by Steve Bradley
Last Saturday afternoon the Lake George Warriors rode the bus for an hour then got off the bus at HFCS and walked into a buzz saw.
Lake George arrived in Hoosick riding an eighteen game win streak and a number one ranking in NYS Class C. In a game the Warriors never led, the Panthers took it to them right from the start. The opening tip, which the Panthers converted into a fast break and an Austin Pitt layup within five seconds of the start, set the tone for the remainder of the contest. With the Panthers jumping out to an 11 – 0 lead, the Warriors used two timeouts in the first three minutes of the game to try to regroup and stop the Panthers’ momentum. Joel Wincowski, the Warrior’s biggest offensive threat and last year’s NYS Class C Player of the Year, was being harassed by Levi Brewster with a little help from Brewster’s friends. With the defense contracting on Wincowski, Wincowski passed to teammates, who missed shots. The Warriors were starved for points in the first quarter, scoring only five. The Panthers points were coming steadily, and they racked up 17. All five Panther starters scored in the opening quarter. When the quarter ended, Lake George was more than a little dazed and confused.
The second quarter was more of the same – the Warriors struggling to get points and the Panthers adding to their total. Lake George put nine points on the board, Hoosick Falls added 10.
The halftime score was Hoosick Falls 27, Lake George 14. Wincowski, averaging over 30 points per game, had four points.
Throughout the second half the Panther defense continued to stymie everything the Warriors wanted to do. Although the feeling throughout the game was that the Warriors were going to go on a scoring run, they never did. For the Warriors, it became a question of whether they were playing to keep from getting completely blown out or playing to win. The Panthers opened leads of nearly twenty points twice.
In the latter stages of the game, Wincowski began adding points to his total. He is an excellent shooter, but his shots were contested every time. Most were off the dribble, with quick jump shots. Brewster, all 6′ 3″ of him, was constantly in his face. Wincowski ended the game with 19 points, including a half court buzzer beater to end the third quarter. He is a polished player, always composed. His weak area is his supporting cast, who would be a mediocre team at best without him.
The final score was 52- 37.
Andrew Hoag led the Panthers’ scorers with 16 and hauled in 10 rebounds. Will Bradley put in 15 points, a season high for him. He also had 10 rebounds. Mark Hackett had 10 points, Pitt – 6, Brewster – 3 and Noah Chani had 2. The individual points were a small part of this game as this was a total team effort. Once again the entire Panther defense was a major contributor to this win. The loud and supportive Panther fans were a contributing factor, giving the game a big time atmosphere.
The Panther win was called an upset in most media reports. It wasn’t.
Tamarac Last Friday
The Tamarac Bengals visited the Panther Den last Friday. It was a blowout. Tamarac did not reach double figures until midway through the fourth quarter, and the home team scored 64. At the end of the third quarter, the score stood at 53 – 9. Coach Lilac substituted liberally from the middle of the second quarter, but the Bengals were no match for any Panther combination of players.
Austin Pitt had 16 points and Mark Hackett added 10. Justin Lynch added 9, Jake Nolan – 3 and Josh Wood – 2.
Schuylerville Last Tuesday
Tuesday evening the Panthers traveled to Schuylerville to face the (6 – 5) Black Horses. Once again HF got the jump on the competition and opened up a ten point lead before the Black Horses put a single point on the board. At the half, the Panthers led 25 – 10. The Panthers’ defense caused the Black Horses to turn over the ball constantly, and the Panthers turned those turnovers into points. The final score was 56 – 32.
Mark Hackett led the way with 18 points, and Will Bradley dropped in 16. Austin Pitt added 11.
The Panthers record now stands at 12 – 1, 10 – 0 in the WASAREN league.
This week the Panthers host Greenwich, Friday, January 24, on the HFCS court. There is no Tuesday evening game scheduled.
The Owls
On Wednesday, January 29, the Hoosac School Owls play Vermont Academy in the HFCS gym beginning at 2 pm. Hoosac School plays exciting basketball with very skilled players. If you enjoy watching the game, this is a good show. All but one player is over six feet tall, with players ranging from 6′ to 6’7″.