SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — We’ll forget so much more than we’ll remember in our lives, but the things that will be enshrined in our memory will be those experiences that were tinged with strong emotions. In athletics, when people marshal the combined force of their body and mind, emotions can run high, and the resulting memories are often indelibly inscribed for life. Seasons come and go, but milestone achievements have an enduring shelf life.

To wit, when Tri-Valley’s Katlynn Greffrath put up 43 points against Chapel Field on January 16, an avalanche that included nine three-pointers, she shattered her own record of seven treys as well as setting a new high water mark for a single game point tally. All of that was accomplished in three quarters as she sat out the rest of the 76-22 win. The Lady Bears improved to 9-0 in their juggernaut season to date. They currently own sole possession of first place in Division V. Following her prior record, setting deliverance of seven three-pointers on January 9, 2013 in a 53-35 win over league rival Tuxedo, this writer referred to Greffrath as KG7. Now that nickname has been amended to KG9. The 43-point output eclipsed the Tri-Valley single-game scoring school record held by Jakki Pugh set during the 2010-11 Lady Bears’ Section-Nine championship season. Having seen an earlier mismatch of Tri-Valley over Chapel Field and after watching Tri-Valley batter Sullivan West 59-16 earlier in the week, this writer was not on hand for this landmark performance. But needless to say, my catalog of hundreds of photos of Greffrath and an anthology of words recording her deeds past and present allows me to extol this achievement regardless. Tri-Valley tests its mettle this week with two road league games at S.S. Seward and at Section Nine Class C defending champion Tuxedo. Each of those rivals, as well as Chester, has one league loss to date. Successful teams win many games in a season, but invariably there is one win that qualifies as a signature victory.

For the 5-2 Class D Eldred Yellow Jackets boys team, that memorable win was recorded on the road against Class C Tri-Valley on January 17. In the same week wherein Eldred trumped Class B Sullivan West 60-50 on the road, the 68-65 non-league win against the quick 5-3 Bears was momentous to say the least. Senior guard Bray Curreri led the charge with 22 points, as the Jackets had four players in double figures including David Powers with 13, Nik Dilles with 11 and Peter Vorstadt with 10. Tri-Valley buried eight three-pointers in the game with five of those coming from senior Sam Tingley including one with 8.1 seconds remaining. When Dilles travelled on the ensuing inbounds possession, Tri-Valley had a chance to tie the game with another trey, and Tingley sent it aloft, but it missed, as did the follow-up, long-range missile fired by teammate Jesus Lozada. Eldred is currently unbeaten in its league play as it prepares to face Chapel Field, which also has an unblemished league record. Eldred ousted Chapel Field in last year’s sectional semi-final before losing to defending champion John A. Coleman Catholic.

It was a tough week for Sullivan West 2-7 (1-2 OCIAA), which, after falling to Eldred, fell to Monticello 76-61 despite the heroics of senior Chance Bibbo, who led his team with 19 points that included a trio of third quarter treys, before losing a critical league game to Fallsburg 63-55. The Westies will travel to Fallsburg on January 23 in a do-or-die rematch with the Comets. The Dawgs must win that game and complete a season sweep of Liberty to make it back to sectionals. Monticello 4-6 lost to S.S. Seward 76-64 in the Spartans’ first-ever trip into the “Pit.” Seward 9-1 (3-0 OCIAA) currently sits atop of Class C.

For detailed stories about Eldred, Sullivan West, Tri-Valley and Monticello, visit www.sportsinsightsny.com. For albums of photos, visit www.sportsinsgihts.smugmug.com.