As the temperature drops, things heat up on the court and track

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Snow, sleet, slick roads and bone-chilling temperatures inform us that winter is now business as usual. As a counterweight to the shivering cold, the inferno of high school basketball and indoor track offers up steamy competitive fire. With daylight at a premium, December compensates with the incandescent glow in gyms and field houses as area teams look to get an early foothold in the steep uphill climb of the season.

Some gain instant traction on that slippery slope; others proceed more tentatively. A few slip and slide backward, as they eye the distant heights of sectionals, the lofty peaks of state rounds and the summit of a state title, invisible somewhere in the lofty clouds.

Here are a few tidbits of what took place this week. But remember, it’s very early in the quest.

In the annual interstate classic known as the Hawley Rotary Tip Off Basketball Tournament, Monticello defeated two-time reigning champion Wallenpaupack Buckhorns 54-50 in a thriller that was right down to the wire. Beleaguered Monticello, which lost its star senior point guard Briar Patterson to injuries suffered in a car accident this summer, and saw guard Austin Billig suffer a season-ending hairline knee fracture in a home opening rout at the hands of powerful John S. Burke Catholic, found its collective heart and girt. The Monties, led by seniors Jesse Kapito and Frank Small, offset the devastating shooting of Wallenpaupack’s Isaiah Slutter to win the tourney for only the second time in its 12-year history. More color and details are available at “Birthright: Bearing Witness As A Team Came To Be,” on www.sportsin

sightsny.com. Monticello is now 2-2.

Fallsburg’s boys basketball improved to 3-0 with a 63-58 double overtime win over Class B Sullivan West, now 0-3. Led by Danny Seletsky’s 24 points and 17 rebounds, the Comets staved off run after run by the Bulldogs, who had previously lost to Walton and Cornwall. Fallsburg was winless a year ago and is now in Class C. Details of the compelling game can be found on www.sportsinsightsny.com.

Sullivan West’s girls basketball team won two straight games after losing the opener to Downsville 42-37. The Lady Westies handily beat Port Jervis 56-26 and then downed Monticello 57-34, wins that afford first-year coach Patrick Donovan some positive signs. Senior Katrina Graby and Brianna Kline had major points in the wins.

The Liberty boys basketball team bounced back from a pair of early season losses to Ellenville and Goshen to demolish Webutuck 65-36. Herman Drayton led Liberty with 12 points in the winning effort.

Eldred’s girls basketball team is also off to a 3-0 (1-0 OCIAA) start with a 52-42 win over Fallsburg, a 36-32 edging of Roscoe and a commanding 51-22 win over Chapel Field. The Lady Yellow Jackets are bolstered by Burke transfer Sage Owens.

Division V indoor track winners from Sullivan County at West Point on December 11 (some times and distances were not available) included:

Girls: 1500 racewalk, Rachel Deppa (SW), 8:25.80; 3000m, Sarah Heikkenin (T-V), 300, Christina Watts (Eld), 46.03; shot put, Tehnyat Kahn (T-V); long jump, Jessica Dunnigan (Lib); and high jump, Kendra Barker (SW), 4-10.

Boys: 55 hurdles, Eric Cuellar (Lib), 9.77; 55 dash, Malcolm Strother (Lib), 6.94; 3200, Alex Campanella (Eld); 1000, Hunter Proscia (Eld), 2:48.69; 4x800 relay, (Eld), 9:57.01; 4x200 relay, (Lib), 1:40.84; shot put, Mark Tesseyman (SW); long jump, Tim Burgio (Lib); and high jump, Malcolm Strother (Lib).