The Amsterdam Lady Rams varsity basketball team was represented by four players when the Foothills Council released its 2016-2017 All Star teams last Tuesday. Senior Nina Fedullo and junior Giuliana Pritchard were named to the first team, while seniors Brady Santiago and Maria Lomanto were named to the second team for the South Division. The four players selected were the most from any one team in the Foothills Council.
Fedullo, the 2015-2016 Foothills Council MVP completed her career at Amsterdam as the schools’ all time leading scorer in girls basketball with over 1400 points. Since joining the varsity team as a freshman, Fedullo has led the team on a quest to become the first girls sports program in school history to win a sectional title. The Lady Rams reached the NYSPHSAA Section 2 Class A title game the last two years with Fedullo leading the way, challenging Averill Park from the Suburban Council, and coming close to victory in 2016. During the 2016-2017 season she recorded her second consecutive 400 plus points season, to become the only AHS girls basketball player to accomplish the feat. Fedullo earned her second All Tournament team selection for Section 2 Class A in 2017, and was also named a Foothills Council All League choice for the second season in a row.
Pritchard approached the 300 point mark while scoring a career high in 2016-2017, reaching the mark in part by adding the three point shot to her growing list of skills. A second team Foothills Council All Star choice in 2016, Pritchard earned a first team nod for 2017, and also picked up her second Section 2 Class A All Tournament Team award this season. She will return for her senior year in 2017-2018 having already moved into the top ten in scoring on the schools all time list.
Joining Fedullo and Pritchard on the Foothills Council South Division first team were Gloversville sophomore Harmony Philo, and junior Kerri Hauser, Johnstown senior Claire Guzielek, and Scotia-Glenville senior Caitlin Estes.
Brady Santiago also earned her second All Star selection after posting another impressive season as one of the Lady Rams top threats to score from beyond the three point arc. Santiago put herself in the NYSPHSAA Section 2 record books in her junior year with 44 three point shots and followed that up this season connecting on more than 30 attempts. Santiago has also been a defensive specialist for the Lady Rams often matching up with opposing teams best scorers.
Maria Lomanto joined Santiago on the Foothills Council second team earning her first all star team selection. Lomanto provided consistency in the Lady Rams lineup and was a starter for the majority of the 2016-2017 season providing a compliment to Santiago’s game by also knocking down more than 30 three point shots, thus helping the Lady Rams net more than 100 triples as a team. Lomanto’s best games came against the Lady Rams toughest league opponents as she scored 15 points in the third quarter alone helping AHS come back to tie against Glens Falls, and she netted five- three point shots in a late season win over Gloversville.
Joining Santiago and Lomanto on the second team for the Foothills Coincil South Division were Gloversville sophomore Kendra Lavery, Scotia- Glenville junior Mary Kate Palleschi, and freshman Mikayla Mitchell. Gloversville junior Jasmine Gonzalez received an honorable mention.
The Foothills Council North Division first team included a trio of Glens Falls players including senior Lucy Tougas, sophomore Sophie Tougas, and junior Taylor Scarincio. Also earning first team selections were Schuylerville junior Emily Vallee, and Hudson Falls junior Naesha Kelley.
The North Division second team included South Glens Falls senior Claire Carpenter, and junior Mackenzie Collier, Queensbury senior Emma Hayes, and freshman Hope Sullivan, and Hudson Falls senior Maddie Akins.
Seniors All Star Game set for March 14th (weather permitting)
Nina Fedullo, Brady Santiago, and Maria Lomanto were also chosen to represent the Foothills Council at the Senior All Star Game. The Foothills Council senior team will play against a senior team from the Colonial Council on Tuesday, March 14 (weather permitting), at Scotia- Glenville High School. Joining the three Amsterdam players will be a group that includes Claire Guzielek and Chelsea Cirillo of Johnstown, Isabella Magliocca of Broadalbin-Perth, Caitlin Estes of Scotia-Glenville, Lucy Tougas of Glens Falls, Maddie Akins and Sophie Lebrun from Hudson Falls, Emma Hayes of Queensbury, Claire Carpenter of South Glens Falls, and Callie Beck of Schuylerville.
The Foothills Council Senior All Star team will be coached by Tim Derwin (Johnstown), Megan Bowman (Scotia- Glenville), and Jason Mehan (Schuylerville). Tip time for the contest is scheduled for 6pm.