Section V B-Ball: Sights & Sounds At The Class A Semi-Finals

Even if it wasn’t the Section V class A semi final, the courtside press table has to be one of the best seats in the house. And when you’re seated next to a high school sports aficionado you get plenty of insight with the view. Drew Brown, who along with Brian Hillabush and Bill Collmer, is one of the founders of the online high school sports forum, Section V Talks Back. Raised in Brockport, played high school hoops in Vermont, and was an assistant basketball coach at Lima Christian, Drew has apparently done his homework. As the game went on he was quick to point out the skills of various players on the court, including Batavia’s Hoy brothers, Rob, Andrew and Marcus.

Neither did Drew fail to mention the athleticism of Geneva’s Junior Collins. When the senior guard developed a hot hand down the stretch, the senior guard’s quick lateral movement was clearly evident.      

Batavia had numerous chances to put the game away, but just as often they let the Panthers back into it.  

With the Blue Devils down by four late in the fourth quarter, Andrew and Marcus Hoy brothers sank back to back three pointers and the Batavia section responded accordingly. When Andrew made it three in a row the Blue Devil rooters erupted. Then, with time running out and Geneva still in the game, Junior Collins had the ball once again. This time he was guarded by Joe Schlossel.

A year ago at this time, Joe was standing in the Florida surf, wielding a fishing rod and trying to turn the shark that had picked up his bait and ran with it. To no avail, as the shark stripped all the line from his reel without looking back.

Now he was squaring off against one of the best athletes in Section V. - and with much better results. The shark got away. Junior Collins did not.    

As he walked off the court I congratulated Joe and asked if his father was at the game. “He’s in Florida,” said the younger Schlossel.

Being he isn’t the avid fishermen his son is, Joe Sr. is probably golfing. But he will be back for Saturday’s finals.