Two Delaware County schools and one Schoharie County school will seek state championships in girls basketball this week.
For Delaware Academy, it would be the first state title in the sport since 2018. For the combined program of Jefferson Central School and Stamford Central School, it would be the first state title in the sport for either school.
However, for either team to bring home a state championship, it will have to get past some of the historically top programs in the state.
Here is a look at the path to a state title for Delaware Academy and Stamford/Jefferson.
Class D Girls:
Stamford/Jefferson (22-2) vs. Notre Dame (19-5)
It has been a steady rise to the top for the combined programs of Jefferson and Stamford, which are about seven miles apart on either side of the border between Schoharie and Delaware counties. In their third season of combining for sports, S/J has dethroned longtime Delaware League champion South Kortright/Andes, won its first section title in the sport for JCS and its first since 2000 for SCS.
S/J won a regional title Sunday, March 15, in Binghamton, with a 56-46 win over Section III runner-up Copenhagen.
The next challenge is Section V winner Notre Dame, a Batavia school that is about halfway between Rochester and Buffalo. The Irish beat Section VI champion Sherman in the Western Regional, 47-40, and topped rival Elba in the section finals, 49-35.
Coach Vinny Falleti has described his team as a defense-first group. His daughters are team leaders. Senior Gianna Falleti led the team with 17 points against Elba. Junior Sofia Falleti was the Section V Tournament MVP and then scored 23 points against Sherman.
Freshman guard Quinn Boardman scored 10 points in both championship games.
With the exception of an early-season loss to Elba, the Irish have only lost to bigger schools. They lost twice to Class C Oakland-Alabama, once to Section V Class C champion Keshequa, and once to Section V Class B champion Waterloo.
The Class D semifinal between S/J and Notre Dame will take place at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 19, at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.
The winner will play either Section X champion Chateaugay or Section XI champion Smithtown Christian, which will play at 7:45 p.m., Thursday in Troy.
Smithtown (15-5) beat Section IX champion Eldred, 55-49, in the Southern Region title game at Suffolk County Community College on March 7.
The Knights lost to Cherry Valley-Springfield in the regional round in 2024.
Chateaugay (26-0) beat defending Class D champion LaFargeville, the Section III champion, in the sub-regional game, 42-37, and then topped Section VII champ Schroon Lake, 48-36, to win the Northern Region on Saturday, March 14, in Potsdam.
Chateaugay is also known for its defense. The Bulldogs held LaFargeville to 11 second-half points March 11, then held Schroon Lake to seven second-half points four days later.
Chateaugay lost to LaFargeville in last year’s Class D semifinals.
The New York State Sportswriters Association has Chateaugay ranked No. 1 in Class D girls basketball, followed by S/J, Smithtown Christian and Notre Dame.
The semifinal winners will play in the championship game at 7:45 p.m., Friday, March 20, at HVCC.
Class C Girls:
Delaware Academy (22-2) vs. Frewsburg (20-4)
When the Bulldogs won a state title in girls basketball in 2018, it was as a Class D school. To accomplish a similar goal this season, it will have to get past some Class C powerhouses, starting with defending champion Frewsburg.
The Bears have been to three straight Final Fours in the sport, beating Stillwater in last year’s finals, 59-44.
This season, Frewsburg won a Section VI title by beating Wilson, 53-33, and then beat Section V champion Keshequa in the Western Regional game, 57-43.
Junior guard Jadyn Trocki leads the Bears in scoring. She had 37 points against Keshequa, and 20 points, 10 assists and six blocks against Wilson.
Trocki was named the Class C Player of the Year in 2024-2025.
Frewsburg’s losses this season have been against much larger schools: twice to Cathedral Prep from Erie, Pa., as well as to Class B Hornell and Class AA North Tonawanda, which is in the Class AA Final Four.
The Class C semifinal between Delaware Academy and Frewsburg will take place at 10 a.m., Friday, March 20, at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.
The winner will play either Section II champion Greenwich or Section I champion Tuckahoe, which will play at 11:45 a.m., Friday in Troy.
Greenwich (25-1) beat Section IX champion S.S. Seward in the sub-regonal, 64-34, and then topped Section VII champion Lisbon, 73-48, in the Northern Regional game Saturday.
The Witches beat Delaware Academy in the season-opening Dick Alwine Tournament on Dec. 6, in Delhi, 61-31. They also beat Unatego (71-54) and Sidney (76-29). Their only loss was in overtime to Stillwater, 43-41, on Jan. 22, one of three games against the Warriors this season. The third game was in the Section II Class C championship, which the Witches won, 45-38, on March 8, in Troy.
Tuckahoe (19-3) has won five straight Section I Class C titles and made four straight Final Fours. The Tigers beat North Salem, 67-50, in this year’s Section I final, March 7, in White Plains. The Tigers then beat Section IX champion Pierson in the Southern Regional, 55-42, on March 15, at Suffolk County Community College.
Tuckahoe’s only losses this season were to Yonkers Montessori, which is in the Class B Final Four, Class B Hamilton, and Clarkstown South, a Class AA school.
Tuckahoe lost to Frewsburg in last year’s semifinals.
The New York State Sportswriters Association has Frewsbugh ranked No. 1 in Class C girls basketball, followed by Tuckahoe, Delaware Academy and Greenwich.
The semifinal winners will play in the championship game at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 21, at HVCC.