by Gary Danforth
It was only fitting last Friday night, February 12, that senior Andy DiDonato drove the right baseline for the last bucket in Hoosick Falls Central School School’s 67-36 pasting of the Granville Golden Horde in the Panthers’ WASAREN League title clinching victory. Hoosick Falls hammered the Horde on this special Senior Night at the River Road gymnasium, and most every other league opponent, as they pushed their league mark to 13-1 to clinch their second consecutive league crown. Overall, Mike Lilac Jr.’s Panther five ran their slate to 15-2. Only league foe Hoosic Valley, who beat HFCS on a 23 foot three-pointer at the final buzzer and Class A size Mt. Anthony Union High School of nearby Bennington, VT, a non-league combatant, who came back to beat the Panthers in double overtime, have taken the measure of this special group of round ball enthusiasts who have represented Hoosick Falls so well in this 2009-10 campaign.
For Lilac, in his fourteenth year as boss man of the Hoosick Falls hardwood, this was his fourth championship season, to go along with five second place finishes. It was his 208th career win at HFCS. With two more wins, he will have averaged 15 wins per year while guiding HFCS basketball fortunes. As a coach, he is very well respected. His record speaks for itself. His preparation is second to none.
Granville was another example of that. HFCS led by a modest 14-7 margin at the first quarter break. HFCS broke out to a 7-2 lead. A Panther three-pointer put HFCS ahead 12-4 with 1:21 left in the quarter.
The Hoosick Falls defense, led by 6’6” senior Kevin McMahon and fellow senior Hutton Rasmus, tightened up on the Horde like a cheap vice. The Panthers were ahead 23-9 with 4:31 left in period two. Sophomores Alex Lilac, John Hayden and Tanner Williams, the present and future of Hoosick Falls basketball, led a point onslaught and precision offense which allowed HFCS to take a 35-19 spread at intermission.
Hoosick Falls, running like a Swiss watch, poured it on in period three and carved up the Horde like a Thanksgiving turkey. After twenty four minutes, Hoosick Falls led, 51-26. It was over.
Schuylerville Central School, which finished in second place in the league, and was beaten consecutively in overtime and double overtime by Hoosick Falls, simply had run out of games to try and catch this Panther basketball machine.
As they have demonstrated all season long, a team effort made the work load light. A free throw by Rasmus pushed the Panther lead to 59-26. A Rasmus drive put HFCS ahead, 63-28, with 2:40 to play. It was carnage. An inside bucket by junior David Ciuk put Hoosick Falls ahead, 65-34. Then came DiDonato’s title clinching drive. HFCS won, 67-36.
Lilac with 15 points, Williams, 15, Hayden, 3, McMahon, 8, Sean Dingman, 12, a junior, Hutton Rasmus, 5, Quinn
Rasmus, 4, a junior, DiDonato, 3, and Ciuk with 2 points scored for HFCS. Others playing for HFCS on this title evening were juniors Ryan Hand, Will Luke and Mike Brewster.
Rebounding from Afar: The Panther defense held all Horde players under double digits. HFCS plays at Mt. Anthony to close out the regular season and then should draw a home game for their Class C sectional opener on Tuesday, February 23.