ROSCOE, NY — It was a game that was decided in the last half, when the pendulum swung rapidly in favor of the visiting bucketeers.

On December 20, the Blue Devils boys’ varsity basketball team of Roscoe (3-2), the home team, played host to the Lions of Chapel Field Christian Schools (2-1) in Roscoe’s “Coach” Fred Ahart Gymnasium.

In the first frame, the Lions leaped out to a 18-10 lead, only to be caged 13-5 in the second period, resulting in a 23-23 tie going into the locker room at the half.

In the second half, it was all Lions, as they clawed their way back to a 56-38 victory, outfighting the Blue Devils in the final frames: 14-7 and 19-8. 

Chapel Field’s Jonah McDuffie rose to the occasion by eluding Roscoe’s game plan to shut him down. 

Brad McDuffie, coach of the Chapel Field Lions, said of the Blue Devils, “They know how to play the sport; we never feel comfortable [playing them]. They fight hard; they’re gutsy.” He noted that Roscoe is “a little bit undermanned from last year.”

Calling them “a proud basketball tradition,” Coach McDuffie added, “We have a lot of respect for what they’ve accomplished here. [We have] never come to this gym without expecting their absolute best.”

The Lions take to the hardwood with three seniors (Bryce Hollo, Leam Powell and Noah Swart) and four captains (Mike Bonagura, Noah Swart, Jonah McDuffie and Bryce Hollo).

“We tried to hold down McDuffie,” said Blue Devils coach Mike Hill. “It worked for a while, but he’s too good a player to hold down for a whole game… He really turned it up for the second half.”

A quick peek at the scorebook, prepared by Roscoe’s Becky Ahart, records that the Blue Devils held McDuffie to 3 points in the first half, but noted that he escaped to post 15 points in the second half, a deciding factor in the Lions win.

“We tried to make some adjustments, but he was able to get his shots,” said Coach Hill of McDuffie’s second-half scoring.

Asked his goals for the season, Coach Hill replied, “We’d like to win the sectionals, that’s for sure… we should be competitive; we just need to sustain it for the whole game.”

This season, the Blue Devils field three seniors (Anthony Teipelke, Joseph Park and Russel Hodge) and one captain (Anthony Teipelke).

In 2020, Coach Hill took over the reins from Roscoe’s legendary coach and athletic director, Fred Ahart, after his untimely passing.

Pausing for a few moments after the game to reflect upon what he learned from Coach Ahart, Coach Hill said, “How to be a gentleman… he was a big presence.” 

Individual stats—Roscoe

Anthony Teipelke (16 points, including a three-pointer); Anthony Zamenick (11); and Aiden Johnson (6).

Individual stats—Chapel Field

Jonah McDuffie (18 points, including a trio of three-pointers); Noah Swart (18); Mike Bonagora (11); and Leam Powell (7).

Report from the free-throw line: Roscoe 7/14 (50 percent) and Chapel Field 7/11 (64 percent).