SECTION 4 BOYS' BASKETBALL: PROUDFOOT & STEVENSON COMBINE FOR 75 AS HAWKS TOP ITHACA TO WIN SECTIONAL CROWN (24 PHOTOS) (March 6, 2026)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
WATKINS GLEN — Nolyn Proudfoot and Kyler Stevenson combined for 75 points as the Corning Hawks defeated Ithaca 90-68 to capture the Section IV, Class AAA Championship. 

Corning, ranked 14th in the state, plays at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 15 at Visions Veteran Memorial Arena against the runner-up from Section II. William Floyd is playing Bay Shore in the Section II title game. 

“Proud of the kids,” Corning coach Mike Johnston Jr. said. “Hard work paying off. I just reflect back on all the years. Great kids I have had an opportunity to coach. Having coach Hopkins be a part of it as well. He’s so knowlageable. He really helps us in a lot of different ramifications. For these kids to see it come to fruition because we have been there before where we were 18-0 in the regular season, got beat in the STAC’s and then didn’t win the section title and they came through this time. We knew the only way we were going to get to the arena for a championship would be we have to win a sectional championship. So I”m happy for them they are going to have an opportunity to play int the arena for the first time in their life.”

Proudfoot knew that Stevenson was going to be a key and he got off to a fast start with double-digit points in the opening quarter. 

“I told Kyler before the game, you are the X factor for us, we need you to do whatever you can,” Proudfoot said. “I came out and did what I could, but we both knew we are going to get it done. I felt like Kyler was the guy for us. We knew he was going to get his, because when they play zone we thrive.”

Stevenson felt good right from the beginning of the game offensively.

“Off the start I felt good,” he said. “I felt really good today. We have been waiting for this all season.”

The Corning players wanted this title. 

“The greatest feeling,” Proudfoot said. “We know e have more ahead of us, so we have to get ready for that.”

“We have been working on this all year to get to this point,” Stevenson said. “We got the win, and now onto the next one.”

Corning led 20-19 after one quarter, before outscoring Ithaca 24-14 in the second. Ithaca got the deficit to nine in the third, before Corning closed out the win with 46 second-half points.

“You aren’t going to blow people out every single night,” Johnston Jr. said. “That’s the thing a lot of people don’t understand. We are a good ball club, but you don’t win by 30 every single night. They are going to be really good. They have a bunch of sophomores that really have a great skill set. We knew this was an important one for us to get, and back to back, I think that’s important and now we have a little over a week to prepare for our next opponent from section 11. We’ll take a little time tomorrow to relax and get back at it Monday.”

Johsnton Jr. knows how tough it is for teams to match up against the Hawks offense.

“You can decide what defense you are going to play against us and how you are going to guard people, we can decide where you are going to guard them,” Johnston Jr. said. “We just took advantage of some mismatches, some open looks, Nolyn started to get hot down the stretch.”

Proudfoot had 48 points, including 16-for-18 from the free throw line. He had a double-double with 11 boards, along with a blcoked shot, steal and assist.

Stevenson had 27 points, going 13-for-20 from the field. He also had a double-double, with 13 boards, three steals and two assists. 

The boys took the court right after the Hawks watched the girls win the sectional title over Elmira.

“A lot of people would get a lump in their throat, like they did it, now I’ve got to win,” Proudfoot said. “But, I felt it was more motivation. Seeing our girls win and we were supposed to win, there was no pressure, you just have to go do your thing.”

The Hawks haven’t had a game since falling at the buzzer to Seton Catholic in the STAC final, but they held a practice after that with Seton and that helped them.

“We were fortunate to see Seton right after the STAC game and get a good practice in,” Proudfoot said.”It was a rough practice, but I said to the guys we have to get it together, we have to sort this out. If we don’t do this now, we won’t make it.”

For Corning the atmosphere on Friday was fun.

“It was great,” Proudfoot said. “Our gym is huge, and a lot more seats, but I felt like this was more compact,” Proudfoot said. 

“You have to get used to this type of environment and we were ready,” Stevenson said. 

Early in the game Ithaca got some offensive rebounds and second-chance points, but Corning cleaned things up as the game went on.

“There was a little bit of anxiety,” Proudfoot said. “We will admit that. We came out and were a little bit all over the place, but I feel like as the game went on and progressed we started to box out and go for rebounds and got it done.”

Now it’s onto states.

“It’s great, we have to get to work and do our thing,” Proudfoot said.

For Stevenson and the other seniors they don’t want this run, and their careers, to end.

“I want to go all the way to the state championship,” Stevenson said. 

Carter Proudfoot had eight points, four steals, four boards and an assist and Kohl Hogue had seven points and seven assists, with seven rebounds. 

Teigen Gill had six assists and three rebounds. 

Jasmir Robbins had 30 points for Ithaca and Vaugn Bailey finished with 18 points. 
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:

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