Indians slay dragons

TED WADDELL
Posted 12/21/16

LIBERTY, NY — J.R.R. Tolkien had it right. “So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.” (Excerpted from “The Hobbit,” first published in 1937.) On …

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Indians slay dragons

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LIBERTY, NY — J.R.R. Tolkien had it right.

“So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.” (Excerpted from “The Hobbit,” first published in 1937.)

On Wednesday, December 14, the Liberty Indians boys’ varsity basketball team (2-0) hosted the Dragons of Cornwall (0-4) in a Section IX non-league game of hoops.

At the close of the first frame, it looked like the Dragons might be headed to a victory, as they outpaced the Indians 11-10.

But in the final three periods, the Dragons ran out of fire as Liberty got back to basics with a strong offense combined with a savvy defense to outpoint the opposition 12-5, 11-10 and 24-18, marking their second victory of the new season by posting a final tally of 57-44 on the scoreboard.

Liberty’s leading scorers: Bobby McLeod (17 points, including a trio of 3s); Roy PennCosention (15 and a pair of 3s), while Aicibiades Lora and Jarek Krebs each contributed three points from outside the paint.

Cornwall: Zack Swaby led with 15 points including a ‘three’; William Fredericks (11), and Erik Fosstviet added a “three’.

Stats from the FTL: 12/13; Cornwall 16/23.

Tom Howe, 30-year-plus coach of the Class A Dragons, said his team is “off to a little bit of a rough start”, as they’ve played “some tough games” in early season competition.

“We want to get better every day… our goal is making the Section IX tournament, making a run at the end of the season when we’re at our best.”

Howe tipped his hat to Liberty’s new coach.

“Justen is doing a fantastic job… an excellent, well-prepared team, really good on offense, and defending very well.”

“I was very impressed with Liberty tonight, they did a great job,” he added.

Justen Mills is in his first year at the helm of the Class B Indians boys’ varsity hoopsters.

“The kids always come to practice ready to get better, always on the hustle, always competing… we are intense, always want to play together.”

Mills said that in sports, there are going to be some ups and downs, but that’s the nature of the game.

“We just have to learn how to bridge the peaks and valleys, and then we will be successful,” he said, with an eye on their goal of making sectionals.

“We’re going to make sectionals and see where we go from there… my kids are amazing.”

At Liberty High, the gym was surrounded by the snows of winter, and the dragon didn’t have its day.

But then there’s always G.R.R. Martin’s legion of dragons, led by Daenerys Targaryen in “A Song of Fire & Ice.”

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