TALKING SPORTS

Not much experience, but a lot of heart

BY TED WADDELL
Posted 12/13/22

ELDRED, NY — On December 9, the home team Eldred Lady Yellowjackets were decisively defeated 44-9 by the Lady Spartans of S.S. Seward in a game that marked Joe DiMattina’s 300th career win at the helm of Seward’s girls’ varsity basketball program.

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TALKING SPORTS

Not much experience, but a lot of heart

Posted

ELDRED, NY — On December 9, the home team Eldred Lady Yellowjackets were decisively defeated 44-9 by the Lady Spartans of S.S. Seward in a game that marked Joe DiMattina’s 300th career win at the helm of Seward’s girls’ varsity basketball program.

The Lady Spartans (2-0) outpaced Eldred (0-2) in the first three frames (13-3, 13-2 and 14-0), until the final period, when both squads put 4 points into their respective scorebooks as DiMattina let up on the gas. 

Eldred’s leading scorer was Emma Rumsey with 7 points, including a three-pointer from outside the paint.

Seward’s top posters were Kayla Valenti (11 points, including a three-pointer); Raquel Hamling (11); Adrianna Joy (8); and Camila Fuentes (6).

Stats from the free throw line: Eldred 1/6 (17 percent), and Seward 5/10 (50 percent).

Seward’s veteran helmsman was honored after the game with a handmade banner proclaiming his milestone victory.

“That’s a lot of years. Does that mean I’m old?” he asked in reaction to the impromptu award on the boards.

The Lady Spartans are captained by senior Shannon Sgombize, who is joined on the hardwood by a trio of upperclassmen (Kaitlyn Stolowski, Camila Fuentes and Raquel Hamling).

“We have a special team,” said Jason Clemmons, Eldred’s first-year girls’ varsity basketball coach. He noted that while the squad doesn’t have a lot of court time, “they still come to play, and put in all the effort.

“They don’t have a lot of experience, but they definitely have the heart… I want to take them as far as they can go,” he added.

While Coach Clemmons hasn’t yet figured out who his squad’s captains will be, he said, “That’s to be decided—leaders lead.”

The home team hoopers field a team composed of five seniors (Destiny Banach, Jocelyn Bush, Grace Loretto, Emma Rumsey and Molly McKerrell), while the rest of the team includes two freshmen (Marissa Gauchenor and Olivia Gonzalez), sophomore Sydney Fallen, and a pair of juniors (Rayanna Quintana and Regan Kizer).

Noting that he’s playing what he called the “long game” for the season, with hopes of making sectional play, Coach Clemmons said, “We have a ton of girls who have either limited experience or no experience at all,” in the challenging game of hoops.

eldred, lady yellowjackets, lady spartans, seward, girls basketball

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