Hornell and Class BB

[Double two]

Hornell is going to be extremely strong this year. Their new coach (Steadman) is going to bring a whole new attitude to the Raiders. I think Charlotte is still the team to beat in BB....what are the other teams that will contend and who are the players to watch in BB?

[UNCTarheels]

Hornell will compete for the title but it's Charlotte's to lose.

Contenders

#1 Charlotte: Terrell Moore 6'2" 220 lbs Senior was a AGR Selection last season after averaging 18 points & 13 Rebounds along with 4 assists per game. Had 17 double-doubles as a Junior last season. Not a one man team however, as several key players return Guards Bradley Griffin, Jordan Major & Gerald Williams are the Backcourt and all are capable of scoring especially Major. The developement of Junior Center Theo Smith 6'6" is crucial to get Charlotte to the next level.

#2 Hornell: Several Key players are back including Ryne Hunt, Steve Smith, Anthony Acor but probably the two most important pieces to the puzzle are 6'3" D. J Schwartz & 6'4" Jordan Blades. Newcomers Kyle Murphy, Brad Lawson & Joe Mauro may see key minutes. Murphy has potential to be a big time scorer.

#3 Dr. Freddie-Thomas: If they learn to play Defense they'll be very dangerous. Key players are Saiquan Moore a big time scorer, Terrance Finley & Nate Dukes. Dukes is also a scoring threat. Thomas is fast but lacks height & Discipline which are both key to success especially in BB.

#4 Attica : Derek Wolfley returns for his Senior year and one last shot at a Sectional Title the 6'6" Senior will need help though and with 7 other players due back he may get that help.

[Rams15]

I think it is Charlotte's title to lose. They are quick, aggressive, and can score at will. You better be able to match up with their quickness and have some strong, inside players to control the boards. If they get the ball and are allowed to run, see ya ! For Hornell, Schwartz can also come outside and likes to shoot the three. Hunt is a solid player. I like his game. They will be strong, however, to contend with.

Since I am a Bath fan. Oh man.. can we skip basketball and go directly to baseball season ? ( just kidding ) Bath returns two starters from last year's team. With the frequent coaching turn over and player concentrations on other sports, the basketball program has floundered. Coach B., however, did take a senior-laden team last season and obtain 10 wins which was a dramatic improvement from previous years. Bath did beat Livonia and played some of their best basketball near the end of the season. Gone are Andy Ratchford ( leading scorer ) Irven Pragle, Joe Brownell, Alex Wallace, Tim Gallagher and others.

2007-2008: From what I understand, 12 players have signed up for varsity basketball.

Andre McCloud Point guard Lightening quick. Outstanding penetrator. If Andre can make his teammates better as a result of his decisions and playmaking, Bath can look for some success. If he develops a jump shot, he could be virtually impossible to contain.

Michael Rossi Mike was 2nd on the team in scoring last season. He is a prototypical 3-man, but due to Bath's lack of depth inside, ( at 6' 3" ) must contribue there if Bath is to have some success. Mike is probably Bath's most adept 3 point shooter. He has been hampered for a month, now, with a torn quadricep, so his development on the floor may be slow.

Tyree McCloud Tyree came off the bench last season and had some solid moments. He is very skilled at ball handling and can pentrate to the hoop very well. At 6' 2" Tyree must also give some help inside to help maintain possession for Bath. Tyree has shown flashes of brilliance on the football field this fall and that will hopefuly translate on to the basketball court !

Josh Butler, Mackenzie Durham, & Cameron Force were all role players last season and will be counted on for added minutes this season. ( IMO )

Brett Santacroce ( up from JV's ) is Bath's tallest player at 6' 4". Brett can step outside and shoot and hopefully has added some strength, inside, which will be sorely needed. Montana Yastremski is another JV who likes to shoot. To find quality minutes, his physical presence must be used to body-up inside, as well Sean Lyke is a new student to Bath ( from Belgium ) who shows solid skills. He could eaily step into a starting position for Bath as the season unfolds.

Ultimately, Bath can find some success if they are willing to play as a team and rely upon playing some defense. Ask Campbell Savona about playing defense & its impact upon success !! That is what turned their program around, in my opinion.

[UNCTarheels]

Their Coach prepared a very good schedule that should have them well prepared for sectionals. Aquinas 2x, McQuaid, Lackawanna & Bishop-Timon from Section VI, playing those teams along with S.O.T.A, Freddie-Thomas etc. they'll be ready

2007-2008 Schedule (http://www.highschoolsports.net/defaultcal.cfm?ct=s&schoolid=NY1461279080&spt=2&lvl=1&division=1&year=2007&CFID=5478135&CFTOKEN=27994704)-highschoolsports.net

[Double two]

I think the Bath basketball program is looking up. I know there is a bit of a rivalry between Bath and Hornell's 9th grade class. Last year when they were 8th graders, their modified game had to be stopped as it was getting out of control. They cancelled the second game and I assume it was due to the problems the first time around. Hornell's freshman class is as good a basketball class as Hornell has had in years. Other than Hornell, I would say Bath and HFL are the top contenders at that age level. Also, I think that Bath's 10th grade class is strong. Maybe the Bath hoops program is having a tough time now but things will be better in the next couple of years.

[Section5sportsguy]

Hornell will compete for the title but it's Charlotte's to lose.

Contenders

#1 Charlotte: Terrell Moore 6'2" 220 lbs Senior was a AGR Selection last season after averaging 18 points & 13 Rebounds along with 4 assists per game. Had 17 double-doubles as a Junior last season. Not a one man team however, as several key players return Guards Bradley Griffin, Jordan Major & Gerald Williams are the Backcourt and all are capable of scoring especially Major. The developement of Junior Center Theo Smith 6'6" is crucial to get Charlotte to the next level.

#2 Hornell: Several Key players are back including Ryne Hunt, Steve Smith, Anthony Acor but probably the two most important pieces to the puzzle are 6'3" D. J Schwartz & 6'4" Jordan Blades. Newcomers Kyle Murphy, Brad Lawson & Joe Mauro may see key minutes. Murphy has potential to be a big time scorer.

#3 Dr. Freddie-Thomas: If they learn to play Defense they'll be very dangerous. Key players are Saiquan Moore a big time scorer, Terrance Finley & Nate Dukes. Dukes is also a scoring threat. Thomas is fast but lacks height & Discipline which are both key to success especially in BB.

#4 Attica : Derek Wolfley returns for his Senior year and one last shot at a Sectional Title the 6'6" Senior will need help though and with 7 other players due back he may get that help.


Dr. Freddie Thomas must be a great player if he's competing for sectional titles all by himself.

[TurnTwo]

Dr. Freddie Thomas must be a great player if he's competing for sectional titles all by himself.

What position does he play?

[rockandroll34]

Bath won't make much noise at all. They will beat Way-Co and Dansville (maybe) but that's it.
I expect them to be a 8-10 at best.

[Double two]

I think you will see a new attitude in Hornell this year. Coach Rob Stedman brings a ton of knowledge and enthusiasm to the program. I think we will see the Hornell basketball program grow a ton over the next several years. As a Hornell basketball fan, I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to have Stedman at the helm. Most people aren't familiar with him yet as he is young but I really think his name will be known around section v very soon. He spent the last few years as an assistant coach at Geneseo State college and earned a fine reputation throughout the local college basketball scene. Hornell has good talent this year and some real strong players coming up the next few years. Should be fun to watch.

[rockandroll34]

I think you will see a new attitude in Hornell this year. Coach Rob Stedman brings a ton of knowledge and enthusiasm to the program. I think we will see the Hornell basketball program grow a ton over the next several years. As a Hornell basketball fan, I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to have Stedman at the helm. Most people aren't familiar with him yet as he is young but I really think his name will be known around section v very soon. He spent the last few years as an assistant coach at Geneseo State college and earned a fine reputation throughout the local college basketball scene. Hornell has good talent this year and some real strong players coming up the next few years. Should be fun to watch.



Hornell basketball has been tough for a lot of years. Charlie Young was a great coach at Hornell where his teams won several LCAA titles while making regular trips to the sectional semis and finals as well.
Hopefully coach Stedman will keep that tradition of excellent basketball up over there.
A team to look out for in the Finger Lakes this year is Dundee.

[T'emUP]

how do dansville and way-co look for the coming season?

[dynomite]

so with all the high praise for steadman does that mean if Hornell doesn't win a sectional title it will be a major disappointment?? Sounds it to me. With all the vast knowledge he has if he loses in the semis or finals then there was no need to force Coach Young out considering his teams made it that far year after year.......something to remember as an assistant college coach how many decisions did he have to make?? How many game adjustments did he have to make?? How many game winning plays did he have to diagram?? Its not going to be easy sailing people.

[hoopsfan]

I don't know how many plays he diagramed or how many game decisions he had to make?? Do you?? Because if you don't then it would pretty pointless to assume that he didn't. College coaches have assistants for many reason...1-for recruiting, 2-for dealing with players and tasks that they delegate for others, and 3-for game planning and in-game input! How many Assistant coaches do you see sitting on benches with a muzzle on because I have yet to see one? Let's just see what the season has in store.

[dynomite]

I wasn't saying that he hasn't..... I was just saying this isn't gonna be an automatic banner year and championship......There is always alot of work to be done.

[Double two]

I don't think anyone is saying that Hornell is a lock for a sectional championship. Most people believe that Charlotte is the favorite to win the class BB title. They have certainly earned that respect given how well they played last year and the fact that everyone is returning this year. If Hornell doesn't win the title, there won't be a feeling of failure. As long as they play hard and as a team, they should be okay. While Stedman may not make every perfect decision, I think he will do a fine job. He is not just a school teacher trying to make some extra money coaching basketball. Rather, he is a guy who loves the game and is coaching because he has a passion for it. I think his passion will carry over to the team. In speaking with the players, it is clear that the kids like playing for him and that they have bought into his system. That is half the battle for a new coach.

[seeslak]

I know nothing about the new coach he could be the best ever but 2 things I do know #1 no one on this earth is more happy to see Charlie Young retire than me and #2 the coaching job should have gone to Brian Dyring..Joe Cieslak class of 87

[sflcards45]

I think this is a solid team with a chance to contend. I don't think that anybody is going to be able to go up and down with Charlotte, but if somebody can get them slowed up it might be a different story. The problem Hornell would have is matching up with the Moore kid. I coached some of Hornell's players in AAU (Hunt, Blades, Acor) and they are all great kids and I wish them along with Coach Steadman nothing but the best.

As for decision making experience, don't discredit it just because he was an assistant. As a college assistant coach myself, I can tell you that assistants often time do make a lot of decisions, or at least suggestions that lead directly to something happening. And he may not have been the one in the huddle drawing the play up at the time, but it's a very real possibility that the play being used in an end of game situation could have been suggested and demostrated by an assistant.

[jetcole47]

good luck to the hornell team, i think this is a great move and will only help to win a section title in the furture.

[Double two]

What do you mean when you say that Hornell's AD/football coach keeps putting other football coaches in basketball coaching positions? Stedman has never coached football while Dyring was an assistant JV football coach last year. Under your theory, Mastin would have put Dyring in to coach. The new JV coach (Don Schwartz) has never coached football either. Dyring was a very successful JV coach for Hornell and certainly would have done well for the varsity. However, in this case the other candidate is someone who was also very qualified. I assume Mastin and the school board just thought, all things being considered, he was the better person for the job.

[BathRamsFan]

Is Dyring still in the Hornell School District? A friend of mine from over there had heard rumor of "misconduct" and that it was the reason he wasn't getting the Varsity position.

[TurnTwo]

How about SOTA? Are they as strong as usual?

[seeslak]

I remember going to my first high school basketball game (Hornell) as a 7th grader and being amazed watching the skills of Timmy Burkhart (who later became the team captain for the Washington Generals of Globetrotter fame) and Brian Andrews, Tim Parks,Tim Church, Mike Lachusia,They would run through layup drills with the majority of the team obviously being able to dunk but just dropping the ball through the hoop to avoid a techical foul but every now and then they'd come out of the locker room before the refs and put on a show for us with some monster dunks.They went to The War Memorial that year, I think the entire town sat together and cheered them on.As I grew older I began playing pickup with these guys traveling up to Alfred U playing with Tim and Brian in the old Mcclean Center on weekends and though my skills were a fraction of theirs I was happy just to be in their presence and to be able to hang in there with them. My career did not go as theirs did ,we had a decent team we tied for 1st in the old sullivan trail conference with Horseheads but never made it very far in section 5 ..but looking back I wonder if the kids today look to the older guys as I did ,,wanting to be just like them..I can tell you that I could dunk because I say Mike Lachusia throw down on a 10ft+ rim in a street ball game and he stood all of 6th...if he could do it so could I,,,I worked hard until finally in 11th grade I could...thanks Mike! who did you look up to?

[UNCTarheels]

S.O.T.A is Class A and they're rebuilding, they got off to a real rough start vs. Corning West, West defeated S.O.T.A 50-27 and shut them out in the first quarter 12-0 helped by 9 S.O.T.A turnovers in the first Quarter.

West cruises to win (http://www.the-leader.com/articles/2007/11/24/sports/sports01.txt)-Corning Leader

[UNCTarheels]

New beginnings: Stedman era at HHS begins Friday vs. Franklinville in Olean Tournament (http://www.eveningtribune.com/articles/2007/11/29/sports/sports02.txt)-Hornell Tribune

[Double two]

One mistake in the article...he was an assistant coach at Geneseo college rather than Geneseo High school as the article says. Go Raiders!

[Rams15]

Ugly is the kindest word I can find to describe Bath's performance this evening against Penn Yan. Not to diss Penn Yan in any way. They earned the victory. They played tough inside, scrappy defense, and shot the ball when they had to. Bath turned the ball over AT LEAST 25 times and Andre McCloud was called on 7 different occasions just for traveling. Bath went through a span of 4 1/2 minutes and got only one shot off, because every other posession was negated with a turn over. Time after time Bath tried to dribble the ball through traffic and either traveled, or threw up off balance shots that had no chance of finding the net. Chris Leonard led Bath with 17 points and most were off fast break opportunities. Any kind of a set offense was non-existent for Bath and there did not appear to be any adjustments made to make better play making decisions. I wish I could be more positive, but there just isn't anything to build on at this point. We got out played and unless some real changes take place I don't expect things to get much better. Midlakes is next on our list and they handily defeated Attica this evening. After 4 scrimmages you can't pass it off to first game jitters.

On a positive note, Bath's JV's looked impressive and easily defeated Penn Yan 61-37. Bath was up by as many as 17 points in the first quarter and by 30 at one point in the contest. The score was 40-23 at half time. Coach Sutryk was very generous in his substitutions providing ample playing time for every player. Brett Sutryk knocked down 3 threes ( 13 pts. ) and Nick Rossi another 2.( 10 pts. ) Justin Howell ( 10 pts. ) looked solid in the minutes he played and Nick Hillman ( 8 points ) showed his ability to penetrate and drive to the basket. The JV's showed a real ability and willingness to play team basketball and distributed the ball efficiently to each other.

[Double two]

Hornell opened their season at the Olean tourney last night. Both the JV and Varsity teams won big. The JV's beat Franklinville 82-16 in a game that was very difficult to watch. Hornell was up 10-0 after one minute and did everything possible to put the breaks on after that...subs played most of the game, soft zone defense, limited fast breaks etc. Franklinville is a C school and was hurt a couple of years ago when their modified program was cut.
The Hornell varsity also won big but I don't remember the score.. they won by around 30 points over Franklinville. The Franklinville varsity had some pretty good talent and started out strong. They were up 10-5 midway through the first quarter and Hornell put on an intense full court press and went on a 33-4 run.
Both the JV and Varsity teams are very deep; each able to play at least 9 kids without missing a beat. They both have their work cut out for them today as they play Olean HS in the championship games. Both Olean teams are absolutely loaded. Their Varsity has a couple of very tall kids that could create problems for the Raiders. One of the kids is around 6'9" and started out their first round game with a dunk in traffic. I would say that Olean is the favorite to win in both the JV and Varsity games. If the Raiders can play them tough it will be a good sign. A win in either game would be huge.

[Double two]

The JV's and varsity split with Olean in the tourney championship. The JV's beat Olean 69-42 while the varsity suffered a 13 point loss to Olean. The varsity Raiders started off slow, getting down 12-2 in the first quarter. They only had 8 points at the half. Luckilly the Hornell defense was intense, keeping the game somewhat within reach. Both teams played extremely tough D which is evident from the final score of 49-36. Olean had won their first game of the tourney 98-18. Olean is big,strong and fast. I don't see Hornell seeing a better team all year. A big blow came in the second quarter when DJ Schwartz went down with a knee injury. I'm not sure of the prognosis but have heard it was very painful and swollen. If he is out for an extended period, it will be a huge loss for Hornell. The one shortcoming they had coming into the season is a lack of size. Now, two of their three "big men" have gone down with injuries. 6'4" eric Davidson is gone for the season and now Schwartz is in doubt. That leaves 6'3" Jordan Blades as their only big man. The rest of the team is mainly 5'10 to 6' players. They are very athletic but you can't coach them to be tall. Look for them to increase the pace of their games to take advantage of their speed. I hope Schwartz is okay; not just to help the Raiders but this is one of the absolute most classy kids you will find anywhere. He has had a great athletic career in Hornell, playing varsity sports even as a Freshman. Even with all of his success, he has continued to be one of the most down to earth and polite kids around. He deserves to finish off his high school career without missing too much time with injuries.

[Rams15]

You are indeed correct ! DJ IS one the most classiest kids around and leaves his competitiveness on the field. He is a great young man and we all hope that he is OK !! It is athletes like Schwartz that drive others to become better players !!! There is a healthy rivalry between Hornell and Bath and I can assure you that DJ is one of the first names that ALWAYS comes up first when the Bath players prepare to meet the Hornell teams. He is talented, competitive, and always sportsman-like when we play Hornell.

WE all wish him a speedy recovery and i was really saddened to hear this news ! I can only hope that it is just a sprain and not an MCL or ACL tear ! I so enjoy watching him compete in all three of the sports that he plays. Please keep us informed; especially if the prognosis is a good one !!

[Double two]

I heard that DJ is going to play against Dansville on Friday. I hope that the info is correct. Hornell REALLY needs him.

[dynomite]

gonna have to score more than 38 points to beat Charlotte.

[hoopsfan]

They may have scored 38 but they also gave up only 32. In fact, that's a pretty common scoring output for their opponents. I do agree there going to have to step up offensively, but everyone has a bad game in a season of 20+, and I doubt Charlotte will have played anyone this season who plays Team D like those kids do!

[dynomite]

maybe. I hope you are right. I would love to see those kids win a title. Just saying the follow up effort of 44 doesn't look very promising against a team who is consistently in the 60's and 70's. I just am not sure if Hornell shoots well enough to contend with a team that gets easy buckets in transition like Charlotte.......

[section5bball1220]

yes. hornell is going to very very strong with robby steadman. they have some very good players who should take them pretty far come sectional time

[Rams15]

end of first quarter. Bath has played with a great deal of intensity. Hornell has a great team and I'm sure will rally with their depth and athleticism, but interesting, none-the-less. If anyone is interested, I will try to post scores at the end of each period.

[Rams15]

at the half. Hornell's pressure has forced way too many turn overs for Bath to forge ahead. Bath's scorers were limited to only one or two shots in the entire 2nd quarter, thus the 5 point Hornell lead at half time. Bath will have to find some offense and handle the pressure if they are to stay in the game. I believe the last time these two met a few weeks ago, it was a 6 or 7 point Hornell lead at ther half and then their experience and intensity took over.

Same or different result. We shall see ??

[Rams15]

end of three. Same story as last time. Bath is not ready to step it up and compete with the better teams at this point.

[dynomite]

i wish i was wrong earlier but it seems that i was right. Hornell scores in the in the high 30 's while FT scores almost seventy. Kinda saw it coming but I thought it would be the next round. To the Seniors great career and good luck in your future endeavors!!