STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — I’ve heard the chatter through the years and it always makes me chuckle.
The real league playoffs are the only things that count, I’ve been told. That includes the CHSAA, the PSAL and PSAA/ACIS where Staten Island Academy is concerned.
Hey, nobody is denying the importance of league playoffs. Of course you want to qualify for the post-season and — dare we dream — win a city championship. It’s common sense.
I cringe at quoting Herman Edwards but, yes, you do play to win the games.
And this is equally true when discussing the ever-so-popular Borough President Vito Fossella SIHSL Tournament, which is now in its 32nd year.
The tournament is overrated, I’ve heard. It’s really not a big deal. Winning off the Island is the only thing coaches care about. Etc., Etc., Etc.
Poppycock! Those who truly believe people don’t care, including the coaches, players, alumni and parents — my goodness, especially the parents – are only kidding themselves.
It’s plenty important. And don’t let anyone ever tell you any different.
I’ve been lucky enough to cover the first 31 tourneys in some way, shape or form through the years. I was at the first tournament championship game in 1992-93, when rivals St. Peter’s and Curtis slugged it out before the Eagles emerged with a 54-53 victory.
I saw the Warriors win six of the first eight tournaments.
I was present when bigs O.D. Anosike of St. Peter’s and Halil Kanacevic of Curtis — both of which found themselves at Division I colleges — battle for all the marbles at the College of Staten Island.
My jaw dropped several times watching Monsignor Farrell point guard Nick Corbett will his Lions to the 2015-16 crown with a ridiculous 45-point performance that included overtime.
Former St. Peter’s varsity basketball coach Charlie Driscoll, center left, is joined by former players, left to right, Glenn Sanabria, Timmy Quinlan and Latrell Curtis after capturing the 2013-14 SIHSL Tournament crown. Driscoll is the SIHSL Tournament’s all-time winningest coach with 10 varsity crowns.(Advance/SILive.com)
One year later, I returned to Wagner College and still remember the buzz of the crowd when Jordan Fox buried a top-of-the-key three-pointer with about a minute to go as St. Peter’s stunned heavily favored Curtis.
The list goes on and on and on because, let’s face it, the championship games aren’t the only contests that produce eye-popping results.
The quarterfinals for the 32nd annual tourney are set in stone. Those four games will take place at Petrides on Saturday and, after the winners emerge, the semifinals will take place at the same site Monday.
Storylines? There’s plenty of them.
The second-seeded Eagles are attempting to win their unprecedented eighth consecutive title.
It’s safe to say top-seeded Susan Wagner and No. 4 St. Joseph by-the-Sea are two of the favorites this year and, boy, would both schools love to become only the sixth program to win the coveted John Singleton Trophy.
Farrell rookie coach Danny Fisher? His Lions are the No. 3 seed and don’t you think he’d love to join Rich LaGrotta, Tim Gannon, Charlie Driscoll and Ryan Woods as one of the only coaches to win it all in their first varsity season?
SIA and 22nd-year head coach Mike Mazella will join New Dorp, MSIT and Curtis’ coaching staffs as they attempt to sell the ‘why not us?’ mantra to their respective teams as we speak.
So yes, the SIHSL is a paper league. It no longer has a regular season to determine the seeds, but it’s alive and kicking in year 32.
In less than a week, the 2025-26 champion will be crowd. Pictures will be taken. The net will be cut down and the Singleton will either return to St. Peter’s or find itself at a new home for the first time in 10 years.
Believe me, it’s important. And to a lot of people, to boot.
Don’t let anyone tell you anything different.