Billy Moran Tip Off Classic Championship

Ganders down Bulldogs for Billy Moran Tourney title

Dawgs fight hard for three quarters but Priest’s big late effort proves to be the difference

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY - The 2006 Bulldogs season got off to a roaring start on December 8 in the opening round of the annual Billy Moran Tip Off Classic tournament with a resounding 86-52 win over the Livingston Manor Wildcats. The Dawgs got 24 points from Derek Hahn, the team’s big man, who went down in a game last January versus Livingston Manor with a serious knee injury and was lost for the rest of the season.

Kevin Cappiello, fresh off a hard-working summer of AAU basketball, contributed 18 and Alan Ackermann had 11 and a slew of rebounds as the Bulldogs (1-0) handed Livingston Manor (2-1) its first loss of the season. (For more details of the opening round game, see the story on page 45.)

But when it came to the championship round and a chance to defend the tourney title garnered with a win over S.S. Seward last year, the ante was raised as the Dawgs faced Class A Rondout Valley, last year’s Section IX runner up.

The Ganders reached the championship game by deftly handling Class D contender S.S. Seward 68-54, fueled by 25 points from senior guard Nick Mason.

Sullivan West gave a concerted effort on December 9, but the elevated play of the athletic team in royal blue and white, led by standout Dustin Priest, was too much to manage.

Rondout Valley (3-0) had already disposed of John A. Coleman Catholic prior to the tourney. The Ganders now set their sights on stopping Bulldogs Derek Hahn and Kevin Cappiello as a means to winning the tourney title.

With the return of one of Section IX’s premiere players in Priest, who was missing in action in the tourney opener, coupled with the play of Mason, a pair of talented forwards and big man Durrell Coston, the Ganders had more than enough fire power to do that.

But the Bulldogs, playing their second game of the young season on their home floor after crushing Livingston Manor in the tourney opener, had other ideas. A tradition of fine basketball fueled great pride in this year’s Bulldog team, which is bigger but slower than its forerunners. Before the night was over, several other Westies, including newcomer Chris Story, were bound and determined to have their say. They did that, but Rondout Valley had the last word.

Hahn controlled the tip against Ben Waurch, but Rondout got out to an early 4-0 lead as the Ganders showed their intent to run in transition off Bulldog misses. A three-pointer by Sullivan West’s Jason Leewe woke up the excited crowd and the fast-paced game got rolling. Mason drew two early fouls, but did not come out of the game defined by Rondout’s harrying help defense that forced Sullivan West into a number of early turnovers. A number of Bulldog passes went through hands or were picked off by the athletic Ganders.

Early on, Hahn got good position in the low post, but put his shots up too strongly. As the game progressed, his touch improved as he wended his way toward a team-high 16 points on the night.

Cappiello did a yeoman’s job guarding Priest, an explosive player who can elevate, beat players off the dribble and create his own shot. Cappiello held Priest to a single field goal in each of the first two quarters, but Priest broke out with 12 points in the third quarter as the Ganders, who led 11-8 after the first quarter and held a narrow 25-23 lead at the half, broke the game open in the third quarter and extended their lead to 11 at 41-30.

In that frame, Mason garnered his third and fourth foul. The latter consigned him to the bench for minutes in the third quarter, but with Priest administering last rites to Sullivan West, his absence wasn’t enough to refuel the exhausted Dawgs.

Hahn, who managed only a pair of free throws in the first quarter, seemed to gain strength and confidence as the game unfolded. Fronted and banged around by big man Coston, Hahn drew some fouls and increased his production to four, six and eight points respectively in each of the subsequent quarters.

But without the deft shooting of others to balance Hahn’s effort, something that has often been a trademark of previous Sullivan West teams, the offensive output wasn’t enough to keep up with a team that is destined to make a serious run at the Class A title now that Greg Nero is gone from Red Hook. Of course, other teams, including Cornwall and Monticello, will have something to say about that as the season progresses.

With Cappiello expending so much energy on defense and often being doubled when he had the ball, scoring opportunities were rare. With Rondout alternating defenses between a two-three zone, a three-two and a preponderance of man-to-man, the pathway to the rim became a minefield of bodies and waving arms. According to Ganders coach Jake Moloney, man defense, which had been one of Rondout’s weakest links last year, was something the team wanted to work on. As Moloney noted, “judging from the score, it worked well against a team as talented as Sullivan West.”

Lewee added one more three and Cappiello had one as well, but even shots from the perimeter were contested.

Still, the Dawgs had their moments, including an impressive shot by Hahn ranging up over the daunting body of Coston as the Dawgs pulled within three at 32-29 in the early third quarter just before Mason drew his fourth foul.

But a pair of Sullivan West turnovers and a run of six straight points by Priest gave the Ganders the separation they would not relinquish.

Priest picked Cappiellos’s pocket and sprinted for a lay up to dramatize his point as the quarter drew to a close.

Hahn had the first basket of the fourth quarter, but the Dawgs had a lot of ground to make up. With Rondout’s control of the glass affording them second chance shots and the opportunity to melt time off the clock, that task proved to be impossible.

Down by nine and with the ball with a little over five minutes remaining, the Dawgs looked to cut the lead with long-range shots, but they wouldn’t drop.

Mason returned to give the Ganders their two-wing firepower. Hahn played strong down low and added a couple of blocks on defense that revitalized the crowd that still hoped for an upset. A three-pointer by Martin Vavrik was the final dagger.

Priest ended up with a tournament-high 26 points on the night. Mason added nine and Coston had seven in the tournament-clinching victory.

Leewe had eight points and newcomer Story added six. Cappiello was held to five on the night. Sullivan West (1-1) shot 11-for-20 from the line, while Rondout Valley was 13-for-22 from the stripe.

Moloney was encouraged by the return of Priest, who added a spark to the Ganders’ play. “These kids have been playing with him since their days in CYO in the sixth grade,” Moloney said.

Sullivan West coaches Cliff Kelly and Bob Menges were pleased with the team’s play and noted that the game was close until Priest went on his run in the third quarter. “These are the kind of teams you’ll face down the line in sectionals,” Kelly noted.

“We played better than I expected,” Menges said. “We showed our inexperience tonight against a very talented team. We had trouble getting the ball to Derek tonight. He needs to get more touches.”

After a daunting two-and-a-half hour ride up to Class C Webutuck on December 11, the Dawgs posted an 82 - 74 win ovet the Warriors.

Last year, Webutuck blew a six-point late lead in their sectional final loss to Millbrook but look to come back strong.

Rondout team captains Priest and Mason received the tournament championship trophy. Cappiello and Hahn were named to the All-Tournament team, that also included Priest, Seward’s Jeremy Harter and Manor’s James Baker. Mason, who had 25 points in Rondout Valley’s win over Seward was named tournament MVP.

Visit riverreportersports.com for albums of pictures from the Billy Moran Tip Off Classic Tournament.