SEATED L TO R: Eliza Press, Ava White, Sarah Hu, Isabella Pacia, Macey Miller, Bella Mauskopf. STANDING L TO R: Coach David Scagnelli, Tanisee Nagaldinne, Addison Burnside, Lindsay Jaffe, Penelope Kraus, Farryn Gallup, Sophia Yagouhbi, Ariana Segal.
The Edgemonsters had an outstanding first year together under Coach David Scagnelli, finishing 8-6 in regular season play. In the first round of the playoffs, they beat a tough Briarcliff team 20-15 in OT. They faced Pleasantville–a team that beat Edgemont 28-6 in the season opener–in the semi-finals. The E-Monsters gave it their all and nearly pulled off an upset, as they headed into the final quarter only down by 1. Pleasantville prevailed 22-16 in an exciting end to a successful season. This group has a very bright future and we look forward to seeing them back on the court soon.
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The Edgemont Avengers have climbed mountains in their 4 seasons together. In 4th-grade, when the team was established, they struggled to compete. But with hard work and dedication, and outstanding coaching and training, the boys have enjoyed successful seasons in the Tri-County Basketball League. The Avengers are an Edgemont Hoops success story. See their 2017-18 highlight reel here (part 1) and here (part 2).
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SEATED L TO R: Abigail Lewis, Julia Hu, Kaitlyn Kane, Gabriella O’Reilly. STANDING L TO R: Coach Rob Sauerhaft, Anisha Rao, Sidney Burak, Ava Orlando, Madison Frain, Jordan Ellenberg, Coach David Scagnelli.
The Edgemont Dunking Divas, together since 5th-grade, went 10-8 on the season. Missing two starters in their playoff bracket championship, they cut a 22-6 halftime deficit to 6 in the 4th-quarter, but ultimately fell to Scarsdale 36-29. Congrats on a great year and thanks to Head Coach David Scagnelli and Assistant Coach Rob Sauerhaft for their outstanding efforts to help the Divas improve and appreciate the beauty of fundamental team basketball.
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L to R: Gabe Darviche, Zach Erber, Max Cutler, Devin Gialleonardo, Nate Lewis, Harrison Bieber.
The Edgemont Sharpshooters were formed in September of 2009 when the boys were in 3rd-grade. Since then, they have played nearly 200 games together across various leagues (Hooperstown, House of Sports, Tri-County, and Westchester Jewish Basketball) and in tournaments. This year, the Sharpshooters went 5-5 in the WJBL regular season with a roster of only 6 players. In a playoff bracket of 8 teams, they won their first two games to advance to the championship vs. Rye Brook on March 11, 2018 at Edgemont HS. Down 15-1 early, the Sharpshooters rallied in the 2nd-quarter fueled by a relentless full-court press. They took the lead 44-43 late in the 3rd-quarter, but Rye Brook capitalized on Edgemont’s mounting fatigue and took the CHIP. Congratulations to the Sharpshooters and its executive management on a great 9th season together.
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SEATED L TO R: Ethan Sommers, Justin Alexander, Milan Gialleonardo, Evan Ho, Daniel Bench. STANDING L TO R: Nathan Ripp, Aaron Larit, Nathan Gaviser, Davis Kim, David Han.
BY JULIAN DARVICHE, Edgemont High School. The 7th-grade Panthers, in their 4th season together, were a force to be reckoned with, finishing 8-6 in a very competitive Tri-County “A” division. Under Head Coach Dave Scagnelli and Team Manager Vic Gialleonardo, the boys developed into the most cohesive version of the team in the franchise’s history. Gialleonardo emphasized the team’s huge mental jump from last year to this year, which came in the form of a stronger work ethic as well as clutch in-game decision making. With a full-time, professional coach who raised the bar, the team played high-school-style ball including man-to-man defense, motion offense, and full-court pressure. The pinnacle of the season was a come-from-behind, 4th-quarter win against Yorktown after trailing by 9. This victory only added to the team’s incredibly strong team chemistry. Said Gialleonardo: “Most of the boys are friends off the court and enjoy building relationships throughout the year. Good team chemistry has developed while a number of the kids who were on the team since fourth grade continue to welcome newcomers each year and keep the team’s needs in focus.” In the playoffs, the entire roster stepped up to support leading scorers Nathan Gaviser and Milan Gialleonardo.
Given their strong record in the “A” division, the Panthers were bumped up to the “AA” playoffs where they faced teams from school districts 3 times the size of Edgemont. Said guard Milan Gialleonardo: “Our 5-out offense and our screen game was what led to so many open drives and shots, but it just wasn’t enough to beat Scarsdale.” Clearly, the boys made major strides in 2017-18. Big expectations await for 8th-grade, the last season of travel basketball for this dedicated group before they take to the high school court.
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Coach Brian Davis Edgemont’s 5th-grade squad entered the 2017-18 Tri-County season with some lingering wounds from their challenging 4th-grade season at Hooperstown. But with newly appointed Coach Brian Davis at the helm, and NYC transplant Harley Pfeffer installed as Edgemont’s PG, there was strong reason for optimism. After an opening day losses against a New Rochelle team that belonged in a higher division, the Panthers subsequently posted an impressive 11-2 record in the regular season, including several barnburners. They defeated Irvington in the first round of the “B” playoffs but fell in the semis. Edgemont Hoops recognizes the significant strides made by the boys during the season, particularly in the areas of defense, rebounding, and overall teamwork. For 6th-grade, we expect this squad to be ready for the more challenging “A” (intermediate) division.
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SEATED L to R: Avery Yee, Cam Siegal, Nate Cohen, Matthew Bench, Max Ho. STANDING L to R: Miles Teixeira, Jacob Naya, Wells Cunningham, Gus Parsons, David Rosen, Allen Chan.
As of 2017, no Edgemont travel team had ever entered the highly competitive 4th-grade division of the Tri-County Basketball League. This year, Edgemont Hoops Commissioner Jon Lewis made an exception due to the impressive preparation of this 10U group under the direction of Coach David Scagnelli. Sure enough, they met the Commissioner’s high expectations.
In a truly remarkable performance, the 4th-graders came back from a 14-1 deficit to win 33-31 against Pleasantville.
Finishing the regular season with an 8-6 record, this group of 11 dedicated ballers earned the 5th-seed in an 8-team playoff bracket. They emerged victorious in their first playoff game, a gritty defensive clash in which Edgemont avenged a pair of tough regular season losses to the Byram Hills A team. Team defense was key, as the Panthers marked the lane as their territory forcing the Bobcats to roam the perimeter and take low-percentage shots.
Edgemont held Byram scoreless in the 3rd-quarter and then, as they have all season, knocked down free throws late. From there the Panthers faced a very strong Westlake Wildcats team in the semi-finals. The Edgemonters knew it would be a challenge, having lost twice in the regular season to this Mt. Pleasant-based squad by a combined 32 points. Edgemont came ready to play. With suffocating defense, they held Westlake to just 3 points in the first quarter. But not surprisingly, the pesky Wildcats would not go away. They clawed back, and Edgemont was up by only 1 at halftime. The teams fought valiantly throughout the 2nd-half, but Westlake won by 6 in a game that wasn’t decided until the final minute.
This groundbreaking Edgemont team added a few players and continued in the spring, practicing weekly and reaching the finals in a CYO league that ran through June. Edgemont Hoops loves the discipline and dedication of this squad, which has a lot to be proud of and very bright future. Edgemont Hoops faithful should plan to see them at the Westchester County Center in 2026!
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SEATED L TO R: Chris Yang, Samir Mansouri, Nicky DeMarinis, Ben Landes, Matt Gallousis, Michael Ferrante. STANDING L TO R: Assistant Coach Paolo Domeneghetti, Lucas Ravazzani, Matteo Domeneghetti, David Brooks, Andrew Knecht, Head Coach Mike Ferrante.
BY JULIAN DARVICHE, Edgemont High School. The 8th-grade Running Rebels were off to the races under Coach Mike Ferrante in a tough Tri-County A division this season. They went 7-7 record including two huge, upset wins against higher-division New Rochelle. The Rebels, in their 5th-season together, worked together like clockwork. They executed complicated plays and a furious full-court press off made baskets. According to Coach Ferrante: “Defense was key for us because that is truly what will help a team to win games: forcing the other team to work for their shots and not letting them hang around.” Defense leads to “easy buckets,” and indeed, the Rebels earned the majority of their points off fast breaks and drives.
In talking with Coach Ferrante, I got the impression that the team operated as a true unit—working hard and having fun in the process. Coach agreed: “The boys get along really well together and they are all unselfish players. Hopefully I have taught them useful fundamentals that will help them all as they move on to the next level, JV basketball, next year.”