by Jerry Burke
A lot can happen in 46 years. Nine American Presidents later, the Rams finally have a crown, and they're not done yet.
Led by the inspired play of senior guard Etienne Brower (21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists), the Rams' 61-28 dissection of the Locust Valley Falcons had the West Hempstead half of the almost 2,500 fans at the SUNY Old Westbury's Clark Center jumping from start to finish last Saturday night.
From the slightly delayed tip-off, thanks in part to severe parking overflow, the Rams' team defense would not be denied. From freshman guard Akeem Bennett's (11 points) pick-pocketing skill to the overwhelming size advantage of Brower and sophomore forward Jeff Martin (16 points, including two gorgeous three-pointers), West Hempstead's strong first-quarter showing, an 18-5 lead, was just too much for the Falcons to overcome.
Despite the lead, which grew to 32-10 by the half, Rams head coach Al Christenson kept the team focused, preaching increased pressure when guarding the basket. The plan worked, as Locust Valley's top scorer, senior center Dan Mauzak, was held to three points.
"Stop looking at the scoreboard and watch the game!" Christenson yelled at his bench before the half ended. Even with the game readily in hand, the coach was wary of a second-half comeback. "Don't underestimate, no matter what the score," he told them a moment later.
The advice was well heeded, as the Rams came out for the second half unfazed by the break. The crowd went wild as senior guard Darrell Wease sank his second three-pointer with 2:37 left in the third period, putting West Hempstead up by 28. Moments later, a Falcon turnover ended up in the hands of a running Brower, whose electric one-handed dunk brought the house down.
While Brower was the individual star of the game, there was no doubt that the team's overall defense was the key. "They were great tonight," said Christenson, who was beaming over the Ram's first advance past the first round of the playoffs since 1969.
The Rams, with a record of 20-1, continue in the playoffs riding high, with 19 straight victories. The next challenge, however, is great: three-time state champ Amityville (20-2), which captured its fourth straight Suffolk County Championship with a 50-39 win over Walt Whitman High School on Saturday.
Amityville will, however, be without the player key to its state championship run: phenom 6'10" center Jason Fraser now shoots for the Villanova Wildcats. "I think without Fraser, it might be closer than people think," said Brower.
The game is set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Indoor Sport Complex at Stony Brook University.
"These guys have worked the whole season, and they deserve it," said Christenson. "They were fabulous the whole game. [Next week] we're coming to play. Right now, we can do anything."
