Few could have envisioned this frenetic start from Mahopac, which has rolled out of the chute hotter than the jail cell in the South.
The Indians are 5-0 and have a signature victory on their resume, with a tough matchup against Scarsdale waiting in the wings.
Did anyone see this coming?
Sure, the Indians dripped of potential with the inside-outside tandem of Ryan Simone and RJ Martinez, each of whom expanded their game throughout a rigorous summer schedule.
Sure, a pair of All-Section candidates on the same roster ensures the Indians won’t slip out of relevance.
The lack of experience and influx of first-year varsity players, however, would portend early struggle.
Growing pains and a few hurdles standing in Mahopac’s way early on seemed inevitable given the team’s youth movement.
Don’t forget that Mahopac’s 2013 graduation claimed a deep, athletic senior class. That group played with an immeasurable savvy and passion, emanating from the wild and wildly loyal fan base, the Mahopac Maniacs.
On paper, which is a term rapidly becoming one of the more aggravating and glaringly overused cliché in sports, Mahopac seemed prime for a seesaw season.
Again, the loss of nine lettermen has the power to extract mediocre projections, especially when several players a limited varsity pedigree are funneled into prominent roles.
Whispers of wonder, circling the Indians chances of four straight County Center Final Four berths, enveloped the pre-season conversation.
Four straight berths in the County Center would be an unprecedented mark for this program.
Heck, for any Section I team that doesn’t have Mount Vernon or New Rochelle or Peekskill etched across the jersey, that period of prosperity would seem unlikely.
Applying the pressure of gaining a fourth straight Final Four berth to this unproven core seemed unfair.
Constant reminders of the Indians streak of three straight County Center berths were littered all over pre-season capsules.
Is a fourth consecutive Final Four surge attainable?
Again, the question sprinkles hyper-lofty expectations on a squad still mired in the rebuilding process.
Yet there was ‘Pac on Monday night, holding a commanding 28-9 halftime lead on Poughkeepsie….
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