By Frank Rizzo
April 13, 2001 – The only county basketball player to earn an all-state berth came from the only team in the county to win a sectional championship.
Christine Lizzi returned to Eldred Central School after a two-year absence and helped the Lady Yellow Jackets win their first Section IX — Class D title since 1994.
The New York State Sportswriters Association gave Lizzi fourth team Class D All-State status.
“We already had a good nucleus,” said Eldred girls’ basketball coach Frank Kean. “But when she came on she was the catalyst, and turned things around. Everybody learned to play with her… we jelled and it took us all the way to the regional.”
Eldred, 10–10 last season, went 20–4 this winter, won 15 straight games, and earned a share of the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division IV title.
“I just wish I had had her the last two years,” Kean said.
Lizzi left ECS after her freshmen year and spent two years at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pa.
The senior, who carries an A-plus average, led Eldred by averaging a rare triple-double: 15.5 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists per game.
“Her being recognized by the whole state is amazing,” Kean said. “She’s an exceptional player, and an exceptional person.”
— Frank Rizzo