TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Liberty’s Herman Drayton, left, scores early as he gets the inside edge over Fallsburg’s Kuwan Turner. Drayton had nine points, an authoritative block and several steals as the talented sophomore joined a host of veteran Liberty players as part of the Indians’ starting five.

Basketball

War paint

Talented Liberty’s season turns north with first win against struggling Fallsburg Comets

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LIBERTY, NY—The winless Liberty Indians took to their home court for the first time this season on December 17 to take on an old foe and league rival, the Fallsburg Comets, who were also looking to break into the win column.

Year in and year out, the rivalry endures and the atmosphere ripples with electricity. To the thundering pulse of the Liberty pep band and the rising din from fans and cheerleaders, the tip went up as Liberty coach Jason Semo and Fallsburg coach Pete Dworetsky watched with rapt attention.

The season is young, but to climb that steep mountain toward success necessitates a requisite first victory.

By night’s end, it was Liberty that emerged with that precious first win, a 58-33 division triumph to offset a prior loss to O’Neill.

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Cross country

Trail treasures

By RICHARD A. ROSS

ELDRED, NY—Cross-country season may be over and done with, but the remarkable performances turned in by Sullivan County runners are far from forgotten. Once again, Eldred coach Frank Schorling worked relentlessly to canvas county coaches in an attempt to compile his annual list of county All-Stars.

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Basketball

Bear-ly victorious

By RICHARD A. ROSS

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—Sometimes you know what’s coming, and though you plan what you’ll do when it occurs, you may fail to stop it anyway.

For Livingston Manor coach Charlie Hicks and his band of feisty Wildcats, one of those defining moments occurred with 10 seconds remaining in a tied 47-all game against Tri-Valley on December 16. Manor had just scored on a bucket by Mike Hendrickson to retie the game in a topsy-turvy fourth quarter.

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Also in this issue:

• Close encounter