Ethan Feldman leads No. 2 Packer Collegiate into the NYSAISAA Class C final on Sunday against top-seeded Rye Country Day School. (Denis Gostev)
NYPost.com private boys basketball beat writer Zach Braziller breaks down Sunday NYSAISAA finals at Fieldston HS in The Bronx. For real-time Twitter updates, click here.
SCHEDULE
11 a.m. – No. 1 Rye Country Day School vs. No. 2 Packer Collegiate
3 p.m. – No. 1 Collegiate vs. No. 3 Poly Prep
5 p.m. – Long Island Lutheran vs. Albany Academy
No. 1 Rye Country Day School Wildcats
Head coach: Vin Minotti Jr.
Player to watch: Matt Staubi
Record: 19-8
No. 2 Packer Collegiate Pelicans
Head coach: George Boutis
Player to watch: Ethan Feldman
Record: 25-3
Outlook: Packer Collegiate has enjoyed a storybook season, from winning its first ACIS title since 2004 to its 21 straight victories. Many of them have come in dramatic fashion, particularly the last two. Packer got by No. 7 Trevor Day School, 78-70, in overtime in the quarterfinals behind 40 points from sensational sophomore Ethan Feldman and in the semis rallied past rival and third seed St. Ann’s, 52-49, despite trailing 17-4 at the start.
Rye hasn’t exactly coasted into the final either. The Wildcats edged No. 8 Staten Island Academy 58-50 in the opening round and topped Lawrence Woodmere Academy, 73-58, on Friday in the semifinals.
No. 1 Collegiate Dutchmen
Head coach: Ray Voelkel
Player to watch: Connor Huff
Record: 23-3
No. 3 Poly Prep Blue Devils
Head coach: Bill McNally
Player to watch: Anthony Reyes
Record: 16-9
Outlook: One of the city’s top rivalries will add another chapter Sunday afternoon as the two private school powers will meet for the ‘B’ crown for the third straight season. Collegiate, of course, has won the last four NYSAIS titles, along with four state Federation Class B crowns. It swept the season series from Poly Prep, but the Blue Devils are riding high after Friday’s come-from-behind 74-63 victory at No. 2 Fieldston. Anthony Reyes poured in a game-high 27 points, including 20 in the second half, and impressive eighth-graders Wolfgang Novogratz and Najee Taylor combined for 21 points.
“I’m prepared and so is everybody else on the team,” Reyes said. “We’re all ready.”
Collegiate had a struggle to get to Sunday’s final as well, edging Riverdale 54-48 behind 20 points and 12 rebounds from Middlebury College-bound senior Connor Huff. Huff and point guard Ryan Frankel, an MIT recruit, accomplished the first of their three goals by winning the Ivy Prep League crown. No. 2 would be a victory Sunday, followed by another state crown.
“We expect it to be a very tough game,” Collegiate coach Ray Voelkel said. “I’m very happy to be here and going to the finals again. We could easily have lost [to Riverdale]. We’re gonna show up and be ready to play on Sunday.”
No. 1 Long Island Lutheran Crusaders
Head coach: John Buck
Player to watch: K.J. Lee
Record: 20-6
No. 2 Albany Academy Cadets
Head coach: Brian Fruscio
Player to watch: Jelani Currie
Record: 13-5
Outlook: Unlike past years, Long Island Lutheran doesn’t have a free pass to the state Federation tournament and an extended vacation. Instead, the Crusaders face Albany Academy, a challenge LuHi coach John Buck welcomes. It already beat the Cadets 75-57 on Jan. 29 and has played well of late. LuHi won the Collegiate Invitational in which it defeated Ivy Prep League powers Collegiate and Fieldston and only lost to national powerhouse St. Anthony of Jersey City by nine.
The Crusaders haven’t replaced Division I standouts Achraf Yacoubou (Villanova) and Jordan Allen (Hofstra), but junior big man Kentan Facey, bruising forward K.J. Lee and wing Anthony Pate have become a nice core.
