Section 9 Class C boys championship

Bears are best!

Tri-Valley grabs first-ever Section 9 title with gritty win over Millbrook

By RICHARD A. ROSS

NEW PALTZ, NY — For the jubilant Tri-Valley players, their coaches and the multitude of fans that packed the arena at SUNY New Paltz on March 2, the sound of the final buzzer and the ensuing ecstatic celebration will form an enduring memory for the rest of their lives.

Tri-Valley held on to defeat Millbrook 60-57 for its first-ever boys basketball title. As players rushed to embrace one another, fans screamed themselves hoarse and photos snapped, a page of history was recorded for the team that had just achieved one of its most sought-after goals. Another chapter was recorded in its storybook season.

Like a heavyweight championship bout, defending champion number-two seeded Millbrook and favored contender number-one seeded Tri-Valley went at it blow-for-blow. But when it was over, the Bears lived up to their stated mission.

In a game that featured a strong inside presence by the Millbrook Blazers that seemed to afford them points at will along the baseline, against Tri-Valley’s quickness, alert passing and great second-chance put backs, the outcome was up for grabs to the very end.

Prior to the game, standout senior swingman John Merchant advised his team: “Play under control.”

Merchant has been in many big games in his career, but none of this magnitude. The memory of last year’s one-point loss to Chester in the quarterfinals still burned in his memory, as it did for his teammates.

But Tri-Valley had already exorcised one demon by ousting Chester in the semifinals 66-46 on February 28 in the semifinal match up played in Bear Country. (See www.riverreportersports.com for photos and details.)

This would be the last chance for Merchant, along with fellow seniors Fred Moore, Kevin Delaney, William Elberth and Michael Kaplan. Merchant knew he had to lead by example. From the get go, he exerted his will and skill to lift his team to its greatest heights as he elevated time after time to the rim on steals, fast breaks and dishes.

Merchant is the quintessential unselfish player as are his teammates. To them, this season’s basketball is literally what their warm-ups say it is: “The Team” and “The Year.”

And what a year it has been.

Though Merchant found himself in foul trouble and had to sit for portions of this crucial game, his teammates, including Kaplan who came off the bench, never flinched in the face of stupendous Blazer runs.

Early on, Millbrook had its troubles. As coach Adam Peck noted, “We couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean.” Peck’s plan was to pound the ball down low and run the baseline against Tri-Valley’s smaller front line. When they did that it often worked, except for the few key times when either standouts Jack Blayney or Derek Badon inadvertently stepped on the line and turned the ball over.

But at other times, Millbrook’s shooters seemed inclined to hoist up shots, much to the chagrin of Peck. Those long rebounds sent Tri-Valley off to the races.

For its part, Tri-Valley used a host of players to answer the bell. In addition to mainstays Merchant and Moore who both played huge, Tri-Valley got key buckets, including a couple of timely threes, from their third poker chip, Dustin Van Lieu.

Coach Brian Tingley used the poker analogy to convince his team that they could collectively ante up to garner the win. He gave every player a chip with his name on one side and the Section 9 title written on the other.

“If I just throw in one chip, they’ll outbid me,” noted Tingley. But with the pot raised to the max by the whole lot, they’ll fold, he told his team during his pre-game pep talk.

Folding is not in Tri-Valley’s lexicon.

Millbrook controlled the tip, but it was the Bears who scored first on a dish from VanLieu to Moore. Blayney tied it up inside but Merchant’s athletic first rise to the rim netted two free throws and got Blayney his first foul. He’d draw his second later in the quarter and have to sit.

Merchant extended the lead to 6-2, showing himself to be the team’s accelerant. But a fire won’t burn without fuel, and that’s what the Bears got from others, including Bo Murphy who had a strong put back later in the quarter.

Millbrook kept it close and then got a lead on a bucket by Nick Van Benschotzen. Moore took it right back. A three-pointer by Paul Lagno put the Blazers back in the lead.

This was how it would go.

No team could get more than a seven-point margin the whole night. With the score tied at 10-all, the Bears tore off a 6-0 run to end the quarter with a 16-10 lead with a three by VanLieu and points from Merchant and Moore.

The teams vied for supremacy in the second quarter, which ended with the Bears on top 31-27. Earlier, a lay up by Badon had the Blazers within one at 25-24. A Merchant three gave the Bears a little breathing room but not much.

Merchant gave his team a six-point edge to start the third quarter, but Millbrook guns began to blaze. Badon and Blayney got it to within two, but a Moore jumper answered back.

Then Merchant picked up his third foul and a Badon shot tied it at 35-all.

Sensing Tri-Valley to be on the ropes, Millbrook punched again and took a 37-35 lead. The Blazer fans, already stoked from their girls team late comeback win over Tuxedo, began to stomp and yell. They were soon drowned out from the sea of Bear fans on the opposite side of the arena.

The Bears weathered the storm and got the final four points of the quarter as Kaplan connected at last after several previous attempts and VanLieu scored the last one off the dribble.

The Bears led 43-39 but this one was far from over.

Badon got Millbrook within one but Moore, ever-present to put back a miss, helped Merchant extend the lead. A subsequent three by VanLieu proved huge, but Blayney got a bucket and one to pull within one at 49-48 with 3:40 to go.

The teams traded turnovers and the tension rose further when Merchant picked up his fourth foul going over the back on a missed free throw by Moore. But by this time, the Bears were in front by six at 52-48 with an endless 2:49 still to go.

In the crucial final minute and a half, Tri-Valley got much-needed free throws from Merchant, Murphy and VanLieu. Despite late heroics by leading scorer Badon, Millbrook came up short.

Following the game, Merchant gave props to his teammates. “My team works well together whether I’m in the game or out. When I had to sit, I told them go out and play hard and they did.” Asked about Millbrook’s success inside, he noted, “They wanted to stack one side and it had us kind of confused, but coach told us to stay focused and we executed well.”

Summing up his team’s reaching of this unique milestone, he simply explained it by saying, “It’s The Year... and it’s not over.”

Moore said he felt as if he was on top of the world. At the final buzzer, he and teammates raced for Merchant and Kevin Drown, who were already locked in a Bear hug. Moore looked wide-eyed and said that when Millbrook (14-5) made its run with Merchant on the bench that they’d be ok. “We’ve got a whole bunch of players who can step up,” he noted.

Moore added, “I’ve waited for this since I first picked up a basketball in third grade.”

Tingley was impressed by the play of Badon and Millbrook’s success from the free throw line. The Blazers hit 10 of 11. The Bears weren’t too shabby either with 11 for 19.

Tingley tried to avoid calling time outs during Millbrook’s runs. “I didn’t want to use my time outs to give them rest. We just tried to fix things on the fly,” he said.

Using Murphy and Kaplan effectively on defense helped to stem some of Blayney’s and Badon’s damage. Having kids who could really step up in the middle of the storm and score was a huge plus for Tri-Valley.

Tri-Valley was led by Merchant’s 20-point night. Moore had 17 and VanLieu posted 13. Add in Murphy’s 10 and the rest of the team’s intangibles and you come out with history.

Badon had a game-high 28 and Blayney had 18 for the Blazers. Both standouts are seniors; Tri-Valley needs two more wins to advance to the final four at Glens Falls on March 16.

Tri-Valley (21-1) will look to extend its magic as it takes on the Section One winner Alexander Hamilton at SUNY New Paltz on March 7. Hamilton (13-10) is a four-time state champion in Class D. They recently moved up to Class C and upset the apple cart of their own sectionals by winning as the sixth-seed. Their last state title came in 2004 with a win over Section Five Whitesville.

The Bears will lay their chips on the table and stake the whole shebang. It’s the only way they know how to play.

No matter what happens from here on out, they have laid claim to being the only Sullivan County team of 2007 to win a sectional title.

Now they can pursue the next bit of history. Only two teams from this section have ever won state titles in boys basketball. One was S.S. Seward. And the other... why, Millbrook, of course.

Bring it on.