Pine Plains Bombers take home Section IX title

Michelle Blackburn, no. 12 of Pine Plains, helped lead the Bombers to victory over S.S. Seward Institute as point guard for most of the Section IX Class C tournament finals at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., on Wednesday, March 5. The Bombers took home the title after winning the hard-fought game 55-42.

Photo by Nathan Miller

Pine Plains Bombers take home Section IX title

NEWBURGH, N.Y. — The Pine Plains girls varsity Bombers won the Section IX Class C girls tournament Wednesday, March 5, at Mount Saint Mary College.

The Bombers took an early lead against S.S. Seward's Spartans and didn't let off the throttle for the rest of the night, wining the game 55-42.

"We were here last year and we lost a tough one at the end," girls varsity coach Les Funk said after the game. "These kids never gave up. They had this in mind from last year. This was the goal."

"They had this in mind from last year," girls varsity head coach Les Funk of Pine Plains said. Funk said the young team wanted the sectional title and "never gave up," until they won it Wednesday, March 5, at Mount Saint Mary College.Photo by Nathan Miller

The Bombers hit the ground running in the finals matchup, winning the first possession and quickly racking up a 10 point lead before the end of the first quarter.

The squad was led in scoring by Neveah Rennie, no. 34, who scored 20 points, and Emma Brenner, no. 23, who scored 17 points.

Most of the Bombers points came from field goals in the first half. Pine Plains entered halftime with a 30-12 lead over Seward.

Naveah Rennie, no 34 of Pine Plains, was the Bombers' dominant scorer, racking up 20 points by the end of the matchup against S.S. Seward Institute during the Section IX Class C finals at Mount Saint Mary College on Wednesday, March 5.Photo by Nathan Miller

Seward caught on in the second half and fought hard to keep Rennie and Brenner from scoring, but only succeeded in sending the two shooters to the free-throw line where they both saw success.

Rennie made 75% of her free-throw attempts at the finals game. Brenner went to the line less often but came away with a higher make percentage of 83% — she made five out of six attempted free throws.

Latest News

Out of the mouths of Ukrainian babes

To escape the cruelties of war, Katya finds solace in her imagination in “Sunflower Field”.

Krista A. Briggs

‘I can sum up the last year in three words: fear, love, hope,” said Oleksandr Hranyk, a Ukrainian school director in Kharkiv, in a February 2023 interview with the Associated Press. Fast forward to 2025, and not much has changed in his homeland. Even young children in Ukraine are echoing these same sentiments, as illustrated in two short films screened at The Moviehouse in Millerton on April 5, “Once Upon a Time in Ukraine” and “Sunflower Field.”

“Sunflower Field,” an animated short from Ukrainian filmmaker Polina Buchak, begins with a young girl, Katya, who embroiders as her world becomes unstitched with the progression of the war. To cope, Katya retreats into a vivid fantasy world, shielding herself from the brutal realities surrounding her life, all while desperately wanting her family to remain intact as she awaits a phone call from her father, one that may never come.

Keep ReadingShow less
William F. Buckley Jr.: a legacy rooted in Sharon
Provided

Sam Tanenhaus, when speaking about William F. Buckley, Jr., said he was drawn to the man by the size of his personality, generosity and great temperament. That observation was among the reasons that led Tanenhaus to spend nearly 20 years working on his book, “Buckley: The Life and Revolution That Changed America,” which is due out in June. Buckley and his family had deep roots in Sharon, living in the house called Great Elm on South Main Street, which was built in 1812 and bought by Buckley’s father in 1923.

The author will give a talk on “The Buckleys of Sharon” at the Sharon Historical Society on Saturday, April 12, at 11 a.m. following the group’s annual meeting. The book has details on the family’s life in Sharon, which will, no doubt, be of interest to local residents.

Keep ReadingShow less