


With teammate Griffin Nelson (ten) injured early in Friday’s New York State Higher College Athletic Association Class C semifinals, the Randolph Cardinals held on to knock off Moravia and advance to today’s championship game. Photo by Mike Frame

The final – and only time – Randolph reached the final 4 of the New York State Public Higher College Athletic Association, the Cardinals faced Division III champion Tully in the semifinals.
Midway via the initial quarter of that game, one particular of Randolph’s ideal players, Nick Shoby, was injured below the east basket of what was then the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Later, when head coach Kevin Hind asked Shawby if he was prepared to re-enter the contest, the Cardinals senior gave his coach a confident “Yes,” but as he stood up and headed for the scorer’s table, he collapsed.
Shoby never ever returned to the game, Randolph lost 46-33, and Shoby was later diagnosed with 3 broken ribs.
On Saturday, in Randolph’s initial return to Glens Falls considering the fact that 2004, Hind knowledgeable an eerie moment of deja vu.
With two:15 left in the initial quarter of Randolph’s state semifinal against Section IV champion Moravia, the Cardinal’s Griffin Nelson grabbed a steal and jumped to the basket for a layup.
It would finish up becoming Nelson’s only bucket of the game.
As the sophomore fell, his momentum carried him into the post that held the basket above the court, and his shin hit the padded structure.
At the eastern finish of the court.
In the initial quarter.
In what is now referred to as the Cool Insuring Arena.
As he lay on the floor writhing in discomfort, Nelson told assistant coaches and a NISPHSAA representative that he heard a thing snap.
Sooner or later he was helped to the bench exactly where his reduce leg/ankle was wrapped. He never ever returned to the game.
Owen Nelson, a senior for the Cardinals and Griffin’s older brother, was clearly impacted by the injury, finding into foul problems and never ever becoming capable to place his stamp on the game.
But Randolph persisted.
Jaden Huntington was whistled for 3 early trips, and the Cardinals’ usual steady inside-outdoors presence never ever took more than the game.
But Randolph persisted.
Senior Carson Conley and sophomore Drew Hind led the way for the Cardinals with 20 points every single.
And although Roan Kelly, Tristan Farnham and Cooper Freeman had been mainly non-components on the offensive finish of the floor, they had been just as vital to the Cardinals’ good results as Conley and Hind.
Kelly was a important element of Randolph’s press break, creating a break early in the second half and burying two free of charge throws late that helped place the game out of attain for the Blue Devils.
Farnham grabbed 3 rebounds, helped out on the defensive finish and did not turn the ball more than in his six minutes of action.
Freeman — a player who did not see varsity minutes till the finish of the season and has however to score his initial varsity basket — played nine minutes, grabbed a rebound and grabbed a important steal for the Cardinals.
Griffin Nelson sat on the finish of the bench for the complete game and as the final buzzer sounded, his older brother was the initial to come across him for an emotional hug. Drew Hind ended up operating more than to his dad for a significant hug and quickly discovered Griffin at the finish of the bench to share the moment.
A single by one particular, every single member of the Cardinals hugged Griffin just before heading to the locker space inside Cool Insuring Arena.
Griffin Nelson will not physically be on the field with his Cardinals teammates when they take on Section I champion Haldane in today’s five:15 p.m. championship game in “Hometown USA,” but every single of his teammates will bring a piece of him to the floor.
Coach Hind never ever saw how his group would react to losing a important player in 2004.
He’ll get that chance nowadays as the Cardinals play for the program’s initial state title.





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