday. In a game that was close throughout, the Clippers’ undersized squad struggled to contain 6’ 2” junior wing Cullen Overholt. Overholt torched Germantown for 27 points, including 4 three-pointers and 7 free throws. Per their usual Larry Niebling and Thomas Griffin both got into double digits as they scored 13 and 11 points respectively, while Cody Broast led the way in the loss with 31 points.

The loss topples the Clippers from their undefeated status, but they’re still in better shape than their fellow teams with just one loss since Loudonville Christian and Waterford who do not have as many league victories.


Waterford 47—New Lebanon 31
The Tigers dropped to 1-5 in the league as they continue to struggle to gain traction. Each game it seems like a different player is leading the team in scoring, and while parity can be good for some teams, this team needs a consistent threat to emerge. New Lebanon had a small lead going into the half but were blown out in the second.