CLASS AA Preview
Hills West should dominate League IV with its trio of transfers. The Colts also have five other players who started last season, including impressive sophomore Emile Blackman.
One huge obstacle in Hills West’s road to Glens Falls is League I power Longwood. The Lions already have scored more than 90 points in a game three times and can run with the Colts. Longwood is very deep and very explosive, led by point guard Tajric Boggs, Darien Davis, Paris Parks and Patrick Piasecki.
Other League I challengers include Brentwood, which lost its top scorer for a second straight year when All-Long Island forward J.J. Moore transferred to a Connecticut prep school. But Jean Cherry and Michael Rollins have the Indians off to a flying start. Floyd, led by guard Jarel Johnson, will contend. – Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 27 Dec 2009:
Longwood 99, Floyd 70: Darien Davis scored 20 points and was one of four double-digit scorers for Longwood (1-0 League I). Paris Parks had 19 points and Tajric Boggs added 18. – Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 16 Dec 2009:
Longwood 28 25 22 18-93
Commack 12 10 17 14-53
LW: Davis 26, Spoerer 6, Holmes 8, Parks 17, Hatzinger 2, Lee 5, Piasecki 9, Green 2, Evans 5, Brown 2, Boggs 9, Green 2. Totals: 35-14-93. COM: Suprina 13, Leippert 4, DiDomenico 2, Cundari 2, McQueeney 11, Nembhard 9, Savitsky 4, Kilmetis 8. Totals: 19-15-53. Three-pointers: LW 9 (Davis 3, Spoerer 2, Holmes 2, Parks 2). – Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 19 Dec 2009:
Longwood 102, Ward Melville 69: Paris Parks had 25 points and Darien Davis added 24 points and 10 assists as Longwood (3-0 League I) scored 90 or more points for the third time in four games this season. Tajric Boggs had 13 points and Patrick Piasecki added 12. – Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island,). LW: Davis 24, Boggs 13, Parks 25, Hatzinger 5, Holmes 3, Lee 2, Green 3, Piasecki 12, Evans 4, Brown 3, Green 8. Totals: 36-24-102. WM: Williams 20, Harris 2, Kancel 2, Hegarty 15, Kunkel 4, Edmonds 10, Lombardo 4, Aicher 2, Amen 6, Duncan 3, Lerman 1. Totals: 24-20-69. Three-pointers: LW 6 (Davis 2, Boggs 2, Parks, Hatzinger); WM 1 (Williams). Dec. 23
Longwood 17 20 37 20-94
Brentwood 16 5 24 13-58
LW: Parks 17, Green 13, Boggs 17, Spoerer 5, Holmes 8, Davis 16, Green 2, Piasecki 10, Hatzinger 4, Evans 2. Totals: 36-9-94. BRN: Smith 23, Powell 1, Chery 10, Roberts 2, Snell 3, Rollins 17, Daniel 2. Totals: 22-13-58. Three-pointers: LW 13 (Parks 5, Green 3, Boggs 2, Spoerer, Holmes, Davis); BRN 1 (Smith). Jan. 6
LONGWOOD 94, BRENTWOOD 58 Parks helps make it rain threes Sinks five of Lions’ 13 treys; 37-point quarter puts game away Indians unable to deal with fast breaks and trapping defense
Herzog, Bob. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 06 Jan 2010
They put the long in Longwood last night.
The Lions nailed a whopping 13 three-pointers and roared to a 94-58 victory over Brentwood in a League I game at Longwood.
“We were on fire so we kept lighting it up,” said Paris Parks, providing a couple of apt metaphors on a night when he sizzled more than anyone else, sinking five treys en route to 17 points. The Lions, who average a Long Island-best 86.8 points per game, improved to 7-0, 4-0 in league. “That’s one of the best shooting nights I’ve seen,” said Anthony Jimenez, the coach of Brentwood (7-3, 2-2).
The Indians were able to contain Longwood‘s lethal fast break for most of the first quarter and avoid its equally dangerous trapping defense. But a floater by Darien Davis (16 points) and a buzzer-beating three by Parks provided a 17-16 advantage for the home team. “You can’t give Longwood any momentum,” Jimenez said.
The Lions broke the game open by scoring the first 10 points of the second quarter. The only three of that sequence came when Tajric Boggs (17 points) completed a conventional three-point play with a nifty shake-and-bake maneuver. It was 37-21 at the break, which was bad enough for Brentwood. Things got much worse in the third quarter when Longwood really turned up the heat.
Its vaunted trap began creating turnovers and fast-break opportunities that resulted in open players all over the court. Sure, there were numerous layups, but often, the most wide-open Lion was stationed in the corner or on the wing, waiting to receive a pass behind the arc.
“Best shot possible,” is how Lions coach Dennis Terry described his team’s share-the-ball offensive philosophy that produced six treys in the third quarter, one in which his team scored a rousing 37 points.
“It all starts with defense,” Davis said. Indeed, Brentwood turned the ball over frequently during the second and third quarters resulting in many uncontested shots. “We like to go inside-out to open things up,” Terry said. “If the open shot is a three, we want our guy to shoot it. [Thirteen] is a lot of threes, but the guys had open shots.”
Most of them came after several passes at a pace best described as breakneck. Terry rarely stops yelling “push it … go, go, go!” on the sideline, often punctuating his words with a waving motion meant to encourage his players to step on the accelerator. They don’t have to be told twice.
“We’re a fast-break team. We love running,” Paris said. “Coach runs us all the time in practice to get us in shape. We think we can wear down other teams by the fourth quarter.”
By the fourth quarter last night, Brentwood was burned out.
Longwood 24 21 12 18-75
Central Islip 6 17 16 12-51
LW: Parks 6, Davis 29, Boggs 16, Holmes 5, Green 4, Spoerer 2, Piasecki 9, Brown 4. Totals: 27-16-75. CI: Meil 5, Franklin 23, Quinones 6, McKenzie 6, Augustus 5, Harley 6. Totals: 22-6-51. Three-pointers: LW 5 (Parks 2, Davis 2, Boggs); CI 1 (Meil ). Jan. 9
Longwood 27 31 26 26-110
Sachem East 12 14 8 21-55
LW: Spoerer 17, Green 13, Boggs 15, Evans 11, Parks 8, Holmes 5, Piasecki 10, Lee 6, Davis 21, Brown 2, Green 2. Totals: 47-3-110. SE: Taventis 9, Daniello 8, Doherty 9, Helring 3, Candemeres 8, Colston 8, Madsen 2, Raftice 1, Delaney 2, Corbett 5. Totals: 19-9-55. Three-pointers: LW 13 (Spoerer 5, Green 3, Boggs 2, Evans, Parks, Holmes); SE 8 (Taventis 3, Daniello 2, Doherty, Helring, Candemeres). Jan. 13
City College – Baltimore 13 13 30 26-82
Longwood 31 14 9 14-68
O: Faust 26, Hawkins 3, Amos 2, Rasheed 1, Lathem 16, Tapper 10, Cheatum 28, Green 1. Totals: 26-31-87. LW: Green 12, Davis 27, Parks 11, Piasecki 9, Holmes 2, Boggs 7. Totals: 23-14-68. Three-pointers: O 4 (Faust 3, Hawkins); LW 8 (Green 4, Davis 2, Parks 2). Jan. 17
Lake Clifton (Md.) 12 18 18 27-75
Longwood 13 11 22 25-71
O: Johnson 20, Fields 14, Selby 31, Washington 5, Fisher 5. Totals: 27-19-75. LW: Boggs 26, Spoerer 6, Davis 19, Piasecki 2, Parks 10, Lee 2, Green 4, Green 2. Totals: 24-13-71. Three-pointers: O 2 (Johnson 2); LW 10 (Boggs 7, Spoerer 2, Davis). Jan. 18
Longwood 106, Floyd 67: Senior Darien Davis had 19 points and a school-record 16 assists for Longwood (6-0) in League I. Paris Parks (29 points) and Chris Green (19 points) each hit six three-pointers as Longwood totaled 20 treys. Tajric Boggs added 16 points and four steals. LW: Green 19, Parks 29, Boggs 16, Davis 19, Evans 8, Holmes 3, Brown 2, Piasecki 10. Totals: 38-10-106. FL: DeSilva 3, Johnson 16, Ducoing 3, Wigger 8, Strickland 4, Thompkins 4, White 25, Cook 2, Boyer 4, Haase 3. Totals: 28-14-72. Three-pointers: LW 20 (Green 6, Parks 6, Boggs 3, Davis 2, Evans 2, Holmes); FL 2 (DeSilva, Johnson). Jan. 20
Longwood 10 20 16 22-68
Patchogue-Medford 15 4 16 14-49
LW: Davis 21, Holmes 6, Parks 13, Green 2, Spoerer 2, Piasecki 17, Boggs 7. Totals: 23-16-68. PM: Groves 8, Ford 9, Sillaro 11, Hansen 7, Sergio 14. Totals: 17-13-49. Three-pointers: LW 6 (Davis 3, Holmes 2, Parks); PM 2 (Groves, Ford). Jan. 21
Longwood 22 17 29 21-89
Commack 11 16 12 22-61
Darien Davis had 21 points, 10 steals and 12 assists to lead Longwood (8-0), which had three players score 20 or more points in League I. Dalton Suprina had 27 points for Commack (3-5). LW: Green 20, Parks 24, Boggs 13, Piasecki 12, Davis 21, Evans 2, Spoerer 2, Lee 2. Totals: 37-10-96. COM: Suprina 27, Outcault 3, Nembhard 10, Savitsky 14, Nembhard 2, Leippert 2, DiDomenico 6, Cundari 2, McQueeney 2. Totals: 25-11-68. Three-pointers: LW 12 (Green 4, Parks 4, Boggs 2, Piasecki, Davis); COM 7 (Suprina 4, Outcault, Nembhard, Savitsky). Jan. 23
Longwood 20 12 15 20-67
Ward Melville 17 21 14 13-65
LW: Davis 31, Boggs 17, Green 4, Piasecki 11, Holmes 2, Parks 2. Totals: 24-11-67. WM: Lombardo 14, Edmonds 9, Aicher 5, Dineen 13, Kunkel 2, Hegarty 9, Williams 13. Totals: 24-12-65. Three-pointers: LW 8 (Davis 7, Boggs); WM 5 (Lombardo 2, Edmonds 2, Aicher). Jan. 28
LONGWOOD 67, WARD MELVILLE 65: Davis shoots Lions to comeback win
Herzog, Bob. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 28 Jan 2010
Darien Davis wears the number “00” on the back of his Longwood jersey. It might as well be “007” because, like James Bond, the 6-1 senior guard has a license to shoot.
“Coach says when I’m open, I’ve got to shoot it,” said Davis, whose wide grin acknowledged what has been obvious all season: He loves to follow coach’s orders.
Davis scored 31 points, including seven three-pointers, one of them coming with 1:25 left that broke a tie at 61 and propelled Longwood to a hard-fought 67-65 victory last night over host Ward Melville in a Suffolk League I game.
The Lions, who won the earlier meeting, 102-69, improved to 9-0. The Patriots fell to 3-6.
“They were a different team this time. They were prepared for us,” said Davis, who had five three-pointers in the first half.
The Patriots’ preparation included better ball movement and improved passing against Longwood‘s vaunted trap. They kept their composure when the Lions grabbed a 20-10 lead late in the first quarter, closing out the period on a 7-0 run that let the visitors know this one would be nothing like the last one.
Ward Melville, with Kyle Lombardo scoring 12 of his 14 points in the first half, thrilled their fans by taking a 38-32 lead against Newsday’s No.2-rated team. The Patriots finally wilted a bit in the third and fourth quarters after building a 52-43 lead.
Longwood‘s relentless trapping defense started to force turnovers and Ward Melville did not score for more than six minutes as the lead dwindled to 52-51.
“We finally stepped up our defense in the fourth quarter,” Lions coach Dennis Terry said. “We were sleepwalking for most of the first half.”
Both teams were alert in the fourth quarter, however, with the lead changing hands several times.
Tajric Boggs (17 points) turned a steal into a layup and Davis followed with another layup off a Ward Melville turnover for a 59-55 advantage. But a three-point play by Tyler Hegarty, a tough drive in traffic by Lombardo and a free throw by Shane Dineen (11 points off the bench) tied it at 61 with 1:38 left.
“Give praise to Ward Melville. This was a battle and every possession counted down the stretch,” Terry said.
No possession was more crucial than the one after Dineen’s free throw. “In that situation, we had to run something specific for Darien,” Terry said. “He came off a screen and knocked down the three. Then he hit those crucial free throws to seal it.”
Longwood led 65-63 when Davis went to the foul line, shooting two. The clock read … “009.”
If it were a movie, it would’ve read “007.” Still, Davis was the leading man last night.
Longwood 20 23 22 21-86
Brentwood 18 15 22 19-74
LW: Parks 23, Green 10, Boggs 20, Davis 19, Piasecki 12, Brown 2. Totals: 33-10-86. BRN: Chery 30, Hall 7, Snell 5, Smith 14, Rollins 10, Hartage 8. Totals: 28-12-74. Three-pointers: LW 10 (Parks 5, Green 2, Boggs 2, Davis); BRN 6 (Chery 4, Hall, Snell). Jan. 31
Longwood 26 25 19 26-96
Sachem East 9 18 16 12-55
L: Davis 28, Parks 17, Piasecki 5, Green 6, Hatzinger 2, Evans 9, Boggs 23, Green 6. Totals: 35-20-96. SE: Raftice 6, Candemeres 16, Taventis 3, Helring 4, Colston 1, Corbett 6, Doherty 7, Delhavy 10. Totals: 18-13-53. Threes: L 6 (Davis 4, Parks 2); SE 4 (Raftice 2, Candemeres, Taventis). Feb. 6c
Longwood 26 17 21 19-83
Patchogue-Medford 7 14 18 24-63
Darien Davis had 19 points and Tajric Boggs added 18 to lead Longwood (12-0 League I) to its first undefeated Long Island regular season in boys program history. Patchogue-Medford is 4-8. LW: Spoerer 6, C Green 5, Davis 19, Boggs 18, Evans 4, F Green 7, Brown 4, Holmes 12, Piasecki 4, Parks 4. Totals: 33-12-83. PM: Deutsch 9, Sergio 25, Groves 4, Williams 5, Sillaro 11, Vogel 2, Ford 4, Capraro 1, Hansen 2. Totals: 24-11-63. Three-pointers: LW 5 (Spoerer 2, C Green, Davis, Boggs); PM 4 (Deutsch 3, Sergio ). Feb. 10
Longwood 80, Smithtown East 58: Tajric Boggs and Darien Davis each scored 27 points to lead No.2 Longwood over No. 15 Smithtown East in a Class AA first-round game. Paris Parks added six points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. Longwood (17-2) hosts No.10 Whitman at 6 p.m. Tuesday in a semifinal. Smithtown East is 9-10. LW: Davis 27, Boggs 27, Spoerer 6, Holmes 3, Green 3, Piasecki 2, Parks 6, Lee 4, Dionisto 2. Totals: 24-22-80. SE: Modugno 9, Ward 3, Grey 19, Castello 2, Schultz 2, Thixton 5, Walsh 2, Gaska 2. Totals: 15-9-44. Three-pointers: LW 10 (Davis 5, Boggs 3, Spoerer 2); SE 5 (Modugno 3, Ward, Grey). Feb. 20
Parks leads Longwood to AA semis
Anonymous. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 24 Feb 2010
Paris Parks’ triple-double (21 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds) led No.2 Longwood to an 86-70 victory over visiting Whitman last night in a Suffolk Class AA boys basketball quarterfinal. Darien Davis scored 29 points with four rebounds and four assists for Longwood (18-2), and Tajric Boggs added five points and 10 rebounds.
Longwood will face Lindenhurst at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday at Farmingdale State in the semifinals. No.10 Whitman finished the season 11-8.
CLASS AA: LONGWOOD 79, LINDENHURST 62 Davis, Lions step it up in second half
BOB. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 01 Mar 2010:
After a nine-point second quarter – a remarkably low total for Long Island’s highest- scoring team – it was only a matter of time before Longwood started to act like, well, Longwood.
“We were mad we were down at the half,” Lions guard Darien Davis said of his team’s 31-28 deficit. “We yelled at each other. We didn’t want it to be our last game.”
No. 2 Longwood responded with a 27-point third quarter and a 24-point fourth quarter to pull away for a 79-62 victory over No. 3 Lindenhurst last night in a Suffolk boys Class AA semifinal game before a crowd of about 1,500 at Farmingdale State.
The Lions advanced to the Class AA title game against No. 1-seeded Hills West on Wednesday night at Farmingdale State.
“Our defense created an all-out offense and gave us momentum from the crowd,” said Davis, who scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half.
Davis sank two treys in the third quarter as Longwood showed its quick-strike capabilities with runs of 8-0, 9-0 and 10-0 to build a 55-38 lead. Longwood did it in the second half without starting point guard Tajric Boggs, who suffered an injured foot in the first half and did not return to action.
Coach Dennis Terry said he expected Boggs to be OK for Wednesday’s game, adding, “He wanted to go back in.”
In Boggs’ absence, Davis, Paris Parks (11 of his 17 in the second half) and reserve Gerald Holmes (all eight in the second half) took on bigger backcourt roles.
“We had to step up on defense and go to the basket without him because he’s usually the only one who drives,” said Davis, who made several twisting layups.
Still, the final margin was a bit deceiving because the Bulldogs scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter to cut their deficit to six at 55-49.
“This is Longwood-Lindy. It’s a rivalry game and we’ve played them so many times over the years I expected a battle,” Terry said. “Anything can happen in a rivalry game.”
Impressive sophomore Stew Warren scored six points during Lindy’s early fourth-quarter burst and scored nine of his 23 points in the final period. Senior Kamil Parzych, in the final game of an outstanding career, scored 10 of his 13 in the fourth.
But the emotion of the rivalry soon faded, and Longwood took control with three conventional three-point plays by Holmes, Parks and Davis.
His free throw started a parade to the foul line for the Lions against the Bulldogs’ desperate pressing tactics. The Lions scored their last 14 points from the free-throw line, with Davis getting 10 of them.
After all the difficult points he had scored earlier, Davis said it was nice to get a few easy ones. “I’ll take them,” he said with a relieved smile.
Game of year finally here
Herzog, Bob. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 03 Mar 2010
The long-awaited game of the year in Suffolk boys basketball is here. No.1 seed Half Hollow Hills West (21-0) will face No.2 Longwood (19-2) in the Class AA championship at 8 o’clock tonight at Farmingdale State. A capacity crowd of 4,000 is expected. Hills West, ranked No.21 nationally in the latest USA Today poll, advanced with playoff victories over Sachem North, Copiague and Bay Shore. Longwood, whose only losses were in a tournament in Baltimore, defeated Sachem East, Whitman and Lindenhurst.
HALF HOLLOW HILLS WEST 77, LONGWOOD 69 Harris, Colts grab the AA title West star overcomes foul trouble, gets 10 in 4th Colts will face Nassau Class AA winner March 13
Herzog, Bob. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 04 Mar 2010:
From the staredown and trash-talking between Patrick Piasecki and Tobias Harris at the opening tip that required the teams to be separated for a moment, to the pulsating fourth quarter, this clearly was a headline heavyweight fight.
No.2 Longwood stood toe-to-toe with No.1 Half Hollow Hills West, exchanging jabs, counterpunches and haymakers. The Colts did not deliver a knockout punch – the Lions were too tough for that – but they managed a decision.
Harris, playing the entire fourth quarter with four fouls, scored 10 points in the final period, including a three-pointer that put his team ahead for good, as Hills West knocked off Longwood, 77-69, last night in the Suffolk Class AA final before a crowd of more than 4,000 at Farmingdale State.
“You have to give credit to Longwood. They stayed with us the whole game,” said Harris, who finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, six blocks and three steals. He also wore his Tennessee long-sleeved T-shirt during warm-ups. “In knew I had to put some balls in the hoop .”
Indeed, the Colts trailed 53-50 after three quarters, despite 22 points to that point from Tavon Sledge, many of them on gravity-defying layups. And they trailed 61-57 with 5:59 left when Gerald Holmes, the 5-9, 200-pound sparkplug who replaced injured Tajric Boggs, nailed a long three-pointer. Holmes had 10 points and eight rebounds.
The teams were tied at 63 after Sledge made a steal and layup. Then came a last hurrah for Longwood (19-3). Piasecki (12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks) took it right to Harris and hit a jumper. But while the roars from the Longwood crowd echoed, Harris came downcourt and nailed a trey to give Hills West (22-0) a 66-65 lead it never relinquished.
Moments later Tyler Harris (12 points) came up huge, too, sinking a trey from the right wing to make it 69-65. Tobias scored the final four points in the closing seconds to make the margin look bigger.
“This was the best game we played all year because it was Longwood,” Sledge said. “All I said was keep playing. We’ve been here before. Tobias has gotten in foul trouble before so everybody knew they had to step up. Longwood is a shooting team and they really kept the pressure on us. This will definitely help us in the next few games.”
Hills West next faces Harborfields on Saturday at Farmingdale State in Suffolk’s overall tournament final. The Colts play the Uniondale-Baldwin winner at 4 p.m. on March 13 at Hofstra. The winner of that one wins the Long Island title and the Southeast Regional crown and goes to Glens Falls.
“At the end of the third quarter, Tobias said to me, ‘Don’t worry. I got this,'” West coach Bill Mitaritonna said. “Tobias is the man. Longwood is the best team we’ve played this year.”
Darien Davis led the Lions with 22 points. “You played us tough,” Tobias Harris said, over and over as he hugged each Longwood player after the game.
The game left everyone involved emotionally spent. “I’m shot,” Mitaritonna said.
Was it worth the wait? You better believe it!
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 04 Mar 2010:
They stood and waited for almost 45 minutes in a cold rain. They jammed the vestibule area as the crowd continued to grow. People were running from the parking areas to avoid being shut out of what was arguably the biggest basketball event in Long Island history.
Forget for a moment the glory days of Cold Spring Harbor’s Wally Szczerbiak and Amityville’s Jason Fraser, two of Long Island’s most celebrated players. This was bigger and better than anything we’ve experienced. This wasn’t Hoosiers. This was Long Island. And we haven’t seen high school basketball of this magnitude.
They came to see Long Island’s top two ranked boys basketball teams, Hills West and Longwood, battle for the Suffolk Class AA championship. The place was absolutely electric. More than 4,000 packed Nold Gymnasium last night at Farmingdale State University. An estimated 1,000 were turned away and left. Some chose to stay and received scoring updates.
“I’m not leaving,” said Dennis Carter, a former All-Long Island defensive end for Hills West. “I’ve made almost every game this year. We waited more than an hour in the rain and still couldn’t get in.”
Lines formed late in the afternoon and by 7 p.m., university officials knew they had an overflow crowd on their hands. Credit forward thinking and a well-executed plan by Section XI and the crowd was under control.
“We had seating for about 3,500 and we went to standing room for another 500 so we didn’t disappoint too many people,” said John Dee, the director of security for Section XI. “It was a packed house. But the fans were great.”
The championship atmosphere heightened with very big shot, every block. This crowd came to roar. They watched two phenomenal teams, loaded with Division I talent, highlighted by Tennessee-bound Tobias Harris go toe-to-toe for 32 minutes.
Hills West guard Aaron McCree drilled a three to open the scoring and off they went. This one lived up to the hype.
“This was our biggest crowd ever,” said Suffolk boys basketball chairman Bob Mayo, the Babylon athletic director. “We haven’t had this kind of star power on both teams. This game was the most exciting I’ve seen since the years of Glenn Vickers at Babylon in the mid-seventies.”
Neither team had lost a game to a Long Island opponent. Hills West brought a 21-0 record with impressive wins over Christ the King and Bishop Loughlin. The Colts were buoyed by the playmaking of point guard Tavon Sledge and the intimidating front line of brothers Tobias and Tyler Harris.
Longwood, well, they just bring the wood! The Lions carried a 19-2 record, with both losses coming in a tournament held in Baltimore. If the Hills West football team on its way to a Long Island championship was the fastest show on turf, then the Longwood basketball team was the fastest team on wood.
As Tobias Harris walked off the court with his third foul of the first half, Gerald Holmes, the smallest guy on the court, arched his back and leaned into him with a little reminder – we’re here – and we’re in your face. It was like that all game.
For those who stood and waited – $6 was well spent – they saw a game they’ll remember forever. Hills West won, 77-69, but there were no losers here.
‘AA’ spectator taken to hospital
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 04 Mar 2010:
Quick thinking by Farmingdale State University police and Peter White, the athletic trainer for Section XI, may have saved the life of a spectator at last night’s Suffolk Class AA boys basketball championship game.
Harry Haferkamp, 78, of North Babylon was felled by the extreme heat at the top of the bleachers with under two minutes remaining in the packed house. University police immediately started CPR on Haferkamp, who went in and out of consciousness.
White administered oxygen with the help of Longwood trainer Michelle Dorn. Haferkamp was taken from the gym, put in an ambulance and taken to New Island Hospital in Bethpage. His condition last night was unknown.
Feeling better, and thankful for kindness
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 05 Mar 2010:
Harry Haferkamp was back at the gymnasium at Nold Hall at Farmingdale State last night. Dressed in a long-sleeved, striped shirt, he sat comfortably next to his son Carl in the third row of bleachers and followed the action.
The bespectacled North Babylon resident, 78, surrounded by family and friends, was enjoying the Suffolk Class AA girls basketball championship game. And that itself is a great story.
This was more than stars Bria Hartley of North Babylon and Kristen Doherty of Sachem East. This was so much more than a championship game. This was about compassion.
This was about compassion for each other and passion for high school sports.
Haferkamp was in attendance because people care about each other. And he was here because he cares so much about high school sports. And therein lies the beauty of this tale.
It was only Wednesday night that Haferkamp, sitting among the throng of more than 4,000 spectators, collapsed in the waning moments of the Suffolk Class AA boys basketball final and was rushed by volunteers from the East Farmingdale Fire Department to New Island Hospital in Bethpage. Quick emergency response and the work of a savvy trainer, Peter White, aided in Haferkamp’s well-being.
“I’m here because people care,” Haferkamp said. “My doctor told me I took the wrong medication and that, combined with the heat, caused me to pass out. All of my tests came back OK.”
As he rested in a hospital bed early yesterday in the emergency room at New Island Hospital, he was greeted by an unlikely visitor.
“I looked up and this man asked, ‘How do you feel?'” Haferkamp said with a smile. “And I said, ‘Who are you?’ And he said, ‘I’m the Longwood coach, Dennis Terry, and I came by to see how you were doing.’ “
Haferkamp said Terry then sat beside his bed, held his hand and began to pray.
“He prayed for me,” Haferkamp said. “I was in shock. That man made me feel great – it was such a boost.”
Terry left Haferkamp with a Longwood basketball T-shirt – and in good spirits when he left New Island. Haferkamp clutched the shirt and could be seen clapping and cheering for his hometown Bulldogs among the 2,300 fans.
Haferkamp and the second- largest crowd in Long Island girls basketball history were treated to an exciting game as Sachem East earned a 72-69 win over North Babylon. His favorite player, Bria Hartley, scored 51 points for the Bulldogs, a Long Island playoff record.
“I didn’t want to miss this game for the world,” Haferkamp said. “And I owe it to Peter White and all the other emergency personnel that helped me.”
Carl Haferkamp said his father is an avid high school sports fan.
“We followed North Babylon football to the championship and we were following basketball to the championship,” Carl said. “This is our community. Dad was released from the hospital at 3 p.m. and I took him home. And he couldn’t wait to get here and see the game.”
Harry Haferkamp is no ordinary fan. Considering where he was Wednesday night and how he looked last night – wow.
“I saw him walk in and this incredible feeling of love just came over me,” said White, the official athletic trainer for Section XI athletics. “It was great to see him. And he looked good.”
Before tipoff, Haferkamp thanked White and found his seat. Game on.