North Warren varsity girls basketball players listen to strategic advice from coach P.J. Hogan during their recent Section II Class D final game versus Bishop Gibbons. The Cougars went further than any other Warren County team in the Section II basketball tournament except for the No. 1-ranked Lake George boys and the Glens Falls boys squad, which not only won the state title, but last weekend won the Federation Tournament of Champions.
CHESTERTOWN | Following the recent conclusion of the North Warren girls basketball team’s season, coach P.J. Hogan offered his thoughts about his squad’s accomplishments — which captivated fans in northern Warren County.
Hogan said he was proud of his athletes’ achievements this year, considering they went further than all basketball teams in Warren County except for the Glens Falls boys squad — eventual state Class B champions and state Federation Tournament of Champions winner — and the No. 1 state-ranked Lake George boys team that advanced to the state semifinals.
He noted that in game after game during the season, the Cougars competed with all their heart and might.
“These girls never gave up,” he said. “They are a resilient group. All the North Warren athletes, coaches and the whole school community are absolutely proud of them.”
This persistence yielded a number of come-from-behind wins, including a thrilling overtime victory over Fort Edward — although minutes earlier the Cougars had been trailing by 12 points. The decisive moments in that game were when Sydney Gagnon sank six foul shots in the last 83 seconds of regulation to tie the game, and when senior center Jackie Urtz sank a 15-foot jumper from the corner with 14 seconds left in overtime to win the game.
“Our three seniors provided great leadership this year,” Hogan said. “Jackie Urtz, Sydney Gagnon and Eliza Brown were such good role models for the younger kids — they really lead by example.”
Besides leading their teammates, Urtz, Gagnon and Brown worked with the junior varsity, modified and youth commission players, helping out at many of their practices and attending their games, Hogan said.
“Basketball at North Warren is not just a program, it’s a family,” he said.
The 2018-19 varsity Cougars were known for their swarming defense, hot shooting, crisp passing and keen anticipation of where on the court their teammates would be within milliseconds.
Hogan said that his varsity squad focused on working hard in practices, spent extra time on their shooting and achieved substantial chemistry.
“Regardless of what they were faced with, the girls were always there to pick each other up,” he said. “The girls put in tremendous effort. They were so self-directed on-court, that often I was just a spectator. They worked hard all year, and their hard work paid off.”
The 2019-20 team will do well, Hogan said, considering that this year’s team was loaded with younger players who gained experience. Returning will be juniors Lauren Monroe, Jodi Bartlett, Sarah Stevens and Kali Dugan; sophomores Emma Phelps and Kaitlyn Kramar; plus freshmen Nicole Buckman and Tia Buttino.
Turning his thoughts toward the graduating seniors, Hogan praised Gagnon, Brown and Urtz for their dedication to academic achievement and extracurricular activities as well as athletics.
“They’ll be accomplishing a lot of great things beyond basketball,” he said.
