[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he last time I took in a showdown between New Rochelle and Mount Vernon at the Westchester County Center, the result was undoubtedly the best game that I’ve had the privilege of covering during my tenure at the Review.
In the 2013 Class AA finals, a game in which the Knights were heavily favored over the Huguenots, the finish—New Rochelle standout Khalil Edney’s half-court, game-winning, buzzer-beating heave—remained atop ESPN highlights for weeks. The aftermath of what became known as “The Shot,” however—the fans storming the court, the conference by the officials and the wild Huguenot celebration—may have been more memorable than the play itself. Between the confusion and the euphoria in the building, it reminded me a lot of the Best Picture announcement at the Academy Awards last Sunday.
It would have been a wild scene no matter where it took place; Mount Vernon High School, New Rochelle’s O’Brien Gymnasium, or a blacktop court at a random playground.
But the fact that it took place at the County Center just made it feel more important, and now there’s a chance for a repeat performance when the two teams square off in the Class AA quarterfinals on Friday night.
Every year, athletes, sports writers and basketball fans alike look forward to Championship Week. From Monday to Sunday, there’s a full slate of games at Westchester’s most famous arena featuring the best teams from all around Section I going at it for the ultimate prize in local basketball. It’s not that the games seem to matter more at this time of year; it’s that they actually do. Every team comes into this week just two wins away from hoisting the gold ball, and you can invariably see that in the pace of the games.
Each possession, each shot, each defensive stop is its own mini drama in a four-quarter game that is already chock full of narrative arcs. It’s impossible to not get caught up in all the hoopla, regardless of if you have a dog in the fight or not.
Now, I have no way of knowing if this year’s teams are going to reach the promised land. The Review has three teams still alive as of press time, and the Tuckahoe boys, the top seed in Class C, will kick things off on Wednesday afternoon, after press time. But regardless of how it turns out for Tuckahoe, New Rochelle or Eastchester’s girls, one thing is for certain; each of these ballclubs has a unique opportunity ahead of them.
It’s unlikely that any of these teams will, like those 2013 Huguenots, find themselves as the darlings of the national sports media, but you don’t need a “shot” to make this a worthwhile experience.
All you need is a chance.
