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SARATOGA
SPORTS
Friday, December 23, 2011
TODAY
Blue Devils Beguile Ares VII Fight Night a Thriller Burnt Hills Spartans by Daniel Schechtman Saratoga TODAY
by Daniel Schechtman Saratoga TODAY BURNT HILLS - The Columbia Blue Devils boys’ varsity basketball team came out of the gate hungry for another win, building momentum off of victories against Averill Park and Ballston Spa to score their third straight win in as many games, defeating Burnt Hills 65-51. Columbia out-shot Burnt Hills and turned up the pressure on defense, coming out on top 16-12 in the first quarter before widening their lead to 33-25 at the half. Though the Spartans tried valliantly to swing the game in their favor after the break, Burnt Hills had trouble finding their footing against the 4-1 Blue Devils. Burnt Hills dropped to 2-3 for the year, having fallen to Bethlehem during their previous outing 33-64. Conrad Zampier led the scoring for Columbia, netting a game-high 25 points, includ-
ing three baskets from beyond the 3-point arc and two free throws. Teammate Tyler Hart pitched in with 17. David Wellington was Burnt Hills’ high scorer, netting 11 points for his efforts. Teammate Jayson Sullivan was just one point behind Wellington, grabbing 10 for the night. Spartans return to action January 3, 7 p.m. at Averill Park.
photos by MarkBolles.com • Saratoga TODAY
The Spartans stumbled against the Columbia defense as they struggled to find their footing.
ALBANY - Absolutely incredible. You just can't describe what took place at the Ares VII fight night any other way. Ares Promotions put on a stellar show Friday, December 16 at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, giving plenty for local boxing fans to be more than happy with. Whether it was having Shawn Miller pick up the unanimous decision to avenge an earlier draw against Mark Anderson; Shannon Miller returning to the ring after donating half of his liver and picking up the win; or the unbelievable bout between two undefeated and highly skilled local prospects - Ray Velez and Javier Martinez (a fight that, had it been the only one on the card, would have sent home ecstatic fans with much more than their money's worth), fans in attendance were treated to one of the best nights of pro-boxing the region has seen in years. Velez and Martinez are so similar inside the ring (and with surprisingly similar back stories outside the ring), it's hard to imagine a better matched bout. Both men came to boxing as a way to escape a troubled family life, dedicating themselves fully to a sport they love, working countless hours to pursue a dream in spite of numerous obstacles that would turn most men back in a heartbeat. But not these fighters. Martinez, from Colonie, and Velez, of Troy, entered the ring Friday night both with 2-0 professional records and 1 KO a piece, both with long and challenging amateur careers in their wake. Both are extremely skilled at what they do, exceptionally fast, powerful and smart. And with their perfect records on the line in front of a hometown crowd, the anticipation for this fight was through the roof. And boy did they deliver. Velez and Martinez, who have gotten to know each other well over the years, met at center ring, where it did-
photo provided
Ray Velez (left) and Javier Martinez (right) fight it out in the neutral corner during the fourth and final round of their highly anticipated bout. n't take long for fists to start flying. The pace was blindingly fast. At times it was difficult to even discern who was throwing what. As one fighter seemed to pick up the speed and take the advantage, the other would step up his game and answer right back, getting faster and stronger themselves. In the first two rounds, Martinez was more of the aggressor, most often beginning the exchanges. But Velez had some crafty moves of his own, and was able to duck and dodge when it mattered most, creating beautiful angles to answer back with solid shots. By the fourth and final round the fight was still up for grabs. Velez backed Martinez into a neutral corner, forcing both fighters to dig deep and put forth an amazing display of heart, determination and skill. The crowd was deafening as both fighters progressively landed with greater speed and power with each blow. After a brief clinch, the two met once more at center ring, where Martinez caught Velez with a stunning right overhand that dropped Velez to his knee. Velez was up almost instantly, but the knockdown was enough to secure the win for Martinez. "First and foremost, I want to thank Ray Velez," said Martinez during the post-fight interview. After the final
bell rang, both men stopped to embrace one another, and you could tell there was great respect between the two. It was an incredible fight, and in and of itself more than enough to cover the cost of admission. But it wasn't, after all, the only fight of the night. How about the return of Albany legend and one-half of ESPN's Fight of the Year for 2005's Shannon Miller, who returned to the ring for the first time since donating half of his liver to his cancer-stricken uncle? Donating his entire purse to the Knock Out Liver Disease Foundation started by Miller, he faced off against Taffo Asongwed, a fighter with a deceiving 2-9-6 record, known for going the distance. Asongwed gave Miller, who likes to end things early with his huge right hand, a lot of trouble. He was able to block many of Miller's advances, answering back with great flurries of his own. But in the end, the judges liked what they saw from Miller best, giving him the unanimous decision: 59-55, 59-55, 58-56. For those interested in helping the newly formed Knock Out Liver Disease Foundation, Miller asked that you contact him by email at shannonfight@yahoo.com.