By Jeanne Sager
April 8, 2003 – Livingston Manor

Overall Record: 4-12

League Record: 3-7 OCIAA Division V

Team Leaders: Four seniors – Jason Kean, Brian Will, Travis Morton and John Henry Schleiermacher – led the Wildcats this season.

Season Highlight: Because of snow delays, it was hard to get a rhythm going this season in Livingston Manor, but Coach Rich Robinson said overall the team did well.
“We had a good season,” said Robinson. “We played every game strong.”

Season Lowlight: The boys struggled this year with new competition, Robinson said.
“It’s tough getting used to playing Orange County schools,” he noted. “We’re a [Class] D school, and these other schools are pushing C.”
But the one moment that marred the season was the cancellation of a game against Eldred. Because of some crowd control incidents, administrators at the rival school decided to forfeit the game. (Eldred also forfeited a girls’ basketball game to the Manor Lady Wildcats.)
But much of the blame for some fans’ behavioral problems fell on the two teams, Robinson said, when none of the players on either team were involved.
“It was a shame that they put it back on our teams,” he noted. “We suffered because they cancelled the games.
“That was disturbing, and I know it disturbed the Eldred coach as well,” he added.

Other Comments: Robinson will be retiring this year as Manor’s varsity coach, although he plans to stay involved with the athletic programs.
He forsees a good year for the Wildcats next season. Juniors George Thomas and Patrick Branning will be returning, and they should be team leaders next year.
“They should have a pretty decent team coming back,” Robinson noted.
The only factor in question is the budget cuts looming in a number of area school districts. Talk of cutting modified or junior varsity programs could make it difficult for coaches to build their teams in the future, Robinson said.