Mahopac 6th graders take home Tri-County title

Mahopac sixth-grade travel basketball team brought home a trophy earlier this month by winning the Tri-County Basketball “B” bracket championship on March 8.

Coach Kevin Hanley and assistant coach Joe Schmitt saw their squad dominate Scarsdale to come away with a 57-37 win in the final, but the road to the title was no cakewalk.

“In the first round, we played Yorktown, which was a back-and-forth game until we pulled away late,” Hanley said. “Joe and I were thrilled at how well the team played in their first playoff game. They didn’t get rattled and stayed focused on the game.”

That focus proved even more important in the semifinal against Pleasantville, where Mahopac dug deep to come from behind late for the victory.

“We made a couple of key defensive stops before making a free throw to help seal [the win],” Hanley said. “The finals were the next day and the team played so well it seemed like it was a culmination of the entire season.”

The roster included John Halley, Vinnie Matteson, Jaxon Vataj, Anthony Guzzo, Christian Gazivoda, Sam Ciliberto, Kyle Barone, James Viggiano, Brayden Collins and Jack Ertel. Hanley said the way the team rose to the occasion not only helped them win their age group, but points to a good future as they move up.

“During all playoff games, the team played outstanding basketball and Joe and I couldn’t have been prouder of them,” Hanley said. “We look forward to seeing them on the court next year.”