Peekskill-Cortlandt Patch Weekly Sports Report

Jeszeck leads Rebels

Walter Panas senior Anna Jeszeck, this week’s Con Ed Scholar-Athlete Award winner, led Lakeland/Panas with six goals and an assist in the Rebels’ 13-9 girls lacrosse triumph over Brewster on their senior night, May 16.

The game was tied at 4-4 at halftime, but the Rebels outscored the Bears 9-5 in the second half to secure the win. The key in the second half for the Rebels (13-3-1) was their ability to finish shots.

“In the first half we were struggling with our shots and in the second half it just seemed to all fall into place,” said Jeszeck, who will play lacrosse next year at the University of Richmond.

Also standing out for the Rebels was Alexa Bonnes, who registered four goals.

Jeszeck and Bonnes were successful because they were able to take their opponents one on one.

“That seemed to be working, we were beating [their] girls,” said Jeszeck, who also plays soccer and basketball for the Rebels.

The top-seeded Rebels’ success against Brewster carried over into its Section 1 Class A opening-round playoff game, which it won 16-3 on Saturday against visiting No. 9 Scarsdale. Jeszeck again led the Rebels with five goals and two assists.

Nolan to Bluefield

After recently seeing her teammate Jazmin Garcia accept a Division I basketball scholarship to Stetson, Peekskill senior Tasia Nolan announced on Wednesday at the high school that she will be going to Division II’s Bluefield State College in West Virginia next year on a partial volleyball/basketball/softball scholarship.

Sheridan Taylor, another member of Peekskill’s 2010-11 girls basketball state championship squad, will also play in college at Division III’s Baruch College in Manhattan.

“I wanted to go away to college, but I also wanted to go to a school that has a family atmosphere like Peekskill does,” Nolan said.

Basketball coach Rodney Headley Jr. praised Nolan's ability to lift her teammates' level of play.

“Not only does she come out and give it her all when she practices, but in games, it doesn’t show in the statistics, she holds her own and brings a presence that motivates every single person around here,” Headley Jr. said.

Nolan, who wants to be a pediatrician, explained why she is a rare three-sport athlete.

“Me personally, I know basketball is something that I love to do, but I get bored easily,” Nolan said. “So me playing three sports, or two if I don’t decide to play all three, will allow me to stay focused all four years of school.”

Cohall blanks Bobcats

Panas’ junior Brandon Cohall struck out nine and gave up just two hits in the Panthers’ 11-0 triumph at Byram Hills on Saturday.

“It was important we were able to get an early lead, we led 4-0 after two innings,” Cohall said. “That helped me be comfortable on the mound. That and just throwing strikes. Byram Hills is a good team, the type of team that we will have to face in the first round of the sectionals.”

That's something Panas coach Anthony Fata is looking forward to.

“Yesterday’s game was an excellent game, from [innings] 1 to 7  we played very well,” Fata said. “It’s going to come down to hitting well out of the gate, I know our defense and pitching will be there. I am very excited, I can’t wait for the sectionals to start on Thursday."

Panas (13-5) also won on Friday against host Putnam Valley 9-0.

“With the sectionals coming up, we are just trying to get the bats going, play good baseball at the end of the regular season, try to end the season with a bang and get ready for the sectionals,” said Cohall, who hit 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs against the Tigers. “We have been practicing hitting every day at practice. Everybody has been hitting the ball lately.”

Panas blanks Kennedy

Amanda Ragusa (three hits, three RBIs), Adrena Daw (three hits, one RBI) and Danielle DeLuca (two hits) helped lead Panas (10-7)  to a 9-0 softball win at Kennedy Catholic on May 16.

“They have been red-hot of late,” Panas coach John Augusta said. “They're all sophomores but are playing like experienced seniors. Danielle has added a lot of production at the bottom of the order."

“They gave us great at-bats against Kennedy, very selective, very patient, they fouled off the tough pitches and put good swings on balls when they were ahead in the count,” Augusta added.

Winning the game on the mound was Molly Roche, who threw a complete game while striking out six.

“Molly is getting better with each start; she is becoming more confident,” Augusta said. “She's has dramatically reduced the number of walks issued, which has contributed a great deal to her success.”

Hen Hud wins thriller

Led by three goals from Mike Bertoline, No. 9 Hen Hud defeated No. 8 Horace Greeley 7-6, with Phil Siegel scoring the game winner a minute into overtime on Thursday in the opening round of the Section 1 Class B boys lacrosse tournament.

“That was a great win, especially after we lost to Mahopac, kind of the same thing, I scored a goal with like five seconds left and we went into overtime and lost,” said Sailor senior defenseman A.J. Small, who will  play at Nazareth College next season. “To come back like that again and this time win, especially in the sectionals, was a great feeling.”

Hen Hud tied the game when Joe Fraietta went the length of the field and scored with 54 seconds left in regulation.

“Our offense started to click towards the end of that game,” Small said. “We were playing hard the whole game. Our face-offs are always on and we were getting more groundballs and it just ended up paying off.”

The Sailors season ended when it lost at No. 1 Somers Saturday 15-7 in the quarterfinals.

Sailors fall to YHS

The best season in Hen Hud girls lacrosse history came to an end when it ran into perennial powerhouse, No. 2 Yorktown (14-3) and lost 17-5 in the quarterfinals. Kennedy Sherman paced Hen Hud (11-7) with three goals. The team received a well-deserved standing ovation from its fans after the game at Yorktown High School.

“I had a very good group of girls,” Hen Hud coach Mary Montesarchio said. “They wanted to go further than they did last year. Last year they lost in the play-in game. We are happy that we got this far and were here today.”