The last time Troy High won a sectional basketball title, the Class AA men's title in 2013, they were not invited to be in the Flag Day parade 3 months later. Why that was, I don't know, but this year, the parade committee needs to correct this oversight. With interest.
I say that because the 2016 Class A men's final at Glens Falls on Friday night was an all-Troy affair, with the Flying Horses dueling the Knights of Lansingburgh High, representing the Colonial Council. This wasn't just about the A title, but also unofficial bragging rights for the city, as these two teams don't see each other on the court very often. In fact, I think the last time they may have met was in the now-defunct Uncle Sam tournament in the late 70's or early 80's. Lansingburgh reached the title game by upsetting defending A champion Scotia-Glenville, out of the Foothills Council, on Tuesday, while Troy dismissed another Foothills school, Amsterdam, which, like Troy, formerly played in the Big 10 before that league dissolved two years ago. In contrast, the two schools also met in the women's semi-finals, with Amsterdam ending the Lady Horses' season, earning a date with defending champion Averill Park this afternoon at Hudson Valley Community College.
HVCC will be the next stop for Troy's boys, however, as they used big runs in the 2nd & 3rd quarters to take command and defeat the Knights, 64-49, claiming their 2nd sectional title in 4 years. Between Classes A & AA, the Flying Horses have reached 5 straight sectional title games under coach Richard Hurley, who now can focus on the state tournament, as Troy will play an opponent to be named on March 5 at HVCC. The question then becomes one of whether or not Troy can sustain the momentum after a week's rest.
For Lansingburgh, there's no shame in a losing effort, as no one expected them to get this far. Everyone assumed it would be Troy-Scotia for the 3rd straight year in the A final, but the Knights ended Scotia's run at the top, and established themselves as players in the class for at least another year.
In this writer's opinion, it would be in the best interests of the two schools and the city for both teams to be recognized by participating in this year's Flag Day parade, and as far as I know, based on what I'd read following last year's event, that there will be one this year, set for June 12. Whether or not the parade committee can afford to make it happen is an entirely different story, but we've got 3 1/2 months to see if it does happen.
Troy High is the last of the city's high school sports teams still playing in the postseason. LaSalle & Catholic Central were both eliminated in the first round of the AA tournament, and CCHS' women's team, I believe, was also eliminated early, as were the Lansingburgh women in the A tournament. LaSalle's hockey team reached the semifinals before losing to Tri-Falls one week ago, ending a late surge bolstered by the return of junior Sam Mulson from the injured list. The skating Cadets have a strong nucleus for next year, which one would hope ends with a sectional title. It won't be long before baseball season starts. The local college teams are already playing mostly road games, and the high schools will start in about 4 weeks.
Troy's boys conquered the Suburban Council's Grey division in basketball. Can they do the same in baseball? We'll find out starting next month.
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