TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Liberty senior Justen Mills (24) establishes himself in the post with two of his game-high 20 points. He also had 14 rebounds to help Liberty to a crucial Division IV win over archrival Sullivan West. Both teams entered the fray needing two wins to make it to sectionals.

Basketball

Smoke signal

Liberty is one win away from sectionals following hustle-and- flow win over Sullivan West

By RICHARD A. ROSS

Two wins to a postseason call.

Two wins: who’d find them?

Two wins to avoid a fall

And to the sectionals bind them.

(Adapted with all due respect to JRR Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”)

LIBERTY, NY - Looking towards the blue horizon wherein resides the not-too-distant Class B sectionals, a distinct puff of white smoke went up on January 31 as the war-painted Liberty Indian tribe signaled a warning to all comers regarding its impending final onslaught.

The smoke arose from Liberty’s second- half incendiary play that fueled the tribe’s 70-54 triumph over the Sullivan West’s exhausted, brave, but thinning ranks.

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Alpine sports

Sonnenschein wins boys giant slalom

By RICHARD A. ROSS

HIGHMOUNT, NY—Monticello’s Ryan Sonnenschein’s first-place finish of 1:06.57 helped pace the Panthers to a second-place finish in the boys giant slalom race held at Belleyare Mountain on January 31. Monticello’s combined time of 4:44.18 was shy of Onteora’s 4:41.53.

Fallsburg/Tri-Valley took third (5:00.18) while Sullivan West (5:40.85) was fifth. Liberty (5:43.33) took seventh place in the race.

Following Sonnenschein, Christopher Egenes of Fallsburg/Tri-Valley had the next fastest time among Sullivan County skiers. Egenes (1:10.12) finished sixth overall.

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Basketball

Arc light

By RICHARD A. ROSS

FALLSBURG, NY—Tick, tick, tick, tick, BOOM!

With one second left in a crucial league game against Sullivan West that had already been tied four times in the fourth quarter and had undergone 13 lead changes, Fallsburg’s Randy Gilmore did what he had done at the buzzer at the end of the first half: he hit an arcing three pointer to give his team the lead, this time for good.

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Also in this issue:

• Flying colors