Overtime pays off for OHS boys

March 06, 2008 04:00 am

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ONEONTA _ Any thoughts on Peekskill?

After pondering that question for about three seconds, Oneonta High sophomore Monte Richardson said, "No."

Excellent answer, big fella. It came no more than five minutes after Richardson hit his biggest varsity shot for the Yellowjackets, a hurried three-pointer _ New Paltz supporters will say it was a shot that shouldn't have counted _ that put OHS ahead by five with 27 seconds left in its 44-39 victory Tuesday at Hartwick College.

Richardson beat the shot-clock buzzer by a ... well, perhaps he didn't beat it, but the shot counted and all but sealed the Yellowjackets' first state playoff victory in 11 years.

More importantly for those who wear OHS jerseys and coach Jerry Mackey, this Class A first-round victory validated all the hours these guys have devoted to basketball.

The Jackets needed a win in a state playoff game to say the time was well-spent and to wipe away the memories of a ragged 45-37 loss to Hannibal in last season's Class B state quarterfinal.

Mackey said Tuesday he probably spent 200 days with his team over the past year, including AAU ball, summer leagues and camps.

All that work paid off Tuesday night.

I'm certain if someone told Mackey before the game that seniors Dan O'Brien and Alex VanDeusen _ two players who came up huge in three sectional victories _ would combine to shoot 2-for-19, he wouldn't have liked his chances.

But then Richardson comes off the bench and provides a second-quarter spark, junior Alex Mirabito scores seven of his team-high 13 points in the third quarter, and Brendan Harder overcomes a bad cold to shoot 4-for-5 from the field, grab countless rebounds and alter several shots with his lean, 6-foot-6 frame.

"It's a testament to the system we run," Mackey said. "We never emphasize one guy over another. We emphasize do your job, trust your teammates and do what your supposed to do.

"If someone is struggling, you know VanDeusen carried us in the Arena (scoring 16 points in Oneonta's 56-48 win over Elmira Southside in the Section Four Class A final Thursday). He was struggling tonight, Monte comes in and carries us. Dan had 23 and they couldn't stop him for two quarters the other night (at the Arena), but he struggled and now some other guys get some looks.

"It's an unselfish group. They trust each other and the kids who get their call answer the bell."

If OHS didn't have the yearlong commitment from just about every member of the team, Tuesday's victory wouldn't have happened.

"Richardson comes in and plays great, VanDeusen's out cheering for him, Harder's sicker than a dog, plays through it, (Nate) Eastman comes in and gives him a few minutes, you know, it's just guys doing things," Mackey said. "Mirabito had a ton of big shots, turning the corner on guys, O'Brien gets a big miss off a foul shot and puts it back ... I just couldn't be happier."

Earlier this season, yours truly wrote a column about how these same Jackets didn't defend hard enough after a 68-58 overtime loss to Section Four Class B champion Chenango Valley in a STOP-DWI Holiday Classic game at the Broome County Arena.

I haven't the slightest idea if anyone on the team read it, or even if they cared about my opinion regarding what I deemed to be a team that didn't play with enough passion on the defensive end.

In the six or so games I've covered since, there have been far fewer defensive lapses. That was evident Tuesday as well.

Playing out of a 3-2 zone, the Yellowjackets kept a close eye on 6-5 New Paltz senior Matt Petruzzelli, an inside-outside threat who entered the state opener averaging 19 points. On Tuesday, Petruzzelli came close to his season average with 16 points, but he finished 5-for-16 from the floor.

"He went bonkers the other night," Mackey said of Petruzzelli's 18 points Sunday against Cornwall in the Section Nine final. "He's a tough matchup because he can hit the three and post up. We did pretty good with Harder and Mirabito bumping across accordingly, Monte adjusted to playing down there and we at least forced some other guys to take big shots."

For the Yellowjackets, it all starts with Mackey.

This guy reminds of Michael Keaton in Multiplicity. How does he find the time to scout so many games, spend so much time with his players in the offseason and do it all with a wife and four kids? All I can say is that he's a better man than I. (I can barely deal with the wife and kids part of that equation).

And this guy takes a lot of criticism. I'll hop on the syracuse.com boys basketball forum a couple times a month and read posts that say he's a brow-beater, he's too hard on his players, he shouldn't undress his players with verbal tirades, etc.

That's all garbage. If any of my kids ever have the privilege of playing for a coach such as Mackey, I'd consider them lucky.

"Certainly, they're teenage kids and I think sometimes people watch me coach and have the perception that I don't remember that," Mackey said. "Of course I remember that. I'm with these kids 200 days a year, so it's never personal. It's always about trying to give them the best chance to succeed."

Oneonta's chances Friday against Peekskill are slim. I watched that team play for one half on MSG in December and it looked every bit the part of the three-time defending Class A Federation champions that it is.

Mookie Jones is Peekskill's top player, a 6-foot-6 forward who'll suit up for Syracuse next season. But it's more than Mookie. There's another 6-6 kid who's active and mobile around the basket, a 6-4 slasher who can finish in the paint and a point guard who's extremely quick.

Athletically, OHS will be at a decided disadvantage. The Jackets would do well to stay within 15 or 20 points.

But the point of this season isn't winning it all. Instead, it was making it to Friday's quarterfinal at Pace University.

Mission accomplished.

Rob Centorani covers high school basketball for The Daily Star. E-mail him at rcentorani@thedailystar.com.

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