Bulldogs Claim Homecoming Victory in Rout

The Cobleskill-Richmondville Bulldogs demolished the visiting Ichabod-Crane Riders in a 48-12 rout on Friday night, earning their third victory of the season. 

Aided by a strong running game and impenetrable defense, the Bulldogs routed in front of a packed crowd to cap off the school's annual homecoming celebration.

Now 3-3 on the season, the Bulldogs have claimed all three victories at home while struggling on the road, where they will return next Saturday in their season ending match-up against the Albany Academy for Boys.  

2nd Annual DonkeyBall Set for Friday, March 20

Yes, basketball and donkeys don't necessarily go well together, but they will go together at the Second Annual DonkeyBall Fundraiser to support The AED Project - Schoharie County. 

Set for Friday, March 20th, 7:00 p.m. at the Cobleskill-Richmondville High School gymnasium, tickets for the fun filled event are available at Carpets & Then Some, Fit Coalition, or by contacting organizer Nancy Brumaghim at nan.c.b71@gmail.com. 

Organized to raise money for the AED Project, which seeks to both inform about and provide portable Automated External Defibrillators to youth leagues in Schoharie County, the event features high school athletes riding donkey back. 

The event is made possible by Green Mountain Donkeyball from Danby, Vermont; and the participating teams consisting of athletes from Cobleskill-Richmondville, Middleburgh, Sharon Springs, and Schoharie Central Schools. 

Last year's DonkeyBall debut was attended by over five hundred spectators and raised over $2,000.00 in support of the project's cause to increase local safety and raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest.

Everyone Wins in Donkeyball Event, AED Project Raises $2,000

With over five hundred people coming out to the inaugural Donkeyball tournament Friday night, the AED Project of Schoharie County raised a total of $2,050.00 in support of their cause to increase local safety and awareness of sudden cardiac arrest.

April the donkey threw many a would-
be riders off her back Friday night

The crowd excitedly packed Cobleskill-Richmondville High School gym to watch four local school districts - Cobleskill-Richmondville, Middleburgh, Schoharie and Sharon Springs - send their best athletes to compete against one another, whilst attempting to ride donkeys. 

Hilarity ensued. While they represented some of the county's best high school basketball players on the court, that skill set didn't correlate into an ability of taming half a dozen donkeys, which resulted in players ending up on their backsides more often than not and inevitably low scoring games. 

Players were lucky if the donkeys had
the same idea in mind... most didn't.

In the end, although Schoharie would be crowned the victors of Friday's unique Donkeyball tournament with a overtime win over Middleburgh, the real winner of the night was the AED Project of Schoharie County that put together such an incredible event with only three weeks of time to do so.

Nancy Brumaghim of the AED Project told the Schoharie News that the amount raised was enough to purchase one AED defibrillator and a non-shocking training device. She would go to call the event a, "great success," and thanked everyone involved: including Green Mountain Donkeyball, fans, players, MC Brian Dineen, volunteers, Cobleskill-Richmondville and co-organizers and staff. 

Coby-Rich to Host Donkey Basketball to Benefit AED of Schoharie County Friday

Cobleskill-Richmondville, in conjunction with neighboring school districts and Green Mountain Donkeyball, are set to host the uniquely commissioned "Donkey Basketball Fundraiser" on Friday, May 2, 2014 at 7:00 pm to benefit the AED Project of Schoharie County. 

The donkeyball match, which will be held inside Cobleskill-Richmondville High School gym, will have participating teams from several local high schools, and in addition to the wild and crazy show on court, the event will also feature concessions, 50/50 raffle, and an opportunity to meet with the donkeys.

Pre-sale tickets cost $5 per student/$7 for adult and can be obtained by visiting Carpets and Then Some, Fit Coalition or by contacting Nancy Brumaghim at nan.c.b71@gmail.com. Tickets will also be available at door, but with a slightly higher price tag of $8 per student/$10 for adult.

Middleburgh Basketball Player Always Shoots for His Personal Best

Albany, NY  – Capital Region Orthopedics is pleased  to announce a driven athlete that is committed to playing basketball and refuses to let anything keep him from performing at his Personal Best. 

Ryan Brown, now a sophomore, is a student at Middleburgh Central School. Ryan is passionate about playing basketball. He is a standout player not only for his talents, but also for his condition.

Ryan was born with amniotic band syndrome, which has affected his limbs. Ryan has only one foot and a total of six fingers.  He wears a a prosthetic foot, and he runs faster than most of his teammates. As a matter of fact, he even shattered his prosthetic foot during a basketball game, but he got right back into playing the game with a spare prosthetic. 

After high school, Ryan would like to continue his journey as a basketball player. His goal is to join the US Paralympics basketball team. Ryan’s coach says, “ There’s no limitations that he sets for himself.” With his driven attitude and willingness to succeed, Ryan is capable of doing anything at his Personal Best.

Middleburgh Boys Top Germantown Despite Foul Troubles

Coming off of back-to-back victories on the road, the Middleburgh Knights varsity boys squad cruised to an easy 80-66 victory on home court over the Germantown Clippers on Wednesday evening. Led by Troy Hinkley's twenty-one point performance, the Knights offensive play picked up the slack for their defensive struggles.  

Alan Phillipo reacts to his teammate's free
throw attempt - Photo by Bob Roney

Germantown relied heavily upon Tyler Fuchs's twenty-five points to keep the visiting squad competitive, but it was simply impossible to keep up with Middleburgh's double-digit scorers Adam McMullen (20), Ryan Bechtold (17), and Keith Campbell (10).

Because of the Knights sloppy defensive performance, the Clippers took an unprecedented 31 shots from the free throw line, but fortunately for Middleburgh - they converted only eleven of those attempts, squandering valuable points in the process, and sealing the home team's third straight win. 

Middleburgh 80
Germantown  66

                       1st  2nd  3rd  Final
Middleburgh       20  41  63  80
Germantown      17  29  45  66

Lady Knights Claim WAC Championship

The Middleburgh Lady Knights varsity squad capped a phenomenal 2013-14 season by claiming the WAC Championship in a nail-biter Tuesday night. Led by seniors Amanda Roney and Taylor Cater, the Knights held off the Fort Plain Hilltoppers 51-45 at Fulton-Montgomery Community College.

Photo credit: Bob Roney

Knights Top Northville 63-48 on the Road

Led by Troy Hinkley's eighteen point performance Thursday evening, the Middleburgh Knights varsity squad cruised to victory over the Northville Falcons 63-48 in a contest that was close early, but moved toward the Knights after the half. The WAC match up was held in Northville. 

Middleburgh's Tanner Van Aller converted 66.7% of his
shots from the free throw line - Photo credit: Bob Roney

Tanner Van Aller contributed sixteen points, and Ryan Bechtold added another nine in support of the Knights effort, while Kalob Russell led the Falcons with thirteen points. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, finding the basket just six times downtown. 

On the flip side, Middleburgh converted twelve of eighteen of their free throw opportunities, while Northville was held to just twelve shots - a reversal of the Knights season long struggles picking up the extra shots on offense, while limiting on defense. 

Middleburgh 63
Northville     48
                     1st  2nd  3rd  Final
Middleburgh   17  24  45  63
Northville       11  24  34  48

Gilboa-Conesville Upsets Middleburgh in Overtime

In what has been described as an upset by hometown spectators, the Gilboa-Conesville Wildcats came into Middleburgh Thursday evening and were able to outlast the Knights 89-84 in an exciting overtime exchange that brought fans, and players to the brink as Gilboa made the most of Middleburgh's mistakes through out the night. 

Middleburgh's Troy Hinkley goes for the layup
Photo credit: Bob Roney

The Knights were aided by the twenty point plus performances of Ryan Bechtold (21), Troy Hinkley (21), and Tanner Van Aller (20), but it just wasn't enough to overcome the visiting Wildcats. Christian Cooper (33) and Zach Perry (31) carried Gilboa-Conesville's varsity squad, with both completing 80% or more of their nineteen combined free throw attempts. 

Christian Cooper converted eight of nine free throws
Photo credit: Bob Roney

If one statistic could pinpoint where Middleburgh lost the non-conference game, it would be the number of free throw shots Gilboa-Conesville attempted Thursday evening. The Wildcats received 23 attempts to score from the free throw line, and they sunk 19 of those shots in the basket - sealing the Knights second overtime defeat this season. 

Middleburgh  84 OT
Gilboa          89

                      1st  2nd  3rd  4th  OT/Final
 Middleburgh    25  38  57  79    84
 Gilboa            19  31  59  79    89

Letter to The Editor: What's Wright in Middleburgh

Dear Editor:

What's wrong in Berne is Wright in Middleburgh.

In 1996, the Middleburgh School Board did not allow its varsity basketball coach to return because of the distaste of a few people, ignoring his history of dedication and success. The basketball program spiraled downward from that point, until that same coach and his brother returned in 2010.  It has taken several years of dedication, change, and hard work, but the program has once again flourished.

This season it's déjà vu on the other side of the mountain.  The Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board did not allow its coach of 10 years, with a record of hard work and dedication to his players, to return.  Now this is where life comes full circle. That man from Berne now coaches the Middleburgh boys’ junior-varsity basketball team. 

Coach Wright has brought his passion for basketball and life to the players in Middleburgh.  From day one, Coach Wright has been loved and respected by his players, their parents, and his colleagues because he has one of those personalities that people gravitate towards.

Everywhere we have traveled this season, there is a genuine outpouring of admiration and respect from everyone he interacts with.  It has been particularly gratifying for me to see the support he receives from former players who attend our games.

At one point during a game, several players wearing BKW shirts were cheering for Coach Wright’s new team, prompting a scolding by a BKW School Board member.  Their quick response was, “That’s our coach,” which is indicative of the relationship he had with them.  Kids are much smarter than some give them credit for. 

Every day, Coach Wright is teaching our players much more than basketball — he is teaching them life lessons that can be used on and off the court, throughout their lives. I would like to personally thank the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board for the gift that it has bestowed upon us.  As the saying goes “One man’s trash is another man's treasure.”

Chris Brown

Middleburgh

Editor's note: This letter originally appeared in the Altamont Enterprise on January 30th, and is being republished on the consent of its author, who is the assistant Junior Varsity coach at Middleburgh. 

Middleburgh Boys Top Sharon Springs 88-29

Coming off Middleburgh's first Scho-Burgh victory in over a decade last Friday, the Knights varsity squad recognized their senior athletes and cheerleaders by defeating the visiting Sharon Springs Spartans 88-29 in a game that was never close. 

The Knights, who recognized senior athletes Michael Kelley, Austin Roney, Keith Campbell, Adam McMullen and Ryan Bechtold in between the night's junior varsity and varsity match ups, scored the opening points and never looked back. Sharon's offense struggled through out the evening, managing only five points in both the first and second quarters. 

Tyler Bianchine and Greg Ouellette each contributed ten in support of Sharon's offensive effort, while Troy Hinkley led Middleburgh with seventeen and every Knight player found the hoop at least twice, including crowd favorite Alan Phillipo who has seen limited playing time his first season. 

Cheerleaders Shania Ruszkowski and Shawnna Meyer were also recognized in Middleburgh's intermission ceremony. 

           1st 2nd 3rd  Final

Middleburgh   25  56  67  88
Sharon Springs 5  10  19  29

Middleburgh Boys Defeat Schoharie, Claiming First Scho-Burgh in Decade

For the first time since the 2003-04 season, Middleburgh's varsity boys squad has defeated arch rival Schoharie in the two neighboring schools annual Scho-Burgh match-up. The Knights, who carried the evening with a solid 55-49 victory, struggled in the opening minutes Friday night but after taking the lead early in the second quarter never looked back.

 

Middleburgh and Schoharie cheerleaders took
turns rallying their school's faithful in the stands

Relying on the efforts of James Sacket, who scored thirteen points despite falling off his game in the second half, Schoharie just couldn't get in the groove offensively. The team's 41% conversion rate at the free throw line was a testament to their dismal performance, which seemed to lack all confidence and appeared stressed at times.

 

Middleburgh coach Timothy Pangman encouraged his
starters during a brief timeout with four minutes left

Although Middleburgh's squad did not offensively impress either, the Knights were buoyed by a stellar eighteen point display by Troy Hinkley who contributed from the free throw line, in the paint and beyond the arc to give his teammates a much needed breather on defense. Ryan Bechtold added ten in support.



Middleburgh's MVP Troy Hinkley
prepares at the free throw line

In the end it came down to who outlasted the other, and this time around Middleburgh happened to have the most points when the final buzzer sounded and the two day Scho-Burgh double-header concluded with a clean sweep by the Knights of both girls and boys matchups. A feat that has never been achieved before.

Middleburgh 55
Schoharie  49

                    1st 2nd 3rd final
Middleburgh  11  32  43 55
Schoharie       14  24  40  49

Duanesburg Tops Middleburgh 65-59 in Tough Bout

In a tight battle between two closely matched varsity squads, the Duanesburg Eagles were able to pull away from the Middleburgh Knights in the fourth quarter to come out of Knights territory with a tough 65-59 victory on Wednesday night.

 

The Knights, relying on Troy Hinkley's sixteen point performance, led after the first quarter and held their own against the Duanesburg squad. Both Ryan Bechtold and Keith Campbell successfully converted three shots from beyond the arch, a major contribution to Middleburgh's home court effort.

 

Duanesburg struggled in the paint, but made up for it with nine three-pointers and a 71.4% overall success rate at the free throw line. Chris Smalls and Dylan Madison each put up sixteen points in support of the Eagles victory, which was in doubt until the very end due to the competitive nature of both teams.

 

Middleburgh has Thursday evening off as they prepare for Friday night's annual Schoburg matchup against Valley rival Schoharie. This years contest will be held at SUNY Cobleskill, with action kicking off at 6 pm between the girls varsity squads, which will be immediately followed by the boys.

 

Middleburgh 59
Duanesburg 65
                      1st 2nd 3rd  Final
Middleburgh  16  32  46  59
Duanesburg  15  32  48  65

 

 

Middleburgh Falls 86-63 to Visiting Mekeel Christian Adademy

Despite Ryan Bechtold and Tanner Van Aller each contributing a doubt-digit effort in support of Middleburgh's cause Friday night, the Knights varsity squad was simply no match for the visiting Mekeel Christian Academy Lions, who breezed to a comfortable 86-63 victory.

Photo credit: Bob Roney

The Knights, coming off a heart breaking loss to Berne-Knox just before the holiday break, struggled from the opening tip-off. They managed to close the gap at halftime, trailing by just five, but couldn't hold on against the private academy as the Lions outscored Middleburgh 52-34 in the second half.

 

Mike Mann and Alex Mulvey accounted for slightly less than half of Mekeel's overall performance with forty-one points scored combined, thirty-six of which came from successful conversions from beyond the arc - Middleburgh's entire squad could only muster eighteen.

 

Middleburgh 63
Meekel Christian 86
                      1st 2nd 3rd  Final
Middleburgh  13  29  45  63
MCA              20  34  63  86

 

Berne-Knox Outlasts Middleburgh 64-63 in Overtime

The Berne-Knox Bulldogs one point, overtime victory over the Middleburgh Knights Friday night before an evenly split crowd in the Middleburgh High School gymnasium can be described as epic, breath-taking, the reason why fans love high school athletics in the first place, and much more.

 

 

Berne-Knox, which held a slim lead most of the matchup over Middleburgh, was led by Zack Hilton's twenty point performance that included three conversions from the paint, two outside the perimeter and a 88.9% success rate at the free-throw line that added eight more to the Bulldogs tally. Justin Lee contributed thirteen points to Berne-Knox's cause.

 

 

However, that didn't prevent the Knights from making a late fourth quarter effort - on the backs of Troy Hinkley and Ryan Bechtold - that gave Middleburgh a 53-52 lead with 58.4 seconds remaining. In a bit of tit for tat, the Bulldogs scored two with under forty seconds remaining that Middleburgh's Adam McMullen responded by converting a single free throw attempt with 22.2 seconds left that resulted in both teams tied at 54 and overtime.

But with both teams exhausted after four quarters of tough play, the Bulldogs were able to outlast the Knights just long enough to squeeze out at a 64-63 victory in the final seconds of overtime. Earlier in the evening the Middleburgh Knights junior varsity squad prevailed 59-57 over their Berne-Knox counterparts, setting the stage for a night of close match ups.

Schoharie Downs Middleburgh 65-53, Brown Scores 23

Despite holding home court advantage, with a boisterous crowd in attendance, the Middleburgh Knights struggled through out last night's Benefit Boys' Basketball varsity matchup against Schoharie, falling by twelve points, 65-53, to a determined Indians squad that Middleburgh had defeated just two weeks prior in the Cutspec Memorial Tournament.

 

Troy Hinkley gears up for a free-throw attempt

Led by Connor Brown's twenty-three point performance, with James Sacket contributing seventeen in support, the Indians took control of the situation from the opening tip-off and never looked back, only losing their game-long lead for a few seconds at a time. Schoharie would convert twenty-three shots from the paint and ten more from the free throw line.

 

Photo credit: Emilie Werner, Schoharie News

Middleburgh, which scored only four points in the opening quarter, came back from eight down in the second quarter to capture a brief lead after the half, due largely to the performance of Ryan Bechtold - the Knights leading scorer with fourteen points - who hit four three-pointers in a eight minute stretch, but it just wasn't enough to hold back Schoharie's sustained offensive attack.

Devan Smida positions himself for the inbound pass

At one point the Indians held a blowout twenty point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Knights were able to tighten the score with three consecutive three-pointers by Keith Campbell, who had the entire gym cheering on his amazing spree by the third conversion. However, by then it was too little too late for Middleburgh as their opponents would then run out the clock.   

Earlier in the evening the junior varsity matchup, which kicked off the benefit double-header that raised $284 from at door admission and two large boxes of food items that will be split evenly between Middleburgh and Schoharie area food banks, ended in a blowout victory for the Knights as they carried that contest 52-33.

                       1st   2nd   3rd   final
Middleburgh     4    26    36    53
Schoharie       12    28    53    65

Middleburgh-Schoharie to Face Off in Benefit Boys' Basketball Double-Header Tomorrow

The Middleburgh and Schoharie junior varsity and varsity basketball squads will face off tomorrow evening, December 18th, inside the Middleburgh High School gymnasium for the second of three match ups this season between the neighboring Valley schools in what is being called the Benefit Boys' Basketball double-header.  

 

This comes just two weeks after the Knights varsity team came back from a four point deficit at halftime to overcome the Indians in the first round of the Cutspec Memorial Tournament for a excruciatingly tight 55-53 victory that paved the way for Middleburgh to then reach the event's championship game, which will be played against Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville at a date to be determined.

Tomorrow's double-header will also serve as a charitable fundraiser, as spectators are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to receive half price admission. All food items and admission proceeds will be donated to support Middleburgh and Schoharie food banks. Action will kick off at 6 pm with the junior varsity game, which will be immediately followed by the varsity teams taking center court.

Middleburgh Lady Knights Prevail 44-39 over Duanesburg in Close Matchup

The Middleburgh Lady Knights, guided by Kiera Morgan's steady performance and Amanda Roney's second quarter shooting spree, were able to hold off the Duanesburg Eagles 44-39 in what can only be described as a statement win by Middleburgh's varsity squad.

Morgan kicks off Middleburgh's offense with an early three

A squad that struggled until mid-way into the second quarter, with Duanesburg leading 16-7 and the Lady Knights failing to find the hoop, when Roney was able to connect for her first score of the night - a simple two pointer - that sparked a Middleburgh 19-3 run that placed the visiting Eagles in a seven point hole at halftime.

Taylor Cater searching for the right teammate to inbound to

However, that would prove too much for the Eagles to overcome, as the Lady Knights played stellar defense in the third quarter and by the time Duanesburg showed signs of coming back in the fourth, it was too little too late as fatigue caught up to both teams and the final buzzer sounded with Middleburgh on top by five.

Earlier in the evening Duanesburg's junior varsity squad was able to hold off the Lady Knights in a tough 32-28 victory.


Varsity Basketball Heats up as Local Teams Head to Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, Gilboa Takes on Schenevus

 

Update (8:28 pm): Gilboa-Conesville's matchup against Schenevus has been cancelled on account of the poor weather conditions.

The Middleburgh Knights, Schoharie Indians and Sharon Springs Spartans varsity basketball teams will be traveling to Fulton-Montgomery Community College on Saturday afternoon to participate in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, the first real test for all three local schools in the Section 2 Western-Southern division.

 

For the Indians it is an early measure of whether they still have last year's spark that fueled a respectable 13-6 season, best for second in their division, and whether the Knights (3-11) and Spartans (0-18) can rebound from their respective fifth and sixth place finishes, that included both failing twice to Schoharie.

 

In other local high school basketball news:

• The Gilboa-Conesville Wildcats are hosting the Schenevus Dragons tonight at seven in a non-conference matchup.
• The Cobleskill-Richmondville Bulldogs are heading to Broadalbin-Perth tomorrow night at seven thirty to take on the Patriots in a non-conference matchup

We will update with results as we get them through-out the week and the season. Please note that all records and scores are currently provided by Max Preps and are subject to irregular reporting, but we hope to personally cover the five local teams as time and travel permits and would also welcome input from our readership as well.

 

Community Pipeline Meeting on Monday December 2, 2013 at 7PM inside of the Radez Elementary School Gym located on 319 Main Street, Richmondville, NY. The latest information on the proposed Constitution Pipeline from threats of eminent domain and legal efforts to landowner resistance and the pipeline company's safety record will be provided to the public. This advertisement is sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Rural Communities and the Stop the Pipeline Schoharie Action Committee

Indians Vs. Knights: First Varsity Basketball Matchup December 18th

With fall sports in full swing across the county, I doubt I'm the only one who regrets the dismal truth that there can be no Valley showdown on the gridiron between the Knights and Indians - due to Middleburgh's lack of football program - but fear not for my sorrows will be eased with the start of varsity basketball.

 

And more to point: on December 18th, 7:30 pm when Schoharie will be on the warpath against league rival and neighboring school district Middleburgh on the Knights home court for the first of two contests this upcoming season, the second of which will be held January 17th on Indians territory.

 

This, perhaps being my favorite part of The Schoharie News, will allow me to expand my horizons into the realm of high school athletics and most importantly varsity basketball, where the action and energy of the home team supporters can rival that of college programs if the stakes are high enough - as they always are in the battle of the Valley.