Sports

Columbia Prep proves coach right, wins NYSAISAA ‘C’ title

On the eve of Columbia Prep’s first-ever NYSAISAA championship game, coach Ryan Pettit had a surprise for his players. After practice, he had assistant Matt Hoek read a text message exchange that was sent back in August after the Lions’ summer camp.

Hoek had texted Pettit asking how the team was going to be this year. The response was prophetic.

“I wrote back, ‘I guarantee we’ll win the state tournament,’” Pettit said. “I guarantee it.”

The players were taken aback by it. But in a positive way.

“It made us feel like we were gonna win,” senior guard Brandon David said.

That’s exactly what they did.

No. 2 Columbia Prep, which fell in its league championship game, upset top-seed Riverdale, 69-47, for the NYSAISAA Class C boys basketball title Sunday morning at Fieldston in The Bronx. It is the school’s first state title of any kind and the wild celebration afterward was befitting of that.

“I don’t know whether to cheer or cry,” David said afterward.

Columbia Prep (20-4) led 37-26 at halftime and 50-36 after three quarters. It was a double-figure advantage for almost every moment of the second half. Pettit’s game plan worked to a tee. He wanted to press Riverdale (15-10), run as much as possible and make sure it wasn’t a halfcourt game.

“I think we’re faster than any team out there,” David said. “We forced them out of their comfort zone. Riverdale is a halfcourt team and we made them play our game.”

Though it was not an extremely competitive game after the break, the Columbia Prep student section was extremely loud, going crazy for every rebound and loose ball, let alone a made basket for the Lions. Called “The Blackout,” between 50 and 60 supporters wearing black t-shirts with “6th man” on them, travel with Columbia Prep to each and every game. This title run has captured the imagination of the school.

“It’s unique to Manhattan,” Pettit said. “I used to say they were like the Cameron Crazies, but they’ve created their own identity. They are phenomenal.”

They were also rather disappointed when Columbia fell to York Prep in the ISAL championship game last week at CCNY. Pettit, though, said the loss taught his team a lesson on controlling the pace of games, one it applied against Riverdale. Meanwhile, the players remained confident.

“We always felt we could win the state tournament,” junior forward Brian Lissak said.

David led the Lions with 20 points, Lissak had 17 points and Victor Rosario added nine. All three of them are seniors. It was a meeting that Pettit had with that trio back on Aug. 19 that spurred his text with Hoek. He loved their attitude and their excitement about the season three months before a regular-season game would even be played.

Almost seven months later, Pettit couldn’t have been more right.

“They wanted to make me look smart, which is a nice thing,” he said with a laugh.

mraimondi@nypost.com