JV Volleyball v Rumsey at DDS on Thursday January 10th 2008

JV Volleyball had it's first official game on Thursday, January 10th against Rumsey. Since Rumsey doesn't have a JV team, DDS played half of the varsity squad losing 17-30, 22-30, 24-30. The team consists of five 5th graders: Hannah Hill, Erica Doyle, Lillian Oyen-Usted, Caitlin Tardio and Hayley Conger, and two 6th graders: Paige Reifler and Maddie Olson. All played aggressively and showed great teamwork. MVPs of the match were Lilly and Caitlin who both got around ten serves in. NIce Job, Team! Mrs. Yager

Varsity Basketball v Rumsey (H) on Wednesday January 9th - Report by Coach Ouellette

In their first game of the New Year, the varsity basketball team faced perennial powerhouse Rumsey on their home court. DDS came out with a very up-tempo offense and smothering zone defense. From the opening tip-off to the final buzzer, DDS was never behind and worked very hard to protect their lead. Early in the game point guard Griffin was hobbled by a sprained ankle. Cooper and Austin came in to ably fill his shoes. The entire team looked so good executing their plays with improved precision and knowledge. Adam finished the game with 11 points and many rebounds and was our rock in paint. He battled two larger Rumsey players throughout the game and really made the difference for us on the offensive boards. With Griffin sidelined, Hudson was put into the floor general’s role and he really rose to the occasion. After a couple of miscues, Hudson settled down and delivered some great passes for scores to his teammates. He controlled the fast break and had a beautiful pass to Christian on the block for a great layup. Hudson finished the game with a team high 19 points and 8 steals. As we say in basketball, “he left it all on the court”. By halftime, DDS was leading 20-16 but was losing their focus. After a halftime talk they came back out with renewed determination. Jackson played with some new found confidence. He had good position on his bigger opponents and showed steady improvement on defense. Danielle, Christian, and Roan continued to show consistently good defense with Danielle scoring her first basket of the season. The second half also found Griffin able to play with his ankle wrapped. He finished the game with 9 points and some great steals, even on his “injured wheel”. The team incorporated the “Quick” play forcing Rumsey to come out and play them. The team ran some precious minutes off the clock and the play also led to some beautiful baskets. The “Quick” play was executed by Adam, Hudson, and Griffin and it was very effective. The team looks forward to their next game with Trinity-Pawling on Thursday, January 17th at DDS. If you’re not too busy, please come and see this great group of kids try to make it three in a row.

Sports Schedule for week beginning Monday January 7th 2008

Wednesday January 9th - JV Basketball away @ Rumsey School 4:00 p.m.start. Pick up at DDS at 6:15 p.m. Varsity Basketball home v Rumsey 3:30 start - Pick up at 4:45 p.m. Varsity Volleyball v Rumsey School @ DDS start 3:30 p.m. Squash practices at Millbrook school as usual.

Thursday January 10th - JV Volleyball v Rumsey @ DDS start 3:30 p.m. - Pick Up at 4:45 p.m. Squash practice @ Vassar College. Pick Up 6:00 p.m.

Varsity Basketball rearranged game v Kildonan

The home game against Kildonan that was postponed in December due to snow, will now be played on Monday February 11th at DDS. Start time is 4:00 p.m.

DDS BASKETBALL TEAM ENJOYS A NIGHT AT MARIST COLLEGE

Over forty DDS basketball players, parents, teachers, and friends took their annual team trip to see the Marist College women’s basketball team play the Fairfield University Stags on Saturday night. The Marist team is a consistent, well-coached one that has garnered national attention since going to the “Sweet Sixteen” last season.

While Marist dominated Fairfield the entire game and the score was quite lopsided, the purpose of the trip was not only to have fun but also see a team that is disciplined, unselfish, and team-oriented. We certainly saw that last night. Marist played tenacious, smothering defense and hustled at both ends of the court. Their offense was well organized, running some very simple pick and roll plays and some great give and go’s that produced many points. And they certainly weren’t afraid to launch the 3-pointer, even from NBA range, with a great deal of accuracy.

It was a great game for the kids to see because it clearly demonstrated that simple old-fashioned hustle and team play are alive and well. Being a part of a team is a very exciting experience for young people and they will remember it for the rest of their lives. Our kids witnessed a team with a great deal of cohesiveness and spirit and it was electrifying to watch. Hopefully, they will bring some of the lessons they learned at the Marist game back to the Bontecou Gym and incorporate them into their own practice routines.

The DDS group cheered loudly for the Marist Red Foxes and seemed to be having a great time with comments such as “I feel like I’m back in college” to “I can’t believe how close we are to the players”. Some of our kids said they’ve never seen “girls that tall”, or “Boy is she fast” and others said, “They’re just as good as the guys”. It seems like the DDS crowd really enjoyed the excitement of a college basketball game.

Thanks to everyone who attended the game and making our annual team trip such an enjoyable event.

Best wishes for a Happy New Year to the entire DDS community from the DDS basketball team.

Varsity Basketball Finally Opens Season with a hard fought victory - DDS-35 WMS-31

After being snowed out for their first two home games, the varsity basketball team traveled to Washington Montessori on Wednesday afternoon for their long awaited opening game. As if the team hadn’t had enough delays, a bus scheduling problem almost left this game in jeopardy. Special thanks to parents Mitzi Stamer and Ron Wilson for driving the team to our game. Also, thanks to Nigel Pink and Eileen Shaw for their help with contacting parents and securing permission to drive our personal vehicles to the game. The team did not want to miss another opportunity to play.
The team got off to a sluggish start but managed to stay ahead throughout the first half. Everyone was trying to shake off those first game jitters. As the team ran their plays and started to gain a little confidence, things started to fall into place. The first half ended with DDS up by 3 points. A very different DDS team emerged for the second half, more focused and ready to prove they were not satisfied with their first half performance. The seesaw battle continued, but DDS was playing with a fire and focus that was missing in the first half. The energy level was very contagious. Even the players on the bench were cheering and encouraging their teammates. Tri-captains Griffin, Hudson, and Adam anchored both the offensive flow of the game and played some very tough defense. These three team leaders combined for a total of 31 points and each provided the spark that we needed at just the right time. When our man-to-man coverage was allowing too many easy layups, we switched to our tight 2-3 zone defense, clogging up the middle, and causing the WMS players to have to work very hard for their shots. Danielle and Christian were especially tenacious on defense with both causing numerous jump balls and possession opportunities. Christian scored his first varsity basket with a great pass from Griffin. Roan and Shriman were quite active on defense and positioned themselves for some great rebounds, leading to many excellent fast break opportunities. Shriman accounted for our other basket. Overall, it was a great start for our team.
Our kids learned the value of not only being physically prepared for every game, but mentally prepared as well. They also know that WMS has some very good athletes, but our desire, determination, and will were the difference that sealed the victory for us. After the team enjoys their holiday break, they know we have just one practice to prepare for perennial powerhouse, Rumsey on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at home. We hope you will be able to come and cheer for our team. Happy Holidays from the basketball coaches and players to the entire DDS community.

DDS Sports Schedule (Week beginning Monday December 17th)

What's going on during our last week of sports in the year 2007?
Monday - All teams are practicing as usual. Reminder that for practices, Volleyball and Squash pick up is at the lower school gym at 4:45 p.m. Varsity and JV Basketball pick up is at 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday - Varsity Basketball have a game away @ Washington Montessori start 3:30 p.m. Pick up will be at 5:45 p.m. Squash will be practicing at Millbrook School. Pick up for this day only will be at Millbrook School @ 4:30 p.m. Volleyball have practice as usual.
Thursday - All teams have practice as usual. Squash will be at Vassar College. Pick up will be at 5:45 p.m.
Friday - No Sport today - Happy Holidays to everyone!