Corinth Tomahawks Basketball 2009-10

Schoharie 74, Corinth 44

Guilderland - The Schoharie Indians lit up the Guilderland High School scoreboard with a dozen three-pointers and buried the Corinth Tomahawks 74-44 in Saturday's Class C quarterfinal game. The Tommies conclude a 15-5 season with the loss.

This one was over early as the Indians rained three after three on the Toms, building a 26-13 lead after eight minutes. Corinth got three bombs in the quarter, two by Kevin Tucker and one from Eric Hernandez.

Schoharie lengthened the margin to 17 points at 30-13 with six minutes left in the half. The game's first personal foul was called at the 3:59 mark, so for the first period-and-a-half, the teams were just letting fly. Corinth managed only three points in the second, but held the winners to eight - the only segment of the game where a semblance of defense was played.

Leading 34-16 at the break, the Indians ran off a 20-13 third quarter, negating seven points from Hernandez during that stretch and building the lead to an insurmountable 54-29 with eight to go.

Ron Bovee, Jordon Charbonneau, Fred Jaeger, Eric Petteys and Stephen Devine ended their careers as Tomahawks in the game.

Tucker and Hernandez were in double figures for Corinth with a dozen and eleven.

Schoharie moves on to the Glens Falls Civic Center and Wednesday's semifinal. Jacob Karker led the Indians with 16, while Cody LaBadia and Analle Marabelle added 15 and 11, respectively.

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 56, Fort Plain 46

Corinth - The Corinth Tomahawks led almost all the way in defeating the Fort Plain Hilltoppers 56-46 Friday night at the Oak Street gym. The victory puts the Tommies into the Class C Sectional quarterfinals Saturday evening in Guilderland against Schoharie.

This one wasn't easy, by any means. A quartet of three-pointers - two each from Ronnie Bovee and Eric Hernandez - propelled the home team into a 16-11 lead after one quarter. An interesting early substitution for Corinth was "B-Rod" Broderick Robarge. More on him later.

Star point guard Kevin Tucker committed a pair of personal fouls very quickly, and had to sit most of the first half.

The Tommies (15-4) got another bomb from Hernandez and one from Eric Petteys, along with two buckets from that Robarge guy to take a 31-23 edge into the locker room. Then, it almost fell totally apart.

Coming out after the break, Corinth played the worst 2½ minutes of the season. Lapses of every kind plagued the team - the sort of mental mistakes uncharacteristic of a Tom Rentz-coached team.

Another Hilltopper backdoor layup at 5:20 put the visitors up 32-31, completing a 9-0 run. Fortunately, the bleeding stopped and Corinth was able to get back into an offensive rhythm like they displayed early on.

Jordon Charbonneau has made himself an integral part of this team, and he was all over the place (right place, right time) making steals, grabbing rebounds and generally making life miserable for the Fort Plain playmakers. Bovee hit his third from downtown and the Toms were only outscored by a pair of points over the period, ending it on a 13-6 run of their own. Score: 44-38 Corinth after three.

The victors tightened the defensive screws over the last eight minutes, getting that lead to a semi-comfortable ten several times down the stretch. The Toms couldn't make their free throws, and Fort Plain (10-9) was certainly in the foul-giving mode - but, both teams ran enough clock through sloppy play to not have it matter.

The far-from-capacity crowd was happy. Petteys took a body slam to the floor with a few seconds left and stayed down for a bit, but recovered.

Hernandez led four Toms in double figures with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists. That Robarge guy played his best game on both ends of the floor, finishing with a dozen. Bovee counted eleven and Charbonneau ten. Jordon grabbed nine boards.

Jack Ray and Brent Baker had a dozen apiece for the Toppers.

If this was a hockey game, you'd probably have to give the first two stars to "B-Rod" and Charbonneau. They were good - and, they had to be.

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Tomahawks Basketball Schedule, Results

Boys' Basketball Standings (FINAL)

Argyle 59, Corinth 57
Adirondack League Championship

Queensbury - It was a very closely contested game on the ACC campus Wednesday night which Corinth led most of the way, but in the end a couple late back-breaking mistakes turned into a 59-57 victory for the Argyle Scots and claim to this year's Adirondack League trophy.

The winners got off to an early 5-0 lead, then the guard combo of Eric Hernandez and Kevin Tucker drew the Tommies even. Kevin tallied ten in the quarter, and the Toms walked off with a surprising 19-16 lead after eight minutes.

The second stanza was both a blessing and a curse. Corinth outscored the Scots 12-10, but absorbed a massive total of personal fouls - many of the extremely questionable variety. Tucker, Ronnie Bovee and Broderick Robarge all got into serious foul trouble by halftime.

The Tommies were up 25-17 at 5:02 and Argyle hung around to pull within five (31-26) at the break. Tucker was held scoreless in the period, while Hernandez and Fred Jaeger each had four.

Coach Tom Rentz let his feelings be known to the officials as the teams left the floor for the break. Perhaps as a result, the whistles lessened in the second half - but, a lot of strategy goes wanting when the wrong folks have their hands tied.

The Scots got off on a 8-2 run to open the second half, with a three-pointer giving them their first lead since early on at 34-33. Hernandez put Corinth up 42-38 with one from downtown at 2:03. The third quarter ended with the Toms clinging to a precarious 44-42 margin.

The advantage had widened to 50-42 when Matt Stevens drained a three at 5:48 to make it 50-45. That was the first of the killer 11-0 run that gave the champs a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Hernandez converted a one-and-one at 2:20 to tie the game at 53. The final two minutes were excruciating with missed opportunities for both clubs.

Tucker made one of two free throws at 1:40 to pull within a point, then Argyle took advantage of a huge Tommie defensive lapse to can a snowbird for a 57-54 lead at 1:12.

Eric hit a huge three with around ten seconds left to tie it up again, then Corinth made the first of the aforementioned errors - fouling Argyle in the backcourt with 7.7 seconds to go, then losing the ball without attempting a shot after the Scots had hit their shots from the line.

Hernandez led Corinth with 21, including four from beyond the arc. Tucker added a dozen.

Joey Lufkin led four Scots in double figures with 16. Bryan Humiston had 14, while Stevens and Josh Horton contributed ten.

Corinth power forward Jordon Charbonneau played an almost flawless game, going after loose balls, blocking shots, rebounding and generally making life miserable for Argyle. Without his effort, this wouldn't have been close.

Next: Section II pairings will be announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

A Few In-Game Pics

A Special Note

Hadley - I'd just like to make everyone aware of the tremendous job done year after year by the Corinth JV boys basketball staff. A lot of times, their accomplishments fly way under the radar from those of their big brothers.

Coach Shane Griffin, in the four seasons we've been covering Tommie hoops, has produced an overall 60-16 (.789) record - with two undefeated Adirondack League campaigns. The last three years, they've gone 40-3 (.930) in the AL.

Griffin has provided a strong foundation, allowing these youngsters' games to evolve - then they are sent along to Coach Rentz for the final skill-polishing. The results kind of speak for themselves. Over the years, there isn't much of a lurch when the gears are up-shifted a notch.

Seems like yesterday when Corbin McIntosh was 'loaned' to me for some photography work at the games. Now, he's a rising star in the organization. Just a single example of the successful process.

You look at the box score in the paper, and at the end it probably says, "JV: Corinth won." That's the only press these guys get, it seems - no actual league, no season-ending tourney, Rodney Dangerfields all.

I know, we don't give the 'minor' sports much attention - and, if it weren't for my love of basketball, the JVs probably wouldn't get any, either.

But, this outstanding history deserves a mention. 'You're getting your money's worth' when you arrive at a Corinth hoops night early.

Corinth 30, Lake George 27

Lake George - Eric Hernandez was a marked man.

The junior standout swingman was harassed, cajoled and physically hammered all night by a determined band of Lake George Warriors - but, in the end, the real warriors of this evening were wearing black.

Eric drew Lake George star Matt McGowan's fifth personal foul with 11.1 seconds remaining and drained both ends of a one-and-one to secure a gut-wrenching 30-27 victory for the Corinth Tomahawks Wednesday night on the losers' floor.

The victory gives the Tommies the Adirondack League Western Division title, and a date with Argyle at Adirondack Community College on Tuesday night for the overall league crown.

The video of this one could be placed in a time capsule for future generations to learn about Coach Tom Rentz and his style - his ability to dictate the character of the game.

Senior defensive wizard Ronnie Bovee canned a three-pointer with 2:35 left in the opening quarter, the only Corinth points in the eight minutes. The Warriors, however, were held to just two free throws at 2:13 - so, a baseball-like 3-2 score after one.

The second period was the charm for the winners. It was 9-4 at 5:20 and Rentz took a TO at 17-6 with 1:48 left. Bovee hit a pair of buckets, Jordon Charbonneau had a three-point play, Kevin Tucker hit one late, and Hernandez went lights-out with a trio of downtown bombs over a short span. The 18-6 margin gave Corinth a seemingly comfy 21-8 lead at the break.

However, we know from experience that these never come easy.

The home crew had a plan, compliments of Coach Dave Jones. Matt McGowan came out on fire, driving to the hole for three straight layups to pull Lake George back from the brink (21-14 at 5:48). Alex Hladik arched in a three at 3:13 to make it 23-17 and we had a game.

Bovee's second long-range shot made it 26-19 with eight minutes left. Ronnie had all five Corinth points in the third stanza.

Rentz took time at 5:50 in the finale after the Warriors crept within three at 26-23. McGowan picked up his third personal at 4:25, but Lake George kept battling and Jones took a TO at 2:31 trailing 28-27.

The teams traded numerous possessions down the stretch. Eric missed a pair of foul shots, then got the huge rebound leading to McGowan's dismissal. The rest is history, and another championship for the Toms.

Lake George had an opportunity for a tying three in the final second that went long.

Rentz employed a six-man rotation and called defenses that stymied and sometimes confused the Warriors, and in that split-second of hesitation a turnover would be born. Corinth certainly played nowhere near a 'clean' game - both squads made myriad mistakes.

Eric Petteys once again will not show on the box score, but contributed some quality minutes, allowing the other five a breather. Charbonneau and Fred Jaeger clogged up the middle, keeping the home boys from driving to the hole much.

Bovee bid adieu to regular-season play by leading the team with a dozen points. Hernandez added eleven.

McGowan had ten and Hladik nine for Lake George.

The Tommies finish 13-1 in the AL and 14-3 overall. The Warriors end their regular season Friday night at Warrensburg.

Corinth's JV team completed an undefeated league season in the opener with a 52-30 triumph. Zac Lucia and Alex Skinner led the way with thirteen and eleven points, respectively.

Congrats to Coach Shane Griffin on their outstanding 13-0, 14-3 year.

Wednesday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 30, Lake George 27
• Fort Ann 52, Whitehall 31
• Argyle 64, Salem 37
• Fort Edward 59, Hartford 47

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth Captures West Division

Lake George - The golden rule about doing unto others as you would have done unto you hung over the Lake George gymnasium like a cloud Wednesday night.

In the first half, it was Corinth's defense that shined in helping the Tomahawks to a 21-8 advantage. In the second half, it was Lake George's turn, as the Warriors held Corinth to just nine points.

But Corinth's defense held true to the last second as the Tomahawks won, 30-27, to clinch the Adirondack League West Division for the first time since the 2006-2007 season. Corinth (13-1 league, 14-3 overall) will play East Division winner Argyle in the Adirondack League boys basketball championship at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Adirondack Community College.

"I give the credit to our man-to-man defense on their last four possessions," Corinth coach Tom Rentz said. "I said, ‘Let's go man, let's box out and get some rebounds.'"

With Corinth ahead 28-27, Eric Petteys - a replacement for the fouled-out Ron Bovee - made a key steal which eventually led to a Lake George foul with 11 seconds left. Eric Hernandez made his only two points of the second half by sinking both free throws.

Lake George got the ball over halfcourt and called a timeout with 7 seconds left. It got the ball into the hands of one of its better 3-point shooters on the baseline. But no sooner did he have the ball than he was doubled and forced into an awkward shot that missed the rim as time expired.

"Eric Petteys has been getting more minutes, but Lake George is so big, we didn't want to have (Jordan) Charbonneau, (Fred) Jaeger and Hernandez out for too long," Rentz explained. "But when Ron fouled out, he came right in and we didn't miss a beat, and that's a credit to him."

Bovee led Corinth with 12 points and Hernandez finished with 11. Hernandez's nine in the first half all came on 3-pointers in the second quarter, when Corinth showed the most offense of either team in the whole game by scoring 18 points. Part of what led to Corinth's offense was its defense, especially doubling the ball several crucial times.

"Corinth had a fantastic defense in the first half and forced us away from the basket a little farther than we wanted to be and we missed guys underneath," Lake George coach Dave Jones said. "Plus the turnovers in the first half limited our shot attempts."

Despite leading 21-8 at half, Rentz wasn't comfortable, and his fears proved to be well founded.

"Dave is such a great strategist," Rentz said. "He always makes such great halftime adjustments."

The main adjustments Lake George made in the third quarter were getting the ball into 6-foot-6 center Matt McGowan - who was held to just two first-half points - and pressuring Corinth's guards.

Both worked well. McGowan scored the first six points of the third quarter and finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, a flustered Corinth kept turning the ball over, allowing Lake George to get as close as one point with 3:29 left.

"Our success on defense picked up the guys' morale a little bit," Jones said.

Corinth 35, Warrensburg 33

Warrensburg - Another cliff-hanger.

The Corinth Tomahawks moved one step away from the Western Division title of the Adirondack League with a 35-33 last-second victory over Warrensburg Friday night on the losers' floor. The Tommies are 12-1 in the AL and 13-3 overall, with one game remaining on the regular-season slate and, it's a BIG one - the rematch with the Lake George Warriors at their place Wednesday night.

A win in that final game locks up the division and a meeting with the Argyle Scots for the league championship at Adirondack Community College on Tuesday. A Warrior triumph (assuming they take their final game at Warrensburg) sets up a playoff game on Saturday in Hudson Falls, since both teams split the season series and will have identical division marks.

A 14-point favorite, Corinth jumped out to a 10-3 lead after eight minutes and led 17-12 at halftime. The Burghers kept chipping away to get within 28-27 after three.

Jordon Charbonneau put back a miss at 33-all with 2.1 seconds remaining to pull out the win. The home team had a shot at a tie, but missed a layup with a second left. Jordon joins fellow senior teammates Ronnie Bovee and Fred Jaeger, who have all become buzzer-beating heroes in recent Tommie triumphs.

Charbonneau led the winners with eleven points. Eric Hernandez added nine on three downtown bombs.

John Joseph and Ryan Beldon were in double digits for Warrensburg with fourteen and ten, respectively.

Lake George set up next Wednesday's showdown with a 58-39 win at Hadley-Luzerne.

The Tomahawk JV squad kept their league record unblemished (12-0, 13-3) with a 59-43 victory in the opening game.

Next: At Lake George on Wednesday, February 10th at 6 p.m.

Friday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 35, Warrensburg 33
• Fort Ann 53, Salem 51
• Argyle 55, Fort Edward 33
• Lake George 58, Hadley-Luzerne 39
• Hartford 59, Whitehall 55

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 49, Hadley-Luzerne 34

Corinth - The Corinth Tomahawks defeated the Eagles of Hadley-Luzerne 49-34 Wednesday night in the final home game for the senior players.

Pre-game activities included flowers for the parents of the cheerleaders and players, and a special tribute to former player Leland Shippee, who is undergoing cancer treatment. The game was played in memory of Coach Tom Rentz's father, Jack.

The win takes the Tomahawk record to 11-1 in the Adirondack League and 12-3 overall.

The trademark defense carried the home team to an early 9-0 run before Luzerne got on the board after a timeout at the 3:40 mark. The Eagles crawled to within 14-8 after the first eight minutes. Six Corinth players scored in the quarter, led by four from point guard Kevin Tucker.

Eric Hernandez hit a three in the second stanza and scored five points, but the Toms were unable to put any significant daylight between themselves and their opposition. The 26-19 halftime lead was far from comfortable for Rentz and crew. A 3-for-9 effort from the line didn't help the mood.

The Eagles won the third quarter by 9-6 and pulled close at 32-28 heading down the stretch. The Toms missed four more foul shots in the period.

Luzerne got within a bucket at 32-30 at the 7:20 mark, then the home boys executed some stellar defense and went on a game-winning 10-0 run, topped off by senior Ronnie Bovee's steal and layup at 5:17, to take the margin to 42-30.

Tucker and Hernandez were the lone Corinth players in double figures with 15 and 10, respectively. Eric Petteys snagged seven steals and had eight rebounds for the Tomahawks, who also got 12 rebounds and eight points from Fred Jaeger.

Devin Waite netted a game-high 17 points for the Eagles.

The unbeaten JV Tommies kept things that way with a relatively easy 65-27 romp in the opener. Guard Corbin McIntosh had a career game with 19 points, including two bombs from downtown. Alex Skinner added 13, Evan Armstrong a dozen and Greg Kelly ten.

Coach Shane Griffin pulled the plug in this one at 57-20 with 5:28 left.

The JVs are now 11-0 and 12-3.

Next: At Warrensburg on Friday, February 5th at 6 p.m.

Friday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 49, Hadley-Luzerne 34
• Argyle 65, Whitehall 28
• Fort Edward 36, Salem 24
• Lake George 65, North Warren 33
• Fort Ann 58, Hartford 41

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 79, Hartford 33

Corinth - Junior star Eric Hernandez presented his 91-year-young grandmother Christine (Gabriel) Viele ('36) a bouquet of flowers prior to tipoff Friday night. After that, what could possibly go wrong?

Nothing, evidently. The Corinth Tomahawks raised their record to 10-1 in Adirondack League play and 11-3 overall with a resounding 79-33 victory over the Hartford Tanagers on the Oak Street floor.

The visitors couldn't get on the board until the 5:03 mark of the opening period. By then, the Tommies had jumped to a 13-0 lead behind Eric's five points and contributions on the offensive end from Kevin Tucker, Jordon Charbonneau and Fred Jaeger. Ronnie Bovee was quietly spinning his usual defensive web around whatever Tanager came his way.

After eight minutes, Corinth enjoyed an insurmountable 26-4 margin. Tucker had nine in the quarter and Hernandez seven.

The second stanza turned out to be more of the same. Jaeger hit four buckets inside and counted nine points of his own during the period, which the Tommies won 23-13. The 49-17 halftime lead was a welcome change from the recent nail-biters - the offense was firing on all cylinders, and maybe found an extra one, as well.

At 3:44 of the third quarter, Coach Tom Rentz pulled the plug at 61-22 - adding a steady dose of reserves who didn't maintain the status quo, but went on a period-ending 8-0 run of their own.

Hartford won the finale by 11-10. The Toms hit six three-pointers among their 33 field goals, and were an acceptable 7-for-10 from the line. This bunch has never played better ball.

Jaeger led four Toms in double figures with 17. Fred had a double-double, pulling down ten rebounds. Hernandez finished with 15, Tucker 13 along with seven boards and five assists, and Charbonneau had ten.

Ethan Farley canned eight to pace the Hartford attack.

The Corinth JV team (9-0, 10-3) took care of business in the opener by a 37-34 score. The youngsters clawed their way back from an early 12-3 hole and poured a 20-point fourth quarter down the Tanager throats.

Zac Lucia and Alex Robarge were in double figures for the winners with eleven and ten points, respectively.

Next: Hadley-Luzerne at the Oak Street gym on Wednesday, February 3rd at 6 p.m.

Friday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 79, Hartford 31
• Salem 57, Hadley-Luzerne 45
• Fort Ann 62, Warrensburg 45
• Lake George 40, Fort Edward 36 (OT)
• Whitehall 49, North Warren 37

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 39, North Warren 38

Chestertown - Kevin Tucker dribbled into the lane, waited for the defense to collapse around him, and kicked a pass to Ronnie Bovee on the left wing. Ronnie's 3-ball dropped, giving the Corinth Tomahawks the lead with 13 seconds remaining in an Adirondack League game Friday night. North Warren got a final shot off, but the Tommies fought for the rebound just long enough for time to expire - resulting in a 39-38 win in Chestertown.

The Tommies are now 9-1 in the league and 10-3 overall. This one will definitely not make the yearly highlight reel.

The heavily-favored visitors got off to a rocky start, trailing 10-7 after eight minutes and 18-11 halfway through the second quarter. The teams went to the locker room with the Cougars on top, 19-15.

The second half began slowly, with Fred Jaeger's put-back getting Corinth to within 19-17 with the first points of the third period at 5:19. Jaeger later gave the Tommies their first lead at 24-23 on a similar play. The Cougars scored at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 26-25 with a quarter to go.

North Warren's Bryan Beckler hit two quick baskets to give the home team a three-point lead, then Jaeger tied it on a three-point play at 6:50. Jeff Bennett canned a three at 5:06 and Coach Tom Rentz took a timeout - the Cougars got the ball back and scored again for a 34-29 cushion at 3:56.

Tucker and Jaeger hit to bring the Toms within 38-33 with 1:14 left. Bovee's first bomb came at 47.9 seconds to make it 38-36. Corinth got one more defensive stop to set up the game-winner.

Jaeger led the Tomahawk scoring with 15. Bovee finished with nine, while Tucker and Jordon Charbonneau each had six. Bennett and Beckler paced the Cougars with 18 and 12, respectively.

The shooting from the field was pretty bad, and the free-throw performance even worse (4-for-13). Lots of passes that went awry. There seemed to be a lot of standing around thinking the play would come their way.

They got away with this one.

Next: Hartford at the Oak Street gym on Friday, January 29th at 6 p.m.

Friday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 39, North Warren 38
• Warrensburg 53, Hadley-Luzerne 38
• Fort Edward 58, Fort Ann 50
• Argyle 64, Hartford 44
• Salem 46, Whitehall 34

Corinth 41, Fort Edward 33

Fort Edward - The Corinth Tomahawks continued their journey toward an Adirondack League West Division title Friday night with a 41-33 victory against the Flying Forts of Fort Edward on the losers' floor.

The Tommies improve to 8-1 in the league and 9-3 overall.

Junior point guard Kevin Tucker played another stellar game, leading all scorers with 17 points. Fred Jaeger added nine, while defensive specialist Ronnie Bovee tallied eight points to go with eight rebounds and five steals.

Corinth began the game with a 14-6 first quarter edge, then allowed the Forts to creep back to within three at 16-13 halfway through.

Robert Hendricks and Mike Taft had eight apiece for Fort Edward.

Argyle remained unbeaten in the AL East and did the Toms a small favor by knocking off Warrensburg on the road, 66-58. Matt Stevens had 28 for the Scots, while Brendan Frye countered with 22 for the losers.

Lake George recovered from their double-OT loss Wednesday and stayed hot on Corinth's heels with a 62-42 shellacking of the visiting Fort Ann Cardinals.

The Tomahawk JV squad maintained its unblemished league record with a victory in the opener. They are 8-0 and 8-3 overall.

Next: At North Warren (varsity only) on Friday, January 22nd at 6 p.m.

Friday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 41, Fort Edward 33
• Hadley-Luzerne 56, Hartford 48
• Lake George 62, Fort Ann 42
• Argyle 66, Warrensburg 58
• North Warren 42, Salem 34

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 43, Lake George 42 (2OT)

Corinth - Ronnie Bovee was a bit too far under the Lake George basket, trying to win the game in the final seconds. His attempt hit the underside of the rim and angled out into the lane, where Fred Jaeger grabbed the rebound and banked in the shot heard all around C-town Wednesday night.

Fred's put-back at 0:00.3 gave the Corinth Tomahawks a heart-stopping 43-42 double-overtime victory over the Lake George Warriors in one of the most exciting games ever played on the venerable old Oak Street floor.

The win gives the Tommies a 7-1 record atop the Western Division in the Adirondack League (8-3 overall), while the second-place Warriors fall to 5-2 and 6-3.

Where to begin?

Jaeger scored inside and Eric Hernandez buried a three-pointer to give Corinth a 5-2 margin early, then Lake George went on an 8-0 run to end the first quarter up by 10-5. The visitors had taken their first lead at 3:42.

The Toms started the second period with a 7-0 run of their own, and LG called time at 5:17 down 12-10. That stifling Tom Rentz defense held them scoreless until 3:43.

Corinth took an 18-17 edge into the locker room at halftime.

Bovee and Jordon Charbonneau scored the lone pair of buckets for the home team in the third, and Lake George had eight minutes to protect a hard-earned 27-22 lead. That was not going to happen.

The Toms went to star point guard Kevin Tucker in the finale, and the junior standout used his unique ball-handling skills to produce nine huge points in the session.

The Warriors took a TO at 6:05 of the fourth, leading 27-24. It was 30-25 with three minutes left when Tucker drove for a basket, then Hernandez stole the ball and was hammered on a three-pointer. Eric converted two of the three free throws at 2:14 to pull Corinth within 30-29.

It was 32-31 with a minute to go, then Kevin hit a floater through the lane at :37 to give the Toms a rare lead at 33-32. Matt McGowan made one of two foul shots at :19 and Rentz called for a huddle knotted at 33.

Unable to get off a decent shot, the teams went into their first four-minute overtime period.

A scoreless three minutes ensued, until Eric Petteys fouled out at 1:03 and the Warriors converted both shots for a 35-33 lead. Another Tucker floater in the paint brought it even again at 35 with :10.2 on the clock. The Tomahawks fought off a final Lake George effort and we were headied to a sixth period of play.

A side note here - when you peruse the box score below, you will not see Eric Petteys' name, because he did not score a basket nor shoot a free throw. What he did was contribute an amazing defensive effort for every minute he was in there. This is a whole other result without Petteys' contribution. He finished with ten rebounds and five steals.

Lake George hit a freebie at 2:26 after Kevin committed a foul, for a 36-35 lead. Then, for the only time this evening, the teams actually traded baskets, with Bovee and Charbonneau matching a pair by the visitors. More struggles for the Warriors from the line helped Corinth immensely. Jordon committed a foul at :36.1 and McGowan bricked both, then Hernandez picked up his fourth, which produced one of two for a 42-41 Warrior lead.

Eric missed a shot at :06.3, but followed his rebound into a held-ball situation, with the possession arrow headed Corinth's way.

The miracle finish followed.

Tucker paced the winners' scoring with 17, along with nine rebounds. Hernandez added eight and Charbonneau had six. Alex Hladik matched Kevin with 17 for the losers, while Jeff Maldonado was in double figures with ten. Six-foot-five junior McGowan had eight, and never did foul out, despite being the first on the floor sporting four personals.

Let's face it, it wasn't pretty - both teams combined for 16-for-35 from the line, with neither hitting half. The lid was pretty much on both baskets, but it's debatable how much of that comes from solid defense and how much from just crappy shooting and shot selection. There were, as usual, myriad turnovers - usually of the bad pass variety leading to steals.

However, for excitement, this one will be hard to top. The crowd finally got into it, ignoring much of the pre-game sportsmanship public-address spiel, but overall behaving pretty well, considering the back-and-forth waves of emotion involved.

The Corinth JV team (7-0, 7-3) made it a clean sweep with a 44-36 win in the opener. Alex Robarge and Zac Lucia were in double figures with fifteen and eleven, respectively. The game was tight (29-28 Toms) after three, then the winners rolled 15-8 in the finale behind Robarge's seven point effort.

Next: At Fort Edward on Friday, January 15th at 6 p.m.

Wednesday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 43, Lake George 42 (2OT)
• Fort Edward 48, Hartford 36
• Fort Ann 64, Whitehall 27
• Warrensburg 39, North Warren 36
• Argyle 57, Salem 42
• Hadley-Luzerne 51, Johnsburg 49 (Non-league)

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Argyle 55, Corinth 42

Corinth - The Argyle Scots broke open a tight game midway through the third period and rolled to a decisive 55-42 victory over the previously unbeaten Corinth Tomahawks in Adirondack League action Friday night at the Oak Street gym. The Tommies drop to 6-1 in the AL and 7-3 overall. Argyle retains their unblemished league mark at 7-0 in an 8-1 season thus far.

Corinth began the game offensively sputtering. Argyle scored right off the opening tap and held a 12-5 lead after eight minutes of action. The Tommies started feeding Fred Jaeger inside and caught the Scots at 18-all at the break.

The clubs played evenly early in the third, then an old Corinth nemesis reared its head - the inability to bring the ball up against anything resembling a press. A stretch of cold shooting didn't help, either. Eric Hernandez hit a pair from downtown to keep the margin reasonable, but giving up 19 is not a Tommie characteristic. The 37-30 Scot lead after three might well have been triple that. The flaws had been exposed for all to see, and Coach Jack Sherwin would make sure this one didn't slip away.

Argyle put the finishing touches on an outstanding 37-24 second half with another eighteen-point quarter.

“We didn’t do what we wanted to do defensively and then we had trouble hitting our shots,” Corinth coach Tom Rentz said. “We’ve got to follow a game plan. We’ve got to have five people doing the same thing because it’s the reason we’ve had success to this point.”

Jaeger paced the losers with 16, while Kevin Tucker added eleven.

Matt Stevens had 23 for Argyle to lead all scorers, and Bryan Humiston contributed 16 to the victory. However, it was the freshman-sophomore backcourt tandem of Joey Lufkin (5'7") and Josh Horton (5'8") for which Corinth had no answer. They ran a very well-executed offense and it's no wonder they're unbeaten in league play.

Derek Galusha lit it up for 23 in the opener as the Tomahawk JV team remained unbeaten in the league at 6-0 and 6-3 overall. The 46-41 triumph was not without a super effort, as the Scots opened 12-2 at the 4:23 mark and held the lead until 7:03 of the third when a Galusha bomb tied the score at 26.

Graham Pritchard played a strong game with a dozen points, while Alex Robarge added eight.

Next for the Toms: An Adirondack West matchup - Wednesday, January 13th at 6 p.m. at Oak Street against Lake George.

Friday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Argyle 55, Corinth 42
• North Warren 34, Fort Edward 26
• Lake George 74, Whitehall 26
• Fort Ann 67, Hadley-Luzerne 48
• Warrensburg 48, Salem 35

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 47, Salem 31

Salem - The Corinth Tomahawks kept their Adirondack League record unblemished Wednesday night with a 47-31 victory over the Salem Generals on the losers' floor. The Tommies improve to 6-0 in the AL and 7-2 overall.

Corinth got off to an uncharacteristically shaky start, allowing the Generals a liberal 14 points in the opening period - then, they shut the door in the second, giving the home team but two. It was tight (18-16 Toms) at the break.

After three quarters, the issue was still very much in doubt. Up 31-27, the Tomahawks went off on a 16-4 run over the final eight minutes to sew up the verdict.

Eric Hernandez paced all scorers with 17, while Jordon Charbonneau and Fred Jaeger added eight. Austin Eastman was the lone player in double figures for the Generals with ten.

The Tommie JVs improved to 5-0 and 5-3 with a victory in the opener.

Elsewhere, Argyle handed Lake George their first league defeat with a 54-47 win at home. The Scots are 6-0 and 7-1 for the year.

Next: A battle of the last remaining Adirondack League unbeatens - Friday, January 8th at 6 p.m. at Oak Street against cross-divisional rival Argyle.

Wednesday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 47, Salem 31
• Hartford 40, North Warren 35
• Argyle 54, Lake George 47
• Fort Edward 57, Hadley-Luzerne 39
• Warrensburg 57, Whitehall 53

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Stillwater 52, Corinth 49

Stillwater - The Corinth Tomahawks (5-0, 6-2) lost a non-league contest 52-49 at Stillwater on Saturday afternoon.

The winners (0-3 in the Wasaren league and 2-5 overall) got a game-high 23 points from Mark Sabatino and came back from a 40-33 deficit after three quarters to outscore the Tommies 19-9 over the final eight minutes and get the victory.

Kevin Tucker paced Corinth with 17. Jordon Charbonneau and Eric Hernandez were also in double figures with eleven and ten, respectively.

Next: Back to league play Wednesday night at Salem. JV game time is the usual 6 p.m.

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 60, North Warren 23

Corinth - The Corinth Tomahawks used a balanced, disciplined attack coupled with their smothering trademark defense to produce a 60-23 triumph over Adirondack West rival North Warren Wednesday afternoon at the Oak Street gym. The game was originally scheduled to be the league opener earlier in the month, but was postponed by a snowstorm.

The win keeps the Tommies unbeaten in league play at 5-0 (6-1 overall). The Cougars have yet to taste victory in four AL tilts, and are 2-5 overall.

Kevin Tucker hit a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter and had eight points as Corinth pulled out to an early lead. North Warren scored a couple late buckets to pull within 12-8 after one period of play.

The Toms dropped the hammer at both ends of the floor in the second. They went inside to Fred Jaeger and the senior center responded with three baskets and a pair of free throws. Tucker hit another from long range, and the result was a huge 17-4 disparity over the eight minutes - and, a comfortable margin of 29-12 at the break.

Jordon Charbonneau missed a dunk, then ignited a sparse crowd with a successful one, scoring eight himself in the third. Eric Hernandez and Ronnie Bovee contributed six and five, respectively. All the major damage was done by the 2:46 mark, when Coach Tom Rentz called time and started to pull the plug at 45-14.

The starters rested, but their replacements never missed a beat. Flying all over the defensive end of the court, the Toms outscored the Cougars 10-2 in the finale.

Tucker led three Corinth players in double figures with fifteen. Charbonneau had a dozen and Jaeger ten. Hernandez had eight points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Eric Petteys contributed nine rebounds and four assists.

Bryan Beckler led the Cougars with nine points.

Bovee once again played an amazing game on defense, but he certainly had company. Nobody took any plays off in this one.

Next: A non-league affair at Stillwater Saturday, January 2nd at 2 p.m.

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 50, Warrensburg 22

Corinth - These games have been so easy to score, I may leave my notebook home and do the stats in my head next week.

Tom Rentz-coached teams make their living on the defensive end of the floor. Success there leads to opportunities at the offensive end that are sometimes hard to come by without smart, coordinated transition play.

Wednesday night at the Tommies' house, Coach Rentz received a timely holiday gift from his team.

It was like a virtuoso performance by a famous symphony conductor, or somebody doing open-heart surgery with a ballpoint pen. Thirty-some minutes of being like that guy on TV who prefers Dos Equis when he drinks beer.

Eric Hernandez had one of those games. It was arguably the best individual performance by a Corinth player I've seen in four years of covering Tomahawk basketball. The rest of the team fed off his effort and was firing on all cylinders. The result was a 50-22 triumph over Warrensburg that kept Corinth unbeaten in Adirondack League play at 4-0 and 5-1 overall.

In their four league victories, the Toms have given opponents 98 points. That's 98 points in 128 minutes, folks. Less than 25 a game. That's defense with a big capital 'D'.

Hernandez had 18 points to lead all scorers. He almost single-handedly outscored the Warrensburg squad. He made five baskets - three from long range - and went 5-for-6 from the line. The junior jack-of-all-trades pulled down 14 rebounds and added five assists. What he did without the ball was superb, as well.

With Burgher star Brendan Frye being gobbled up by Ronnie Bovee, Corinth had pretty much a free rein when they went on a game-ending 34-9 run. Bovee's stat line included seven points, eight boards and five steals.

Eric hit a pair of threes and the Toms stretched a 6-4 lead to 10-4 after one quarter. A Kevin Tucker bucket and four free throws were all Corinth could muster in the second, but naturally, they held the visitors to five points. The 16-9 halftime lead felt somewhat shaky, although when you give up single digits in a half, complaining is pretty stupid.

When Frye slashed to the hole after two minutes of the second half, Warrensburg was within three at 16-13. The Oak Street gym had an eerie 'inside a tin can' sound. Then, at 5:41 Hernandez sank a pair of free throws and the dee-Rentz took center stage. Relentless harassment of the Burgher would-be ballhandlers produced a bevy of turnovers and Corinth was able to convert their share.

Tucker hit a trey, then Eric and Bovee followed suit. Fred Jaeger and Jordon Charbonneau played strong inside, while Eric Petteys pestered Burghers all over the court - and the boys pulled away at 35-15 with eight minutes left.

Oh, and what of Frye? He finished with five, far below his 21.7 average going in. Mike Curtis led the Burghers with seven.

The Tommie JVs were able to keep their league record perfect (4-0, 4-2) in the opener with an easy 58-25 victory. Derek Galusha came out on fire with 13 in the opening eight minutes. He finished with a game-high 19. Zac Lucia and Alex Robarge were in double figures for the winners with eleven and ten points, respectively. Corinth rolled to a 21-6 first-quarter and 36-12 halftime spread.

The Alumni News game reporter was honored to sit with two legends of Corinth sports, Bill Haskell ('74) and Yvon Trottier ('62). Bill is head basketball coach at Adirondack Community College - currently ranked tenth in the nation - and attended in a scouting capacity. Yvon (those old enough to recall) was a standout lefty bowler in school and beyond. Ah, the Commissary days.

Next: Wednesday afternoon, December 30th at 2 p.m. - the makeup of the snowed-out league opener with North Warren. It is a varsity game only. Expect to see partied-out alumni in attendance. I'll be up in my usual section, so it'll be easy to deliver that plate of cookies.

Wednesday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 50, Warrensburg 22
• Argyle 55, Fort Edward 44
• Fort Ann 62, Salem 39
• Lake George 69, Hadley-Luzerne 43
• Bolton 48, North Warren 34 (non-league)

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 57, Whitehall 23

Whitehall - The Corinth Tomahawks (3-0, 4-1) continued their early-season dominance over Adirondack League foes with a convincing 57-23 victory over the Whitehall Railroaders Friday night on the losers' court. The Tommies lowered their already-spectacular defensive points-against to 27 per game over the five overall contests and 25.3 in three league tilts.

Breaking out 21-2 over the opening eight minutes, Corinth put the outcome to rest by halftime, up 34-11. An 18-2 blitz coming back out of the locker room applied the 52-13 dagger.

Junior ball-handling wizard Kevin Tucker led the scoring with 19 and pulled down eight rebounds, while senior mate Jordon Charbonneau produced a double-double (17 points and 17 boards).

Eric Hernandez added seven, and center Fred Jaeger continued his strong inside play - converting all six of his free throws. Corinth enjoyed their best foul-shooting of the year with 15-for-20 from the line.

Tim Cook and Chris Therrien each had six for the Railroaders (0-4, 0-4).

The Tomahawk JV squad remained unbeaten (3-0, 3-2) with a win in the opening game.

Next: Wednesday night against Warrensburg at the Oak Street gym. JV game time is 6 p.m.

Friday night's Adirondack League scores:

• Corinth 57, Whitehall 23
• Lake George 50, Salem 39
• Argyle 79, Hadley-Luzerne 39
• Warrensburg 51, Hartford 49
• Fort Ann 53, North Warren 48

Granville, the only team to defeat Corinth thus far, remained unbeaten with a 55-45 win over Tamarac in Wasaren League action. It was the Golden Horde's fifth straight overall and third in the Wasaren.

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 54, Hadley-Luzerne 22

Lake Luzerne - The Corinth Tomahawks pitched an opening-quarter shutout, rolled to a 35-7 halftime lead and demolished the Eagles of Hadley-Luzerne 54-22 in Adirondack League action Tuesday night.

Junior standout Eric Hernandez paced the Tommie attack with 16 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while Ronnie Bovee and Fred Jaeger were also in double figures with 13 and 12, respectively.

The Toms pounded the boards, garnering 45 rebounds. Bovee made his stat line a double-double with ten boards, while Eric pulled down nine. Eric Petteys continued his role as a defensive dynamo.

Josh Densmore paced the Eagles with eight.

Corinth is now 2-0 in league competition and 3-1 overall in the young season.

The Tommies (2-0, 2-2) won the JV game 54-29.

Next: At Whitehall Friday night, with the first-game starting tip scheduled for 6 p.m.

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 56, Fort Ann 31

Corinth - The Corinth Tomahawks (1-0, 2-1) laid a 20-spot on Fort Ann in the first eight minutes, then added 14 in the second quarter. Combine that with the usual stifling, harrassing defense that Tom Rentz teams thrive on - and you have a 34-9 halftime lead for the Tommies.

The Cardinals held their own throughout the second half, scoring 22 to match Corinth's output over the same sixteen minutes. The final: Corinth 56, Fort Ann 31 in the Adirondack League opener for the Tomahawks.

Corinth raced to a 10-0 cushion at the 3:33 mark of the first period behind a pair of three-pointers from Kevin Tucker and Ronnie Bovee. Fred Jaeger took control of the paint from the outset, cleaning the glass and drawing numerous fouls.

Fred had fifteen in the first half and finished with a game-high 26 points and 14 rebounds. Tucker added eight, while Bovee had a half-dozen. Eric Petteys tallied six points, seven steals, six rebounds and five assists.

Robert Sprague led Fort Ann with ten points.

Coach Rentz emptied his bench with 3:48 to go and on top 46-26.

The Tomahawk junior varsity squad (1-0, 1-2) had almost identical success. They pitched a first-quarter shutout and bolted to a 32-7 halftime lead. Backcourt sparkplug Evan Armstrong led the victory with 14 points. Derek Galusha added ten and Alex Skinner had nine.

The Fort Ann JVs had a definite height advantage, but that was it. They didn't score until 7:37 remained in the half. When Armstrong canned a circus shot two minutes later and drew a foul, it was over. The final was 56-25.

Next: Tuesday night against up-the-road rival Hadley-Luzerne on their floor. JV game time is the usual 6 p.m.

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Corinth 37, Hudson Falls 22

Hudson Falls - The Corinth Tomahawks (1-1) beat Hudson Falls 37-22 Friday night to capture the American Legion Family Post 574 Tipoff Game on the losers' home court.

Fred Jaeger led the Tommies with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Ronnie Bovee added seven in the opening minutes and was named Player of the Game.

Corinth used a stifling defense, holding the Tigers to two points in each of the second and third periods.

The contest began on a somber note when Tomahawk Eric Hernandez went down with a twisted ankle in the first few seconds of play. Eric Petteys came off the bench and the squad didn't seem to lose a beat. With Bovee hitting three field goals (one from downtown), the Toms ended the quarter on the long end of a 10-6 score.

The second stanza was a brilliant display of defense, as for the second straight game, Corinth nearly shut out their opponent over eight minutes. The Tigers scored just a pair of points, Eric returned, Kevin Tucker nailed a three and Jaeger ruled the boards (drawing numerous fouls in the process). Halftime tally was 20-8.

It was more of the same in the third quarter. Hudson Falls hit a pair of free throws for their entire output, while the Tommies weren't that much more efficient on offense. They converted five of nine fouls shots to increase the margin to 25-10 after three.

Coach Tom Rentz emptied his bench in the finale, and the teams played to a 12-all draw. For those of you who might be unaware, the Tigers are coached by O.J. Lescault (Corinth '93).

The Tiger JV team took the opener 37-22. Derek Galusha had ten and Corbin McIntosh seven for Corinth (0-2).

Next up: The Adirondack League opener at home against North Warren (varsity plays only) on Wednesday night. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Reporting for the Alumni News: Don Williams ('65). All rights reserved.

Granville 37, Corinth 33

Corinth - The Tomahawks' basketball season got off to a rough start Tuesday night as the boys dropped a 37-33 non-league decision to the Golden Horde from Granville at the Oak Street gym.

Kevin Tucker led Corinth with 15 points, while Fred Jaeger added nine and pulled down ten rebounds.

Evan Miller scored 12 points and the Horde's Mike Resetar finished with 11 points for the victors.

The Tommie JV squad lost in overtime - Derek Galusha tallied 16 in the loss.

Next: At Hudson Falls, Friday night at 5:30.

Thanks to Jim Robarge ('64) and Craig Falkenbury ('90) for their assistance in the preparation of this article.