These are the newest state rankings. Lot of new teams on these lists because the folks on the ranking committee are still feeling their way around.

Good to see Briarcliff keeping their rightful place on top of Class B. I think you’ll see Albertus climbing the list in A. Not sure how the Falcons dropped from 3 to 5 without losing a game. In fact they’ve been killing everybody.

The one local team conspicuously absent is Hamilton in C. Josh had a recent post about how the Raiders are zooming their way to favored status in Class C. By next week you should see them here ahead of Haldane.

I wasn’t in the office today because I was out covering a boys basketball game in Pearl River. (I know, traitor.) But as I mentioned Monday, White Plains honored its 1,000-point scorers at halftime of its game against Ramapo, as well as its fourth straight Class AA championship team.

Here’s the list of the seven 1,000-point scorers who were honored, courtesy of colleague Terrence Watson:

Tracey Turner, Class of ‘87 (Bridgeport)
Kristin Donahoe-Becerra ‘95 (Colgate)
Nicole Daniels, ‘03 (Northwestern)
Elise Bronzo, ‘06 (Colgate)
Kim Adams, ‘07 (Penn)
Liz Flooks, ‘07 (Niagara)
Angelei Aguirre, ‘08 (Cal)

When asked the last two weeks on VC Live to pick a surprise team, I mentioned a few schools. I can tell you now that I backed them all half-heartedly, not because I didn’t believe in them, but because it was too early to be surprised by anything.

Now that we have reached Christmas break, a team has emerged for real and I can say with conviction it has been the surprise of the month: That team is Hamilton.

Two seasons ago, the Raiders were scary but nothing more. Behind Shereen Lightbourne, they dragged Haldane deep into a Class C semi at the County Center and gave the Blue Devils an honest game. Still, Hamilton was nothing more than the fourth best team in the class, a nice little story of the engine-that-almost-could falling by the wayside against small-school powers Haldane, Dobbs and Blind Brook.

Last season, the Raiders were scared. They lost Lightbourne to a torn ACL in December and limped through the rest of the year making nary a peep. The momentum they built the year before disappeared with a few small cuts of a surgeon’s knife.

Now Hamilton is bonafide. It routed defending state champ Haldane 56-35 last night and erased any doubt about who the favorite is in this world without Brittany Shields. The Raiders — who jumped ahead to a 21-2 lead in the first quarter in Cold Spring no less — improved to 7-1 after knocking off all but one conceivable Class C contender in one fell swoop. In fact, the first three during this stretch happened on three straight nights: Blind Brook 69-33 on Dec. 16; Tuckahoe 48-23 on Dec. 17; and Valhalla, 57-43 on Dec. 18. Finally, at 21-point rout at Haldane last night.

The thing is, none of the games were that close. That may be what has made Hamilton’s recent run all the more impressive — and the more surprising. Not only has Lightbourne played very well in her return, but her teammates have emerged alongside her. On some nights (like last night) she hasn’t even led the team in scoring. That was unthinkable ever since she stepped into a Hamilton uniform. Now it’s eighth grader Maia Hood, freshman Ashanti Kennedy and veteran guards Paris London and Jacey Peers who are capable of filling that role any given night. Their emergence is exactly why the Raiders have evolved into the Class C favorite at this point in the season.

Only two threats remain:
1) North Salem
2) Complacency

The one potential postseason foe Hamilton hasn’t toppled yet is North Salem, which won last night to improve to 3-1. The other doesn’t wear a jersey, shoot jumpshots or play defense but can be just as cumbersome for a team off to a strong start. Remember: Last year at this time, Greeley (Class AA), Beacon (Class A) and Nanuet (Class B) all looked like world beaters. Only Beacon made it to the County Center at all.

That last task will fall on new coach Ben Carter. He can’t worry about North Salem on Dec. 24. And he certainly can’t fret about those three his team already beat getting better. North Salem should be there, as will the others. That’s inevitable. But Hamilton hasn’t found itself in this position before.

The Raiders have a long journey ahead. Right now they are the surprise team. And has any coach done more so far for his or her program than Carter?

and it’s for a good cause.

I just received an e-mail from new Woodlands AD Matt Smith, who said the school will  host The Breast Cancer Awareness Challenge on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at Woodlands HS. Here’s what he had to say about the event: “The BCAC will feature Section 1 teams versus CHSAA teams for a day of quality, competitive high school girls basketball. We have now linked forces with the American Cancer Society, so the event is going to fall under the Coaches v. Cancer umbrella.”

Here are the matchups for the day:

12 p.m.: Maria Regina v. Ursuline
2 p.m.: Blessed Sacrament v. Nyack
4 p.m.: Our lady of Victory v. Valhalla
6 p.m.: Woodlands v. Cardinal Spellman

Obviously, the event is for a great cause and will showcase some of the best players, teams and coaches in the area. Smith is the former Blessed Sacrament AD, and he did a great job there. Looks like the same can be said now at Woodlands. As you can see, the field has a few great storylines, like a great opening game and Rachel McNair returning to Westchester to face her old school. Should be a day/night reminiscent of Championship Week at the County Center.

Vote away!

Our last poll asked who was the favorite in Class C. Valhalla (31%) won close over Haldane (29%) and North Salem (23%).

Sorry for the lateness of this post. I fear you think I’ve been slipping, so here’s my promise to pick up the blogging today. The wife and I are heading to California on Thursday for Christmas with my brother and a mini-vacation. He lives in Santa Monica, five blocks from the Pacific Ocean. The next day the newlyweds are headed out on a five or six-day trip along the Pacific Coast Highway that should be pretty amazing.

So now do you feel sympathy for me? Yeah right.

Anyhoo, you will have to do with Jake for a little while beginning Christmas morning. He’ll have the word on the Slam Dunk this weekend, as well as various other holiday tournaments on the docket.

For now, here’s my first contribution of the day: A belated player of the week.

Player of the week, week 4: Gillian Felix, Mahopac — Perhaps I was swayed by seeing Felix play in person for the first time, but I don’t think so. You simply can’t dispute the week turned in by the Indians’ 6-foot-2 senior. She had 46 points and 30 rebounds (23 and 15 PG) during a 1-1 week by Mahopac, which was nipped by Ursuline and beat Clarkstown North.

Runners-up: Shereen Lightbourne, Hamilton (coming off a torn ACL, led the Raiders to wins over Class C foes Blind Brook, Tuckahoe and Valhalla); Erica Schmid, Westlake (strong week included 17 points and 8 boards in an upset of Kennedy); Taylor Palmer, Mount Vernon (20 PPG, 4 SPG, 8 3’s made in 3-0 week).

I was at Somers High School, where the host played a thrilling championship game in the 13th Annual Michael DePaoli Memorial Basketball Touranment against North Salem. The Tigers led by as many as 13. They even led by 12 at the half.

Somers made a strong comeback, finally tying the score 52-52 on three free throws by Kelly Casey with 1:24 (Casey was fouled on a 3-point attempt). The teams traded turnovers for the next minutes, but North Salem finally had possession with about 20 seconds to play. Lauren Rodriguez drove to the basket, drew a defender and dished to Chrissy Schenkewitz for a basket with 13.7 seconds left.

The game wasn’t over. Somers quickly worked its offense and got the ball into the hands of Michelle Battipaglia. She drove to the basket and was blocked by Danielle Fiacco with five seconds to play. North Salem retrieved the ball, preserving a 54-52 win.

Schenkewitz, who scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds, earned MVP honors. Fiacco (12 points, 19 rebounds, 5 blocks), Casey (25 points) and Battipaglia (10 rebounds) were all named all-tournament.

Kennedy beat Eastchester in the consolation game. There are more details on that — as well as several other results — in the list below:

Byram Hills 63, Port Chester 25: At Port Chester, Jenna Hogan scored 10 points for the Bobcats. Jessica Fitchben scored nine points for the Rams.
Carmel 67, Saunders 38: At Saunders, Brittany Horne had 21 points, scoring 12 in the first quarter, for the Rams. Jessica Negron had 21 points and 10 steals for the Blue Devils.?
Ossining 65, Hen Hud 53: At Ossining, Alex Venuto led Ossining with 24 points. Hayley Awerdick added 18 points, and Christina Rupp had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sareeta Nethersole had 21 points for the Sailors.
New Rochelle 63, Mahopac 41: At New Rochelle, Aysha Williams led the Hugeunots with 10 points, seven rebounds and six steals. Alexandra Bonilla and Misha Green each added nine points. Gillian Felix scored 22 points for the Indians.
Sleepy Hollow 57, Yonkers 31: At Sleepy Hollow, Brionna Gamble had 21 points for the Headless Horsemen. Tauress Campbell had 17 points. Trishelle Byrd led the Bulldogs with eight points.
Our Lady of Victory 61, St. Barnabas 28: At Our Lady of Victory Nicole Detko led the Jaguars with 16 points. Reghan Gianelli added nine points.
Clarkstown South 58, Gorton 30: At Clarkstown South, Sam Wettje scored 13 points for the Vikings. Kelli Hughes added 10 points. Jocelyn Rivera scored eight points for the Wolves.
Ardsley 48, Pelham 41: At Ardsley, Stephanie Olivieri had 16 points for the Panthers. Toni Pilla had 14 points for the Panthers. Kerry Davis had 13 points for the Pelicans.
Dobbs Ferry 49, Valhalla 27: At Dobbs Ferry, Jaclyn Giuliano had 28 points and 13 rebounds for the Eagles. Kristen Ritch had eight points and 10 assists for the Eagles. Tamara Tribble had 13 points for the Vikings.
Kennedy 58, Eastchester 26: In the consolation game of the Somers tournament, Alexa Mancuso and Allison Santini each scored 13 points for the Gaels. Teammate Lauren Tracy had 10 points and 16 rebounds. Kristina Lyons led the Eagles with nine points.
Westlake 45, Croton-Harmon 26: At Croton-Harmon, Erica Schmid had 18 points and six rebounds for the Wildcats. Amy Marron had 10 points, 11 rebounds, and six steals. Carly Thomann and Aly Tuman each scored nine points for the Tigers.

Not much this week until the weekend because of the holidays. But there are a few games you may want to check out before and after the Christmas break. Also, I’m going to include more here than in the past and will continue to do so the rest of the season.

Here’s what I’m watching:

Mon., North Salem at Somers: This is tonight’s final of the Somers tournament. The Tuskers are young and it may show in this one because the Tigers, with four returning starters, are among the more experienced teams in the section. They will try to take control quickly. North Salem 55, Somers 42

Mon., Ramapo at White Plains: Not only is this a game to watch because of what should be a fun halftime celebration; it also should be a good game. White Plains needs a win to regain some confidence, and this is as good a time as any. But the Gryphons have a core of juniors who have a couple years of experience. They just haven’t ever earned a win over a program with such history. I think this is one Ramapo will be after. Spoiling the party will be agenda No. 1. White Plains 49, Ramapo 46

Mon., Valhalla at Dobbs Ferry: With Dobbs now in B and Valhalla in C, this won’t really foretell the future. But it doesn’t make it any less of a barometer. I still like Dobbs, but it should be close. Jackie Giuliano is the focus of the Eagles’ offense, but Dana Nucaro and the Vikings have defended other post players really well this season. I think that aspect keeps this game close. Dobbs 52, Valhalla 47

Mon., Pearl River at Beacon: A rematch of the Class A final. Right now one team is ready for it, but I don’t think the other is. In other words: Revenge will not happen here. Pearl River 63, Beacon 49

Tues., Hamilton at Haldane: Raise your hand if you thought Hamilton would be a serious contender in Class C one month ago? (And don’t lie…) Now the Raiders are serious contenders. They earned that distinction with wins over Valhalla, Blind Brook and Tuckahoe. Here’s their chance to beat the defending state champ. If they do it, they may be the new favorite. It’ll be a tough feat on the road. Hamilton 44, Haldane 40

Sat., Ossining vs. Woodlands (Slam Dunk Challenge game): If there are two predictions I feel best about this week they are these — 1. Porsha Postell will have a huge game playing against a team that runs as much as Ossining (30, 35, 40???); 2. Ossining will win easily…Woodlands doesn’t work hard enough to get back on defense right now. Ossining 80, Woodlands 58

Sat., Mahopac vs. Kennedy; Brewster vs. Carmel: The first stage of the Ronald Weaver tournament provides two of the tougher games to call. Kennedy slipped a little last week (losses to Westlake and North Salem), so I like Mahopac there. But the other half of the doubleheader is anyone’s guess. Brewster and Carmel tend to be inconsistent. The minute you count them out, they pull one off that makes you say “hmmm.” I think this is a “hmmm” game for Carmel. Mahopac 61, Kennedy 53; Carmel 58, Brewster 52

Sun., Greece Athena vs. Albertus Magnus; Cornwall vs. Lourdes: Tough games for both Section 1 schools. Greece Athena returns five starters to last year’s Section 5 Class AA champ, and that is meaningful. Section 5 is usually one of the most competitive sections in the state. If Magnus beats GA, I will really think the Falcons have lots of gold trophies in their future. Lourdes also faces a sectional champ in Cornwall, which won Class A in Section 9 and made the state semis. Cornwall returns four starters and is a strong shooting team, but I think Lourdes should win. The Warriors have played well so far. Greece Athena 58, Albertus Magnus 51; Lourdes 67, Cornwall 58

The home of the four-time Class AA Section 1 champs has reserved tonight to honor all of its gold-ball heroes.

White Plains will unveil a banner with all seven 1,000-point scorers in program history at halftime of its game against Ramapo. It will also honor the 2008 team to commemorate the four-peat it pulled off last March.

After the team, the school will host a reception for all players, family members and fans.

For those interested, the game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Apologies to everyone who looked for the Top 10 on Friday. I had scheduled a post to go up Friday morning, or so I thought, but I gave it the wrong date and it never appeared. So here goes…

There aren’t many games this week because of Christmas Eve and Christmas coming up, so I’m going to hold off on the Top 10 until the weekend. Also, our notebooks this year are going to be more power ranking heavy, so I will, from now on, publish the Top 10 on Saturdays to coincide with the notebooks that run in the paper on Saturday mornings.

So after all that explaining, just know that the next Top 10 will run on Dec. 27. But I’ll still have plenty between now and then. Check back later for more on the week that was.