Pine Bush hopes to pick up where they left off

By Mike Zummo
Posted 12/10/24

The Pine Bush Bushmen may have fallen short of their goal of a Section 9 Class AAA championship last year, but they still had the best seasons they’ve had in years.

After a rebuild, the …

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Pine Bush hopes to pick up where they left off

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The Pine Bush Bushmen may have fallen short of their goal of a Section 9 Class AAA championship last year, but they still had the best seasons they’ve had in years.

After a rebuild, the Bushmen cruised through the season, losing only once until their season ended in the championship game with a 49-27 loss to the Our Lady of Lourdes Warriors.

Now, the Bushmen are back with a much smaller roster than last year, having lost starting guard Jah-esa Stokes, along with Amaya Segarra, Nia Merritt, Nevaeh Valentin and Tia Fisher.

However, they will return two of their three big players in forward Ketura Rutty and shooter Watson for their senior seasons. Mya Watson, Kayanna Cauthen, Jayla Breland and Camryn Kodgis also are returning to the Pine Bush lineup this season.

Destiney Bolding will join the team for the first time.

Pine Bush coach Michelle Bouffard said the team will look to be competitive in the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I, which contains rivals Monroe-Woodbury and Middletown.

“It’s a much smaller team than last year in numbers,” Bouffard said. “We’re hoping to pick up where we left off last year.”

Wallkill
The Wallkill Panthers may have surprised their coach last year when they won their third straight Section 9 championship, but this year, they may have a tougher time to gain their fourth, as the Panthers have been gutted by the graduation of two key players and sights have been changed entering into Zoe Mesuch’s senior season.

The Panthers finished 18-5 last year and winning their championship, the Panthers have lost twins guard Alex Dembinsky and forward Sam Dembinsky to SUNY Cortland, forward Amy Crowley and guard Emma Dilemme.
Mesuch, a commit to Navy and last year’s Class AA Player of the Year, headlines a group of returners that also includes Gabby Gualtiere, Aoife Brady, Mia Domingues and Beatrice Hunter.

Newcomers include Emma Randolph, Kendra Devincenzi, Julia Price, Logan Szeli and Leytza Bonilla.
Wallkill coach A.J. Higby said the Panthers will be working to return to the Section 9 Class AA tournament.

“We are very young and inexperienced,” Higby said. “Having Zoe Mesuch can help these younger players get much better.”

Valley Central
The Valley Central Vikings were one of Wallkill’s two sectional victims last year, getting eliminated in the Section 9 Class AA tournament.

The Vikings finished 13-7 last year before being eliminated by the Panthers and have lost Shaleese Joyner, Mia Ponzo, Maggie Bishopp and Bree Curtis Wright off last year’s team.

Kelly Schmidt, Jenna O’Connor, and Giselle Johnson returned.

O’Connor missed most of last season with an ankle injury, but Valley Central coach Bill Michella said she is a “terrific rebounder” and has quick “first step and good pull-up jumper.” Schmidt is a good defender and shooter, while he said Johnson is a dangerous shooter and “excellent off the boards.”

Hannah Garcia Curet is a small forward with a good mid-range jumper, a good defender and a tough rebounder, while Isabella Rivera will round out the starting five on the point with Schmidt.

“She has incredible composure and will become a fantastic floor general,” Michella said. “She can hit 3s and her interior passing skills are very good.”

Ally Rivera and freshman Stephanie Williamson will be the first two off the bench. Freshman Ava Kiszka and senior Alaina Firchau are both forwards who Michella said have made nice improvement.