End to a strong CYO season

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It was a great run while it lasted, but St. Margaret of Cortona’s season came to an end on Saturday.

After St. Margaret’s kept its undefeated season alive at 28-0 with a 35-32 victory over St. Barnabas in the county semifinals, the team of fourth-grade students was not as fortunate in their next game against St. Clare’s of Staten Island.

In the downstate final against the Staten Island school, St. Margaret’s saw its unbeaten streak — and its season — come to an end in a 57-38 loss to St. Clare’s. St. Clare’s now moves on to face St. Gregory of Rockland County in the Archdiocese of New York Championship on Saturday, March 28. St. Gregory earned its spot in the finals with a 21-20 victory over St. John-Goshen of Orange County.

”We set it as a goal in the beginning of the year to get back there and actually win the game,” St. Margaret’s coach Rich Carmody said about losing the Bronx semifinal to Santa Maria last year. “[We had] not lost a game yet. It’s been a really great, dominant year.”

“I feel tired and very happy,” 9-year-old AJ Rodriguez said about St. Margaret’s successful season.

The St. Margaret’s victory over St. Barnabas in the downstate semifinal was a battle of familiar foes as it was the fifth time this season the two teams met on the hardwood.

“[St. Barnabas] knows, more than any other team we play, exactly what we do. It was a struggle, but we outlasted them and the better team won,” Carmody said. “It was a real big sense of relief after winning that game because it looked like we were going to lose it for most of the game.”   

Despite the loss to St. Clare’s, Rodriguez’s mother Mercedes Rendon and Carmody said this team’s season actually affects the players’ futures positively.

“We feel ecstatic about the team’s accomplishments all season,” Rendon said by text. “This is a direct result of their hard work and dedication. Our son, in particular, has grown on and off the court, showing great respect for his teammates, his coaches and the game.”

“This won’t be the last time you hear from this group as they move forward onto junior varsity and varsity,” Carmody said. “They’re going to win a lot of games together.”

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