Three Running Rams named to Foothills Council All-Stars
Amsterdam Running Rams seniors Willie Brown and Louis Fedullo, and sophomore Ozzie DeJesus were named to the 2017-2018 Foothills Council Boys Basketball All-Star team when the league announced its selections recently. Brown and DeJesus were part of the first team. Fedullo was a second team choice. Glens Falls junior Joseph Girard III was chosen as the league MVP.
Brown averaged 18.7 points per game in his second season as a starting guard for an Amsterdam squad that finished second in the Foothills Council with a 15-3 record. Among Brown’s best games was a 30 point performance against Queensbury on senior night at AHS when the Running Rams reached the century mark in a 101-93 win over the rival Spartans. Brown was among the team leaders in three-point goals and rebounds.
DeJesus in his first season as a starter on the AHS varsity contributed a team best 19.3 points per game and also had a 30 point effort in the Running Rams 74-69 loss to Glens Falls at AHS, on the same night Girard III set a new all time New York State scoring record previously held by Lance Stephenson. DeJesus scored 28 points against Queensbury on AHS’ ‘senior night’ despite playing only three quarters of the game.
Fedullo was among the team leaders in rebounds and provided plenty of offense in the paint for the Running Rams. The senior led the way with 22 points in Amsterdam’s 58-55 loss to Mohonasen in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Section 2 Class A championship game. Fedullo also scored 28 points in the senior night victory over Queensbury.
The three Amsterdam all-stars were part of a Running Rams squad that went 18-5 overall including sectional wins over Bishop Maginn and Gloversville. Other members of the Amsterdam starting five included senior DeanAnthony Colon, and junior Jeffrey Brennan.
2017-2018 Foothills Council Boys Basketball All Star Team
Most Valuable Player: Joseph Girard III (Glens Falls).
First Team:
Willie Brown (Amsterdam), Ozzie DeJesus (Amsterdam), Dante Bouchard (Gloversville), Christian Corker (Scotia-Glenville), Jeffrey VanAnden (Queensbury), Cameron Bleibtrey (Queensbury).
Second Team:
Louis Fedullo (Amsterdam), Joey Rowback (Gloversville), Troy Monroe (Broadalbin-Perth), Stratton Sherman (Schuylerville), Sam Maziejka (South Glens Falls).
Third Team:
Josh Mason (Schuylerville), Trenton Girard (Glens Falls), Matt Boyle (Johnstown), Nick Budeshein (Schuylerville), Riley Maddison (Hudson Falls).
Pritchard MVP, Four Lady Rams on Foothills All Stars
Amsterdam senior Giuliana Pritchard was named MVP, and was one of four Lady Rams selected to the 2017-2018 Foothills Council Girls Basketball All Star Team when the league announced its list of the season’s best recently. Freshman Jackie Stanavich represented the Lady Rams as a second team choice, and senior Lucia Liverio, and junior Elena Fedullo earned honorable mentions.
Pritchard, a first team all star selection the previous season, helped the Amsterdam Lady Rams (20-3) win their second Foothills Council title posting career best marks with 542 points, 280 rebounds, 70 assists, 84 steals, and 16 blocks during 2017-2018. The five year varsity standout finished her career with 1,256 points, second on the all time Amsterdam girls basketball scoring list behind only former teammate Nina Fedullo (1500 pts), and third overall at AHS, boys and girls. Pritchard’s 542 points was a single season team record, and her season totals in rebounds, and steals were also team highs. Pritchard scored 30 or more points five times, and put up 40 points against Johnstown on January 18, 2018 at AHS. Her 23.6 points per game average was second best in all of Section 2 girls basketball. Over the last three seasons she has been force under the boards collecting 610 rebounds. Pritchard and her senior teammates Liverio, Taylor Flint, and Gianna DeRosa led by unselfish principles with Pritchard often quoted as saying; “It’s not about one of us, it’s about all of us.”
Stanavich, in her first year on the Amsterdam varsity scored 277 points, brought down 200 rebounds, and contributed 79 steals. She provided the perfect compliment to Pritchard and tremendously helped the Lady Rams transition game. Stanavich was the only other Lady Rams player to average scoring in double digits, with 12 points per game. Her season high came on December 7, 2017 at Johnstown where she led the Lady Rams with a 22 point effort. Stanavich’s best game came in the Section 2 Class A semifinal against Academy of Holy Names where she had a ‘double-double’ with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the Lady Rams 55-36 win.
Liverio’s three year varsity career as point guard fit the description of the unselfish teamwork ethic that has defined the Lady Rams game. Her career assists (271) nearly equaled her career points (276). Liverio posted a career high in points in her senior season with 145, and led the team in assists with 80, and blocks with 18. Liverio was the Lady Rams leader in assists in all three of her varsity seasons with a career best coming in 201-2017 when she contributed 124. She also had a career best in rebounds in 2017-2018 collecting 77 boards. Liverio’s defense on the court was another important asset to the Lady Rams, and for the third season she committed the fewest fouls (40) of any AHS starter. A three sport athlete at Amsterdam High School (soccer, basketball, lacrosse), Liverio plans to play both soccer and basketball in college.
Fedullo has been at the center of the Lady Rams defense since joining the varsity in 2016-2017. The junior scored a career best 166 points this year and collected 86 rebounds, and 16 blocks. Fedullo scored in double digits nine times during the 2017-2018 campaign with her best game coming against Glens Falls on December 14, 2017 when she put up 15 points in the Lady Rams 55-46 win at AHS. Fedullo was key in the Lady Rams 56- 53 victory at Glens falls a month later when she netted 13 points and brought down seven rebounds. She scored in every quarter posting 13 points in the Lady Rams 66-59 win over Pittsfield (MA) at Amsterdam’s Holiday Showcase game. Fedullo came up big in the Lady Rams playoff wins over South Glens Falls and Holy Names scoring in double digits and gathering several key offensive rebounds. Fedullo has led the Lady Rams in blocks the last two seasons averaging 19 per season.
2017-2018 Foothills Council Girls Basketball All Star Team
MVP: Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam)
First team:
Harmony Philo (Gloversville), Hope Sullivan (Queensbury), Kerri Hauser (Gloversville), Mary Kate Palleschi (Scotia-Glenville), Mackenzie Collier (South Glens Falls)
Second Team:
Jackie Stanavich (Amsterdam), Soveriegn Strickland (Glens Falls), Naesha Kelley (Hudson Falls), Haley Ballard (Queensbury), Emily Vallee (Schuylerville)
Honorable Mention:
Lucia Liverio (Amsterdam), Elena Fedullo (Amsterdam), Mackenzie Smith (Broadalbin-Perth), Anna Bayle (Glens Falls), Kendra Lavery (Gloversville), Anna Lee (Johnstown), Mikayla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville), Rhaymi Porter (Scotia-Glenville), Brinley Inglee (Hudson Falls)
Authors Notes: Giuliana Pritchard was one of three Foothills Council girls to reach 1,000 points for her career in 2017-2018. The other two were Gloversville junior Harmony Philo, and Schuylerville senior Emily Vallee. Pritchard was also chosen as a Fidelis Care Athlete of the Week by WNYT News Channel 13 in February when she broke the Lady Rams single season scoring record. The Amsterdam Lady Rams varsity girls basketball team has also been named a Scholar Athlete Team by Section 2 of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and Pritchard represented her team at the recent awards ceremony. During the high school basketball season, WNYT puts together a list of ten boys, and ten girls players for its’ Rensselaer Honda’ High School Basketball All Star Teams. The list for the girls team to date features eight Suburban Council players including Catherine Cairns (Saratoga), Stephaine Jankovic (Averill Park), Cameron Tooley (Shenendehowa), and Olivia Owens (Niskayuna), all of whom reached the 1,000 career points mark in 2017-2018. Pritchard and the Lady Rams have faced nearly all the players on the list, and have done well. The only girl currently on the list not from a Suburban Council school is Graceann Bennett of Lake George. WNYT has scouts who help make the selections to the all star teams. I hope they’ve had a chance to see Giuliana Pritchard and her teammates play. Pritchard’s skills, attitude toward the game, and leadership qualities make her worthy of a spot on the all star team. The final selections will be announced later this week.
