NEWBURGH - What already was a roaring Saugerties student section, full of verve and nerve, had its volume brought to a crescendo late in the third quarter.
Jack Parisio had scored nine consecutive points, the last of which was a fall-away from behind the arc, and it seemed then the Sawyers were in full control and that long-awaited championship was within their grasp. Those fans could sense it.
"I already knew it," Parisio said with a grin. "Once we got off to a good start, I could feel it. The way we've been going in the playoffs, there's this ultimate feeling of confidence."
They've had no reason for it to waver.
With a smothering interior defense that's becoming a signature, the second-seeded Sawyers defeated underdog Beacon, 54-38, Friday to win the Section 9 Class A boys basketball title.
It was Saugerties' first championship since 2015.
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"It's the best feeling in the world," senior Nicholas Stinemire said. "After years of being on the team and not doing anything like this, or even remotely close, it's incredible."
Saugerties (13-10) advances to face the Section 1 champion in a subregional Monday, 6 p.m. at Dutchess Community College.
Stinemire was in the fourth grade when this program last hoisted a plaque, and he admitted it would be another two years before he even became interested in basketball.
Saugerties right now is especially thankful the 6-foot-4 forward did.
Stinemire had 11 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. He and Ty Van Valkenburg (seven points) anchored a post defense that contested and deterred several other shots, making it difficult for Beacon even to get clean looks on its penetrating drives.
Parisio scored 19 points and weaved through the defense with a crossover and quick change of direction. His skills were on display during a two-minute stretch in the third quarter in which he scored nine straight, helping Saugerties extend to a 41-26 lead.
"We knew they were an athletic team and they do a good job of getting into the paint," Sawyers coach Mike Tiano said of Beacon. "But we've got some excellent defensive players and we've been playing really well collectively over the last few weeks."
Saugerties, admittedly, was inconsistent through most of the regular season. With several underclassmen in key roles, including three starters, it took until late January for this group to hit its stride, Tiano said. But, have they ever.
The Sawyers have held opponents to 39 points on average in three playoff wins thus far, including an overtime contest in the semifinals.
"We're a defensive team and we've taken a lot of pride in keeping teams under 40," Parisio said. "It wasn't Beacon's day, shooting-wise, so we knew we had to keep the paint on lock and everyone did a great job."
Stinemire's layup with 3:23 left in the first quarter gave Saugerties a 7-6 lead it didn't relinquish. Myles Coons' put-back made it 52-31 with two minutes remaining.
Fifth-seeded Beacon had excelled down the stretch, overcoming a 2-7 start to its season and eventually upsetting No. 1 New Paltz in the semifinals to reach its first section final since 2003. But the Bulldogs ran into an opponent that also was hot and proved to be a difficult matchup.
Derek Fortes had 10 points and three blocks, and Ryan Landisi had eight points and nine rebounds for Beacon (14-10), a young team that is expected to return the bulk of its core. Their turnaround, and the sectional run, could be a springboard for the program.
"Props to our fans," Stinemire said of their audience, who was enthusiastic and noisy throughout. "We definitely feed off that excitement and want to keep giving them reasons to cheer."
The Sawyers, now, have given them reason to celebrate.
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Boys basketball: Parisio, Stinemire help Saugerties win first Section 9 title since 2015
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