The Albany Academy Varsity Basketball team has set the stage for play in Class A this year. They have been a threat to everyone they have faced, especially John S. Burke Catholic High School in Goshen, NY. On the road with a big matchup like this, one would expect that there would be a battle for the win. A battle it was; by the end of the first half Burke led 46 to 42, and it was clear that neither offense could be stopped. It seemed that the team that could finally figure out how to put together some stops would ultimately win, which goes along with the old hat saying that defense wins games.
By the end of the third quarter Academy was still down four but hanging tough with this 7th-ranked team in Class A. In the fourth quarter the Cadets dug deep to find themselves down 74-72 with 39.7 seconds left in the game coming out of a timeout. In the timeout Coach Fruscio showed his trust in his team and their defense by telling them to force a stop and not foul. They did exactly that and got a stop.
With the final seconds running down on the clock, John Moutopoulos got free of his defender at the elbow, got the ball, took two dribbles, and put it up from the other side of half court. While the ball was in mid-air, life seemed to freeze for a moment as the ball floated toward the basket. That state was quickly disrupted by the buzzer sounding and the ball banking off the backboard and through the hoop. Instantly the Academy Varsity squad stormed the court to celebrate while the home crowd stood in shocked silence.
A few days later John Moutopoulos and the team received the highest recognition by making Sport Center’s Top 10 Plays with his shot. Everyone who was there will always remember this moment in Albany Academy basketball history.