Tuesday April 23, 2024 
This week was full of victories for AP sports! Boys basketball defeated Hudson Falls 59-49 on 1/22. Matt Lettko led the team in scoring with 18 points. Vinny Carucci and Ben Romer added 15 and 10, respectively. AP followed this win with another over Colonie 54-45 on 1/24. Romer finished with 18 points to pace the Warriors. Lettko added 15 and Jack Long recorded 12 more for AP. Up next for AP is Guilderland on 1/31.
Girls basketball also defeated Colonie 60-33 on 1/24. Amelia Wood had a big night with 28 points and Kelsey Wood finished with 15. The Warriors will take on Guilderland on 1/31.
The Capital District Jets picked up their third win of the season on 1/24 over the Mohawks. AP sophomore Kyle Millington picked up an assist on the Jets third goal. On 1/25, the Jets fell to the Storm 3-0. The Jets will face off against Burnt Hills at the Albany County Hockey Facility on 1/31.
The AP wrestling team defeated Burnt Hills 49-33 on 1/23. Jacob White, Sean Malenfant, Mason Lumbra, Alex Cooper, Dom Paradise, and Chad Rist all picked up wins for AP.
AP indoor track had a meet in Utica on 1/24. The 4x800m relay team of Lena Kiehl, Mary Bryant, Kim Mazzacco, and Maddie Gile broke the school record with a time of 10:25.96.
The boys bowling team fell to Niskayuna in a close 17-15 matchup on 1/22. Parker Brown led AP with a high series of 639.
Girls bowling fell to Schenectady 24-8 on 1/22. Lindsey VanAlstyne had a high series of 488 and high game of 182 for AP.
Good luck to all of AP’s indoor athletes as we begin to approach Sectionals. Go Warriors!
This week’s scholar athlete is Matthew Lettko. Matt is a captain on the Varsity Basketball team. Matt has played basketball since he was eight years old. He was introduced to the sport by his parents, and he has loved it ever since. Matt’s favorite aspect of basketball
is “playing as a team and watching my teammates succeed.” This year, Matt hopes that he and his teammates will be able to win a sectional championship. In order to prepare for the season, Matt played AAU basketball for the Cap City Scrappers and lifted weights.
Matt worked hard during the offseason in order to prepare himself for the challenges that come during the season. He says “the hardest part about basketball is having the mental toughness and patience to do the right thing at the right time.” Matt’s efforts
have helped him find success in his sport. His hard work was recognized when he was named MVP at the Shawn Walsh Memorial Basketball Tournament. In his future, Matt plans to attend a four year college and play basketball.
Matt works hard both on the court and in the classroom.
Matt has maintained a GPA of 95 throughout high school. This year, he is taking challenging courses such as AP Statistics, Statistical Reasoning in Sports, Construction Practicum, and Forensics. Even with these challenging courses, Matt has reached the high
honor roll every quarter in high school. Additionally, Matt was inducted into the National Honor Society last year. In order to balance school and his sport, Matt says “I make sure all my homework is done on time and to study before I put extra time in for
basketball.” In his future, Matt plans to study business at a four year college.
Matt’s parents have served as role models for him.
He says “they always push me to do my best at basketball but remind me that school comes first.” Matt would like to thank his coaches for helping him throughout his basketball career. “Thank you to Coach Pugliese and Coach Hirschoff for believing in me over
all the ups and downs my last 3 years on varsity basketball.” We wish Matt the best as he finishes his senior year and prepares for college.
