By Doug La Rocque
The Mountaineers came out flat and New Lebanon’s Clayton Erickson poured in 20 first half points, and the Tigers went into the locker room with a 13 point lead at the half.[private] The second half was a different story, as the Berlin squad really started to concentrate on defense while on the other end of the court, offensively, they outscored New Lebanon 27 – 10 in the third quarter.
The Tigers were not finished, outscoring Berlin by three in the final quarter, but came up short, losing by the score of 63-62. Berlin coach Kasson Sauer was full of praise for Hunter Harrison, who completely shut down Erickson, not allowing him a single point in the final half.
Roark Slattery again led the Mountaineers in scoring, with 8 field goals and 7 free throws for a total of 23 points. Ryan Willis chipped in another 18 while recording a double-double, pulling down 12 rebounds. Harrison connected on 4 from outside the circle for 12 points.
Clayton Erickson was the top point man for the Tigers with 20, while Trey Orme-Ouch finished with 14 points, and Brandon Napoli added 10 points.
The Mountaineer gym was packed to capacity, a point not lost on Coach Sauer, who wished to thank all the fans that came out to support their teams. It may have been the last time the neighboring schools meet as Central Hudson Valley League opponents. Several league teams, including Berlin, are considering changes as the CHVL continues to struggle for membership.
Berlin remains in third place behind Bishop Maginn and Germantown with a 7-3 league record. The New Lebanon Tigers hold down fifth place. New Lebanon lost another close game earlier in the week to Hawthorne Valley by a score of 57-52. Brandon Napoli was the top point getter on that night for the Tigers with 23, while Clayton Erickson contributed 18 points to the effort. New Lebanon did post a fairly easy win over the Eagles of Loudonville Christian, 54-35. Clayton Erickson led the way for the Tigers with 21 points, including 5 three-pointers. Brandon Napoli tossed in 15, and Trey Orme-Ouch connected on two from downtown en route to an 8-point night.
The Girls teams from the two Taconic Valley Schools got together on Thursday night January 26 in New Lebanon for what turned out to be a one-sided affair. The Lady Tigers dominated the play in both the 2nd and 4th quarters on their way to a 60-29 win. Stephanie Feathers led the way for New Lebanon with 20 points, and Aaliyah Stalker added another 13. Kaley Culbertson was tops in scoring for the Lady Mountaineers with 9 points, while Parker Crandall had 8 and Haley Maxon 6.
The Wrestling Team Honors Its Seniors
The combined Berlin-New Lebanon wrestlers put forth what Coach D.J. Connolly called impressive efforts this past week against Waterford and in the Mt. Greylock tournament. The match-up against Waterford marked the last home match of the year for the team, and the schools took time out to honor the four seniors on the squad. Coach Connolly named them all co-wrestlers of the week. He had words of praise for Nick (Trip) Tripepi, who he said continued to make positive strides throughout the year. Mike Hicks is one of the original wrestlers on the teams since the program was reborn three years ago. Connolly said he took pride in watching him grow into a young man who will be sorely missed on the team. Chris Houle is another who those who joined the team at inception. Connolly had praise for his work ethic and calm demeanor, which will be missed by all. And for senior Jesse Davis, the coach thanked him for his drive and determination to make himself and his teammates better. Connolly had these words of advice for his wrestlers. “As this portion of your life comes to a close and new doors open up ahead, never forget where you came from and know that you can persevere through anything.”
The New Lebanon – Berlin Swim team traveled to St. Joe’s in Pittsfield for a meet this past week. The Girls’ team was competitive as usual, but fell to the Massachusetts school by a 41-31 score. Allison Ryder chalked up the only single win, while the 400 Freestyle Relay squad also won their event. The Boys team dropped their match by a 33-6 score. This was the last time the two schools will meet, as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield is closing St. Joe’s at the end of the school year.[/private]