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Mighty Warriors seek lost baseball prestige
The Mohonasen baseball team is a realistic bunch. The Mighty Warriors know they’re going to take some lumps in the Suburban Council, but they also believe they can dish out a few, too, and then even more come sectional time.
“The Suburban Council is one of the best leagues in the Capital Region, by far. It will prepare us for Class A,” said Mohonasen senior outfielder Josh Giardano. “Playing in the Suburban Council is only going to make us better. It’s only a steppingstone to the Class A title.”
Mohonasen is thinking big turnaround after going 1-15 in the league and 4-16 overall last season. The year before, the Mighty Warriors didn’t win a game.
“Four years ago, we lost in the [Class A] final. Three years ago, we won the final. The past two years we’ve taken it on the chin,” said first-year Mohonasen coach Andy Cuthbertson. “We want to get better. I have a good group of kids, and we’re looking to do some good things. Let’s get some pride back in our program.”
Mohonasen, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Averill Park are the only Class A teams that compete in the Class AA-dominated Suburban Council. Burnt Hills went 7-9 in the council last season and not only won the Section II title, but also the state championship.
“If we can go .500 [in the league], that would be good for us. It’s a tough, tough league,” said Giardano. “Doing that would give us a lot of confidence that we could carry through.”
“In terms of wins and losses, I would consider .500 pretty successful,” said Cuthbertson.
Giardano, Vinny Struffolino, Anthony DeNofio, Matt Wyanski, Mike Lyons and Mike Perkins are all back for a third varsity season with Mohonasen, and the team has 12 lettermen in all.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who can play,” said Cuthbertson, who served as the high school’s junior varsity coach the last four years. “I want to utilize that depth.”
Mohonasen plays at defending South Division champ Colonie Monday when the Suburban Council schedule begins.
“We’ve got to be mentally strong. We’ve got to be in it the whole game,” said Giardano. “We can’t fold up if something doesn’t go our way. We’ve got to keep playing.”
LAMPMAN, KELLEY HELP New York WIN
Shenendehowa’s Cole Lampman and Nick Kelley played big roles as New York beat New Jersey, 27-23, last Sunday in the second annual NY/NJ All-Star Wrestling Challenge, held at Clarkstown South High School.
Lampman, third in the state this winter at 285, rode out New Jersey state runner-up Jeramaine Eleumenor for a 2-1 win in the final bout, sealing the victory for the Empire State team.
Kelley, 45-1 this season and also a third-place state finisher, beat fellow 11th-grader Scott Delvecchio of South Plainfield High School, 5-1, at 132 pounds. Delvecchio went 44-0 during the season.
The event was a benefit for The Adam Frey Foundation, and Pinning Down Autism.
Mulvaney to HOF
Mont Pleasant coaching legend Larry Mulvaney and the star running back from his unbeaten 1967 team, Ron Page, will be among the Capital Region Football Hall of Fame inductees this summer.
The Capital District Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame earlier this week announced the 21 individuals that make up the third class to be honored Aug. 4 at Michael’s Banquet House in Latham.
Mulvaney led championship teams at Mont Pleasant in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, with his 8-0 1967 edition among his three unbeatens. His 1954 (5-0) squad allowed just one touchdown, his 1955 team was also perfect (6-0), and only a 14-7 loss to Kingston kept the Red Raiders from another unbeaten season in 1956 (6-1).
Mulvaney was in the inaugural class inducted into the Schenectady City School District Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Schenectady High School field is named in his honor.
The Capital Region Football Hall of Fame class will also include coaches Cliff Lehman (CBA) and John Taglione (Mechanicville), players Ralph Barone (Mohonasen), Ron DeBendetti (Guilderland), Justin DeMagistris (Gloversville), Richard Foglia (Watervliet), Sakima Grimes (Cambridge), David Jacob (Shenendehowa), Ted Jornov (Hudson), Adam Lord (Troy), Alex Mancini (Fonda), Jim Manning (Watervliet), Jerry Mirro (St. Peter’s), John Reagan (Bethlehem) and Rudy Vido (Albany), and officials Thomas Brennan (Capital District), Jack Cramer (Capital District) and Morris Nassivera (Adirondack).
Union College coach John Audino will be this year’s service to football inductee.
Layman all-state
Saratoga Springs senior defenseman Mike Layman has been named to the all-state ice hockey Division I first team.
Blue Streaks’ senior goaltender Ryan Bourgeois made the all-state second team, and Saratoga senior forward Alex Luse earned honorable mention laurels.
Layman was moved from forward to defense in late December and helped the Blue Streaks win 12 of 13 games before a 3-2 overtime setback against Pittsford in the state semifinals. Layman had two assists in a 2-1 regional win over Massena before that game, and notched two goals and one assist when Saratoga beat Shenendehowa, 5-1, for its third straight Section II championship.
Layman finished with 15 goals and 18 assists. The Blue Streaks went 18-7 with a No. 4 state ranking.
Federation basketball
Cicero-North Syracuse turned in a breakthrough performance at the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions with wins Saturday and Sunday at the Times Union Center.
By knocking off Nazareth, 80-55, and Murry Bergtraum, 60-28, in Class AA games, the Northstars became the first New York State Public High School Athletic Association girls’ team to win the Federation’s largest class since Colonie in 2001.
Colonie beat Murry Bergtraum that year in the Class A final, 72-55, behind Michelle Blot’s all-class record 43 points. Before Colonie, Hempstead in 1982 and Utica Notre Dame in 1983 had been the only NYSPHSAA teams to win titles in the largest class.
Naismith Award winner and UConn-bound Breanna Stewart had 42 points and 23 rebounds against 2011 champ Nazareth, and had 22 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks against Murry Bergtraum. . . .
Ruth Lovelace became the first woman to coach a boys’ team to a Federation championship when her group from Boys & Girls topped St. Raymond (66-54) and then Mount Vernon (66-60) for Class AA honors.
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