Basketball
Wildcats clip Clippers, 59-53
By Stan Ross
CATS TAKE OPENER. The York Wildcats started the season with a win in their home opener against Yarmouth last Friday. Here, Phil Alibrandi makes the block with teammates Pat Cartier, Matt Prewitt and Dan Sheehan in support.
Photo by Kate Rasche
| Boys' basketball scores by quarters | |||||
| Wildcats | 17 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 59 |
| Clippers | 5 | 19 | 8 | 21 | 53 |
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York scorers: Alibrandi 28, Prugar 8, Romano 7, Corsello 5, Sheehan 6, Prewitt 2, Wilson 2, Fountain 1 Three pointers: Alibrandi 1 |
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YORK - Last Friday night, Dec. 8, in the season opener, the York High School Wildcats roared to a 17-5 first quarter lead over the visiting Yarmouth Clippers and then held on to win by the final score of 59-53.
Phil Alibrandi opened the night for York with a blocked shot, followed by a slash to the hoop and made it three the old fashioned way when he converted his free throw. Tony Romano added a pair of free throws and a put back to give York a 7-0 lead. Tri-Captain Brian Ertz countered with a trey from the wing and a runner for Yarmouth, but Alibrandi (game high 28 points) could not be stopped.
First a drive to the hoop finished off by an "old fashioned finger roll ala Wilt Chamberlain" and then a quick feed to a cutting Zach Prugar. Alibrandi scored again on a smooth spin move to give York a 13-5 lead and force the Clippers to all time with 2:12 left in the quarter.
Prugar added a pair of free throws and Matt Prewitt pulled off a clean steal and scored on a breakaway to give the Wildcats a 17-5 lead at the end of the first period.
Yarmouth made some adjustments and led by Tri-Captain Joe Dilworth (team high 15) who rattled in 11 points in the second period and sophomore Johnny Murphy (14 for the game and six in the quarter) they chopped York's commanding lead to two points, 26-24, at the half.
York opened the third period on a feed from Romano to Joe Corsello and a pop from the top by Alibrandi, but Yarmouth countered on a fast break and a put back. Alibrandi drained a trey from the wing as the Wildcats clung to a slim one-point margin and called time at the 2:56 mark. Then York closed out the quarter with five straight points as Alibrandi scored again on a baseline move plus one free throw, and Romano's rebound was cleared to Corsello who fed sophomore Dan Sheehan for a fast-break bucket. York now led 38-32 and controlled the pace in the final period.
Yarmouth was forced to foul and York made 13 of 22 free throws in the quarter to end the game with a 59-53 win.
Next on the schedule will be a road game at Greely on Thursday, Dec. 14, a home game versus Fryeburg on Saturday, Dec. 16, and then another road game versus Falmouth, Dec. 19.
All varsity games are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.
