Long Island Winter Sports Wrap

Awe-inspired efforts. All-American performances. All-world personas. And a few champions were crowned, too. Welcome to the Long Island high school winter sports scene. Jason Molinet and Long Island Pulse magazine followed it all, from its snowy beginnings to its breathless conclusion in overheated gyms. Here are our highlights:

Best Season: What a wrestling season it was. The contingent Suffolk County sent to the state Federation Wrestling championships in Albany was a record-setting bunch. Eight wrestlers from Suffolk won titles, tying a meet record. Rocky Point alone had three winners. Rocky Point senior Stephen Dutton led the parade of champions, capturing the 140-pound weight class in the state Division I final. It was his second straight title. Newsday crowned Glenn wrestling as the top winter sports team on Long Island after winning its second straight Suffolk Division I team title. The program has won 58 dual meets in a row and senior Nick Meinsen took home the state crown at 130 pounds.

Best Finish: In 2009, North Babylon’s Berfrantz Charles lost the state title in the 55-meter dash by one hundredth of a second. Talk about agonizing. This winter, the senior looked to be on pace for an encore. Charles ran second to Edison Tech’s Mark Canady in two preliminary heats of the 55-meter dash, only to come back and leg out a victory in the final at the state Federation Indoor Track and Field championships in Ithaca. Charles ran the 55 in 6.391 seconds, winning by 0.007 of a second. It was a personal best. But what goes around comes round as Charles was edged out in the long jump. His leap of 23 feet, 8.5 inches was good for second.

Best Effort: No one made a more determined effort in a loss than North Babylon’s Bria Hartley. The senior point guard set a Suffolk playoff record with 51 points in a 72-69 loss to eventual state champ Sachem East in the Suffolk Class AA title game. It’s reminiscent of a similar performance from the past when Cold Spring Harbor’s Wally Szczerbiak went off in a playoff loss to Hempstead. Hartley was recently named Miss Basketball in New York and signed with Connecticut. See her play in the McDonald’s All-American game on ESPNU at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 31 at the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Best Coach: Sure, Tom Diana has a gym full of talent. But the Uniondale boys basketball coach pulled off a remarkable 18-4 run and a Nassau Class AA title with a 64-61 win over Baldwin. It was the program’s eighth county title since 2002. Why the fuss? Because Diana did it with just one returning starter from last season’s Long Island championship squad – and with a cast of freshmen and sophomores. It takes supreme ability to harness 14- and 15-year-olds and recast them as champions.

Best Follow: Tobias Harris, who else? The Tennessee-bound basketball standout from Half Hollow Hills West was not just a phenom on the court. He was a social networking star, too. Harris created a fan page on Facebook and Twittered, where he shared his every thought in what turned out to be a wild ride of a season. Harris led Hills West to its first Long Island Class AA title and lost in the state title game. Along the way, Hills West went 24-2 and Harris was named Mr. Basketball in New York. But his season isn’t over. The McDonald’s All-American game is next. Follow him at:
http://twitter.com/Tobias31

Blog originally posted at LI Pulse.com

Conte Cuttino: Fuelling His NFL Dream

Conte Cuttino left school one semester shy of earning his business finance degree and moved back into his family home in Uniondale. This might seem like a setback to Stony Brook University’s all-time leading rusher. Quite the opposite.

It is all part of Cuttino’s master plan to land his dream job – a spot on an NFL roster. You only get one shot to be a pro athlete. The time is now for the ambitious 22-year-old, who was featured in the September issue of Long Island Pulse magazine. So he put aside his 2.9 GPA and the stigma of playing at the Division I-AA level to focus on getting faster, stronger – and noticed.

“I believe it is not a long shot,’’ Cuttino said. “A large percentage of players in the NFL come from small schools, even the great ones like Jerry Rice and recent players like Miles Austin. It will come down to my focus, drive, skill and dedication. I have all of those, so I know I have a great chance of making it to the NFL.”

After weeks of specialized combine training at the Parisi Speed School in Fairlawn, N.J., Cuttino took part in his first pro day March 9 at Fordham University. With scouts from the Bengals, Bills, Browns, Chargers, Colts, Eagles, Giants, Jets, Packers, Raiders, Saints and Vikings looking on, Cuttino went to work. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, the 20-yard shuttle drill in 4.21 seconds, the three-cone drill in 6.5 seconds, broad jumped 10 feet, 7 inches, vertical leaped 40.5 inches and benched 225 pounds 17 times.

He was one of 26 participants at Fordham, including three Stony Brook teammates: LB Tyler Santucci, CB Chris Richards and DE Christopher Perri. Hofstra, which disbanded its football program in December, was also represented.

So how did Cuttino fare? While he wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month, his numbers make him an intriguing player. His broad jump and three-cone drill time would have been tops among running backs and his vertical leap would have placed second.

He’ll get another chance to improve his stock at a pro day at Albany on March 23.

“For the most part, I was very pleased,’’ Cuttino said. “The 20-yard shuttle and the bench press should have been better. I ran faster and benched more during my training. Also, I ran a 4.53 for the 40. I wasn’t too disappointed with that, but I feel like I could have done a bit better. Everything else, I did great. If you were to compare my pro day results to the contenders at the Combine, I would be amongst the top five percent of running backs.”

The 5-foot, 9-inch Cuttino has bulked up to 200 pounds and added to his entourage, signing with William Appleton from Appleton Sports Management in Virginia. NFLDraftScout.com rated Cuttino as the 90th best running back in the April draft, but that should change.

Regardless, Cuttino realizes it’s not all about getting drafted. It’s about signing with the right team as an undrafted free agent in the hours and days after the draft. Former Hofstra star Wayne Chrebet is a prime example. He went undrafted and walked on with the Jets. He played 11 NFL seasons.

Cuttino will pay close attention to the draft. Whether he gets drafted or not, Cuttino will need to make an impression at training camp to stick.

“Conte Cuttino should play in the NFL because I am a ‘football player,’” the church-going Cuttino said. “It is in my blood; I live and breathe for this sport. I can walk the walk, not just talk the talk. I’ve worked extra hard to get to the NFL, and the chance to play for a team will never be taken advantage of. I will continue to always work hard to see success for any team that gives me a chance.”

After all, Cuttino did rack up 944 all-purpose yards and earn All-Big South honors as a senior. He finished with 3,607 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns while starting 31 games in his career.

He’s got the goods. He just needs an opportunity. If pro football doesn’t work out? Cuttino said getting his degree will be next.

“I wanted to pursue this dream of mine with 100 percent effort, so I decided to withdraw my last semester of school,” Cuttino said. “I made the Dean’s list twice while attending college. I have 15 credits to take to complete my degree. Education is important to me, and I know a career in football will not last forever, so I definitely plan on finishing my degree some time down the road.

“I will definitely go back to school and get my degree. Considering the economic state I would enter grad school to better my chances to work in the corporate world. I would consider a career as a financial advisor or sports agent, not too sure. My main focus is football right now. Anything outside of that is a distraction.”

You can follow Cuttino as he blogs leading up to the draft at www.contecuttino.com.

Blog originally posted at LI Pulse.com

Long Island Sports Week Ahead

They call it March Madness for good reason. The Long Island winter sports season has reached critical mass. There is no shortage of events this week (March 1-7) with championships on the line. Here is Long Island Pulse magazine’s day-by-day rundown of the most significant:

High School Boys Basketball

Half Hollow Hills West vs. Longwood (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. @ Farmingdale State): No. 1 Half Hollow Hills West (21-0) routed Bay Shore, 96-48, in the Suffolk Class AA semifinals on Sunday. The highly-touted Harris brothers put on a show. Tennessee-bound Tobias Harris had 21 points in three quarters while junior Tyler Harris scored 23. Hills West, ranked 24th in the nation by USA Today, goes for its second county title in three years. In the other semi, Longwood (19-2) scored 51 second-half points to race past Lindenhurst, 79-62. The second-seeded Lions are the undefeated League I champs, a rarity for the black-and-blue league. Longwood, in the county final for the second straight year, last won the Suffolk crown in 2000, when it lost in OT of the state title game to Ben Gordon and Mount Vernon. Longwood’s Dennis Terry is a great coach, but it’s asking a lot to draw up a game plan to take down such a complete team in Hills West. It’s a small gym, so get there early. Admission $6.

Men’s Basketball

Hofstra vs. Georgia State (Friday, 6 p.m. @ Richmond Coliseum): No team is hotter than Hofstra (18-13, 10-8), which enters the Colonial Athletic Association first round game as the No. 7 seed and winners of nine of its last 10 games. The Pride beat Georgia State, 87-74, to close out the regular season and draws a rematch here. Then it becomes a battle of endurance. Second-seeded Northeastern awaits the winner in a quarterfinal on Saturday at 6 p.m. If the Pride can keep winning, its semifinal is 5:30 p.m. Sunday with the CAA title game on Monday night.

High School Track and Field

State Track and Field Indoor Championships (Saturday, 9 a.m. @ Cornell University in Ithaca): It’s two meets in one and an adrenaline rush of a day. Public School and Federation titles will be awarded at historic Barton Hall. Garden City senior Emily Menges is the defending state champ in the 1,000 meters. With Menges running a leg, the Trojans should also be a factor in the 4 x 800 relay. The Northport girls will give chase. Roslyn senior Emily Lipari won the 1,500 a year ago and goes back as the Nassau champ in the 3,000 and 1,500. North Babylon’s Vanessa Stewart has a chance in the shot put. Connetquot senior Amy Cheung, who took third in the 1,500-meter racewalk last season, will challenge. On the boys side, Riverhead senior Mike Smith is the defending champ in the shot put and North Babylon senior Berfrantz Charles returns one year after finishing second in the 55 meters. If you’re driving, leave early to avoid bad conditions. The road to Ithaca can be treacherous.

Men’s Basketball

America East Tournament quarterfinal (Saturday, noon @ Chase Arena in Hartford): Despite tripping up in a loss Sunday to lowly New Hampshire, Stony Brook University (21-8, 13-3) earned the top seed and a bye in the America East Tournament. The Seawolves face Thursday’s Albany-UMBC winner on Saturday. The semifinal is 5 p.m. Sunday. And if Stony Brook can advance to the title game, it will play March 13 at home. But the bigger question: After getting drilled, 77-55, on Sunday to snap its 10-game winning streak, can Stony Brook refocus?

High School Boys Basketball

Uniondale vs. Baldwin (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. @ SUNY-Old Westbury): This has emerged as the premier rivalry in Nassau hoops. Top-seeded Uniondale (15-3) got past Hempstead, 52-45, in a Nassau Class AA semifinal while No. 2 Baldwin (17-2) outlasted Farmingdale, 47-31. Uniondale, the defending Long Island champ, won Nassau titles from 2002-06. Senior guard Bolade Akingboye is the lone returning starter from last season. Uniondale and longtime coach Tom Diana have been getting it done with a young cast of freshmen and sophomores. Baldwin, under coach Darius Burton, plays stifling defense. The Bruins’ last loss came in December to Uniondale, 67-64. And its last county title, in 2008, came at the expense of Uniondale. That’s right, these teams have a complicated history. Admission $6.

Men’s Basketball

East Coast Conference Tournament semifinal (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. @ C.W. Post): C.W. Post (22-5, 18-3) finished the regular season tied with Bridgeport atop the East Coast Conference and is ranked 10th in the East Region. It needs to win the ECC Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Division II Tournament. Luckily, the second-seeded Pioneers get a first-round bye and host the conference tournament. The title game is Sunday.

Blog originally posted at LI Pulse.com