Winter Athletes Share Highlights and Hopes for Next Year

Winter sports may have ended at PMHS, but athletes said they're already gearing up for an ambitious season next year at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting.

Members of the basketball and track teams shared the noteworthy highlights from the season, and some of the lowlights at the meeting. And, despite some disappointments, the teams all said that they are hopeful for the upcoming year.

The girl’s varsity basketball suffered a serious impediment this year when it lost four of its five starters, including one its lead scorers, Cubby Stiefvater. The team kicked off the season with a disappointing 0-5 losing streak, but ultimately finished with nine wins and 11 losses.

“We had a lot of key girls hurt to start the year, so we got off to a rough start,” said assistant coach Nick D’ambroso. “We had tough competition. But we have a lot of talent coming back next year.”

Two of the team’s defeats were indicative of the players’ persistence—they lost in overtime to the eventual league championships both times they competed.

The boys varsity basketball team finished off its season with a 14-4 record, and wasn’t without some serious accomplishments. Back in January, the team Peekskill’s 59-game winning streak, a rival that Pelham hasn’t beaten in 40 years.

“We’re really proud of you,” noted board member William Cavanagh. “My first game as a JV player was against Peekskill and they dunked the ball.”

Though the basketball team didn’t make it to the championships, the players still reveled in the opportunities they had on the court.

“It was a blast while it lasted,” said Ziggy Zacks. “Once our team came together it really became a lot of fun.”