Let's wrap up the 2007-08 basketball season.
We are working on our all-area teams and will be sure to let you know when those will be published.
Who do you think should make the team? Any nominations for coach of the year? What are your favorite moments or games from the season?

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On the boys side, Bishop Maginn had a fantastic run to the class AA Federation Tournament, the first section II team to make it that far since Schenectady in 2001.
The Griffins gave it a valiant effort in the game against Lincoln, but just could not catch up to a very talented Lincoln team. Read the recap of the game here.

Mechanicville's Joe Loudis entered the state basketball hall of fame just before Maginn took the court. Read all about it here.

In class A, Albany Academy had a good run, but fell to Bishop Gibbons in the sectional final. Look for the Cadets to be one of the top teams in the area next season, since they lose few components. Lansingburgh also had a very good second half of the season but just could not solve Colonial Council foe Albany Academy.

In the Bs - the Wasaren League was packed with talent. Hoosic Valley won the league title, but Schuylerville and Tamarac also had incredible years. With the graduation of HV's Pat Lanoue and Cambridge's Shea Bromirski, Tamarac is poised for a big year in 2008-09.

In the CC/Cs, Cambridge had a great regular season, but Mechanicville made a triumphant run to the state final, a wonderful leadup to Loudis' induction. The Rensselaer Rams made their way to the CC/C sectional playoff after some late-season struggles.

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All in all, it was a very competitive and exciting season to cover.
The best week of the season came between January and February. On January 29th, Pat Lanoue hit a buzzer-beating long two to push Hoosic Valley over Cambridge in an absolute classic Wasaren League game.
On February 1st, Shimeek Johnson of Bishop Maginn hit a buzzer beating three to force an overtime at CBA. The Griffs had lead by 16 early in the quarter, only to surrender a 20-0 run. Johnson led Maginn to an overtime victory, preserving the Griffs' perfect Big 10 season.

Sectionals & state playoffs were exciting as well - the Tamarac/Ichabod Crane, Rensselear/Germantown and Maginn/Mount Vernon games come to mind.

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Congratulations to all the local girls that were named to the All-State teams! The full list is below.

New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization for Girls Sports and the New York State Sports Writers Association

2007-08 All-State Girls Basketball Selections

First Team

Katie Duma, Sophomore, G/F Averill Park, class A

Kayla Ryan, Senior, F, Hoosic Valley, class B

Kelly Murphy, Junior, G, Mechanicville, class C

Second Team

Jessica Walton, Senior, F, Holy Names, class A

Chanessa Blakemore, Senior, F, Watervliet, class C

Third Team

Paige Colfer, Senior, F, Watervliet, class C

Fourth Team

Brittany Stahura, Senior, C/F, Amsterdam, class AA

Fifth Team

Barb Shea, Senior, G, Shenendehowa, class AA

Sarah Child, Senior, F, Schenectady Christian, class C

Sixth Team

Georgina Farrow, Junior, F, Burnt Hills, class A

Carolyn Houtson, Junior, F, Hoosic Valley, class B

Sarah Timmons, Senior, C, Maple Hill, class C

Seventh Team

Megan Gaugler, Senior, G, Amsterdam, class AA

Courtney Galuski, Senior, G, Cohoes, class B

Eight Team

Sheilia Dixon, Junior, G, Schenectady, class AA

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A pair of Lansingburgh football players made their college decisions. Connor Gallo is going to Union College, and Nyquan McGirt is headed to New Haven University.

Drop us a line at troyrecordsports [at] gmail . com with any comments or questions.

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Update (4/4): We just recieved the final state rankings. Below are the final standings for the 2007-08 season.

2007-2008 BOYS BASKETBALL STANDINGS

League Overall

W L W L

Big 10

Bishop Maginn (AA, 2) 16 0 26 2

CBA (AA, 14) 14 2 21 3

Bishop Gibbons (A, 8) 11 5 17 8

CCHS 11 5 16 6

Schenectady 6 10 9 12

Amsterdam 4 12 7 15

Troy 4 12 6 15

Albany 3 13 4 16

La Salle 3 13 6 14

Suburban Council

Blue Division

Colonie 10 4 16 7

Shenendehowa 10 4 12 9

Shaker 7 7 10 12

Saratoga 3 11 6 15

Gold Division

Guilderland 14 0 20 3

Bethlehem 9 5 14 7

Columbia 4 10 7 14

Ballston Spa 0 14 2 17

White Division

Averill Park 8 6 13 9

Mohonasen 8 6 12 10

Burnt Hills 6 8 12 11

Niskayuna 5 9 8 13

Colonial Council

Albany Academy (A, 9) 16 0 19 4

Lansingburgh 12 4 14 8

Mechanicville (C, 3) 11 5 20 5

Voorheesville 11 5 16 7

Cohoes 9 7 10 12

Watervliet 6 10 9 13

Cobleskill 4 12 5 16

Ravena 2 14 3 18

Schalmont 1 15 1 19

Wasaren League

Hoosic Valley (B, 19) 12 2 21 4

Cambridge (C, 17) 11 3 18 4

Schuylerville 11 3 15 7

Tamarac 9 5 14 8

Hoosick Falls 5 9 9 13

Greenwich 4 10 6 15

Granville 3 11 6 15

Stillwater 1 13 4 18

Patroon Conference

Ichabod Crane (B, 20) 17 1 21 2

Rensselaer 12 6 17 7

Cairo-Durham 10 8 11 10

Hudson 10 8 11 10

Maple Hill 10 8 13 10

Taconic Hills 10 8 12 9

Chatham 8 10 9 12

Catskill 6 12 7 13

Coxsackie 5 13 5 14

Greenville 2 16 2 16

CHVL

Berlin 14 2 15 6

Germantown 14 2 19 4

Waterford 11 5 11 10

Loudonville Christian 10 6 11 10

Heatly 9 7 9 12

Berkshire 5 11 5 14

New Lebanon 5 11 5 15

Doane Stuart 2 13 2 14

Hawthorne Valley 1 14 1 15

* numbers in parentheses ( ) indicate final state rankings

-- Will Montgomery

2007-08 First Team All-City Girls

Andrea Butler

School: Cohoes. Height: 5-4

Class: Senior. Position: Guard

2007-2008 Accomplishments: Led the Tigers
to a Colonial Council Championship. The catalyst
on the Cohoes team, Butler averaged 9.9 points
and seven assists per game. She was named to
the Colonial Council All-Star first team and was a
Section II Class B tournament all-star. Butler
excelled in the classroom as well earning schol¬
ar athlete and National Honors Society awards.

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Courtney Galuski

School: Cohoes. Height: 5-7

Class: Senior. Position: Guard/Forward

2007-2008 Accomplishments: Galuski had a
senior season to remember. The Cohoes sharp
shooter tied a national record with 15 three-point¬
ers in one game against Schalmont. She finished
the year with 84 treys good for second place in
section II history. Galuski was featured in Sports
Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd after her record
breaking performance. She led the Tigers in
scoring with 13.5 points per game and eight
rebounds. She was named to the Colonial
Council All-Star second team, is a scholar athlete
and a member of the National Honors Society.

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Paige Colfer

School: Watervliet. Height: 5-10

Class: Senior. Position: Forward

2007-2008 Accomplishments: Colfer led the
Lady Cannoneers to a section II class C cham¬
pionship, and to the regional finals. She scored
nine points in Watervliet’s win over one-seed
Mechanicville in the class CC championship
game and scored a game high 14 points in a win
over Maple Hill in the Class C-CC title game.
Colfer averaged a double-double in her senior
year scoring 11.5 points per game and grabbing
14 rebounds. She was named to the Colonial
Council All-Star second team and was a scholar
athlete of the month.

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Chanessa Blakemore

School: Watervliet. Height: 5-11

Class: Senior. Position: Forward

2007-2008 Accomplishments: Part of the Lady
Cannoneers twin towers along with Colfer. The
senior transfer from Bishop Maginn averaged 11.3
points, 13.6 rebounds and four blocks per game.
Blakemore was selected to the Colonial Council’s
All-Star first team and was a scholar athlete of the
month at Watervliet. She had 10 points, four
blocks and a game high 15 rebounds in the Class
CC-C championship game against Maple Hill.

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Alison McGrath

School: Catholic Central. Height: 6-1

Class: Senior. Position: Center

2007-2008 Accomplishments: Led the
Crusaders in scoring with 12.7 points a game
and was named a Big 10 first team all-star. A
three sport athlete McGrath plays volleyball and
runs track in addition to basketball. She will play
basketball at Saint Rose next year on a full ath¬
letic scholarship.

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Rachel Beaulac

School: Troy. Height: 5-10

Class: Senior. Position: Guard/Forward

2007-2008 Accomplishments: Beaulac did it
all for the Flying Horses this year. The senior
averaged a team high 12.2 points, 6.5 rebounds
and two assists per game. She was named to
the second team Big 10 all-star squad, is a
scholar athlete and National Honors Society
member. She will play basketball for Union
College next year.

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Second Team

Player School Yr. Pos.

Molly McGrouty Watervliet Sr. G

Point guard led Section II champs with 5.1 apg.

Kali Maloney Cohoes Sr. F

Averaged 12.5 points and six rebounds per game

Olivia DeMarco CCHS Jr. F

Averaged 9.5 ppg. Second Team All Big 10

Ariana Youngs Lansingburgh So. G

Knight’s leading scorer with 10.1 points per game

Jackie Sorenson Waterford So. G

Tenth leading scored in Section II, with 15.7 ppg.

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THIRD TEAM

Player School Yr. Pos.

Kate Howe Heatly Fr. G

Led team in scoring (13.8), scored 26 in playoff game

Libby Schultz Emma Willard Sr. G/F

Led Jesters to CHVL Blue Division title

Meg Keeler Cohoes Jr. F

Inside presence (8.8 ppg/8.3 rebs) for Colonial champ

Jilliane Benedetto Tamarac Sr. F

Led Bengals to second place in Wasaren League.

Colleen Dignum CCHS Jr. G

Scores in a hurry, had season-high 23 vs. Amsterdam

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Honorable Mention

Carissa Paff Watervliet, Sr .

Lauren Iachetta Catholic Central Sr.

Carly LaBombard Catholic Central Jr.

Amanda Amyot Waterford Sr.

Jamiesha Bruton Lansingburgh So.

Erica Derby Tamarac Jr.

Victoria Franke Troy Sr.

-- Ryan Kircher

2007-08 First Team All-City Boys

Nick Benoit

School: Cohoes. Height: 6-3.

Class: Junior. Position: Center

2007-08 Accomplishments: Averaged 16.3
points and 8.9 rebounds per game…First team
Colonial Council All-Star…Led the Tigers to an
upset of No. 7 Taconic Hills in the first round of
the Class B sectionals…Second team All-City in
2006-07

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Connor Gallo

School: Lansingburgh. Height: 6-2

Class: Senior. Position: Guard/Forward

2007-08 Accomplishments: Averaged16.5
points and 10 rebounds per game…Scored over
20 points in seven games…First team Colonial
Council All-Star…Also earned 2008 Scholar-
Athlete award from the New York State High
School Football Association…Brother Justin
was a first team All-City selection in 2005-06…

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Jordan Gettings

School: Catholic Central. Height: 6-1.

Class: Senior. Position: Guard.

2007-08 Accomplishments: Tied for second-
highest scoring player in the Big 10, averaged
20.2 points and seven assists per
game…Scored double figures in all 22
games…Score over 20 points in 12
games…Second team Big 10 All-Star

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Devin Grimes

School: Catholic Central. Height: 6-6.

Class: Senior. Position: Forward

2007-08 Accomplishments: Highest scoring
player in the Big 10, averaged 20.5 points, 10
rebounds and four assists per game…Scored at
least 20 points in 13 games ... Second team Big
10 All-Star…First team All-City 2006-
07…Brother Mike was a first team All-City selec¬
tion in 2005-06…

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Matt Harte

School: Lansingburgh. Height: 6-4.

Class: Senior. Position: Forward.

2007-08 Accomplishments: The Knights’ for¬
ward was a presence in the paint all season
long…Finished in double figures in 13
games…Averaged 10.4 points per
game…Second team Colonial Council All-Star…

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Steve Hunt

School: Tamarac. Height: 6-4.

Class: Junior. Position: Small Forward.

2007-08 Accomplishments: Averaged 16.6
points, 7.2 rebounds per game…Six double-
doubles… Third-highest scorer, Wasaren
League… First team Wasaren League All-Star
… Biggest factor in Tamarac’s turnaround from
a 1-13 Wasaren League record in 2006-07…Led
the Bengals (14-8) to their first sectional victory
in recent memory

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Second Team

Player School Yr. Pos.

Dan Bolt Watervliet Sr. F

Led Cannoneers with 13 points and 9.4 rebounds

Mike Cooney Watervliet Sr. G

Sharpshooter averaged 12.8 ppg. Tough on ‘D’

Donovan Johnson Troy Jr. G

Averged 15.6 ppg. Scored in double digits in all but 2 games

Ryan Potryala Cohoes Sr. F

Averaged 11.7 ppg. Started season as sixth man

Kevin Terry Waterford Sr. G

Averaged 16.6 points. Made 40 treys this season

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THIRD TEAM

Player School Yr. Pos.

Matt Dixon Tamarac Sr. F

Averaged 12.7 ppg. in first season as starter

Mason Horne La Salle Jr. G

Scored season-high 26 vs. Albany Averaged 10.3 ppg.

Raheim Pringle Troy Sr. G

Made team-high 23 treys. Averaged 13.7 ppg.

Jody Rogalo Lansingburgh Sr. F/G

Tough inside and out. Good shooter. Averaged 10.4 ppg

Jim Wittman Heatly Sr. G

Averged 15.0 ppg. Scored more than 20 five times

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Honorable Mention

Josh Brown La Salle Sr.

Tom Ebenhoch Watervliet Jr.

Joe Iachetta Waterord Sr.

Gerard Jacques Catholic Central Jr.

Haneef Scott Lansingburgh Jr.

— Will Montgomery

MATCHUP: The No. 1 state-ranked Bishop Maginn Griffins (26-1, NYSPHSAA champions) take on the No. 2 Abraham Lincoln Railsplitters (28-4, PSAL champions) of Brooklyn in the semifinals of the Federation Tournament

TICKETS: $10, available at the door or at www.glensfallscc.com or by calling the Civic Center box office, 518-798-0202

GOLDEN GRIFFINS NOTES: Maginn has won 22 straight, dating back to their Dec. 8 loss to Jamesville-Dewitt of section III in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic…that game was held at the Civic Center…The Griffins defeated Mount Vernon and Niagara Falls to capture the school’s first ever state title…The last section II team to reach the Federation tournament was Schenectady in 2001, who lost in the A title game to St. Raymond’s from the Bronx…No. 24 in latest USA Today poll

RAILSPLITTERS NOTES: Lincoln won its sixth PSAL title in the past seven years with an 88-57 win over Boys & Girls at Madison Square Garden on Mar. 18…Lance Stephenson is widely regarded as the number one high school player in the nation…The junior averaged 23 points and 9.8 rebounds in four PSAL playoff games…Senior forward Justin Greene averaged a double-doubled during the season, 10.4 points and 10.9 rebounds per game…Lincoln owns Federation titles in 2007, 2003 and 1995…No. 14 in latest USA Today poll

SUNDAY’S FINAL: The winner of this game faces CHSAA champion Holy Cross in the class AA title game Sunday at 2 pm. Holy Cross’ 6-6 senior Sylven Landesburg (29.5 points, 11.4 rebounds per game) was named Gatorade’s 2007-08 New York State player of the year. Landesburg will play for the University of Virginia in the fall.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

BISHOP MAGINN

No. Name Pos Yr. Hgt. Ppg.

2 Taran Buie G So. 6-2 16.2

32 Shimeek Johnson F Sr. 6-7 15.3

31 Terron Victoria G Sr. 5-9 12.4

33 Bunduka Kargbo PG Jr. 6-1 7.1

23 Antonio Davis F Sr. 6-5 3.4

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

No. Name Pos Yr. Hgt. Ppg.
1 Lance Stephenson G Jr. 6-6 23.3

22 Darwin Ellis G Jr. 5-8 12.4

34 Justin Greene PF Sr. 6-7 10.4

35 James Padget C Jr. 6-8 9.1
32 Vincent Council PG Sr. 6-1 7.9