MAHOPAC, N.Y.—Every Section 1 basketball team dreams of playing at the Westchester County Center. So, even though the Wolf Pac girls didn’t reach the Class AA finals, they did get to the party.
Mahopac drew the No. 4 seed, and after rolling past No. 13 Greeley in the quarters, the Pac made short work of No. 5 seed Fox Lane, earning a ticket to the County Center for the second time in the last three years.
The Pac’s season ended in the semifinals, as No. 1 seed Walter Panas took over the game in the second quarter on the way to a 60-36 victory.
Mahopac, which finished at 15-8, came a long way from the start, filling holes from last year’s losses and learning the language and style of a new coach.
“We were happy to make it to the County Center, for sure,” Pac coach Jason Conklin said. “There were a lot of question marks coming into the season… holes to fill, a new coach. But things came together, and started clicking. There was some adversity, but our seniors led the team well, and all of the girls held the team together.”
Conklin pointed to a win at Arlington — after the Pac had been blasted by the Admirals in the Wolf Den — as a turning point.
“I’d have to say that beating Arlington, at Arlington, was a turning point,” he said. “We had lost to them big at home, and we went there and controlled the game from the beginning. That showed the girls — we’re here. We also played well against a strong RCK team. The girls knew we had potential.”
Two players took home postseason honors. Senior team captain and center Caily Salon earned All-Section and All-League honors, and sophomore F/G Giana Puckhaber took All-Conference and All-League honors.
Salon averaged 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists a game and was the Pac’s go-to scorer.
“We knew she’d be a presence in the paint,” Conklin said. “But seeing her footwork, her dedication, was amazing. Her passion for the game is great.”
Puckhaber matured from the season’s start, and by midseason, was doing just about everything for the Pac, as her stat line — seven points, six rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot per game — shows.
Conklin believes her ceiling is high.
“She really does it all,” he said. “She sets the tone defensively and gets everyone involved offensively. She’s got great potential, this was just the beginning for her.”
Along with Salon, Gianna Lucia and Bella Scuoppo are the team’s only graduating seniors. The three were team captains.
“The minutes weren’t there for Bella and Gianna, but they did so much for the team,” Conklin said. “They really set the standard with a new coach, they really set a good tone.”
Conklin returns a promising — and experienced — group next season that includes sophomores Niamh and Fiona Kelleher and Lily Holguin, and juniors Ashley Koch and Mady Ford.
“They all had a great season, and all of them have a lot of potential,” the coach said. “We hope to be back at the County Center again next season. We have a lot of youth, and the outlook is good.”
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