Stanner Stunner

Through years of virtually owning the Catholic league’s Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan division, Christ the King did not just beat teams. They impaled them. Often, the game was over before it started. There was an added “it” factor attached to the Royals maroon and gold.
“They’re just the best,” Archbishop Molloy sophomore Shannon LaVelle said. “You know the dynasty. They have amazing players that go there. … If you come in intimidated, you’ll lose by a lot.”
Molloy erased that aura in the two teams’ last meeting, back on February 9, by overcoming a 12-point second half deficit to snap CK’s string of 108 consecutive regular season victories, 58-50 in overtime.
On Sunday, they did one better. Led by Kerri White’s 12 points and LaVelle’s nine, the Stanners made history, snapping the Royals’ string of 23 consecutive Diocesan titles with yet another comeback win, this time rallying from nine points back in the third quarter, for a dramatic 45-41 win at St. John’s Prep, Molloy’s first title since girls were admitted into the Briarwood school eight years ago.
“It had to be through them,” said Molloy Coach Dom Cecala, who took over the program seven weeks ago after John McGlynn resigned. “There was no other way.”
“Twenty-four years is a long time to hold onto something,” CK Coach Bob Mackey said. “All streaks are going to come to an end.”
When the Stanners were shooting blanks from the field, scoring just three third-quarter points to dig themselves into a nine-point hole, they relied on their previous victory over the Royals. CK (13-12), meanwhile, was busy turning the ball over, failing to put the Stanners (18-8) away. Slowly, Molloy chipped away. They knocked down 14 free throws in the final quarter and went ahead on LaVelle’s 3-pointer with 1:42 remaining.
White said the previous Christ the King upset gave them motivation. After the victory, the Stanners were told the win was lucky. It would not happen again.
“We didn’t believe it was a fluke,” the senior said. “We knew we could play with them. We had to come out and prove to everybody else it wasn’t a one-time thing.”
Early in the year, such a moment was not realistic. Molloy was struggling. An icy relationship between McGlynn and the players had developed. When Cecala took over, the metamorphosis began.
Before their first practice, he told his new players, many of whom had played for him either on the jayvee level or with his AAU team, the New York Xplosion, he trusted them. He also said they could beat Christ the King and win the entire league. Cecala remembered receiving several quizzical looks at that point.
“I think they did at least believe in the fact I was going to go to bat for them,” he recalled.
It has certainly showed in a season that won’t soon be forgotten at Molloy, from the leadership of White and fellow senior Molly Dreyer to development of the four sophomores - Kelly Guerriero, Kelly Robinson, Elise Lontos and Marielle Duryea - to their repeated comeback victories.
It seemed almost too good to be true, Cecala said. On his way to the parking lot afterwards, he wondered if he was dreaming. Junior center Nicole Marciniak summed it up when the team, singing from the moment the game ended to when they left the Astoria school, stopped all of her teammates in their tracks.
“We just beat Christ the King,” she exclaimed, pausing for effect. “Twice!”