Heatly boys basketball players Alex Heffern (l), LaShon Pringle and Peter Heffern - all cousins - look to lead the No. 1 seeded Hornets to their first Section II title in school history. (Photo by Tom Killips - The Record)

William Montgomery
The Record

GREEN ISLAND - Tucked away in a corner of the Heatly School trophy case is the flaking and crusty crown jewel of the boys basketball program. Aged by years of oxidation and shrouded in dust, the cup touting the Hornets’ 1936-37 Eastern New York Public High School Athletic Association League’s Eastern Section title draws more attention than the long list of Central Hudson Valley League championships the Hornets have won in recent years.
In spite of their regular season success, that old trophy contains all of the postseason frustrations the Hornets have endured since.
But a trio of cousins - senior LaShon Pringle, junior Peter Heffern and sophomore Alex Heffern – led the Hornets to a 2008-09 regular season Central Hudson Valley League championship, their first in three seasons.
Alex Heffern was a first team CHVL All-Star, Pringle was a second team selection and Peter Heffern was an honorable mention pick. Senior Brandon Fish was also named to the first team. The cousins, however, are looking to lead Heatly to its first Section II boys basketball title in school history.
Today, No. 1 Heatly (16-4) faces No. 8 Northville (11-9) in a Section II Class D quarterfinal matchup at Saratoga Springs High School. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Admission is $6.
The Hornets, coming from a small school, are traditionally few in number, but they’ve had to deal with being small in stature, too. With only one player taller than six feet, Alex Heffern leads Heatly’s perimeter shooting attack with 14.9 points per game.
"We’re one of the smallest teams in the league but we have to go out and play our game," he said. "To start off the game, we usually look inside, but basically everyone on our team can shoot."
Peter and Alex have combined to make 56 three-point baskets, and Pringle is Heatly’s biggest scoring threat in the paint.
Under the guidance of first-year varsity head coach Peter Heffern – junior Peter’s father - who coached many of the players as junior varsity head coach from 2000-08, the group began to play as a cohesive unit. With their long history of familiarity, whether related or not, the Hornets have cut down on turnovers and always look to make the extra pass.
"I think these kids are closer than most and that leads to a family atmosphere which leads to a better team atmosphere," head coach Heffern said. "I think, in all fairness to other classes prior, I think this team had an advantage being family and knowing that they have to play together to win."
The family tradition extends to the girls team as well, as Melissa Heffern and Danielle Greene have led the Lady Hornets (11-9) to a No. 4 seed in the Class D tournament and a Saturday date with No. 5 Northville. Tip-off at Germantown High School is set for 6 p.m.
A 12-game winning streak through the end of the regular season and quality non-league victories over Mechanicville and Berne-Knox-Westerlo led the Section II seeding committee to award the Heatly boys the No. 1 seed. Five CHVL rivals are among the contenders in the Class D bracket and it could be a banner season for the league, which has not been home to a Section II champion this decade.
"It turned out in the seeding that we’re not really going to face any of those until the end and I really hope we meet one of those because I think it would be really great for the league," said coach Heffern. "Our league hasn’t fared well - we have got there - but haven’t won. It certainly would be nice for league if we can put someone in finals and win it."
The Hornets will have endured a 14-day layoff when Saturday’s quarterfinal game begins but they’re hoping their hours spent playing against former Heatly players in local parks in the summer has toughened them up for a run through the Class D bracket.
"It really does mean a lot," Alex Heffern said. "Talking to alumni, we’re the first No. 1 seed since 1999 and we’ve never won a sectional title."
The younger Peter Heffern was quick to finish his cousin’s thought.
"It’s a big deal," he said.


(Note: Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this is ever going to fit in the hard copy of The Record because of space limitations in recent days, so I'll post it here for posterity's sake)