Bronx Sports Update: HS Tourney Update; Monroe Teams Eye Nationals (Updated)

Monroe's Jeff Early

Quick update from the BxNN sports desk (which is shockingly close to the BxNN crime desk):

Both the men's and women's basketball teams from Monroe College -- strong junior college programs that routinely graduate players to bigger basketball programs -- took care of business last weekend and will be playing for births into the national junior college tournament this weekend.

Both teams will be tested on the road. The Lady Mustangs travel to Scranton, PA to take on Lackawana College, while the male 'Stangs, led by guard Jeff Early (pictured), will be in Maryland taking on a Hagerstown Community College team that defeated them earlier this year in double overtime.

Apparently, you can follow the games live on CyberSports USA. (UPDATE: The men's game, which starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, will also be streamed live on the website for Hagerstown radio station 1240 AM WJEJ. Click on the link on upper left-hand side of the home page.)

After a week off, the PSAL high school playoffs resumed last night. The Bronx fared decently.

Walton, which we wrote about last Friday, saw its championship dreams die after enduring a tough 60-64 loss to fifth-seeded High School for Graphic Arts Communication in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, DeWitt Clinton, Evander Childs, South Bronx and Alfred E. Smith all moved into the round of 16. Clinton and South Bronx face off at the Mott Haven Campus gym tomorrow night. Evander has the pleasure of meeting top-seeded Midwood on Midwood's home court, while Smith draws Brooklyn Collegiate at home.

In tonight's action, third-seeded Christopher Columbus hosts Manhattan's High School for Environmental Studies and Bronx Science stays home for its match against New Dorp High School. Both games start at 5 p.m. If both win, as expected, the Bronx will have six spots in the Sweet 16.

High School March Madness: Bronx's Wings Academy Advances to Semi-finals of City Championship

March Madness is officially upon us. And while the college tournaments have yet to begin, a lot has transpired since the New York City high school boys basketball playoffs started last week. After searching through the interwebs I've put together a little hoops roundup with some information on how the Bronx teams performed.

Spoiler alert: with one exception, they all lost.

John F. Kennedy, the northwest Bronx's best prospect and last year's city championship runner-up, was eliminated in a second round game against East New York Transit Tech, who beat the Knights 68-67. J.F.K had a bye the first round. The Post has a rundown of that upset right here.

Evander Childs, The Bronx High School of Science, and Christopher Columbus all met similar fates in their first round match-ups last Tuesday. Evander Childs lost to the #30 seed Prospect Heights, Bronx Science lost against the #32 seed Ft. Hamilton, and Christopher Columbus lost to the #28 seed Far Rockaway.

Dewitt Clinton made it through the first round, beating the 40th seed George Washinton 71-53. The Governors were humbled, however, in their second round match-up against the #8 seed Brooklyn Collegiate, who won 87-46.

The Bronx continues to be represented, however, by the #3 seed Wings Academy.

The Wings, hot off winning the borough championship last month, had a bye the first round and dispatched their first opponent, the #19 seed South Shore, in a second round game 88-75.

On Sunday, the Wings beat Abraham Lincoln High School 78-59. Lincoln has been the reigning city powerhouse; this will be the first time in nine years they do not compete in the finals at Madison Square Garden. The Daily News has more on that game here. Now, the borough champs are to face the #2 seeded Boys and Girls High School in the semifinals tomorrow. If they win that game, the Wings will advance to the finals, playing the winner of a Cardozo (#1)- E. New York Transit (#12) game.

PSAL has the playoff brackets up online, regularly updated. They can be found here.

Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 10

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission will decide next week whether to create a historic district on Perry Avenue in Bedford Park. Other Bronx buildings, including the Dollar Savings Bank on Third Avenue, are also being considered for landmark status. BoogieDowner has more on this. For some background here's a story that appeared in the Norwood News earlier this year.

South Bronx Phoenix crushed Evander Childs in boys basketball yesterday, by 105 points to 73. Previously the two teams had perfect records in the PSAL's Bronx 'A' East division.

A devil-worshipping arsonist with a penchant for racist graffiti set fire to a Parkchester church on Wednesday. It's being investigated as a hate crime.

Since 9/11, a Bronx nurse and her family have been visiting firehouses throughout the city, to prepare and serve lunch, as a way of showing appreciation for the sacrifice so many firefighters made that day.

So far this year, there have been 14 confirmed cases of rabies in the Bronx (all raccoons), more than any other borough.

Lehman College has launched a Web site devoted to showcasing Bronx architecture.

President Obama is a fan of Aventura, the popular Bronx-bred bachata quartet.

Bronx News Roundup

Two storied local high schools – Evander Childs and Walton -- closed their doors for good this week, though both of them are now home to several smaller themed high schools.

The Yankees and the city are on the hot seat this morning as Assemblyman Richard Brodsky holds a hearing on the stadium deal, with special attention to its tax exempt financing and other sweeteners. Juan Gonzalez has the story.

Newsday takes a look at the controversial tax exempt bonds fueling the Yankee Stadium project.

The Daily News’ Bob Kapstatter says the Bloomberg administration is adopting a “bunker mentality” when it comes to the Yankee project, making the Parks Department and its press officers refer all Yankee inquiries from the press to City Hall.

The Times reports extensively today on an affidavit filed in federal court that suggest that the contractor that dug the giant hole in Van Cortlandt Park for the filtration plant has been closely involved with the mob.