Wings Academy Comes Out On Top In Slam Dunk Challenge
by Zach Smart
A few nights before the year 2005 concluded, two of New York’s elite high school basketball teams went head to head in the title game of the prestigious Slam Dunk Challange.
At the Westchester County Center in White Plains, Wings Academy of the Bronx proved they were too much for Peekskill, a Section I dynasty that has produced UConn’s Hilton Armstrong and Los Angeles Clippers star Elton Brand. Wings, though playing a run-and-gun brand of basketball at times, increased their record to 11-0 with a 69-68 victory over Lou Panzanaro’s Red Devils.
Wings has three division I players in the lineup, as well as a severely under-recruited point guard. Ranked no.11 in the state’s class AA schools, Wings has the potential to emerge as the top private school team (PSAL) in New York.
Despite a quiet night from Manhattan commitment Andre Tarver (8 points), Wings dominated throughout.
James Carr, a 6-foot-10 inch Center headed to Siena, altered many shots in the paint and created scoring difficulties for Peekskill, which is ranked no.1 in the state in Class A. Carr, who was held scoreless on offense, finished with eight blocks on the evening. He kept Peekskill Center Derrick Denis, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound mountain of a man, in check. Denis finished with 11 points but wasn’t the factor he could have been.
Junior guard/forward Kidani Brutus, whose stock is on the rise, led Wings with 20 points and scorched the nets all game long.
Peekskill was atrocious in the first half, shooting an abysmal 20.8 percent. They started the game off as flat as they’ve been all season, scoring three total points in the first quarter.
Standout sophomore Mookie Jones, a rail-skinny 6-foot-6 guard/forward, eventually ignited them. In the end, it wasn’t enough.
The Red Devil guards moved the ball up the court with their heads down, and Peekskill couldn’t connect on any big shots or fuel a strong run to keep the score respectable.
The Red Devils were out-dueled 24-5 on second-chance points, with Carr and the Wings big men hauling down boards.
Carr, though a solid post presence, showed major holes in his game. The slender senior must assert his body on offensive more, become tougher, and learn how to not give up on a play.
“We were just off tonight,” said Jones, who is already receiving interest from major division I programs, including Louisville. “But we came here to get better. This is the best team we’ll play. Nobody can mess with us in Class A.”
Jones finished with 15 to pace Peekskill.
