Boys basketball: Chapel Field's historic season ends in state final loss to Avoca
GLENS FALLS - As the players made their way from the bench across the court, some of them tearful and most distraught, the scoreboard mattered little to the large collection of blue-clad spectators who gave them a standing ovation.
That gesture was tribute to this group for the journey it brought these fans on, turning heads and announcing themselves to the state along the way.
Chapel Field is a small parochial school whose compound doesn't include a basketball gym. Because of that, the team has long been used to traveling for its games, and those supporters have grown accustomed to the road.
But this path was the one that will most be remembered, the one that carried them from Pine Bush to the grand stage. It will be savored, despite the bitter ending.
“We always try to show our appreciation to the fans, but it’s a little harder after a loss,” coach Brad McDuffie said. “I told the guys to hold their heads high. It’s easy to feel sorry for yourself after this, but you’ve gotta put into perspective where we got to.”
The Lions got to the last day of the winter scholastic season, playing in the finale of the basketball state tournament on Sunday. By any measure, that was a successful run.
Noah Swart had 19 points and five assists, but it came in a 70-48 loss to Section 5's Avoca/Prattsburgh, which captured its second consecutive Class D state championship at the Cool Insuring Arena.
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“They were as good as advertised,” McDuffie said of the Titans, who were ranked No. 1 by the New York State Sportswriters Association. “They’re a fast, physical team. They overwhelmed us. But there’s no shame in losing to a tremendous team.”
Jonah McDuffie scored 13 of his 16 points before halftime, but he was double-teamed often in the second half and the Lions scuffled offensively. That, while Avoca/Prattsburgh dominated the glass and erupted for 44 points in the second and third quarters to pull away.
Haden Abbott scored 32 points to lead the Titans (25-2). Sawyer Devoe added 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Devoe's layup capped a 22-8 second quarter for Avoca/Prattsburgh, which went to intermission with a 38-22 lead. They extended it to 60-36 entering the fourth. The Titans outrebounded Chapel Field 41 to 29, including 15 offensive boards, and shot 45.3% from the field. The Lions, though, were held to 39% and had 21 turnovers.
“Not many teams have scored a lot on us and that’s a credit to (the Titans),” said the coach, whose team held opponents to an average of 43.3 points entering this game. “When they’re getting it inside and outside, it’s tough to overcome.”
Leam Powell had six points and seven rebounds, and Mikey Bonagura added four points and four assists for Chapel Field (20-6). Powell was the hero on Saturday, hitting the winner with 12.4 seconds left in their dramatic state semifinal.
“We wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t decided to join the team this year,” McDuffie said of Powell, who is a baseball standout. “I was holding my breath all season that he wouldn’t have any injury that would interfere with his baseball season.”
With a core of multi-sport athletes who have excelled, the Lions in the last calendar year have reached the state baseball and basketball finals, and boys soccer won a section title. These teams have been celebrated and the school community has brimmed with pride, for good reason.
The boys basketball team won its first Section 9 title last season, a quick ascension that culminated in a run to the regional final. The team went two steps farther this winter, making the state final for the first time.
“It’s been a great run for athletics in our school,” McDuffie said. “It’s a testament to these guys, since it’s all the same athletes. We’re fortunate to have a group of great kids who are this talented and dedicated.”
The Lions did win a regional final in 1991 but were disqualified because of a clerical error and denied the chance to compete in the state semifinals. The school had failed to file required paperwork in time to NYSPHSAA and it was as they readied for a trip upstate that the team learned its season was over. Coincidentally, it was Prattsburgh that won the state title that year, too.
McDuffie first heard that story in 1995, when he was a member of the Nyack College men’s basketball team. A teammate, Dave Julien, played for that unlucky Chapel Field squad and he told his college buddies what seemed at first like an unbelievable tale. Julien, McDuffie said, described how “devastated” and despondent those players were.
In a full-circle moment, a few of them traveled up to Glens Falls to watch this group take the steps they couldn't three decades ago. They were part of that proud cheering section.
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Boys basketball: Chapel Field falls in Class D state final to Avoca
