Panthers Takes First in Wrestling Tourney at Edgemont
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Both local teams fared well at the 31st annual Edgemont Wrestling Tournament on Saturday January 19, with Edgemont taking first and Scarsdale fifth out of the 19 teams competing that day. The day featured 250 wrestlers from 19 teams and provided competitive and exciting matches leading up to the sectional tournaments in two weeks.
Each individual wrestler on the Edgemont Panthers displayed competitiveness and determination resulting in a first place victory. This is exactly the kind of wrestling that will put the Panther's on the list of top teams in the section
To prepare for sectionals, Panther's coach Manny Alayon stated, "We're doing a lot more drilling and more individual coaching which will give each wrestler the attention while fine tuning their skills so they can get a good taste of sectionals." Among the standouts for the day for the Edgemont Panthers were the Aslanian brothers who both easily made their way into the final round. A top section competitor from Pearl River decisioned younger brother Kyle Aslanian, while Trey Aslanian edged his opponent from New Fairfield. Now a senior, Trey has finished at the top in the New York State tournament in the past couple of years and aspires to cap off his high school career with another state title. Another one of Edgemont's standouts was junior Will Graybeal who pinned his opponent from Yonkers and came away with a bronze medal for the day.
Scarsdale Raider's Head Coach Barney Foltman focused on correcting the mistakes of the more 
-experienced wrestlers while providing support their younger teammates. Foltman reports that, "We have a very well rounded team, and the more competitive matches we face, the more we'll grow as a team." Among the team standouts was Sophomore Robbie Keltz. After failing to place in the last tournament, Keltz was determined to step up his game and this Saturday went 3-1 for the day, finishing in third place. In his final match he put on a stellar performance and triumphed over his opponent from Dobbs Ferry. Another star was Scarsdale's Daniel Baruch who fought his way into the finals of the last tournament but fell short of first place. Correcting his mistakes and improving his mindset, he made it into the finals yet again, this time taking the gold. In perhaps his best match to date, he came away with a close 9-7 victory over his opponent from Pearl River.
Senior captain Michael Hodges has been wrestling at the state-level all season, easily capturing the gold at the Scarsdale tournament and coasting his way to the finals in Edgemont by pinning his opponent from Salesian in his final match. This marks two gold medals in a row for Hodges and expectations remain high for the senior in the upcoming sectional tournaments.
Senior captain Joe Kashakow displayed a high level of technical and composed wrestling this weekend when he faced some challenges. In the semifinal, Kashakow was matched against Oliver Oks of Edgemont. Up until the final periods, Oks had almost full control until Koshakow caught Oks off guard to secure a 4:31 pin. Koshakow then faced his most evenly matched opponent, Ben Miller of Mamaroneck, for his final match. Kashakow had edged a victory over Miller earlier in the season but knew that this match could go either way. With an even score throughout the entire six minutes, the two battled for the gold medal in a thrilling overtime match won by Miller in a 4-3 victory. With both Miller and Kashakow ranked among the top three in the section, the two are likely to meet again this season.
The Raiders and Edgemont Panthers will compete again on Saturday January 25 when they will battle for the Bronx River Cup at Scarsdale High School. The cup has gone back and forth between the two rivals for the past five years, with Scarsdale taking it in 2012. Edgemont hopes to reclaim it this year and will certainly put up a tough fight.
Raiders 9-2 After Dominating Huguenots and Tigers
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(Updated1-17) On Tuesday January 15, the Scarsdale Raiders varsity boys basketball team faced off against the Huguenots of New Rochelle. The last time the Raiders had beaten the Huguenots was in 2009, before any members of the current team were even in high school. Many sports-writers around Westchester expected New Rochelle to win because of their up-tempo style, and perhaps the best player in Section 1 on their roster, Joe Clarke.
The Raiders were able to head into halftime with a 39-23 lead, after an extraordinary buzzer beating lay-up by Robert Plummer. That first half was undoubtedly their best sixteen minutes of basketball of the season, and it looked as if Scarsdale was going to continue to build off their lead in the second half.
In the third quarter the Huguenots came out with a newfound energy and went on a 22-7 run, leaving Scarsdale's lead to only 46-45. Ultimately the Raiders were able to win in a nail biting 4th quarter, 57-55. Senior captain Jack Hewitt led the team with 23 points, and senior Tyler Nathan was able to contribute 17 (5 3pts).
The Raiders are now 9-2, and are in fourth place in Section 1. They play at Pelham at 4:30 on Friday, at Mamaroneck at 4:15 on 1-25, at Clarkstown South at 5 pm on 1-26, at White Plains at 4:15 on January 29, host Mount Vernon on January 31 at 4:15, host Eastchester at 4:15 on the February 4 and they round out their season going into New Rochelle on February 8 at 4:15.
Raiders V. White Plains Tigers January 9
On Wednesday the ninth of January, Scarsdale High Schoolʼs boys' varsity basketball team played the White Plains Tigers at Scarsdale. The game ended with a complete defeat for the Tigers, with the final score tallying 61-34 for Scarsdale. Scarsdale claimed their lead as early as the tip off, and scored up until the last seven seconds where Grant Goodman landed two foul shots.
Coming into the game Scarsdale was optimistic, boasting a 7-1 record. However, the Tigers were 2-5, and really needed a win to bring them up. They hoped star players Mike DeMello, Chris Jordan and Justin Tackler could bring home a victory. The starting lineup for Scarsdale was an all-senior team consisting of Robert Plummer, Peter Simon, Jon Cohen, and co-captains Jack Hewitt and Alex Squadron. This team contrasted with an all-junior staring lineup for White Plains, who desperately tried to keep up with the smooth, calm, and fast-paced Scarsdale boys. The game started quickly when Plummer sunk a foul shot only seconds into the game. Scarsdale continued to rise, however the Tigers remained close behind, barely sneaking one in before the first quarter buzzer bringing the score to 14-7. The game continued in this manner, with Scarsdale slowly sneaking higher and higher on White Plains, who struggled to keep up.
One of the key points of the game was a lapse of White Plains action from the time Thomas scored at 1:59 in the second quarter until Jordan scored at 4:54 in the third quarter, with only one basket in between. During this period of the three White Plains shots, Scarsdale continued to swish basket after basket, brining them another eleven points in the lead. At this point, it was an almost sure game for Scarsdale, as the score was 37-22. This resulted in a White Plains timeout, and many missed baskets. Thereafter, whatever attempts made by White Plains were offset by the continuous scoring of Scarsdale, which never ceased their action despite their large lead. Needless to say, White Plains lost hope for the game, and Scarsdale celebrated a clear victory.
There were a few memorable moments of the game. One of those included a disputed call that resulted in a foul and no basket for Robert Plummer. Another was numerous falls by both teams that resulted in confusion and a Scarsdale foul. The last, and rather strategic move, was a Scarsdale timeout to save the teamʼs ball possession at the end of the third quarter. In addition, some of the amazing athletic plays including Squadron acrobatic move to save the ball at 6:33 in the third quarter, and a high-arching throw across the court to a receiving Plummer. The top scorers of the game for Scarsdale included Jon Cohen - 19 points, Jack Hewitt - 16 points, Dylan Lobue - 10 points, and Bobby Plummer - 8 points. The next home game scheduled for Scarsdale is Tuesday the 15th.
Article written by Marie Ceske with photos by Carly Glickenhaus: Marie Ceske is a freshman at Scarsdale High School who loves writing, especially creative writing, and softball. Also a freshman at SHS, Carly Glickenhaus loves soccer and photography because a picture is worth a thousand words! These two close friends are both athletes and debaters who are passionate about cheering on their fellow Raiders.
SYSC’s U12 Pride Wins Big at Beekman Cup Soccer Tourney
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On Saturday, October 6, members of SYSC’s Pride U12 girls team got up very very early to play in the 12th Annual Beekman Cup Soccer Tournament held at Doherty Field in Beekman, New York. Pride played three 50-minute games. In its first game versus Brewster Storms, Pride dominated the field, pulling off a 6-0 win. After a short break, the team once again took control of the field, scoring 9 goals against the Chappaqua Dragons. In the last match, Pride pulled off a 6-0 win against Carmel United Wildcats. Pride is coached by UK Soccer Elite’s Simon Annis with help from coach Scott Edlitz. Members of Pride include Ella Ansell, Paige Barlow, Margo Boxer, Mia Dell'Orto, Sierra Donovan, Polly Adler, Riley Edlitz, Lena Glickman, Katie Karp, Lizey Mehlman, Isabelle Riback, Kelly Rutherford, Caroline Schuh, Tay Siegel, Allison Stafford, and Nanoka Umehara.
Small Squad With Big Plans
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On January 5th, 2013, the Scarsdale wrestling team hosted its annual wrestling tournament at Scarsdale High School. This thrilling day provides the wrestlers, coaches, and spectators with exciting matches and tough competition. But in head coach Barney Foltman's eyes, this year seemed a bit different than past year's tournaments.
This year the team lost a lot of key seniors who graduated in the class of 2012, including section finalists John Tambunting and Jack Braun, and state runner-up Jacob Berkowitz. Coach Foltman has switched gears to rebuild this young new team to compete for a section title in upcoming years. "We have a big opportunity," Coach Foltman states. "We have to go back to basic wrestling skills to build a strong foundation and become a top section competitor again." Foltman and assistant coach Brian Roemer have always put out a solid, well rounded team on the mat and with this year's young squad, they hope to develop the program into the best it has ever been. As it is no secret the sport can get quite exhausting and overwhelming due to its physical demand from its athletes, the two coaches emphasize the importance of teamwork. The incoming freshmen quickly learn from the team veterans that providing support for fellow teammates, whether it is on or off the wrestling mat, will yield a stronger team.
That said, the team never ceases to amaze with terrific leadership from its captains. This year's only seniors and three captains, Dylan Madoff, Joe Koshakow, and Michael Hodges provide a pivotal role for their younger teammates. Hodges, at 138, cruised his way into the finals of the tournament and dominated his opponent winning a major decision 10-2 against Garden City. Hodges went on to win the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler award as he displayed impressive skill that made him stand out amongst the other athletes. Senior captain Joe Koshakow duplicated Hodges performance in the 160-weight class as he picked apart his opponent from Garden City in the finals and won the tournament with a solid 11-2 victory. Captain Dylan Madoff fell short of making it to the final round at the 152-weight class, but the senior went on to capture the bronze medal by securing a pin against Rye's Fritz Zahringer.
The three captains were not the only one of Scarsdale's standouts for the day. Sophomore Daniel Baruch made his way to the final round but fell short of a gold 
medal and went on to take 2nd place against Garden City. Perhaps one of the most exciting and unexpected wins came from Scarsdale freshman Mike DaBramo. DaBramo is a first year wrestler and came into this tournament with unknown expectations but the young wrestler impressively made his way into the final round. As the coaches yelled the moves from the sideline, DaBramo echoed their calls and executed the moves and secured a pin in the 3rd and final period. Winning a tournament doesn't come easy, as this is the first time in 10 years that a Scarsdale freshman has won the Scarsdale tournament. Expectations remain high for Baruch and DaBramo in future meets.
As a team, Scarsdale finished with 100 points to land them in 6th place overall out of the 14 teams at the tournament. The biggest tournaments are yet to come for Scarsdale, as the team has historically finished among the top 3 teams in the upcoming Edgemont tournament. Hopefully, the team will look to duplicate that in a few weeks and prepare themselves for a competitive divisional and sectional tournament in the beginning of February. The senior captains are looking to make a bigger name for themselves as they hope to finish among the top three in the section on an individual level. Moreover, the program's future remains bright as the veteran coaches look to inspire hard work and determination in the young team.
Photos by Leslie Berkowitz
Girls Tennis Team Breezes by New Rochelle 6-1 at Raider Pride Match
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Happily for the Scarsdale Girls Varsity A Tennis Team, their first win of the season coincided with Raider Pride Week and sparkling fall weather that brought out a crowd to watch their match.
On Friday September 21, Scarsdale played New Rochelle at home and almost scored a clean sweep, winning 6-1 by taking all matches save first singles. According to New Rochelle’s Coach Sgobbo four of his star players were out that day, making it easier for the Raiders to score a victory. This was Scarsdale’s third match of the
But on Friday, Scarsdale breezed by New Rochelle and gave away very few games in the process. In second singles, 3-year varsity player Lindsay Rokito won 6-2, 6-0 over New Rochelle’s Rikki Woodlin and in third singles, Scarsdale’s Kim Zou won 6-0, 6-0. Zou is a sophomore who moved up to the varsity team this year.
Partners and cousins Katy Rabin and Carolyn Zelicof were also off the court quickly. The girls made the varsity team as freshman and are an athletic and dynamic duo. In fact they have won all of their matches this season. According to the girls they practice together and “balance each other’s strengths.” The called Friday’s match “fun” and won it quickly at 6-2, 6-1.
The fourth doubles team included the team’s only freshman, Jessica Tsai. Playing with sophomore Francesca Johnson, the girls got on the court late but used powerful strokes to beat their opponents 6-0, 6-0. Johnson is new to the team this year and comes to SHS from Hackley where she played last year.
The only match Scarsdale lost was first singles where Scarsdale junior Adrienne Travis played sophomore Jessie Cruz who was filling in on the first court for her older sister Cassidy Cruz. Jessie was a formidable opponent who was ranked among the top 30 in the east at one time. The girls played a long match with both pounding the ball from the baseline in lengthy exchanges. That tough match finally ended with Cruz winning the first set 6-3 and the second set in a tiebreaker, 7-4.
This week, Scarsdale will play an exhibition match against a team from the Emma Willard School who will travel down from Albany to compete against some Westchester teams. Watch the match on Friday September 28 at 4:15 at SHS.
Thanks to Liz Whitney and Tricia McFarland from Maroon and White for providing refreshments. (Pictured at top: Coach Jennifer Roane with junior Lindsay Rokito.)
