Eagle Academy ends RFK’s run

There was no finger-pointing or irate yelling once their season ended. No woe-as-us anguish written all over their faces.
When No. 12 Robert F. Kennedy’s magical playoff run finally came to a halt, courtesy of top-seeded Eagle Academy, 50-43, in the PSAL Class B semifinals at Hunter College in the Bronx Monday afternoon, the outlook was of a positive nature.
“It was a great run,” senior center Roberto Colonette said. “It was the best season we ever had. I’m proud of the team.”
Even so, the surprising postseason that included upsets over the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in the previous two rounds, didn’t have to end - in the final minutes, another shocking victory was a possibility, the lead within striking distance, up for grabs. “If a call goes one way or another,” RFK Coach Mike Mulstay lamented, “it could be a different game.”
The Eagles had no answer for the 6-foot-6 Colonette, who terrorized them in the paint with 23 points and 14 blocks. He repeatedly swatted away or altered attempts at the rim, and scored six straight points in an 11-2 fourth-quarter spurt that got the Panthers within three with 3:12 remaining.
But Chris Davis and Tyquan Brown beat the RFK press for baskets and the Panthers failed to execute on the offensive end down the stretch. “All we had to do was work a little harder and we would’ve won,” Colonette said.
It was apparent from the opening tip that for this Cinderella story to include another chapter, Colonette would have to dominate. The undefeated Eagles (21-0) had a decided advantage on the perimeter; their pressing and trapping style gave the Panthers fits all game. It led to many a breakout or uncontested layup, enabling Eagle Academy to build a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
“Their guards busted their butts from the first second of the game to the last second, and that’s the reason why they were so successful on the press,” Mulstay said.