Solvay senior Jake Dippold has achieved plenty on the baseball diamond, leading the Bearcats to last spring’s state Class B final four and earning a scholarship to Wofford College in South Carolina for his pitching prowess.
Yet nothing that Dippold accomplished on a diamond compares, in terms of drama and excitement, to what he did Thursday night to deliver, for the boys basketball Bearcats, a stunning 60-59 victory over Marcellus that ended with Dippold converting from beyond halfcourt at the overtime horn.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Solvay was sporting a 1-10 record. Marcellus, despite cooling off from a hot December run, was still 8-4 and fully expected to handle this assignment, even on the Bearcats’ home floor.
And the Mustangs did lead at halftime, though only by a 22-16 margin. During the third quarter, Dippold began to take over, hitting on a series of 3-pointers that kept his team within range as the second half wore on.
Late in regulation, Solvay still trailed 48-45, but had the ball. Marcellus knew where the ball was going, but Dippold got open in the corner and, right-handed, drained the 3-pointer to tie it, 48-48, and force overtime. Dippold shoots right-handed despite the fact that he throws left-handed in baseball and with his left arm as a football quarterback.
During the four-minute OT period, Marcellus and Solvay traded baskets, and it stayed close. Fouled with 1.1 seconds left, and with his team up one, Kellar tried to deliberately miss the free throw to create a scramble for the ball that would allow the clock to run out.
The free throw was good, though, putting Marcellus up 59-57, but allowing Solvay to inbound the ball. Dippold gathered the pass just outside his team’s own 3-point line and, well-guarded and with the horn looming, took one dribble, went back to his left hand and let it fly before hitting the half-court line. It swished.
Instantly, Dippold was mobbed by his teammates and students that rushed the floor to join the celebration. It capped a night where Dippold had poured in 37 points and teammate Shawn Edwards gained 19 points. Other than Kellar, Nick Femano, with 11 points, was the only Marcellus player to score in double figures.
Before all this, formula that has proven quite successful throughout the winter continues to push Westhill to win after win. The Warriors climbed back to no. 3 in the latest state Class B poll just before hosting Cazenovia last Wednesday night, a high-quality match-up where, again, Westhill combined star power, bench production and defensive prowess to turn back the Lakers 73-53.
Sporting a 10-4 record and five-game win streak, Cazenovia was not intimidated by Westhill at the outset, the two sides trading baskets throughout the first quarter. But the Warriors’ bench, as it has done so many times this season, made an impact the rest of the half, putting the Lakers in a 33-24 deficit.
Gradually, that gap grew larger, in part because Westhill’s man-to-man defense never let Cazenovia get too comfortable despite 16 points from Thomas Bragg and 13 points from Dan Kent, and in part because two reserves put up big numbers.
John Geer poured in 14 points, and Owen Matukas wasn’t far behind, earning 13 points, and their efforts kept Cazenovia from concentrating too much on the stars. Thus, Sean Dadey led the way, earning 17 points, seven assists, five steals and five rebounds as Kameren Jackson gained a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
On that same Wednesday night, Jordan-Elbridge paid a visit to Skaneateles, constantly making itself a threat to the Lakers, but never able to catch them in the latter stages of a 51-44 defeat.
Things had gone well for the Eagles in the first half. A combination of stingy defense and timely baskets allowed J-E to claim a small lead, and it still was in front, 21-18, heading into halftime.
Skaneateles turned it around in the third quarter, though, outscoring the Eagles 20-9. Still, J-E stayed within range, pulling within four with less than four minutes left, yet unable to string together the baskets and stops it needed in the late going.
Aidan Carpenter picked up 13 points to lead all individuals, while Dale Wagner and Austin Cassick had eight points apiece. Collin Barrigar (six points) and Mason Barrigar (five points) were close behind as Matt Neumann paced Skaneateles with 12 points, just ahead of Jake Reed (11 points) and Jeremy Castle (nine points).
