Not only did Clarkstown North enter Wednesday riding a 15-game winning streak, but it was senior night in Rockland County for the Vikings, the 10th-ranked team in New York’s Class AA. On top of that, the last thing the home crowd did before tipoff was sing a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday” to their head coach, Kenny Amparo.
That song was the last bit of noise the crowd would make.
With a 21-6 turn-out-the-lights lead at the end of the first quarter, Rye (15-4) breezed to a 69-48 win behind some razor-sharp outside shooting and the forbidding defense for which this Garnet unit has come to be known.
“I’m proud of our group tonight,” said coach Tom Proudian. “To come into this environment, on the road, against a really good Clarkstown North team … this was a quality win for us. A statement win. The resiliency of these boys is what I love. Cal Wing got his first start of the year tonight in a big spot for him. And he delivered.”
Against a loaded Clarkstown North (17-3), fans on both sides kept waiting – quietly – for the Vikings’ run to come. Even at the start of the third quarter, with Rye up 38-16, most figured the Vikings would respond.
They never did. Rye’s defense made sure of that.
While Vikings’ shots continued to miss their mark, Rye junior Ben Hudson (16 points) found his stroke from beyond the arc.
“Ben is our point guard and our quarterback,” Proudian said. “In this second half of our season, he continues to man the ship, bury big 3s in big spots, and give us great rebounding and defense from the guard position.”
With seniors Carson Miller (26 points), Henry Shoemaker (15), and Sebastian Lewis (five) all healthy and playing at the top of their games – at precisely the right time of year – Rye will be an extremely tough opponent in the upcoming Section 1 Class AA postseason tournament.
The Garnets will look to complete a stretch of seven games in 11 days with a 7-0 record, with their regular-season finale set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Iona Prep (14-8).
