March 12, 2010
by Georgia Schwartz
Last March, when the New Castle Youth Basketball Association’s 6th grade girls’ basketball team, the Blizzard, won the Tri Country Basketball League 6th grade girls division championship, it was deemed a “Cinderella season.” They had been seeded fifth going into the playoffs, winning only six games in their regular season. No one saw it coming, not even their coach.
“Last year was a miracle season,” Head Coach Jamie Schwartz recalled. “Coming from fifth place to with the championship against better teams was incredible. This year we added two new very strong players, Molly Gonzalez and Josie Amerson, and lost some other girls from last year’s team. They added so much to our team. Each played unselfishly and really gelled with our core, which included Stephanie Svoboda, our MVP from the previous two years.”
This year, hopes were high and the team dreamed that perhaps they might have another shot at the title.
An undefeated season
In December, the Blizzard started off their season with a win. Week after week they played hard, continued their defensive attack, banging under the boards and hitting three’s. Week after week the Blizzard kept their winning streak going. Closer and closer they inched their way towards the dream of making it to the finals again. Their winning momentum carried them into New Castle’s Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Tournament, which they won the second year in a row in four straight games.
By the time the Tri County playoffs came, they were seated number one with an undefeated record of 14-0. The semi-final game was played against a new team to the Tri County Basketball League, Cortlandt. New Castle easily came out victorious, winning 45-24.
On Sunday, March 7 at Clark’s Academy in Dobbs Ferry, New Castle played against Robert Jacobson/Greenburgh, the number two seed, for the championship title. The first quarter found the Blizzard leading by as much as 15 points with strong offense plays from Stephanie Svoboda, Molly Gonzalez and Josie Amerson, helped by Julia Forster and Madeline David under the boards. The second quarter saw Bryn Weiner, Thea Schwartz, Jamie Horowitz, Lily Glotzer, Jen Semler and Jamie Roteman come in to maintain the lead. At half time, Head Coach Jamie Schwartz told them to “finish the game.”
After great first half, Blizzard begins to lose force
During the third quarter, New Castle’s lead began to evaporate. Fatigue from intense first half play as well as the bat mitzvah attended by the entire team the night before set in. Shots were missed, poor passes made, and speed was lacking. Greenburgh saw their opening and pounced, taking advantage of their newfound momentum; they came back to within one, and then took the lead away from the Blizzard.
Coach Schwartz did not give up on his girls. He remained calm in the face of possible disaster and continued to inspire and assure the girls that they could do it. “Play smart and don’t give up” was his mantra. The girls did just that and at the final buzzer, the score was tied.
With three minutes put on the clock for overtime, the game began again. Basket for basket each team answered the other’s score. With a tie score of 33-33 and 20 seconds to go, the Blizzard committed a foul and Greenburgh went to the line for a 1 and 1. Greenburg missed. The dream was still within reach.
The Blizzard knew what to do as they had been in this position before. Stay calm, stay focused, play smart and don’t give up. With New Castle in possession, Molly Gonzalez took the ball past mid-court and the coach called for a time out with five seconds left on the clock. The ball was inbounded; with a mere few seconds on the clock, number 23, Stephanie Svoboda, took a leap from behind the key to hit a 3-point moving jumper! The Buzzer sounded; game over, final score 36-33. Dream realized.
The 7th grade girls’ New Castle Blizzard won the Tri County Basketball League championship two years in a row! Congratulations girls – dreams do come true!
Thanks and congratulations also to the rest of the championship staff, Assistant Coaches Neil Forster and Rich Glotzer, who have coached the team since the girls were fifth graders, and team trainer Drew Watson and team manager Georgia Schwartz.
Team Photo on front page:
Bottom row left to right: Assistant Coach Rich Glotzer, Assistant Coach Neil Forster, Julia Forster, Thea Schwartz, Jamie Roteman, Stephanie Svoboda, Head Coach Jamie Schwartz
Top row left to right: Jose Amerson, Madeline David, Jamie Horowitz, Lily Glotzer, Molly Gonzalez, Bryn Weiner, Jen Semler
Copyright 2012 NewCastleNOW.org