Recapping the Champions. Pt1

<p>Here are all the teams from the city and Long Island that won a county or state title. We look at the players that led them to that championship and who is on the horizon to continue the winning.</p> <p><strong>Manhasset.  “AA”.   Section viii Nassau-Long Island-State.    Titles</strong></p> <p>Manhasset had a balanced attack. They had guys who could handle the ball, make plays and score in bunches when they needed it. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1045693" first="Liam" last="Conor"]</strong> a wing with a great skill set. Showed the ability to take over games but also lead a team in other ways. Terrific talent who should be on college radars.  <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046810" first="Mike" last="Notias"] </strong>ran the show from the point. He has an exceptional handle and gets the ball to the right guy at the right time. Outstanding shooter from three. Has a nice pull up game as well. <strong>Liam Buckley </strong>a strong big body does a lot of things well on  the court. Good rebounder who can score the ball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1392616" first="James" last="Morris"] </strong>anchored the defense in the back. Long and athletic he can rebound. James will be an important piece for next season. He showed what he can be at times and should continue to elevate his game.   <strong>James Notias </strong>the younger brother of Mike is a player who will make his appearance in our rankings  very soon. He displayed a polished game. A heady guard who can score and lead a team. Can weave to the rim and draw fouls.</p> <p><strong>Baldwin    “A”   Section viii.  Nassau-Long Island.   Titles</strong></p> <p>Nassau made it 2-2 in winnning county titles this year. Baldwin joined Manhasset in defeating the Suffolk county teams, Baldwin is a very unselfish balanced team. Coach Burton stresses team and unity. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046077" first="Jamir" last="Stewart"] </strong>represents that really well. An excellent shooter and scorer but leads by example, sharing and guarding the ball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046091" first="Jacob" last="Oka"] </strong>gave them a man in the middle. Tenacious rebounder who can score inside. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1125647" first="Gerard" last="Beaubrun"] </strong>is a glue type player who can score and defend. <strong>Michael Hall</strong> gave the squad another ball handler and floor general. He has the ability to get to the rim. But can also hit the open three.  <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1392625" first="Jaylen" last="Brown"] </strong>will be looked at next season to make up for the  graduation off a lot of points. Jaylen can really shoot it. His game improved from game to game. <strong>Josh Petion </strong>also got good minutes and there was not a big drop off at all. Josh is an excellent help defender. He also showed that he is a player who stuffs his stat sheet. Not uncommon to see his line read 8 points 4 rebounds 3 assists.</p> <p><strong>Kings Park.     “A”  section xi  Suffolk Title</strong></p> <p>The Kingsman were in front from start to finish. The balanced attack seems to be the common denominator for all these champions, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1045689" first="Matt" last="Garside"] </strong>the difference maker. A outstanding shooter . A young player very poised and polished. An excellent stroke and does not back down. I consider him to be in the top 2 or three players on Long Island for next season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046824" first="Jon" last="Borkowski"] </strong>a perfect compliment. Jon has done plenty of winning at Kings Park and was a leader to the team. Can shoot the three and is a calming influence with the ball in his hands. Also leads the team on defense guarding the ball. <strong>Andrew Plate </strong>can shoot the three and was that other scorer. An important piece who chipped in whatever was needed. <strong>AJ Petraitis </strong>also is capable of scoring the ball. He also showed the ability to draw fouls and convert from the line.</p> <p><strong>Half Hollow Hills East     “A”.  Section XI  Suffolk   Title</strong></p> <p>The thunderbirds are no strangers to the county championship. They are a perennial state contender. They play an uptempo style but there calling card his defense and physical play. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1136572" first="Xavier" last="Lewis"] </strong>is a dynamite scorer. He has an excellent pull up game with unlimited range. Has a nice floater in the lane as well. This season as the playoffs loomed he took more of a responisibility to score and it paid off for him and his team. A tremendous team player who can take over games.  <strong>Derrick Varlack </strong>was as strong as a player as we saw over last summer. His game continued to grow during the season. Plays better when it’s a big game or against tremendous competition. But is really good every time he steps on the floor. A lanky guard who runs the team with skill and poise. <strong>Adam Kirschenblatt  and Louis Mathurin </strong>play the game differently but together they gave Hills East a big presence on the boards. Adam is a stretch 5 at the next level(D3) an excellent three point shooter who uses his body inside to rebound, or score inside. Louis was an integral part for his team. Louis has missed a lot of time due to injury but when he is in the floor he is a workhorse. A tremendous rebounder. He has good footwork in the high post or in the middle of the lane. A nice spin move and is a good scorer 12 feet and in. <strong>Bryce Hamilton</strong> was able to spell Derek or Xavier and still run the show . A quick guard who defends the ball really well. <br /> <br /> </p> <p><strong>Friends Academy  “B” section viii Suffolk Title.</strong></p> <p>We might have to get ready for Friends academy in these articles with four  of their best players returning. They beat Southhampton in the Suffolk championship. They lost to Ichabod Crane in the state final of NYPHSAA. Mr inside <strong>C J Williams </strong>leads the way. He is a force inside. A rim protector on the defensive end and a scoring big man on offense. Excellent footwork can score with either hand. Mr. Outside is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1392619" first="Gabe" last="Ferencz"] </strong>a really good shooter from three. Gabe has the ability to score with his jumper from all different spots. <strong>Malachi Polson </strong>scores many different ways. Strong bodied guard who can get to the rim. Strong on the ball. Excellent defender stays low moves his feet and is a physical player. <strong>Logan Mott </strong>moves well without the ball. A major contributor on both ends of the floor. He is very good at getting to the rim and finish through contact off a cut.</p> <p>Look for part 2 of our champions report on Holy Trinity, Portledge, Fordham Prep and Cardinal Hayes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>