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Shields Will Lace Up and Play at County Center
Haldane star expected to recover from knee injury
By Ray Gallagher
Let's catch up, shall we. The Brittany Shields saga is in full play. Will she play in the playoffs? Or will one of the greatest team players in the history of Haldane basketball be forced to the sideline with a serious knee injury, which she sustained in the state-ranked (No.5) Blue Devils' 50-47 loss to Class AA Horace Greeley some 10 days ago?
Shields, one of the all-time Section 1 greats, deserved to go out on terms similar to those of John Elway or Michael Jordan: With championship plaque in hand. And from the sound of things, she'll get that chance. Shields is suffering from what is called Baker's Cyst, which is named after the physician who described it first, not because bakers sustain these types of cysts. Through over-thecounter pain medicine, heat treatment and a good brace in place, Shields will likely take the court, but a full determination won't be made until today (Wednesday) when doctors reanalyze the swelling, inflammation and recovery process.
"Good news," stated Shields, who had her MRI done Monday. "I'm pretty sure I'll be back but not 100 percent."
The good news is; despite the pain, Shields is expected to play in the Class C semifinals on February 25 at the Westchester County Center.
"Baker's Cyst is a new one to me," said Blue Devils Coach Kenny Haskins. "Best case scenario is she wears a brace and plays through the pain. She says she's going to play, but we'll wait for doctors to have the final say on Wednesday. Having a first-round bye certainly helps our cause and the team was pretty upbeat when they got the news today."
Indeed: The Coach, the team and the entire southwestern portion of Putnam County, my friend…
The basketball news on the other side of Putnam County has not been as good for Putnam Valley. After losing their regular-season finale in double overtime to Byram Hills, Coach Kelly Thompson's Tigers snaked their way into the Class B tournament as a likely No.12 seed with an 8-12 mark. When you get right down to it, it's still a considerable achievement when you factor in the loss of four starters to graduation.
"Foul shooting has killed us all season," said Thompson. "It's difficult to win a close game without hitting some free throws along the way. I wish I could explain it. We work on it every day, but it continues to kill us."
Sophomore Amanda DeChent played her best all around game of the year against the Bobcats, according to Thompson. She dropped 18 points and played well on the defensive end.
"Unfortunately, we aren't getting enough from the post, so we are forced to live and die with our shooting," the coach said.
That leaves just a few days to get ready for sectionals, where the Tigers will face No.5 Irvington (15-5) in the opening round. A win over the Bulldogs would pit the Tigers against No.4 Nanuet in the quarterfinals with a County Center berth on the line…
Likewise, the 7th-seeded, streaking Haldane boys are a win against Keio away from taking the trip to the County Center in Class C. The Unicorns have defeated Coach Joe V's Blue Devils (8-12) twice this season, but the second go was a two-point nail-biter (44-42), which Billy Campbell and Co. could rewrite the ending for. I hear Campbell's kid sister is a pretty fearless jayvee call-up for sectionals as well. An upset win by Haldane, winners in 4-of-the-last-5, would force AD Susan Reid to apply for a second bus to the fabled Westchester County Center for Campbell (12.4 PPG), Rob Percacciolo (11.6), Mike Thorpe (7.8), Nick Nastasi (6.5) and gang. Now, wouldn't that be worth her while?...
Putnam Valley's Cody Sharp recently chalked up the 100th win of his wrestling career, making him just one of a few Tigers in history to eclipse the century mark. Congrats! It takes quite a man to reach that milestone…
The PV boy's basketball team finished with a demoralizing 2-18 mark, making for a sixth consecutive year with five wins or fewer, mostly fewer. As the L's pile up, the drums for change are beating hard this winter with a ripple affect throughout the rank and file. Folks in the Valley aren't taking this trend lightly, I'm told, and for good reason. But I'll tell you a couple of things: Be careful what you wish for, and you can't make chicken soup out of chicken gizzards. Coach Ralph Smith hasn't exactly been blessed with a ton of talent; still, I'm getting just as fed up as the rest of my Valley brethren in regards to the shoddy roundball and lack of yearround commitment.
Here's what I'm willing to offer, yet again, to affect positive change. With the backing of Lou DeMello, the hoops guru from the Brewster Sports Center, I'm willing to sponsor an affordable summer basketball league through my P.V. Parks & Rec. gig for all 9th-thru-12th grade boys from both Putnam Valley and Haldane schools. DeMello has promised to come in at a moment's notice to help rectify the sagging productivity. It's win-win for all. Think about it: Two full-court games, played simultaneously, weekday evenings under the lights at the P.V Town Park between 8-10pm, tunes cranking and a competitive run-and-gun approach to hoops under the guidance of DeMello, the area's foremost instructor. If we build it, he will come, I promise.
I suggested this last year and was blown off by lack of interest. It's time for P.V. underclassmen like Kyle Calabro, Anthony Tyndal, Walter Sherwood, Steven Mazzarisi, Marcus Givan and Ryan Fitzgerald to get down with the program. Y'all got my number. What else is there to do in Putnam County on weeknights in the summer? Let's make it happen, captain!
Please visit www.yourdirectrays.com to view Section 1 sports photo galleries.
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