Bombers capture first sectional title in 60 years

PINE PLAINS — Capping off a Bomber weekend that opened Friday, March 4, with a nail-biting win over Millbrook in the sectional semis, the Stissing Mountain High School boys basketball team took that energy into the Section IX title game two days later, beating defending sectional champ S.S. Seward 46-45 for the Class C title at SUNY New Paltz.For Stissing Mountain, brothers Zachary and Tyler Lydon led the Bombers in scoring, with sophomore Zachary tallying 12 points and eight rebounds and freshman Tyler adding 12 points and 10 rebounds.But before they faced Seward, they found Millbrook standing in the way. Stissing Mountain fell to Millbrook twice earlier this season. They met at Millbrook for the sectionals game, playing to a packed house with students and supporters from both sides cramming into the bleachers.Junior Marquis VanDeWater walked away from that game with top scoring honors, netting 15 points and adding seven rebounds and three assists.“Marquis was on fire in the third and scored 10 of our 15 points,” said coach Brendan LoBrutto after the game. “He was playing like he wasn’t ready to end his high school career.”For the Bombers, sophomore Justin Cooper added seven points and seven rebounds, junior Rob Lamont had eight points and 12 rebounds, Zachary Lydon had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks — “Hands down the best game Zach has played all year,” his coach said — and Tyler Lydon tallied one point, seven rebounds and five steals.“First of all,” an excited LoBrutto said after the game, “it’s an unfortunate situation. You have to give these guys from Millbrook all the credit in the world, because we know they didn’t have [star player Evan] Hurley. He was the player I personally voted as player of the year. As the Pine Plains coach, obviously it worked in our favor, but as a human being, I feel bad for the kid.”Millbrook’s coach, Adam Peek, could not be reched for comment after the game. Stissing Mountain faced Section I Class C champion Tuckahoe in the state regional semifinal Wednesday, March 9, at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, after this paper’s deadline.

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