shenbasketball.com - Brady's Blog Archive

March 23, 2007

All right, I have not posted in a while. That has been my fault. I was lazy and perhaps I didn’t want to write this last blog, maybe because it signifies the end of a great season and a great team. But, I could not deny the consistent readers; that would be selfish of me, and this team was not selfish.

The Season…by the Numbers:

0: Number of cuts made in tryouts. I guess tryouts were a little hard. A little? People just didn’t want to come back. It was like an Olympic training session.

3: Number of three-point baskets made by Dave Burke in the first quarter against Colonie on Senior Night. ‘Twas a great game for Dave.

6: The number of three-point field goals made by Brady Farkas from the left corner. Yes, I really calculated this.

8: My total number of threes. Yes, 75 percent were from the left corner. And you can see three of them on the season-highlight DVD.

9?: I think this was the number of pasta parties. All were delicious. Thanks to all of the great mothers for feeding us.

11: Number of people in the “Fark Arc.” Apparently, the T-shirts will say the “Farkas Corner” next year with a diagram showing the corner. Gotta love ‘em… (Note to Brian from California, a faithful reader: I'll get one for you.)

740: Number of times I saw the name Mike Hammond mentioned in an article or highlight. Who cares; he’s the man. Great job, Mike. And no, it’s not an actual number. I really don’t have that much free time.

3000: Number of miles we ran this year. Or was that just week one?

The Best:

Best “Coachism”: “Farkas, putting you in the game is about as exciting as watching the Discovery Channel on mute.” Well, if the Discovery Channel hits threes, then I guess so.

Best “Coachism” about another team: “He’s so skinny you could fax him to the game.” That was about a kid on Bethlehem. Could have been my twin.

Well, this appears to be the end of my writing. Thank you again to everyone who read this season. Hopefully it was one small thing that helped make the season enjoyable. I know I had fun writing it. Check back for sporadic summer updates. And I’ll see you in November.

Last Words:

--Seniors, again…Thank you.

--Great banquet Wednesday night. Thanks to everyone involved. I’m already starting to prepare my senior speech for next March.

--Until next time, this has been Brady Farkas. And to quote Jim Rome, “I am out.”

March 7, 2007

This season was great. We defied all expectations and advanced to the Civic Center for the first time in many years. The last time we made it there I was still dominating the rec leagues. Oh, those were the days…

But we didn’t do it alone. And for that, I thank the following the people for making this season great:

Coach Dzikas and Coach Joss for coming to practice enthusiastic and optimistic every day. They accepted our mistakes and helped us learn from them and turned them to successes.

Coach Hunter(s) for helping us prepare for this great sectional run.

Connie, you were at all games but one. You were a fixture in the program, and the good luck stones certainly worked as planned.

The “Fark Arc” ― “My” cheering section quickly evolved into the team’s biggest supporters. However, I still got the shirts. The men and women behind the shirts include Sam Rosenzweig, Nick Mitchell, Jack Dineen, Kyle Ellis, Dave Horner, Chris Scotto di Carlo, Chelsea Spataro, Nick Bagnardi, Jason Kokinos, Alex Gelting, and Jeff Carter. Several others made one- or two-game contributions. Thanks, fans. You made the trips to the Armory and Glens Falls.

The seniors also had great crowd support, led by Meagan McPhee. I don’t have a detailed list of all of you, but you know who you are. Thank you.

Drew Lewis and Michael Miner were at all home games and some away games providing water from behind the bench.

Megan Pizzo is the best statkeeper around. She kept us upbeat with her personality…And her cookies.

Finally-the seniors. Thank you for picking up and restoring the program. Mike Hammond, Todd Degnan, Mike Schauffert, Dave Burke, Cole Osgood, Lorenzo Hernandez, and Bob Tudor. Good luck in college.

The season is over, but the blog isn’t. Stay tuned for more….

Glens Falls, here we come.
We are going to Glens Falls. We proved everyone wrong. And I do mean everyone. James Allen picked against us…again. The bloggers who think they are experts on the Syracuse.com forums picked against us. So, everyone was proved wrong. Except us. We were right.

We will take on CBA in the semifinals at 8:30 Friday night. Yes, that CBA. The one that is 22-0. The one that has Greg Holle. And Luke Weaver.

But as my friend Chris Berman says: “That’s why they play the game.” (He really is my friend. I met him at a golf tournament.) We have nothing to lose. Again, the experts are against us.

I have come to the determination that even though we are the number two seed from the Suburban Council, people don’t think we belong in the Final Four. We are a Cinderella team. And I would like to wear the slipper a little longer.

We beat Albany at home to get to the quarterfinals at the Times Union Center. Great venue, annoying name. But I digress. Todd Degnan, Mike Hammond and Mike Schauffert came up big there. Todd shot lights out, as he has all season, and sealed the victory with a great steal.

Did anyone else notice Mike Hammond throw his arms up in jubilation at the end of the game? I was happy for him, as I was all the seniors. It must be a great feeling, to know you are going out on top.

How about the fan support? Round of applause. The “Fark Arc” earned FOX23 HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SHOW “FANS OF THE WEEK” for the second time this season. We could not have done it this season without them.

They are traveling to the Civic Center on Friday. I hope all of you do as well.

Someone has to beat CBA. Why not us?

Al Michaels isn’t my friend like Chris Berman, but his words are appropriate here.

“Do you believe in miracles?”

Yes!

Wear your T-shirt on the big day

February 20, 2007

So three members of the JV team got moved up to practice with the Varsity team during the sectional run: Ryan Murphy, Matt Miner and Ryan Wilkins. They asked me to write about them. Well, Miner did all the asking. I usually wouldn’t consent to such a request, but since Wilkins can dunk, I said OK.

Not only can he dunk, he can reverse dunk.

Not only can he reverse dunk, but he can tomahawk the thing when he reverses.

I thought he was just going to put a sticker in his hand and hit the top of the backboard like Dwight Howard in the dunk contest. And by the way, Howard was gypped. He needed to be selected to advance to the finals. But no, Michael Jordan had to go and give him a 7 or something. Hate to break it to you, MJ, that was more creative then anything I saw you do.

The dunk that won the contest was nice. Gerald Green put out a platform and jumped over it. I decided I could do that. Only I would use a shoebox, and I would finger roll it.

Completely shifting gears, the big day is upon us. Tomorrow marks the beginning of our Sectional title run. We play Albany High at 7:30. The girls play Saratoga at 6 p.m. Come and support each team. Please.

And a shameless plug for the booster club. Please buy a Shen T-shirt. Only $1 while supplies last.

February 15, 2007

Of snow, spring training and sectionals

Well I saved all my witty lines for nothing.

Saratoga beat us in the Suburban Council title game at the Armory. Sure, the result hurts, but the environment was great. It was great to be able to play in a professional venue in front of a great contingent of fans. I know several of my friends made the trip. They were even tailgating in the back bus port as we left. Now, you know your team has a legitimate fan base when you have got tailgaters. It reminded me a little bit of Green Bay Packers games circa mid-December. All they were missing were the big yellow cheeseheads.

Speaking of Green Bay in December….That’s what I was reminded of Wednesday and Thursday as I looked at the snow that had amassed in my yard.

I find it ironic that this snowstorm occurred as pitchers and catchers reported to spring training. It figures that the snow which hasn’t fallen all winter would go on to tarnish a national holiday (or so it is in my mind). Well at least all teams are unaffected in Florida and Arizona. It wouldn’t be the same if the Yankees team plane was leaving for Florida and George Steinbrenner said, “Hey Jeter, get your bat, glove, and shovel.”

So I woke up this morning and found the sectional pairings had been posted on the homepage of this Web site. We will be playing Albany in the first round on Wednesday, Feb. 21. We have already played and beaten the Falcons once this season. However, we know they have improved greatly since then and will be a difficult matchup.

And we need revenge for last season, when Albany eliminated us and ended our season.

The winner of our game will move on to play at the Times Union Center. Man, love those corporate names don’t you? I thought the Pepsi Arena was annoying to say because I hate corporate names. Times Union Center is even more annoying. But it isn’t as bad as Invesco Field and Petco Park. However, college football bowl games are the worst when it comes to names. I mean seriously the “San Diego Poinsettia Bowl presented by something and something.” Or something like that.

Quickly before I leave for practice, congratulations to the Freshmen and Junior Varsity teams on a very successful season. Great job.

Enjoy the snow.

See you at Sectionals. Tailgaters: Don’t forget the ketchup and mustard for the hot dogs.

Thanks, seniors -- and Mrs. Osgood
February 9, 2007

Hard to believe that the season is ending fast, isn’t it? Already tournament time. It is nice to be playing in the top bracket of the Suburban Council Tournament. We got into that bracket with our victory over Colonie on Tuesday.

And that was a great game. It was great to send off the seniors with a win. All seniors came in and made an impact.

It was great to see Cole Osgood back on the floor after a long battle with mono. It was equally as nice to Mike Schauffert play, even at far less than 100 percent.

Mike Hammond had 18 points. I found it fitting that a two-year captain had the ball at the end of the game, as well. Mike stole the pass that sealed our win.

Todd Degnan shot well, but Dave Burke really shot well. Dave had three three-pointers, including a sweet bank shot. Even he looked surprised. The expression on his face said it all. Now, he contests someone hit him in the stomach, and that caused his priceless look. I believe it.

Again, we are happy to get the seniors a win in their last regular-season home game. And special props to Mrs. Osgood, who made those nice jerseys which hung in the bleachers. Who knew she was such an artist?

We then played Guilderland in the preliminary round of the Suburban tourney. After a great first half, we struggled a bit, but came on top by 14. Bob Tudor dominated inside with 14 points and a cold-ridden Mike Hammond put up 12. That game gave us a rematch with Saratoga to be played Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Armory.

And that is all for now.

I’m sorry for the brevity of this post, but I have to conserve my witty lines for the next post, which I expect to be about a win.

To the gang of 11 and the gang of 7: Thank You

Often times this blog is used as a forum for reflection on the past games. It is for you, the reader, to get an insight into my feelings on those games. It often is a place where I can crack corny jokes because if I say them online, you cannot laugh at me. Today it does all that, but it does much more.

Usually I dissect each game for all of you. This is the abbreviated version. Society loves shortcuts.

Friday night vs. Saratoga was a great game. All right we lost and it’s because Garret Bishop dominated us in the second half. Anyone could see that. I don’t need to ramble.

The fan support was amazing. The 11 people in the bleachers, whom I call personal friends, spelt out “LET’S GO SHEN!” on white T-shirts. The back of those shirts each had a letter of my name on it, so the shirts read Brady Farkas. That was a nice feeling for me, but a better feeling for the Shen program to know we are drawing big crowds again. How about the seniors who brought the dry erase board and were writing all sorts of great things?

Mike Hammond scored 27 points, 17 in the third quarter. He outscored Jordan Stevens, Garret Bishop, and more than quadrupled my point total. Hey, but I had two more threes…

JV broke a two-game losing streak. Freshman avenged an earlier loss to the Streaks. The next game for all three teams is Tuesday against Colonie. It will be the final regular-season home game of the year. It is Senior Night.

I hope those same fans that turned out for ’Toga will come and support the seniors. The seven players we will honor deserve more than a trip to center court. They each warrant a speech from every person affiliated with Shen Basketball.

These seven have sacrificed everything for this team. Each of them embodies the “Profile of a Shen Player” which appears on this Web site.

Personally, I owe all of them something. What they have done for me is immeasurable. I have been fortunate to play with Mike Schauffert, Cole Osgood, Dave Burke, and Todd Degnan for three years. These four taught me how to carry myself on and off the court, how to be humble, how to play the game the right way. But more than any of that, they have been my friends. They have been there every day of my high school career: In school, at practice, at games. But more importantly, they have just been there.

I had the pleasure of playing with Mike Hammond and Lorenzo Hernandez for two years. And they were also there as friends. They pushed me every day. They helped me when I messed up, and I have messed up a lot in these two years. They have constantly supported me. And for that, I am grateful and extremely lucky. The level of toughness and determination that they play with is one I aspire to reach.

And Bob Tudor was only here for one year, but practicing with him has helped me develop so much as a player. Sure the practices have almost brought us to blows, but so oh well. It kinda reminds you of the days of Eighth Street Park in Waterford, right Coach?

Thus, these seniors deserve respect and appreciation. I hope everyone in the program pays homage to them on Tuesday night. After all, you have all the opportunities because of the commitment to excellence they have made.

And seniors…We have unfinished business this season. And I look forward to helping you, as you have helped me so many times.

Four in a row; let's make it five

After witnessing the Guilderland fans on Tuesday night, Greg Dessingue’s hat at Shaker doesn’t look all that bad. In fact, it looks kinda good. I saw Coach Christodulo with one also. And if it's good enough for ‘Dulo, it’s good enough for me.

Could we get Coach Joss to wear one? Scratch that, he already has his warm hat with the ball on top. He needs to stay warm because “The Midnight Air is Poison.” Yeah, that’s an inside joke, but Coach Dzikas can appreciate it.

I suppose the readers not affiliated with the program would like to hear about the games against the Dutchmen. And to this request, I must oblige.

The Varsity team grew its win streak to four games with a 49-46 victory. Todd Degnan had 17 points, and Mike Schauffert had 15. Mike had some great moves down low. Boy, do I know those moves first hand. I have only seen them every day for three years.

Did anyone see Todd’s interview on NewsChannel 13? He thought it was bad, but I thought he sounded quite profound. At least he got an interview…Kaelin Loose had his “nifty” reverse layup featured in the highlight segment as well. Yes, they really did say nifty on the air. Not my first choice of adjectives.

The game itself was quite exciting with constant lead changes and tense moments. Yet, the atmosphere wasn't indicative of the game. Guilderland had maybe 30 kids in the student section. We’ve had practices with yelling louder than that. Did I say yelling? I meant instructing.

Our crowd countered. I saw Sam Rosenzweig, ex-Shen player, in attendance, along with his friend Erica from Duanesburg. They, joined by Josh Koopman, had a good chant of "air ball" going at just the right times to counter the Guilderland student section. That was nice, Koop, but could you bring the flute to the games and get the whole crowd going? Man, I am full of inside jokes tonight. Again, Coach Dzikas can appreciate it.

The Guilderland fans tried to get into my head about the new high sock look. I’ve heard several comments on the socks, and I think they are coming back. I did proceed to hit the foul shots. Good thing I did, or I really would have heard it.

On the down side, the JV team lost its second game in a row. I don’t think that has happened since I have been in the program. But we are all confident in the team’s resilience and Coach Hunter(s) ability to get the team on the winning side again.

Freshmen were winners.

Home game vs. Saratoga on Friday. I hope everyone in the school is in attendance. I’m sure some people will choose the hockey game. I never did find out what’s so appealing about going to an event where you must keep on coats and gloves just to feel comfortable.

But, our game will have a lot of attention to it. News Channel 10 is visiting as we look to avenge our one-point loss to the Blue Streaks earlier in the year. A good turnout by the student section could land the fans on camera, as well. That’s a little extra incentive.

See you there.

These are the good old days

January 28, 2007

No more are the memories of Brad Sheehan dunking and hitting threes at the buzzer. Gone are the days of Griff McLoughlin just murdering people inside. Done are the times of Vernon Cross and the gang defeating Shen.

The Varsity squad swept the season series from the Blue Bison with a 63-52 victory on Friday night. It was below zero outside, but inside the gym, Todd Degnan was on fire. The senior hit five threes and poured in 19 while Mike Hammond added 17. Again, it must be the shooting machine.

Despite Hammond’s efforts, he still can’t get any love from the TV people. Every time he is featured on the highlight reels, it’s with an opposing player doing something ridiculous. This time it was Eddie Cross. That’s OK, Mike. We know that you had a double-double.

Mike Schauffert added 12 to the scoring column. Good job, Schauff, but the public really wants to know: When will we see a dunk? That goes for Bob and Kaelin, too. They also want me to dunk, but I just leave that for donuts. Sometimes cookies.

One big round of applause for Dave Burke, who actually didn't break his nose last game.

Keep clapping.

Alright, Dave blanketed sharp-shooting Brian Hooks, limiting him to five points in the final 16 minutes of play. He also added nine points on the offensive end.

And how about Doug Milvaney? Do you think he practiced banking foul shots? It looked too rehearsed to be called “ugly.”

The win moved us to second-place in the Blue Division of the Suburban Council. Another Saratoga loss, coupled with a win by us in Guilderland, makes next Friday’s home game a tussle for first place. And I hope the effort to get to that game is better than the effort to make it to the Shaker game. After all, I saw only five Shen fans there. And Matt Drum and his grandparents don't count; Matt is in Coach Dzikas’ class, and I think he wanted extra credit. Greg Dessingue and Kaashif made it out to Shaker. Dez, thanks for the sign and all, but I question the hat selection.

The JV team fell due to a far-from-fabulous-first-half. That’s some nice alliteration there. English teachers all over the district are rejoicing at this moment.

This is the second year in a row the JVs have lost at Shaker. But at least this time, no one got the ball thrown at them, a la Jeremie McBurnie. Coach Hunter said his halftime speech was “vintage.” I figured. One day, I’d like to get a ranking of the worst halftime speeches by Shen coaches. If any players remember one, keep it to yourself; it most likely can’t be stated on the blog. At least the ones that I remember can’t.

Freshmen also lost due to deadly, dominating defense by Shaker. Again, English teachers made proud.

All three teams travel to Guilderland on Tuesday seeking a victory.

Good luck to all. Get well soon, Cole.

Two for the road

January 21, 2007

Twilight Tournament Champions…ah...(small pause for celebratory sigh). Twilight Tournament Champions…ah…(small pause for the question, “No trophy, no T-shirts?”)

It was a good week. Shen Basketball is tough. Dave Burke is tougher. Dave broke his nose in our Friday-night win against Averill Park. Friday night: Great job by the fans. A good turnout by the elementary-school kids. Yet, my fellow Skano-ninians did not make me a sign. That was a little depressing. The fans at Okte and Tesago made them for their graduates; Ryan, Lorenzo and Tommy all were immortalized in butcher paper. The student section was solid, led by Megan McPhee. She’s a consistent reader of this blog, so I had to give her a shout-out.

Thursday’s game was a blowout. It was really good that we did not let Ballston Spa get confident and stage an upset. Everyone got good playing time in that game and made the most of it. Furthermore, we came out intense against the Scotties. I wonder where they got that name from…

Friday was the lowest-scoring game I have been a part of since about fifth grade. 36-34 in OT. Seems like the score of an NFL game or something, not high school basketball. If I had to put “Vegas odds” on shooting percentages for each team, I would guess us at 13 percent, AP at 11 percent. On second thought, maybe not even that good. But I did have a three-pointer from the corner. Credit to the new shooting machine for that one.

The defense came up clutch time and time again, limiting the Warriors to one-shot possessions.

Then there was Dave. His play Friday exemplified toughness. He got hammered and was forced to shove things up his nose to plug the bleeding. He was unsuccessful but he kept playing until the refs finally forced him to leave the game. Is he going to wear one of those Richard Hamilton-style face guards? It would look a little weird at first, but I could definitely see those catching on in the student section.

Last note on Friday. We did miss Connie, our devoted score keeper. She was unable to attend the game but we were glad to get the win for her. She does a lot for us, and we appreciate her. We'll see you Friday at Shaker.

And how about lots of those fans who turned out Friday against AP venturing to Shaker, too? Shaker has the loud "6th Man." Our numbers are growing; maybe we have the "5-1/2th Man." Shaker isn't far. You show up at Shaker to support us, and we just might find room to put your name here, too.

Regents week coming up this week, so no games on Tuesday. Yeah, more practice. More time to use that shooting machine. To all three teams: good luck at Shaker. If you have a Regents exam, good luck to you. I'll be thinking of you, if I'm not sleeping, that is. No tests for me.

January 14, 2007
Tuesday against Burnt Hills, we made a statement that we were a contender. People might think that Friday against Colonie we made a statement that we were a pretender. I would say that they were wrong, but talking gets you no where.

Frank A. Clark once said, “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.”

Well we have hit obstacles. And we must overcome them. Everybody already knows that.

And we will. I have no doubts. This team has all the ability. It has all the tools: shooters, big men, defense. So what has happened since a perfect 5-0 start? Two one-point losses, a loss to the number one team in the state, a beat-down, and an implosion. But again, everyone already knows that.

Frankly, I don’t want to talk about Friday’s game at Colonie. I would rather talk about when my next dental appointment is, or how much I hate chemistry. But that doesn’t satisfy the readers. I don’t want to bore Mike Kelly, who told me this weekend he was an avid reader. Mike is a great guy, but once more, everybody already knows that.

So we will have to indulge in a conversation at some point. Everybody already knows that. But for right now, I am rendered speechless for the first time in my life.

Thus, let’s look to the future. Ballston Spa is 1-11. And I don’t care. We need to treat them like they are CBA, because for one night, they could be that good. Averill Park follows. Elementary school night. Future Shen players watching us. Let’s show them what Shen is all about.

(I can say that I will have the best following among the Skano contingent. I am their favorite graduate on the basketball team, rather, the only graduate on the basketball team. And I have a Skano brother to lead the cheers from that section.)

Season comes to an end with Shaker, Saratoga, Guilderland and Colonie again, not in that order. Four tough games. Four games to cement that contender status.

Junior Varsity team is 11-1. Nice job Coach Hunter(s). I still say my JV team could have beaten them, but that debate rages on. The freshmen also are rolling right now since a close loss to Saratoga.

Generally speaking, “Two out of three ain’t bad,” but it is here. All three Shen teams need to be hitting on all cylinders. And they will.

Before I close, a few personal notes. Happy belated 18th, Schauff. Feel better, Cole. We need you for the homestretch.

Brady

January 8, 2007

Well, it’s time to sit down and write. I had to leave the living room. Ohio State is currently being pummeled by Florida in the BCS title game. My dad is flipping out.

I’m sure his reaction to the game exceeds Coach Dzikas’ disappointment during the end of the Cowboys-Seahawks game. I actually was really happy at the end of that game.

Sorry, Coach, I had to take that cheap shot. Just remind me that the Hawks lost 37-6 to the Bears in September and it could be a repeat this week. That will shut me up. Doubtful.

Well, it’s much easier to talk about those games than it is our last game versus Columbia on Friday night. That’s why I won’t dwell on it too much. Mike Hammond played well. But the real story was the Blue Devils. Travis Jones briefly reminded me of Alex Zampier, circa 2005-2006. But that was just briefly.

I give credit where it is due; he still shot well. And they won the game.

That makes one “Blue Devils” who were victorious this weekend. Sorry again, Coach. That was another low blow. Just remind me that Washington is 1-3 in Pac-10 play. That will shut me up. Possibly.

Burnt Hills is next, tomorrow. Of course, another away game. I’d make a crack about that, but I don’t want to be suspended like Will Brown from UAlbany.

The book on Burnt Hills is the same as it is for every other Suburban Council team. They can beat you if you aren’t focused and are asleep. We know that story well from Friday. I think we already had our nap. I’m confident we will be wide awake on Tuesday.

After all, Jake Dzikas needs his belated birthday victory. He missed it on Friday. Better late than never, right buddy?

And I didn’t even make any jokes about how you should have asked for your two front teeth for your birthday. I’ve heard they fell out, but I think you just crashed the boards too hard at the Y. This caused some other 7-year-old to slug you. In eight years or so, your dad will love the toughness. Builds character.

Alright, I lied. It is impossible to get me to shut up. We all know that. But, a “statement victory” tomorrow night will shut up any of our doubters. And that’s a fact.

Good luck to all three teams.

January 4, 2007

I am sorry. I tried to do it earlier in the week, but things I like to call Christmas, New Year’s, and practice postponed this newest issue. And oh yeah, there was my brother’s birthday, where I set the record at Jeepers in arcade basketball. 94 points. I really didn’t need to include that last excuse. I know it was a shameless plug for my shooting ability. But hey, it was a proud moment.

And every time I sat down to write, the thought of cherry pie lured me away. That always was my favorite part of the holidays. That, and creating a huge mess of wrapping paper in the dining room on Christmas morning.

As appealing as my holiday memories are to everyone, it’s time to get back to basketball. Both JV and Varsity and split in Utica over break. That was a great experience. And I even got my own bed.

And the entire Varsity team made it to breakfast on time. JV, the same can’t be said for you. Not only did you miss out on a great buffet, but I heard you put in a lot of running at practice to make up for it. Ever heard of an alarm clock? No? How about a wake-up call? No? Cell phones have alarms now, too.

And I am sorry for those shots at the JV kids. Perhaps I am the one who needs to work on being on time. After all, this blog is later than expected.
Brady

In the true spirit of the holiday season, I gave up my title as Holiday Hoops Fest Foul Shooting champion. And I didn’t even get any of Mrs. Schauffert’s amazing meatballs. I go out of my way to be nice, and no meatballs?

But I digress. Tom Kukuk was the recipient of my generosity. I thought it was going to be Ryan Henderson (who I beat last year), but the bribe to Tommy was not great enough, I suppose. He wanted me to promise no more “Four Quarters,” but I had to tell him I don’t have the power and authority to do that. I would have already exercised it if I did.

When it came to Hot Spot, I want to think Todd Degnan wanted someone else to have the pride and joy of winning. But he didn’t. In fact, he went all out, and Dave Burke took the crown.

Yup, you heard right. We knew Dave was stout defensively, but he is now an offensive powerhouse, and has a T-shirt to prove it.

Todd did win knockout. Maybe he let Dave win hot spot so he could stake claim to a new event for a year. Conspiracy theory, anyone?

There were individual winners for each level as well. I think freshman Carter Roche finished second overall in knockout. That’s a nice moral victory and a nice four seconds of fame. But, only the winners count in my mind.

And even if a freshman or sophomore had won an event, I still wouldn’t acknowledge it because, well, you are freshmen and sophomores. Only Doug Milvaney would get a pass on that rule. Only because he showed me how to get to IHOP the other day. Does anyone else find it funny how I have lived here for eight years and I still have no idea how to get anywhere?

Moving on, Coach Hunter and Coach Hunter Sr. looked quite dapper in their matching fleeces. Did you guys not give the memo to Coach Dzikas, Coach Yattaw or Coach Joss? Or maybe they feared if they matched, they would bear the brunt of more Brokeback Mountain comments? Conspiracy theory number two? Well, actually, where was Coach Joss?

All in all, it was a fun and productive day: Spending the holidays with those who you are closest with. And since we spend at least 125 days with each other, I think we are pretty close. But, Schauff and Bobby, when we are in Proctor, I still get my own bed. I don’t want to get any closer.

The one refers to the JV team, the lone undefeated team in the boys' basketball program, while the two refers to the two losses by one point each Tuesday night by the freshmen and varsity teams at the hands of Saratoga Blue Streaks.

I can’t pinpoint one reason we lost. I really can’t. We scored 71 points. That’s good. That’s actually really good. The substitutes contributed. Tom Kukuk had a coming-out party, scoring 12 key points to fuel several rallies and subside others. (Yes, that is Kukuk, not Kukak, as the Times Union would have you believe. Did I just lose any chance at TU Baseball Athlete of the Year for that comment? Possibly.) Anyway, Cole Osgood hit two three-pointers to stave off a Saratoga run in the early stages of the second quarter. That kid has such a sweet stroke…

We didn’t lose because we weren’t prepared. In fact, “THEY WERE WHAT WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!” All right, you can’t tell sarcasm via the Internet, but that was my best Dennis Green impression.

We lost because one of the best duos in Section II played like one of the best. Jordan Stevens and Garrett Bishop pitched in 44 of 72 Saratoga points. Batman and Robin, the true dynamic duo, would have scored all 72, but 42 is astounding for non-comic book characters.

And it wasn’t a lack of great effort on our part. Mike Hammond and Doug Milvaney blanketed Stevens all night, forcing the toughest of shots to be thrown up from the sophomore sensation. Dave Burke harassed Bishop all night, but the shots just fell.

Mike Schauffert dropped in 23 points to lead us in scoring. (Another note to TU: You got the “ort” out of Schauffert. Now just get the “au” right.) Big game from the big man. I guess all those beatings I give him in practice prepare him well. Or do they just give him confidence? I’ll have to ponder that one…

Sitting at 5-2 overall, where do you go from here? To Proctor. The place where we ventured to two years ago but were unable to play due to a leak on the court. I didn’t know it could rain in a gymnasium. Unless we are talking about Joe Yund’s jump shots. On the bright side of that trip; it was the most comfortable bus I rode on all year, and my sandwich was excellent, but I think I was the only one who thought so.

JV will put its undefeated record on the line as well in Utica. Don’t be so loud on the bus this time, please. Brignola, that means you.

Just throwing it out there: Since we are rooming with teammates…I call sleeping in my own bed if I’m in a room of three.

Holiday Hoops Fest Saturday. Henderson thinks he can take me this year. Haha. That comment made me laugh more than Borat and Wedding Crashers...combined. I suppose if I lose, I have set myself up for major ridicule. But do remember, the blogger has the last laugh, so choose your words wisely.

A loss is never good. but several positives were to be taken out of Friday's 52 -51 defeat at the hands of the resurgent Mohonasen Warriors.

Todd stepped up immensely for us on Friday and carrie
d us through the second half with his heart, hustle, determination, and shooting. For a period, his shooting was hotter than Britney Spears….or rather, how she used to look.

Let’s not forget another senior leader, Dave Burke. His intense defense helped limit half of one of the premier scoring tandems in Section II, Cameron Couball, to his first single-digit night of the season, five points.

The crowd support was tremendous as “Todd Degnan” chants roared throughout the building. In addition, chants of “Hammer Time” echoed as the fans showed their appreciation for Mike Hammond’s efforts. The electricity in the gym made it seem as if everyone was watching a heavyweight title fight, Game 7 of the World Series, or the NCAA Tournament.

It was nice to play in front of a deafening crowd at home for once. Does anyone remember last season? When Averill Park brought more fans on a snowy day than we could turn out? Nice job student section. Keep the support coming, please.

The JV and freshmen teams were both victorious, bringing the program’s overall record to 17-1. Not too shabby. If anybody is not impressed with how high Ryan Wilkins can jump, say I.

Geoff Brovich did his best Todd Degnan impression by sinking two 3-pointers in the closing seconds as well.

Ah, one last note on Friday night before we move ahead to Tuesday. … Another potential benefit of a loss is motivation. No team is invincible, and we got our reminder of that Friday night. And that should be the only reminder we need.

Good luck to all three teams on Tuesday and Happy Holidays to everyone affiliated with the Shen program.

Reminder: Holiday Hoops Fest is coming up and I challenge anyone to dethrone me as the foul-shooting champion. Henderson, do you want another try?

Let's get this started
December 13, 2006
Welcome to the first installment of my blog. (In case you don't know me, that's me above, the tall, dark and ruggedly handsome one. OK, the fourth player from the left in the back row.) After five games, I have a pretty good feel for what this season holds: a lot of promise, past the first round of sectionals and beyond.

The Varsity team is 5-0. The Shen boys’ program is 15-0. It’s been a while since that could be said. It’s been an awful long time since we could say our Varsity team had a better record than the girls, who sit at 3-1 overall.

Through the first five games, the Varsity group has seen it all: Yes, hot shooting and nights where the shooting percentage has been worse than the temperature outside.

We won the Burnt Hills Tournament with wins over Columbia and Burnt Hills, two teams we’ll see later. Kaelin Loose still has his trophy, even though it broke three minutes after he got it. Could we get some better glue in Burnt Hills?

We escaped a raucous Niskayuna crowd to go 3-0 and then defeated Shaker and Bethlehem at home. It was great finally playing with a crowd on our side, a crowd to compete with the notorious Shaker “sixth man.” Those wins alone avenge three tough losses from last year, one to Nisky and two at the hands of the Bison.

The squad has been spearheaded by Mike Hammond’s leadership and offensive prowess. But, numerous other players have contributed to the early success. Mike Schauffert has proven to be a prolific scorer, while deft-shooting Todd Degnan has found his stroke. The defense has been staunch in nearly every contest, with each opponent except one scoring 45 or fewer points. One under 30.

We have seen many things this season. We have seen Todd make a pass that hit the backboard turn into a layup. Did he plan that?

We have seen Xavier Alder cement himself into television history with his highlight reel for the Fox 23 High School Sports Show. Wish the TiVo had been set that night. (Note to X: 49 more highlights, and you'll tie the Mavericks for most times on TV this year. Dallas is on every time I turn on the television.)

And yes, we have also seen Tommy Kukuk bank a jumper off the shot clock. Unlike Degnan, he may have planned that.

And we have seen a perfect start from all three levels. But, that does not satisfy any coach, player, parent, or fan.