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The Times of Ti Sun • December 3, 2016 | 21
Moriah boys strong in first games of new era State finalists start 2016-17 with wins against AVCS, Ticonderoga By Keith Lobdell
keith@suncommunitynews.com
Moriah’s Joe Stahl tries to defend against a shot from Evan Graney of Ticonderoga in the championship game of the Alzheimer’s Awareness Tournament Nov. 26. Photos from both the boy’s and girl’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Tournament and Muggsy”s Tip Off Tournament can be found at mycapture.suncommunitynews. com Photo by Keith Lobdell
PORT HENRY — Moriah didn’t just lose a pair of talented players, but perhaps two of the top players in the history of Section VII. No worries. In the first two games of the post JaquishSlattery era, the Moriah Vikings boy’s varsity basketball team scored easy wins against AuSable Valley and Ticonderoga, teams many thought would have Moriah’s number in the new season. The Vikings scored a 64-46 win over the Patriots in the first night of the Alzheimer’s Awareness Tournament Nov. 25 before defeating the Sentinels, 61-41, the next night. “It’s been great to get back out on the court,” point guard Dylan Trombley said. “This team works really hard, as hard as the teams we have had the last couple years, if not more. Our goal was to go out in this tournament and make a statement, and we played two excellent games.” “It’s been different, but I like where we are,” guard Joe Stahl said. “I think this group of guys are stepping up into the expectations of what we want to do.” For Moriah, those expectations are simple: return to the Class D state tournament, this year held in Binghamton. “They all know they have a tough act to follow,” head coach Brian Cross said. “We have the capability to be just as good. These kids want to win, too.” Without graduates Adam Jaquish, the 6’7” center and PSUC Cardinal who finished just short of setting the Section VII scoring record, and Taylor Slattery, the 6’4” point guard who re-defined the position locally and now plays for Hudson Valley Community College, the team has turned to a new core of leadership, keyed by Trombley and Stahl, who both have
experience playing in the biggest games of the basketball season. “It has been different for me but we have been playing with these guys a lot,” Trombley said. “They want to keep this going. We have the same expectations as we have had every year.” “We are definitely hungry and want to get there as much as ever,” Stahl said. “With the work ethic this team has shown, we are on track. I think we are going to be a strong defensive team and you will see everyone rebounding.” Cross said Trombley and Stahl are not alone when it comes to leadership on his team. “Todd Gregory and Kyle Wilson are returning players as seniors and they have done very well so far,” he said. “They work hard in practice and it rubs off on the rest of the team.” For Gregory, who was a member of the “Bomb Squad,” a nickname given to the bench players last season, the transition into the starting lineup has been rewarding. “It has taken a lot of hard work,” said Gregory, who has been a defensive standout early in the season. “We know what we had to do and where we want to go and the work is paying off. For me, I want to make sure I am hustling and working as hard as I can on defense.” For Dewey Snyder, the transition to the varsity team came as a call-up from during last season’s run to the state championship game. “We are trying to live up to last year’s team and reach the same place,” Snyder said. “It has been a really big difference, but I think what helped me last year was seeing the intensity of the playoff games. That was a great experience for me and got me excited for this year.” “Overall, the chemistry of this team is as good, if not better, then what we have had in the last few years,” Cross said. “All of the kids on this team play hard in practice and they all want to play.” The Vikings will next play at Adirondack Community College Dec. 9-10, where they will meet Cooperstown and South Glens Falls.