Sports Recap: Greeley and Fox Lane Enjoy Successful Campaigns

Horace Greeley

Horace Greeley enjoyed an outstanding winter, garnering a 15-5 overall record and a 9-1 league mark, enabling it to share the league title with Rye. In addition, the Quakers won a first-round playoff game in the Section 1 Class AA tournament against rival John Jay.

Earning all-section honors was junior point guard Jackie Brett with all-section honorable mention going to senior forward Yanna Jackson.

Brett and Jackson were also named all-league.

Junior guard Andi Picker was named all-league with all-league honorable mention being earned by junior forward Issy Berkey.

“It was nice for us to have our girls acknowledged,” Greeley coach John Alkalay said. “The reason why we had so many was because of our record. We really as the year progressed got better as far as teamwork goes and all four of those girls were a big part of that.”

Brett helped the Quakers by really stepping into the point-guard role this year and was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 16 points per game, in addition to six assists per contest.

“In crunch time, every fourth quarter, every time we needed a basket, she took the tough shot and hit a lot of clutch shots for us,” Alkalay said.

Alkalay said that Jackson made all-section honorable mention primarily because of her defense and rebounding.

“She was the one person who did all of our dirty work this year,” Alkalay said. “Every team needs one and she did it almost better than everyone else in the section. She always guarded the toughest scorer on the other team. She averaged double-digit rebounds. She was the glue of our team, especially on the defensive end.”

Picker, the Quakers fastest player, used her speed to make a difference for her squad.  

“We were a fast-break team this year and the girl who always got us going there was Andi,” Alkalay said. “She beat all the other girls down the floor and got a lot of easy layups. She also put pressure on the other guards defensively.”

Berkey put pressure on opposing defenses by being the Quakers leading 3-point scorer.

“She really helped us out when we needed a secondary scorer,” Alkalay said. “Issy could step up. Every team needs two or three scorers and she was that for us, our second scorer that could help Jackie out.”

Fox Lane

The Foxes also enjoyed a successful campaign this winter, going 12-7 and qualifying for the Section 1 Class AA tournament.

Earn all-section honorable mention and all-league honors for the second year in a row, was junior guard Allison Lombardi, who averaged 17 points per game.

“She has been able to score ever since I met her,” Fox Lane coach Ayo Hart said. “I can’t take credit for that. She has always been a good shooter. She has spent a lot of time working on her game with her parents. She has been able to score since probably fourth-grade CYO.”

Hart said that the biggest difference in Lombardi this year is that her rebounding improved as she averaged between seven and eight rebounds per game.

“She was nearly a double-double,” Hart said. “Not only can she score, she was able to deliver the ball to others. She also has worked on her defense, she has gotten a lot quicker.”

Junior point guard Jacqueline Colao was named all-league. She was one of the Foxes best dribblers and defenders.

“She’s quick, she’s agile, she doesn’t get beat off the dribble, she closes out,” Hart said of Colao. “We tend to put her on the other top point guard. She pretty much did a good job against Jackie Brett of Greeley. She’s a leader, she’s very vocal. She’s looking to score but also to get everybody else involved as well.”

All-league honors also went to Julia Raue, a junior center, who got a lot stronger this year according to Hart.

“Her shooting has improved,” Hart said of Raue. “She can pull out to the short corner or even the wing because she has developed a mid-range shot. It’s nice now that we can pull her in or out. Her defense has improved tremendously this year. Her footwork has gotten a lot better.”

All-league honorable mention was earned by junior guard Kat Petrick.

“Kat’s biggest improvement this year has been her ability to shoot the ball,” Hart said. “She always has been a great passer. She was  phenomenal in penetrating and finding the right person, at the right time, at the right moment. We could rely on her to get the ball to the post players.”