CENTRAL NEW YORK – Three area high school boys basketball teams find themselves part of the Section III Class A playoffs, with Bishop Grimes in the best position to make a championship push.
In fact, the Cobras hold the top seed and a bye straight into the quarterfinals, where on Tuesday it will host no. 8 seed Utica Academy of Science, who handled Carthage 89-60 in the opening round.
East Syracuse Minoa has a scenario where, if it wins twice in the early rounds of the playoffs, it can meet Grimes in Friday night’s semifinals at SRC Arena.
First, though, the no. 4 seed Spartans had to oust no. 13 seed Indian River in Sunday’s opening-round game, and it proved to be a lopsided affair, ESM ripping past the Warriors 77-38.
Any doubts about what would take place quickly went away as the Spartans, scoring baskets at will, was up 28-9 by the end of the first quarter and had a 52-18 halftime advantage.
Ultimately, all 11 players that saw action for the Spartans earned at least one field goal, the effort led by Tristan Henderson, who got 14 points.
Tyler Quarry had 10 points, with Anthony Bryant getting nine points. A.J. Graham had eight points, Ty Hubschmitt seven points and Cole Thomas six points as ESM earned a quarterfinal home date with no. 5 seed and defending champion New Hartford.
Jamesville-DeWitt found itself in an unusual spot – with a low seed in Class A, no. 10, and modest expectations as it traveled north to face no. 7 seed Watertown in the opening round.
Yet that just might have proven to be what the Red Rams needed to find its long-elusive top form – something evident, especially from Anthony Stickle, in a 61-54 victory over the Cyclones.
For three quarters, it went back and forth, neither side able to establish or hold any kind of lead. Used to this, J-D saved its best work for the fourth quarter, able to outscore Watertown 19-12.
Through it all, the Cyclones tried everything to contain Stickle – and it didn’t work, Stickle making his way to 30 points as Trent Hughes and Jackson Saroney got nine points apiece, Eamon Giblin adding seven points.
In Tuesday’s quarterfinals, J-D visits no. 2 seed Central Square, with whom the Rams split a pair of regular-season meetings.
J-D had lost 55-49 in overtime to Baldwinsville last Monday night, rallying from a 24-20 halftime deficit to get even, 47-47, by the end of regulation, but getting just two points in the four-minute extra period.
All game long, Stickle carried J-D’s attack, getting 27 points. Hughes added 11 points as, for B’ville, Eli Taft had 20 points, Greg Marinelli got 12 points and Jason Bifulco earned 10 points.
