Clarence jumps on NT early

 

On Friday night in the opening round of the Bob Hettler Tip Off Classic at Amherst High School, Clarence was paired against North Tonawanda in an intriguing nonleague matchup of two teams with high aspirations for the upcoming season.  In what was the opener for both teams, and Clarence opened the game by taking a 13-point lead after one quarter...and won the game by the same margin.

 

Ryan Funk poured in a game-high 30 points, while Bryan Jost added 15 points to help advance the Red Devils to the championship game against Amherst.  It will be the second straight season that the two teams face each other in this round.

 

Clarence was leading the Lumberjacks, 13-10, with just under two minutes remaining in the opening quarter, when they began to create the margin that would ultimately hold.  Funk spurred a 10-0 over that span, nailing a 3-pointer from the side.  Jost added five points during the run, including a '3', and along with a bucket from Emaure Williams, Clarence had a 23-10 lead through eight minutes.

 

The rest of the game was the contest I was expecting to see, with the Lumberjacks taking the second quarter by two points, Clarence doing the same in the third, and the two teams scoring 16 apiece over the final frame.  But to the Red Devils' credit, they never allowed North Tonawanda to make a run and never stopped attacking.  The efficiency of Clarence from long range helped, with Funk and Jost combining for seven treys, while North Tonawanda struggled to get the long ball to fall.

 

Joe Piotrowski led the Lumberjacks in scoring with 16 points, while Michael Awad scored 11 points and Chris Woodard added 10 points.   The Jacks will look to bounce back against Oracle Charter in the consolation game today.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Comments

[The bottom line]

It all sounds good, but they aren't beating Jamestown. May be the 2nd time in a few years that they don't even make Buff State. Jamestown has been there 12 of the last 14 years. Its time to start recognizing Drake for the coach he is: best ever in wny

[Pat Monti]

Dude?

[The bottom line]

Drake smacked Pat Monti on his way out at Lasalle when Monti had twice the talent. Niagara Falls let Monti know that he wasn't half what Bazzani was on his way out. Drake has done more with less every year and will again this year. He is simply the best

[StateChamps2003]

Pat Monti (25 years at LaSalle):

- 423-112 record
- 2 Class A state championships
- 1 Class B state championship
- 1 Class B Federation championship (team was 27-0)
- NYS Semi-Finalist 7 times
- 11 sectional championships (10 straight)

That's a pretty impressive resume. I would agree that Drake is probably one of, if not best coach in WNY right now but best ever? Eh, he has a ways to go. And didn't Drake have a guy named Maceo Wofford as he "smacked Pat Monti on his way out...". That guy was pretty talented. The best basketball player to come out of Jamestown and one of the best to come out of WNY.

Hasn't Drake also had some great talent over the years too? Lantigua, Kendrick, Paige (POY), Maisto, Rivera. To say that Monti had twice the talent is a bit of an overstatement. Monti's teams were always undersized in the state's largest qualification.

[guest]

Drake cheats. Yee Law dont even live in Jamestown. Another recruit.
Only a matter of time. Whos next. For the record, nobody cares about Drake. Own world down there.

[Centercourt Is God]

He might not even be the best Drake, right state champer? #Francescone

[WNYHOOPS]

Lee Yaw lives in the city of Jamestown's north side, he attended Frewsburg schools prior to 9th grade because his father worked in that school system. Ge your facts straight guest.

[centercourt]

Lee Yaw? You mean it's not Yee Law like guest spelled it?

:-)

[The bottom line]

Now Class B is the states largest classification? Jamestown will always dominate Class AA the states largest classification as long as Drake is hammering bums like Banaszak and Swierski. Maceo was good but was one college player on that team, Montis team was loaded.

[The bottom line]

And Lee Yaw is a Jamestown kid. Fletcher Larson was a Jamestown kid, Jaysean Paige was a Jamestown kid. The only true transfer was Kellam who had family in Jamestown. I am sure Panebianco and Carlson wont be Jamestown kids after they win in North on Tuesday over the publicity train that is Sterling Taplin, the same publicity train that colleges are turning and running from

[murph]

You have made your point well. After laying out all the talent to come out of jamestown its no wonder they have made SO MANY TRIPS to Glens falls!! Another good point about Maceo being just 1 college kid that year from Jamestown when Monti's team was loaded with I guess lots of college talent right? thanks for not listing them all we would be reading all day probly.

If I was Drake i'd be concerned about you. your obsession with him is bording on stalker territory. hes not even the best southertier coach. Let me guess Olean coach is a bum too right?

[Hoops]

Did Jamestown win tonight?

[StateChamps2003]

'The Bottom Line' - No, Class A was the state's largest classification in the 90s. There was no 'AA'. Monti won his Federation title in Class B but won two state titles in Class A and most of his sectional titles in Class A (the states largest classification at the time).

Maybe you're underrating your own player in Wofford. You will not see another player like him come through Jamestown ever. The guy was great. College or no college player, he was an outstanding high school player. Jamestown was the better team in '99.

This is Drake's 14th year at Jamestown if I'm not mistaken. He has an impressive resume so far but far from a HOF career.