Boys Basketball Keeps Dancing and Dunking en Route to Sectional Championship Game

#3 Rye Boys Basketball upset #2 Yorktown on Tuesday, March 4 by a 43-41 score. With the win, Rye advanced to the Class AA finals, where they will take on #1 Tappan Zee, who Rye already defeated once this season.

“It was a war, a battle, exactly what we expected,” Head Coach Tommy Proudian told MyRye.com after the game. “Two very good well balanced basketball teams fighting for the opportunity to play for the Gold Ball Saturday Night.”

Proudian has led his team to the sectional championship for the second year in a row, where they will look to avenge last season’s loss to Byram Hills (Class A). It has been impressive to witness the seamless transition in his first year as head coach. This time, he and his group will be looking to finish the job.

Henry Shoemaker scored 16 points to lead Rye, including a resounding slam dunk in the first half. This marked the 6′ 5″ junior’s second dunk of the season, and proved to be a difference-maker in a 2-point win. The play was set up on a crafty steal and perfect backboard bank pass from Carson Miller, reminiscent to the two’s connection on the gridiron.

“I am so happy for the players, they deserve to be back in the section championship game,” said Proudian.

Jake Kessner scored 11 points and added 10 rebounds for the double-double, as he and the Garnets played exceptional defense all night to limit a dangerous Yorktown offense to just 41 points. Caden Gonzalez scored 18 points to lead all players, but the rest of the Huskers struggled to hit shots.

Rye (17-6) will have a chance to win the Class AA title if they can take down #1 Tappan Zee in the championship game at the Westchester County Center on Saturday, March 8, at 7:30pm. If they do so, they will lift the Gold Ball for the second time in the last six years. See the full bracket here.