Big night for Sachem at county basketball dinner
Sachem may not have won a girls’ basketball championship during the year, but for many reasons it was a banner season. Sachem East’s Danielle Cosgrove was named Suffolk County Player of the Year by Newsday and the Suffolk County Girls Basketball Coaches Association, and Sachem North’s James Mellor was named Suffolk County Coach of the Year, also by the coach’s association.
Cosgrove, who was named League I Player of the Year, is the third player from Sachem East to win the honor behind Katie Doherty (13-14) and Meagan Doherty (11-12). The Notre Dame-bound Cosgrove finished her career with 1,573 points, good enough for second most in Sachem East history, and 1,037 career rebounds, an overall Sachem record.
Mellor, a Sachem alumnus, is the first Sachem coach since Risa Zander to win the Coach of the Year honor in 1987. Zander is an inductee of the Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame and Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame.
“It was definitely unexpected to have my name called when they gave this award, but very exciting as well,” said Mellor. “When you are sitting in a room with over 50 coaches, many of whom you have become good friends with over the years and respect, it is an honor to be recognized as a top coach. Much of the credit goes to the girls on the team for performing at high levels all year long.”
Sachem North was 14-8 this season and 8-6 in League I, a bounce back season after not qualifying for the playoffs for a few years. The Flaming Arrows, ranked No. 10, upset No. 7 West Babylon in the first round of the Suffolk County Class AA playoffs and lost to county finalist Hills East in the second round.
In other honors, Sachem East’s Kaitlyn Wolff was named All-League for the first time in her four-year varsity career. Alyssa Signor earned All-Academic honors and freshman Mackenzie Szlosek earned League I Co-Rookie of the Year. From Sachem North, Annie Keenan was named All-County, All-League and All-Academic, while Lisa Galante and Kennadie Hallum were also All-League.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro