MONTICELLO — With local schools out for the summer, teams gathered at Monticello High School to get some offseason reps. Head Coach Chris Russo is ahead of the break with another year of his off-season Summer League, bringing teams from Sullivan and neighboring counties together to get a glimpse of the upcoming season.

This year’s league ran from July 12 through July 29 as the Panthers completed an undefeated summer campaign to add a trophy to the case.

The league consisted of five clubs in total. Monticello finished first at a perfect 7-0. Port Jervis was the second best team at 6-1. Ellenville finished 3-3. Liberty was 1-5 in the league, and Fallsburg finished 0-5.

The top four teams made the semifinal round in which Port Jervis defeated Ellenville and Monticello took out Liberty. Monticello went on to hand Port their only league loss in the Championship game.

When asked about his mission and thoughts on past leagues, as well as this year’s summer league, Coach Russo said, “Most teams have a mix of returning varsity players and JV players, so it gives the coaches an opportunity to see what kind of team they can be moving forward. It helps kids improve and prepare for the upcoming season.”

“It’s a great experience for the kids to be with their teammates and coaches during the summer,” Russo added. “It gives them the opportunity to play some competitve games, improve their skills and build some chemistry.”

Russo concluded by saying, “I am thankful that Monticello CSD and our AD, Ryan Jasper, allows us to host the league and their support throughout the year. The teams that participate enjoy the experience and it helps build a better community among rival teams. I wish more schools would be able to be involved.”

Many of these teams will cross paths in the regular winter season, and if the summer league is any indication, it should be some competitive games.