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Leads Indians to League Title: McCarthy Dominates WSL

Frank Rizzo
Posted 3/22/21

Published March 23, 1999

NARROWSBURG - The dominant player in Western Sullivan League boys' basketball play this year was the coaches' choice for most valuable player of the 1998-99 season.

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Leads Indians to League Title: McCarthy Dominates WSL

Posted

Published March 23, 1999

NARROWSBURG - The dominant player in Western Sullivan League boys' basketball play this year was the coaches' choice for most valuable player of the 1998-99 season.

Padraic “Paddy” McCarthy led Narrowsburg to its first league since 1966 and helped the Indians reach the Section IX - Class D final, where they lost to eventual state champion Millbrook.

McCarthy was dominating the WSL jayvees two years when varsity coach Cliff Kelly brought him up in time for the playoffs.

“He made an impact in the sectionals, which was a turning point for him,” said Kelly. “He had been a good jayvee player, and (his sophomore year) was a growing year, he turned himself into a varsity player.”

McCarthy became part of a rare group of Narrowsburg players to have copped both sectional and league championship titles. Two years ago, he helped the Indians win their first Class D title since 1965.

“We had a young team this year, so Paddy put a lot of pressure on himself. There was a lot of pressure on him and he fought through it,” Kelly noted. “He was a stabling influence on the younger players.”

McCarthy averaged 24.7 points, 18 rebounds, and six blocks per game this year.

McCarthy reached a low point statistically in a 65-55 overtime loss to Delaware Valley on January 27. He scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

With the loss, the Indians fell to 3-2 and at that juncture were down two in the loss column compared to then unbeaten Tri-Valley and Roscoe.

They roared back to win nine straight to cop the title, and McCarthy had back-to-back 39-point games in this stretch.

Kelly commented that McCarthy was always coming through when his team needed big points.

“When we were in trouble, we gave him the basketball,” Kelly said.

The 6-foot-5 McCarthy said a number of Division II four-year schools have shown an interest in him, and he'll base his decision mostly on whether they offer enviromental studies, his area of interest.

The senior carries a high 80s grade point average and scored 1120 on the SAT.

“Personally, I thought this was my best season, and I give credit to my teammates for that,” McCarthy said. “They were real young but able to deal with pressure as the season went on. Evan Kraack came up from the jayvee and saved the (sectional semifinal) game against Delaware Valley for us. Freshman Chad Powell and Bruce Nober also did a good job.”

McCarthy thought he played better as the season went on, facing teams for the second time and applying what he had learned against them in the first round.

The Cochecton resident plans to once again play with some of his teammates in a summer league in Honesdale, PA. He also plans to repeat his experience of playing in an AAU basketball league in Scranton, PA.

“There is extreme talent there,” he said of the AAU hoops, noting that he played against a 7-foot-2 Division I prospect last summer. “He made me feel really short. He didn't even have to jump to block my shots.”

For the past two season, it was McCarthy who made most WSL pivot men feel small with his dominant low post play.

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