Edmeston Panthers Capture First Boys Basketball Sectional Title with Win Over Schenevus
By MICHAEL CASTRACANE III
SUNY Institute for Local News
DELHI
Edmeston Central School made history on Saturday, March 7. Behind a balanced scoring effort and timely defensive stops, the Panthers defeated the Schenevus Dragons 65-59 to capture the program’s first Section IV Class D boys basketball championship. The matchup was played at SUNY Delhi’s Clark Field House.
Edmeston built an early lead and withstood a determined second-half rally by the Dragons to secure the sectional title.
The Panthers controlled the tempo early, moving the ball efficiently and repeatedly finding scoring opportunities near the basket. That inside attack allowed Edmeston to gradually build separation during the opening half.
By halftime, the Panthers had turned that steady play into a 34-22 advantage.
Schenevus, however, refused to go away.
The Dragons came out of the locker room with renewed urgency, chipping away at the deficit throughout the third and fourth quarters. Senior guard Allen Osborne sparked the comeback effort, finishing with a game-high 29 points.
Osborne repeatedly delivered when Schenevus needed a basket, helping to trim the Panthers’ lead and bring tension to the closing minutes.
One of the biggest moments came with just over four minutes remaining, when Osborne drilled a 3-pointer that cut deeper into the Edmeston lead and energized the Schenevus bench.
Edmeston answered by returning to its inside game.
The Panthers attacked the basket on consecutive possessions and converted key points in the paint, including a putback that helped stabilize their advantage.
Schenevus continued to battle back. With just over three minutes remaining, Sawyer Bridger scored on a layup that kept the Dragons within striking distance and set up a tense, possession-by-possession finish.
Edmeston relied on contributions across the lineup down the stretch.
Landon Wust led the Panthers with 17 points, providing steady offense throughout the game. Gavin Zinger added 14 points and delivered several crucial baskets late, as Schenevus tried to complete the comeback.
Defense also played a critical role in the final minutes. Edmeston’s Max Bolton delivered a key block that prevented the Dragons from closing the gap further, preserving the Panthers’ slim lead.
The decisive moment came in the final half-minute.
With about 25 seconds remaining, Zinger drove to the basket, absorbed contact and finished the layup before converting the ensuing free throw to complete a 3-point play. The sequence extended Edmeston’s lead to 8 points and effectively sealed the victory.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Panthers had secured a milestone moment for the program—the first Section IV Class D boys basketball championship in school history.
For Edmeston, the number-two seed going into the 2026 tournament, the win capped a postseason run that ended with the team cutting down the nets and bringing a sectional title back to the small Otsego County school.
Schenevus, meanwhile, was the tournament’s fourth seed and finished a strong season with a hard-fought runner-up performance, led by Osborne’s standout scoring effort in the championship game.
The Edmeston Panthers advance to the 2026 NYSPHSAA boys basketball championship, where they will face the Sackets Harbor Central Patriots in a regional final game on Sunday, March 15 at Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena in Syracuse. The matchup begins at 3 p.m.
This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.
