By BILLY HEYEN
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Penfield head coach Mark Vogt had barely hoisted the Class AA Section V championship trophy before Emma Blumenstock snuck in from behind, grabbed it and took off running.
Her Patriots teammates followed as they set up in front of their families in the bleachers for a second hopping, celebratory huddle in a handful of minutes. Everyone wanted to get their hands on the block.
“It was crazy,” Blumenstock said. “It’s something we’ve always dreamed of, and actually getting it is just a crazy feeling, and we’ll never forget this.”
The block for @mvogtpenfield pic.twitter.com/4kjOA4OFTr
— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) March 13, 2021
Sixth-seeded Penfield upset top-seeded Bishop Kearney, 54-51, on Friday night to claim the Class AA sectional title. Elisa Faklaris led the Patriots with 14 points and was joined by Haley Emmick’s 10 points and 17 rebounds, Eva Elliott’s 10 points and Blumenstock’s eight. Together, Penfield claimed a title that evaded it in finals appearances each of the previous two seasons, taking home the crown in a season that less than two months ago had yet to be approved.
“We thought we weren’t getting a season, senior year, we didn’t think we would get any games,” Blumenstock said. “Just being able to play and coming home with a sectional championship is crazy. We’ll never forget this.”
MORE: Haley Emmick keys Penfield’s sectional title
Even once New York state sanctioned high-risk winter sports, of which basketball is one, Penfield didn’t appear to outsiders as sectional champion material. Two All-Greater Rochester players from a year ago, Baylee Teal and Nyara Simmons, had graduated, as had a third double-digit scorer, Jessica Rinere.
Emmick was the Patriots’ leading returning scorer at about 7.7 points per game in her junior season. In 2019-20, Faklaris, Elliott and Blumenstock combined to average less than 10 points per game.
“Nobody gave us a chance,” Vogt said.
“Everyone doubted us,” Blumenstock added.
Vogt knew he had good athletes when his team started practice on Feb. 1. Many are standout lacrosse or soccer players. But Vogt wasn’t sure whether he had great basketball players, and Emmick didn’t know if the Patriots could reach the heights of the prior two years.
Early in the regular season, Penfield lost in overtime and fell in another one-point game. Vogt said they weren’t making the “basketball plays” to win those close contests. But the athletes, for the most part, were winning everything else, and they beat Churchville-Chili in double overtime to close the regular season and prove to themselves they could win a tight one.
The Patriots kept showing it to themselves with close wins over Fairport and Gates Chili, both on the road, to advance to Friday night’s final at Bishop Kearney.
BK had beaten Penfield on Section V’s biggest stage each of the past two years, giving Vogt and Kearney head coach Kevan Sheppard plenty of familiarity.
“It’s gonna be a game of runs, a well-played defensive game on both ends of the court, and you gotta be ready to make a lot of adjustments,” Sheppard said of matching up with Penfield.
MORE: Sectional final Friday wrap
Penfield had the first run Friday, with Emmick opening the scoring and a couple transition buckets opening a quick 8-2 lead for the Patriots that soon grew to 16-10.
Eva Elliott on the break, 4-0 @mvogtpenfield . @PickinSplinters pic.twitter.com/socE6RDAxx
— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) March 13, 2021
Kearney closed to within two points by halftime, but Penfield had two things going for it that BK’s earlier postseason opponents didn’t: The Patriots were beating the full-court press and slowing down Marianna Freeman.
A game after Freeman dropped 24, she scored her lone three points in the fourth quarter Friday as she was mostly defended by Faklaris.
“I was really proud of (Elisa),” Emmick said. “She did a really good job. Marianna’s not easy to defend, and Elisa definitely stepped up.”
MORE: East Rochester wins first title in 29 years
By the second half, Kearney’s third game in five days and Penfield’s success against pressure meant BK dropped into half-court defense for much of the third quarter. That allowed the Patriots to move the ball in the half court and set up four 3s in the third, from Faklaris, Blumenstock, Grace Alexander and Elliott.
First hoop for @EmmaBlumenstock . 34-26 @mvogtpenfield . @PickinSplinters pic.twitter.com/EbPlb6NsWy
— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) March 13, 2021
Eventually, the Kearney run Sheppard alluded to came, and BK tied the game first at 48 and again at 50 and 51. Three Emmick foul shots gave Penfield the final margin, but Kearney had a chance to tie.
“We said that, if they score, I got nothing to do all night, let’s just keep playing,” Vogt said afterward.
BK got a look for one of its best shooters, Kaia Goode, but it didn’t fall. That set off Penfield celebrations that had been at least three years in the making.
“It’s a great rivalry,” Vogt said. “It was nice to finally get one. They got the first two, I guess third time’s the charm.”
The Patriots sprinted toward each other at center court for their first mob scene of the night as Vogt embraced assistant coach Kelly Paladino, whose name hung on a banner 30 feet away as an assistant coach on BK’s 2013 boys state title team. Nobody at midcourt or on the sideline wanted to let go.
About an hour later, Vogt again held on tight, this time to the sectional championship block. Penfield was escorted into its high school parking lot by the flashing lights of a police car and fire truck. The Patriots posed for a few more pictures, but it was cold and Vogt was happy to let his team disperse.
He wasn’t letting go of the trophy, though. Vogt cradled it in his right arm, as if it was a football or a baby. He called it his “most special,” because Penfield had been the sixth-seed and did all its winning on the road.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” Vogt said. “… It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit.”
The Section V Class AA champion @mvogtpenfield Patriots are home 🏠 @PickinSplinters pic.twitter.com/u3duKsxwC3
— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) March 13, 2021
Scoring totals
Penfield: Elisa Faklaris (14), Haley Emmick (10), Eva Elliott (10), Emma Blumenstock (8), Kennedy Cone (6), Grace Alexander (3), Kylie Bell (2), Jackie Funk (1)
Bishop Kearney: Kaia Goode (14), Camille Wright (10), Taylor Norris (10), Aniya Rowe (6), Amaia Jackson (4), Caydence Hadley (4), Marianna Freeman (3)
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