Elmont Wins New York AA State Title

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Elmont Spartans have a historic basketball program filled with a lot of talented players, great coaches and a lot of winning. They put together a terrific regular season and ran through Section VIII before knock off Half Hollow Hills East to win the Long Island AA Championship at the buzzer. Elmont then earned a trip to up state to Glenn Falls where they took on Jamestown in the Semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spartans were able to shut town their opponent holding them to only 38 points as they advanced to the championship. While they won by 14 they drew a really tough matchup in West Genesee who came into the game at 22-3. Elmont trailed in the first, took a 23-17 halftime lead and really got going in the third. A monster quarter gave them a 39-24 point lead and they never looked back as they were able to secure a 51-44 victory. This was their first state title since 2016 and it comes just after a season where they had their smallest amount of wins ever. We are glad to promote the boys on their tremendous accomplishment plus their coaching staff was really terrific.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are going to break down a few of the Spartans who stepped up during the run and helped them capture the state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2164876' first='Cassius' last='Moore'] has been a nightmare for opposing coaches in Section VIII for years and is now terrorizing upstate. While he was quiet against Half Hollow Hills East in the Long Island Championship game he was terrific against Jamestown and then earned MVP in the big game. His 24 point performance was mostly in the third when he helped Elmont separate from West Genesse. We can not believe he hasn't been signed by a D2 or D3 program because he could help immediately. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2400871' first='Gemere' last='Frias-Walsh'] has been a spark plug for the Spartans all playoffs long. He's a smooth floor general who has a pass first mentality, loves to get to the basket and isn't afraid to create contact. While the Senior guard hasn't been racking up the points he's been terrific defensively, leads his team in assists and does a great job of keeping his teammates focused. We are positive Elmont would not have made it this far without the consistent play of their point guard. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1360142' first='Osagie' last='Ekhator'] has been the xfactor for the Spartans all season and has done a tremendous job rebounding all season long. He is very active on both ends, protects the rim, has nice touch with either hand and isn't afraid to step out and take threes. His development over the past few seasons has been remarkable and you have to credit his work ethic as well as the patience of the Elmont staff. We believe he was a bit of the heart and soul of this club especially when you saw how much it meant to him winning the Long Island Championship. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The unsung hero of the 2023-2024 playoffs on Long has easily been Arlyn Brown. This Junior is a tough defender who creates steals, runs out in transition, rebounds well for a guard and understands how to play his role. While the clock was winding down in the final moments of the Long Island Championship game Brown was probably the last thought on the Thunderbirds minds. Brown caught the ball with no hesitation, knew it was his moment and knocked down the game winner for them to capture the LIC. We heard the Spartan faithful already referring to it as the shot so expect Brown to go down in history as coming through in one of the biggest moments in program history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6'4" Dual Sport Athlete Nassir Edwards hasn't been talked about enough on Long Island and we are here to fix that. While he is terrific emerging wide receiver prospect he brings a great dynamic to the Spartans rotation. The staff has used him as a starter, off the bench and he just delivers impact minutes every opportunity he gets. His junk yard dog mentality along with his receiver skills make his a tough cover, a loose ball magnet and a guy who can finish above the rim. We are so excited to see him as a Senior next season and believe he will be one of the top athletes in <br>Section VIII athletics.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elmont has plenty of fire power this season and one player who has stepped up lately has been 6'6" Ebubenna Nwabudu who is only a Junior. He has a massive frame, light feet, rebounds very well and consistently is moving players. The guards use his screens, he will finish inside, block shots and adds some physicality to the rotation. We love his upside moving forward and it wouldn't shock us to see him as one of the top forwards in Section VIII next season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->