BREAKING NEWS: Magnus moving up to A in ‘09
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- February
- 29
I just spoke with Section 1 executive director Greg Ransom, who said the Albertus Magnus girls will be moved to Class A for the 2009 girls basketball playoffs.
The Falcons have a good chance to win their third championship in four years. Because of their success, Section 1 Athletics’ alignment committee decided recently to move Magnus up. (Note: It will just happen for the playoffs; Ransom said the Falcons will remain in the same league because League III-C has a combination of teams from Classes A and B.)
Obviously, we can debate what this means for Class A and for Magnus. Does it make it easier for them to win a gold ball or harder? I’ll leave that to you. I will tell you, it looks a lot better next year for Briarcliff, Irvington, Nanuet and Woodlands. Those four are probably ecstatic right now.
This entry was posted
on Friday, February 29th, 2008 at 2:59 pm by Josh Thomson. 
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Josh Thomson has done some of everything since joining The Journal News in March 2003. He began working for the Gannett weeklies during the winter of 2002 as a freelance writer. He joined the daily staff soon after and has since covered various high school and pro sports. Away from sportswriting, Josh lives in Westchester and spends his free time either with his fiancee, Sarah, or expertly managing his various championship-winning fantasy sports teams. He's visited 21 major-league baseball stadiums and insists that Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are the best by far. Josh graduated from Carmel High School in 1998, then went to Boston University, where, in 2002, he received a degree in communications with a minor in history.
I don’t know if this is the right move. Lourdes was moved up several years ago but it had been dominating the entire state. AM and Burke in Sec. 9 who they have also talked about moving up, do very well in their sections but have not won states—Burke got to the final 4 a few years ago but neither has won a state championship. I don’t think a school should be moved up unless it is shown it is a perrenial power in the state and just not in a section.
Interested
If i was AM i would be thinking better up than out.
It is a good idea, but what about girls soccer – several section championships, boys soccer as well as a state title.
The thing is coaches can never prepare to play an Albertus Burke etc… because their cast of characters in any sport can be different every year. Case in point the transfer of Walker or all the AAU girls going there.
I use to live in Orange County and many of the best girls and boys went to Burke.
I think coaches in Public Schools do what they can cultivate their programs from the elementary levels only to see the fruits of their labors head of to private school.
So is it fair they are treated the same?
Just wondering what others think.
I think all private schools should play in AA if not in a league of their own. I’m not accusing them of recruiting or anything unseemly, but they have a huge advantage. Take Alaina Walker. I went to North Rockland, and can understand that a school that big is not for everyone. Maybe her parents thought that she would benefit in all ways from a smaller school. If she was my daughter I would love her to go to Pearl River. It’s one of the best districts in the state with a great basketball program and one of the best coaches in the section. But she can’t go to Pearl River if she lives in North Rockland. Her only choice if she wants to stay in the county is Albertus.
It may not be anyones fault or the result of improper recruiting, but private schools have a huge advantage.
Josh any reason why comment section on
beacon – Byram game blocked. Never seen that before
Lets see how great McGuinness is in “A”. Albertus will NOT be in the “A” final next year unless they transfer in 2 studs!!
They will be in the A final and probably win it. Because PR is in the final right now and Albertus beat them two times. Their JV had 7 AAU players on it. And you never know he may get in 2 studs. Maybe someone who unhappy in their own district.
Just bystander I agree. BUT AGAIN I ASK WHY NOT ALL SPORTS?
(Boys – girls soccer – softball etc…)
I THINK THAT IT’S GREAT THAT AM WILL BE IN THE A CLASS WHO
KNOWS THEY MIGHT MAKE IT TO THE FINALS NEXT YR OR NOT. THATS
WHY THEY PLAY THE GAMES WE ARE NOT PROFITS…
Albertus will not win Class A next year. Ill bet the house on PEARL RIVER!!! or watch out for Spring Valley or Peekskill or Lakeland or Brewster.
Like Lourdes and Ursuline, when they (Albertus) are moved up a class they will stop winning Section titles.
watch out for Beacon next year to they still have Tancredi and some real strong juniors behind her.
Lourdes won in B then was moved to A and won two there (Ask PR who could not away from them) then they were forced into AA two years ago.
Have you seen Spring Valley or PR – they both will lose to Albertus – PR loses three key starters and lost to Albertus three times this year. Come on. PR is great program but it take a special group of girls to be a program that has all AAU. Also Lakeland lost to Byram Hills who came in last place of the SOMERS TOURNY that is how weak A is other than Beacon and PR (AGAIN WHO LOST TO ALBERTUS 3XAND NANUET TWICE)
And don’t get me wrong I thing fair is fair make all private school choose AA or in their own league for all sports!!!!!
Lourdes didnt go from B to A because of success, they did because their enrollment shot up. Now they are playing up 1 class and cant win the gold ball anymore.
Albertus will not win next year, they lose a cpl solid players and other teams like Spring Valley return everybody.
Albertus will duke it out with SV, PR and Lakeland. Going by your theory Nanuets success this year was impossible because in 06/07 they lost a lot , same with BYram Hills.
Spring Valley is my upset specialist for 2009!!!
Them and PR will be GOOD!!!
MIKE THERE IS A BIG SURPRISE FOR U NEXT YR AND AM WILL HAVE IT
a new transfer?
NO JUST WAIT TILL NEXT YR
How about this. Do not let the catholic schools pay their way in to the public school leagues anymore. This is a joke, and unfair. If you want to go to private school, play in the private school leagues.
Why does this only happen with the girls? I don’t see Iona Prep, fordham, stepinac, or Blessed Sacrament or salesian playing public school boys.
Probably a new transfer or the AAU kids on JV
And PR LOSES 3 starters!!!!
ALbertus has Walker, Dacruz, Richards, Power – and 4 solid AAU girls on JV
and obv. Music 1 has the inside track on some more unhappy “Transfers”
I guess if you don’t like someone or how things are going in any sport you can always transfer to Albertus were they have to play in you public league.
It not fair.
Lets see AM has four starters on an AAU A team that played up most tournaments in 2007. They had a 33-3 record. Some of these girls played JV this year. This does not include Walker.
Will AM be in the finals next year in A? In my opinion they will be better in 2009 so a big yes.
I DO NOT HAV AN INSIDE TRACK BUT I KNOW THAT THE GIRLS WORK
HARD ON THEIR GAME IT IS CALL DEDICATION AND WANTING TO GET BETTER
if you play JV you cant be all that good!!!!!!!!!!!
all really good 9th graders play VARSITY, Mount Vernon has a 8th grader and a 7th grader.
AM wouldnt let really good 9 graders play JV, JV is such a LOW level.
Max,
Several of these kids could have played varsity imo. But hey believe what you want. Time will tell
BTW if you visit some of the AAU tournments you would see the most varsity HS basketball is a low level
MAX U REALLY HAVE TO THINK BEFORE U WRITE. IT IS NOT THAT THE AM JV GIRLS WERE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR VARSITY AM HAD UPPER CLASS GIRLS WHO SHOULD BE ON THE V AND ANY COACH WORTH
HIS SALT WOULD WANT TO DEVELOPE. IE PLAY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
IN GAME SITUATION.
You dont play JV if you are a REALLY good FRESHMAN girls hoop player!!!!!!!!!!!
FACT!!!!
Het RockklandBBall, I coach boys AAU, i know AAU is superior. But if these girls are so good they would be on VARSITY, not JV. Really good players play VARSITY as FRESHMAN. So if Varsity ball is not that great, why are these 33-3 AAU STARS on JV??????????????????????????????
Mikehoops- I would not bet the house that AM would not win in A next year! I think if they were in A this year they would def. be in the finals.
NO VARSITY COACH LEAVES A REALY GOOD GIRL ON JV, IF A GIRL IS REALLY GOOD SHE PLAYS VARSITY!!!!
JV MEANS NOTHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG, and they would DEVELOP much more playing with the VARSITY everyday in practice and would get minutes at the VARSITY level because half the g ames were blow outs.
JV means NOTHINGGGGGGG in the girls game!!!
Albertus will only win “A” next year if they get a big TRANSFER or a SUPER STUD 9th grader.
They lose 2 or 3 solid players!!
So if Varsity ball is not that great, why are these 33-3 AAU STARS on JV??????????????????????????????
One reason, a lot of seniors and not enough room. That’s just the way it is.
Not every girl who plays aau is great, there are a lot of girls who love the game and give up the time, that doesn’t make them all impressive. 33-3 may be impressive or may not it depends on who and where they’re playing. Does aau help develope the players, yes, but they also have to have the talent to begin with.
To all you people out their saying that JV is useless and doesn’t mean anything that is wrong. If a good freshman is left down on jv that doesn’t mean anything. The coaches are smart and are trying to build the player strength of the game and confedience. They also don’t want to pull the player up and have them sit the bench, what kind of practice will they get. Keep the players down and let them build chemistry with their teamates so when they do get up to varsity they all know eachothers strengh and weakness.
If you are a girl and you play JV as a 9th or 10th grader, 99times out of 100 you will not be a BIG T IME player at the Varsity LEVEL.
Who can name me 5 players recently who have played a year or two on JV and then had big time careers, JV is for the weaker players.
good insight acutual player well done!
For everyone saying that JV players aren’t good you do not know anything about the game. If there are upperclassmen blocking the way and a 9th or 10th grader wasn’t going to get any playing time, they should obviously play on JV to develop their skills in game situations. I’ve seen it 100 times. It is possible that girls can improve their game as their career progresses. If you are playing Freshman ball as a freshman odds are you might never be a superstar. Freshman on JV is a confidence builder and lets a player develop.
And as for all the people whining about Albertus not being in the Catholic School league please just shut up already. If Albertus wasn’t good no one would be crying like little babies like they do now. Does anyone realize how far Albertus and other teams would have to travel just to play Albertus at home? The catholic league coaches would probably be pissed that they have to come all the way to Rockland.
Albertus has a lot of seniors and really only 3 that play minutes and only had 7 or 8 on the jv a lot of those girls would have started on different varsity teams in the section. Not saying they will win A next year but they have a very talented jv team that will be up next year.
Mike Hoops, as someone who has played girls JV basketball I take it a a insult that you say that JV is for the weaker players. Where do you think the people on varsity get there practice from. It is very odd although it did happen to one team in the section this year to move a person up from modified to varsity without playing jv.
For all the people that post things like albertus needs to be in a certain class because they can get a transfer, please name the last transfer before Walker that had any affect on a basketball season? It’s happened once in how long and people make it seem like its common place. It’s a strong basketball school and players from the area choose to go there because of it, pretty simple. Rockland considering its size has very good basketball programs, ie nanuet, pearl river, nr and albertus seems to gain from that. Like what was posted earlier, Albertus having beaten PR twice already this year would more than likely be in the section final if they were in A this year, its a pick em what class will be stronger year after year. All that means now is that Albertus is going to have a new group of schools that are going to make idiotic remarks pertaining to their team and how they’re team is comprised so all of the briarcliff, irivington and nanuet fans can find something else to complain about and just realize you jsut werent good enough to win.
I think Am and all private schools should be out of public school play
Private schools shold be playing against the largest schools …..they (their recrutment procedures), have no physical boundries.
That translates into all (multi)county boundries…...Love to watch the section make headlines.
Hay mike hoops lourdes stopped winning because their coach went to Marist and u see how good of a coach he is point blank if coach giorges doesnt leave lourdes than they would still be the best team in the section period , also do you not remember they were like MV boys they played out of state to better comp( and nationaly ranked a couple of times) . We should be happy that Marist is winning so he dosen’t go back to lourdes to bail them out of the funk that there in.
rocklandball, bball – let me guess. you are parents of a player who is on the jv team and secretly thinks your daughter should be on the varsity, and yes you must be be their aau coach oe somebody affilated with it. you can go 33 and whatever in those local watered down aau tournaments. go play in the national tournaments and then tell us how great the aau team is. and no not the crap tournaments locally at fordham etc… if a player on such a powerhouse aau team is playing jv it is because she is not ready or skilled enough to play varsity
JV is for weaker players, you dont play JV if you are REALLY GOOD!!!!
????,
Nice try!!
Last post on the subject. I’ll give you facts you can do what you want with them.
First of all my kid plays varsity and is doing very well, all the players and coaches have been very kind.
These kids and their AAU coach are very dedicated. They try and find the best teams to play. They played up in final bluechip tournament and went 5-1. They played an excellent Lady knick’s team coached by Mr. Hamlin, had a great game and pulled it out. The played the Staten island team that qualifies for the D1 nationals yearly and won. Yes four of the kids go to AM that were starters, they will be even better next year take it to the bank.
Good luck to all the teams today and tomorrow.
Over and out
Sometimes roster numbers and upperclassmen dictate who is on jv, you are obviously not going to cut a senior in your program for freshmen although the freshmen may be better. It’s not fair to say that JV players are weak, I guarantee some of you will be very surprised at some of the talent that will be juniors and sophomores on albertus’s team next year that werent on varsity.
b4yall,
There is no recruiting going on at albertus so stop the factless comments. Jersey schools recruit, NYC catholic schools recruit now that is fact and there coaches will tel you so. Some of you people come onto boards like these and sound very petty and ignorant. How about enjoying the fact that there is a school in your area that does things the right away and is successful. I’m obviously an albertus fan and when lourdes was in there prime, while I hated when Albertus lost to them I respected their program and the way they played basketball.
If a 9th or 10th grader could help the VARSITY they would be on the ROSTER, simple as that!!!!
Nobody keeps a Freshman off a team if they are really good, especially in the lower classes.
If you are on JV that means you were not GOOD enough to play VARSITY.
What VARSITY coach would not want to have all the weapons possible?????????????????????????????????????????
all of u with the negative comments need to get a life if u
can not say something positive don’t say anything. Enjoy the
game and marvel at the skill level of these young ladys. I
have played the game and i am a fan. It is wonderful just to
see how far female basketball has come.
Congratulations to Brian Metcalf, he takes a team with one player over 5’7” to a 16 – 4 season record, the runner-up in III-C where the 4th place team is playing for the A championship. His players were always prepared, always respectful and his conduct to other coaches and players above reproach.
I hope you return to coaching when you’re ready – as long as it’s not in B.
I echo RIch Harrngton – he did a good job in the most competitive league in Sect. 1.
Rich Harrington,
Do you know the full NANUET, BRIAN METCALF Story?????
Rich Harrington ..thanks for leaving your name. The “mike hoops” of the world have nothing to do but play with their computers and make comments like a creepy stalker. Put your full name in like Rich and I and go tell the full BRIAN METCALF story to Brian Metcalf’s face. Don’t think you got in you.