ULSTER PARK, N.Y. — Junior Jake Maendel is accustomed to winning as a key player on two state championship teams for the Mount Academy boys soccer team over the past three years.
While the Eagles are almost always favored to win whenever their boys soccer team steps on the pitch, the Esopus-based Mount Academy’s boys basketball team didn’t find immediate success in its first two full seasons on the hardcourt. Mount Academy finished 5-15 in its first full season in 2021-22 and had a 3-18 mark last season. The Eagles played an abbreviated schedule in 2020-21 due to the pandemic.
But the Eagles continued their remarkable turnaround by clinching the school’s first Mid-Hudson Athletic League (MHAL) Division IV title with Monday’s 68-63 victory over visiting Onteora at Camp Grace. The Mount (10-3 MHAL, 13-3 overall) will play in the four-team MHAL championship starting on Monday, Feb. 19.
Mount Academy will host Ellenville of Division II in the semifinals on Monday. The winner of that game will meet thewinner of Division I vs. III on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie.
Maendel, who scored a game-high 32 points and hit a long 3-point from the top of the key with 40 seconds left to thwart a fourth-quarter rally by Onteora on Senior Night, said the Eagles have found the winning formula this year due to hard work and unity.
“We’ve been recently stepping up our game in practice to get to that playoff mentality going to MHALs,” Maendel said. “This was our ticket to MHALs, which our school has never done obviously. As a third-year program, it’s great to finally be on the map.”
Onteora (5-12) made things difficult for the Mount in the first half, trailing just 35-32 at the intermission.
But following an emotional halftime ceremony that honored seniors Ron Maendel, Jameson Swinger, Rob O’Connell and Kai Meier as well as team manager Erastus Clement, Mount Academy put together a brilliant three-minute stretch of fast-break basketball to outscore the visitors 18-1 to take a 53-33 lead with 5:05 remaining in the third quarter.
Jake Maendel scored nine points during the spurt, Dennis Hofer made a pair of three-pointers and Donovan Baird added a 3-pointer and it appeared as if Mount Academy would coast to the win.The Mount led 61-44 to start the fourth quarter, but Onteora made things interesting with a late rally to pull to within 65-62 on Adam Grady’s hook shot with 1:15 remaining.
With the hosts trying to dribble out most of the shot clock, Jake Maendel had the ball a long way from the basket with the shot clock about to expire. He hoisted up a long 3-pointer from the top of the key that found nothing but net to give the Mount some breathing room at 68-62 with 40 seconds left.
“My teammates did a good job of moving the ball and as the shot clock wound down, it ended up being in my hands,” Maendel said. “I had to step up and make sure I came through for the team.”
Mount Academy coach Robert Leone wasn’t surprised that Maendel nailed the clinching shot.
“Onteora wasn’t going to give up,” Leone said. “They’re a good team and they’re well-coached. They made our lead disappear fairly quickly. But Jake is a special player and he hit that 3-pointer to give us a little separation. That’s what great players do, so give him props.”
Leone said the team has worked hard to improve this year. “Last year, the guys were all learning how to play,” he said. “They came back new and improved. And throughout the year, we have been progressing at a rate quicker than I would assume.”
Hofer (15 points) was the only other Mount Academy player to score in double figures. He added seven rebounds and two blocked shots. In addition to his game-high 32 points, Jake Maendel had five rebounds and five assists.
Bruce Maendel added nine points, five rebounds and five assists, Meier had three points, seven rebounds and four steals and Baird had eight points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals for the victors.
Brenden Thompson led Onteora with 22 points and Grady had 12.
Mount Academy will host Hawthorne Valley in a non-league contest at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15. Onteora has a non-league game at S.S. Seward Institute on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 6:30 p.m.
Photos: Mount Academy defeats Onteora 68-63 in boys varsity basketball
