B.B. varsity basketball teams celebrate their past iterations
February 15, 2024 at 12:14 a.m.
The Blind Brook basketball teams present and past had a good day on Friday, Feb. 9.
Both the varsity boys’ and girls’ squads triumphed in their games against the Pleasantville High School Panthers. But the teams of young Trojans weren’t the only basketball players celebrating in the Blind Brook High School gym, as two ceremonies were held recognizing the program’s good old days—one after the girls’ game and one during halftime of the boys’ match that followed.
As part of the school’s 50-year anniversary festivities, the Friends of Blind Brook Fund, a non-profit charity geared towards raising money for the district’s current student athletes, hosted a celebration that night honoring some of the teams that came before them.
Immediately following the girls’ varsity game, in which they beat the Panthers 58-35, 19 men stepped onto the court.
Three of them—Ian Harris, Jeff Mazin and Chris Halliburton—were members of the inaugural boys’ varsity basketball team, which took to the court in 1976.
The rest were members of the last two state championship-winning squads the school fielded, the 2001-2002 and 2003-2004 teams.
Kimberly Saxton, the Blind Brook athletic director, said the first teams did more than just play a sport.
Three members of the original Blind Brook boys’ varsity basketball team, Ian Harris (left), Jeff Mazin and Chris Halliburton, who took to the court in 1976, started a program that’s continued to this day.By David Tapia
“These remarkable athletes exemplify dedication, sportsmanship and the pursuit of excellence,” she said. “They’ve had a lasting impact on the character of our community.”
On top of receiving a standing ovation during their ceremony, each player will be receiving a commemorative gold brick, courtesy of the Friends of Blind Brook. As part of the anniversary celebrations, the group is selling gold bricks for $150. They’ll be used to decorate the vestibule at the entrance to the high school, and each can be personalized for the donor.
“The gym didn’t look like this back then,” joked Harris after the ceremony, as he took a look around the facility. The members of the first team were in high spirits but still taken aback by the commemoration.
“It’s just nice to be remembered at all,” said Halliburton.
Greg DePaoli, who served as an assistant coach for the undefeated 2002 championship team and head coach for the 2004 winners, could still recall the day the squads won their rings.
“I remember telling them all this would always connect us,” he said. “And 20 years later, here we are, connected again.” As he looked down the bleachers towards his former players, he reflected on how much time had passed.
“They’re around the age that I was when we won the state championship,” he noted. “It’s nice to see how they’ve turned out.”
At halftime of the boys’ varsity game, two more groups were presented to the crowd. The inaugural girls’ varsity basketball team, which also debuted in 1976, and two Trojan superfans.
The Konigsberg family has been a staple in the school’s basketball scene for years, both on and off the court.
Donny and Janey Konigsberg have been cheering for the Trojans from the start—initially rooting for their daughter Leslie who was a part of the first girls’ basketball team. Since her playing days, her parents have been sitting on the bleachers showing their Blind Brook pride for relatives and strangers alike.
Most recently, they’ve been watching their granddaughter Kendall. The Blind Brook High School sophomore has shined as a key player for the girls’ varsity team this year and is looking to perform well during the playoff season.
“For half a century, they have been the embodiment of true sports enthusiasts,” Saxton said. “Their unwavering support, infectious enthusiasm and enduring commitment to our community has created a legacy that will resonate through the ages.”
Leslie, who also received a gold brick from the Friends of Blind Brook, was the only former player present at the ceremony from the girls’ teams.
And her parents’ support has also earned them a permanent seat at Blind Brook, in one of their favorite spots: the high school gym. Their names will be featured on a plaque, making them an enduring fixture in the bleachers.
The ceremony ended with a performance by the Trojan Dance Team, but the cherry on top was the boys’ basketball team’s victory over Pleasantville, 73-61.
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