Class C tournament briefs

Millbrook Blazers sweep Class C finals with a blowout and an overtime thriller

Lady Spartans turn title bid over to Millbrook

By RICHARD A. ROSS

NEW PALTZ, NY — While the story of the S.S. Seward’s woeful 54-24 loss to Millbrook centered on its 17 first half turnovers and another 11 after the break, for all intent and purposes, Seward’s chances of morphing from Class D champs into a one-year wonder in Class C this year vanished before the ball hit the floor for the Spartans’ first practice session this season.

Those chances died an untimely death with the season-ending knee injury to senior superstar Theresa Space that occurred in Seward’s soccer postseason. Space was not only Seward’s best player, she was a floor leader and a nightmare for the Spartans’ opponents, who had to use extra help to try and keep her double-digit point tally within the stratosphere.

Her presence on the floor made her teammates better, and with her to reckon with, others such as Melissa Oliphant, Kylie Burnside, Angela Flores and Selin Tekin became better scorers and tough defenders.

Despite her absence this season though, Seward went 17-5 and beat a tough Tuxedo squad to earn a berth against top-seeded Millbrook (15-7), the Class C defending champions. For that, the team and their coach Joe DiMattina deserve major credit.

But playing against Millbrook was another story.

It was a mismatch from the get-go, as Seward never showed up for this one. Millbrook led 11-7 after one, and 21-14 at the half, before going on a tear that left the Spartans in the dust.

Millbrook was slated to take on perennial winner Haldane from Section 1 in the opening round of the state tournament. Haldane reached the state final four seven out of eight years while in Class D.

Webutuck boys squander a chance to upset top-seeded Millbrook

NEW PALTZ, NY — When the smoke cleared following Millbrook’s fortuitous 67-60 overtime win over gritty two-seeded Webutuck, the facial expressions of the players spoke volumes about what each was feeling.

For number-two-seeded Webutuck, a team that played a tremendous game at both ends of the floor against their much-favored opponent, the shock of watching their six-point lead with 1:21 melt into oblivion is apt to fuel their 2006-07 desire to return to the big stage. In the minutes following Millbrook’s victory, they looked shell-shocked.

Webutuck played close all game, trailing by three against the athletic Blazers at the end of the first quarter. They led by three at the half, with the scores of 13-10 and 23-20 respectively.

Out of necessity, Millbrook backed off just a bit and the scrappy Warriors kept fighting and moved out to a halftime lead by virtue of a 13-7 edge in the second frame.

Millbrook got the lead back in the third quarter, fueled by seven points from junior Jack Blayney. But it was Webutuck that answered the bell in the fourth quarter, and fought their way to the six-point 49-43 lead with 1:21 to go.

The Millbrook comeback came via a steal, a bucket, a free throw and a three-pointer with 3.1 seconds to go by a freshman call-up playing in his first varsity game.

Millbrook crushed the shaken Warriors in overtime for the Class C title win.

Millbrook advanced to play Tuckahoe from Section 1.

For more details of the Class C games and albums of photos from each, visit riverreportersports.com.