GLENS FALLS, NY- It's been a trying year for the Christ the King girls’ basketball team as they had to deal with the losses of their assistant coach Clare Droesch, and longtime athletic trainer Anton Turkovic, both of whom have passed away recently.

Droesch passed away last May after a battle with stage four breast cancer while Turkovic passed after a short undisclosed illness in January during this basketball season.

There was a lot on the minds of the Royals throughout this year, but because of that they as a unit had a lot of motivation to finish out this season with the trophy and make all those who they were playing for proud.

That's exactly what happened as after falling behind by as many as 10 in the third quarter it was a second half to remember for Klarke Sconiers '19 as on her 18th birthday she had 17 points and 11 rebounds, with all 17 points coming in the final sixteen minutes to help lead the Royals to the Federation Championship with an 81-76 victory over Ossining.

Christ the King head coach Bob Mackey had a moment this morning as he left the Royals hotel at the Landmark Motor Inn after watching tape on Ossining that in a way brought him chills, but at the same time comforted him knowing that Turkovic was with him in what was the Royals biggest day of the basketball season.

"I went out and got tea this morning from the hotel we stay at and the wind was blowing," Mackey explained. "Normally the room I stay in is on the corner and Anton's is right next door. There are plastic chairs out front and the plastic chair in front of the room he stays in as I'm walking slid out to the parking lot. I'm not a big believer in that stuff but I'm telling you it spooked me and I told the kids before the game he is with us."

Not only was Turkovic with the team but so was Droesch as they each felt her presence with her Coach Clare chair on the bench with them as the Royals brought that up to Glens Falls from Queens to make sure that she was a major part of what they were doing as well.

On top of that you can add in the fact that Christ the King was undefeated coming into this game a year ago and fell to Baldwin in a game that every player each said still haunts them, another major talking point in the lead up to the game for the Royals with Sconiers saying it was absolutely was with them leading up to the game.

"We talked about how much this all meant to us and we just kept revisiting that locker room last year and we said we never want to feel that way again," Sconiers said.

A team may never have played for as much as they did on this Saturday night, and with so much on their side they wouldn't disappoint, even though for Christ the King there did prove to be bumps along the way.

Going into halftime it was a 37 all tie as Nina Rickards '19 was carrying the Christ the King offense with 15 points, but with Aubrey Griffin '19 and Kailah Harris '19 each pouring in 13 it was the stars rising up to the challenge in the biggest game of the year.

Ossining came up with a big start to the second half as Griffin would score 10 quick in the third quarter to see the Pride take their biggest lead at 53-43, and at that point some concern did set in for Mackey, though at the same time he believed in his senior laden group to finish the job and not let the game truly get away.

"I expected it to be a war and it was a war," Mackey said. "Did I expect us to be down 10 there? No but they had the firepower and we're getting the job done."

At that point it was the birthday girl in Sconiers who would finish in the paint against contact for the three-point play as they cut the deficit down from 10 to just 3 at 55-52 heading into the fourth.

Getting it to a manageable deficit and not falling in a big hole was a catalyst for the Royals as back to back Sconiers buckets would get Christ the King back in front at 58-57, and from then on out it was a true back and forth contest with the lead being traded on 7 occasions in the final quarter of play. The Royals would go up 5, but Griffin would score 5 straight on her own to re-tie the game back up.

Playing in a close game was nothing new to the Royals though as last year's game against Baldwin was the same way, but unlike last year where they couldn't make the big shots down the stretch it was Khadija Demry '19 who again was clutch with 6 points in the final two minutes, and when Natalija Marshall '20 scored on a baseline jumper with 1:44 to play it gave Christ the King a lead they would not relinquish.

It has almost seemed like destiny from the start of the year for this year's group of Royals, and while it was never easy on the journey it was mission accomplished for Christ the King when the clock hit all zeros as led by Rickards 19 points, the aforementioned 17 and 11 from Sconiers, and then 14 points apiece from Demry, Marshall, and guard Kaelynn Satterfield ‘19 who also added 9 rebounds, it was the Royals taking home the title, 81-76.

Griffin would score 25 of her game high 38 points in the second half, scoring her 2,000th career point in the fourth quarter as well, along with grabbing 18 rebounds in what was a terrific all-around effort for a player that Mackey after the game called the best player in the Class of 2019 on the East Coast.

All season the plan has been to play for more than themselves and in one game they were able to make every dream and hope they had come true as the Christ the King seniors can now carry this title with them the rest of their lives and say they won it for Clare, they won it for Anton, and they won it for everyone who has ever bleed maroon and gold.

To do this on her birthday too made it an extra special moment for Sconiers who walked out of the locker room on Saturday with her head held high knowing that no matter what else she gets from family and friends the rest of the night, nothing could ever compare to leaving the Cool Insuring Arena as a Federation Champion.

"We did this for so many people, and to win it on my birthday is the best birthday gift I could ask for," Sconiers said with a smile. "I'll never forget this."

After they won the NYSPHSAA Class A title a week ago in Troy it was a bit of a surprise for Mendon head coach Todd Julien to hear that they still had more basketball to go admitting that he was unaware and unsure exactly of what the Federation Tournament of Champions truly was.

He wasn't sure of how to motivate his team to get back up after achieving their season long goal of a NYSPHSAA title, but Julien said he soon found what he needed in the form of a note of possibly being a first.

"We had extra motivation this week because no Section 5 AA or A team had ever won the Federation Bracket so I was searching for something to motivate us all week and thankfully I found that because it really had us dig our heels in," Julien admitted.

The Vikings players all agreed with Julien as they wanted to be the first Rochester area team to represent and bring home the Federation title.

For much of the game it was looking as if they would breeze their way to that against Staten Island Academy as Mendon led by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter before a 21-4 run by the Tigers, propelled by the penetration of Emily LaPointe '19 as she continually got into the lanes and finished to see SIA take control.

With just over a minute left Mendon was down 60-56 and Julien said at that point he was just looking for something, anything to give him hope that the Vikings weren't done for good.

"I said please just give me a bucket, just something to work with," Julien said.

Having someone like Alana Fursman '19 on your side helps as she was able to drive and finish to cut the deficit to just two, and then off a Staten Island Academy turnover it was Fursman finishing with 8.2 seconds left off an inbounds play that tied the game up at 60. The Tigers didn't get a good look off as a jumper was no good just before the buzzer and the Class A title game was OT bound.

Momentum was squarely on Mendon's side with Julien saying he and his team were able to feel that as well, and when Courtney Naugle '19 connected on the opening bucket of the extra session it gave the Vikings a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Fursman was named Tournament MVP as she had 17 points, while Lexi Green '21 added 13, and Naugle had 12 in what was the first ever Section 5 Class A Federation title as they were able to rally late and take a 72-67 OT victory over a very talented Staten Island Academy team.

LaPointe led all scorers with 23 points for the Tigers with the Manhattan bound senior also adding 10 rebounds as well for Staten Island Academy in the loss.

Winning the NYSPHSAA title may have meant the world to this Mendon group but with the Federation title now in their hands that Fursman says means quite a lot as well as it may not have been their goal a few weeks ago, but they are now very happy to go out in their final games as champions.

"I didn't want to lose and I know the rest of the team didn't want to lose either so we worked together as a team and did our thing and now can say we won it all," Fursman said.