Heartbreak in the Harbor. In front of a packed set of bleachers on January 18, Fairport came within inches of knocking off visiting NAC leader and state-ranked Grand Valley, missing a last-second shot to fall in heartbreaking fashion, 65-64. Coming out of a timeout down by one with 7 seconds to play, Fairport had the scenario it wanted — the ball in the hands of sophomore standout guard Yomar Castellano. Castellano dribbled through the Mustangs’ defense to an open spot just left of the key, jumped, and let the shot go while angled slightly away from the basket. The shot was on target, but Castellano miscalculated how much touch to put on it by the slightest of margins, the ball glanced off the rim, and the buzzer sounded. Regardless of the outcome, both teams and the crowd left the gym knowing they had been a part of and witnessed a great high school basketball game. “I told the guys before the game it was going to be a defensive battle,” Fairport coach Dustin Ettinger said. “Grand Valley does a great job of holding teams to that 50-point and below mark. Going into halftime down, 28-21, we knew it was going to be a dogfight. But we knew we had the more athletic guards on our side.” Fairport coach Dustin Ettinger reviews the Skipper’s heartbreaking, 65-64 loss to NAC leader Grand Valley (Part 1) @CoachHites36 pic.twitter.com/J2YtJVXOAH — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) January 19, 2025 Fairport’s starting backcourt features two of the three Castellano brothers on the team: Junior Jan and Yomar. Although smaller in stature, the brothers play with no fear and relentless energy, and gave the Mustangs all they could handle. Yomar Castellano scored 22 points and Jan Castellano added 16 to lead the Skippers. Junior teammate Brady Lawson knocked down the game’s biggest shot and gave Fairport a chance in the final seconds. The Skippers trailed by four in the final minute, and Yomar Castellano found Lawson open in the left corner. Falling backward and drawing a foul, Lawson buried the triple, then converted the subsequent free throw to tie the game at 62-62 with 48 seconds to play. Grand Valley (13-1, 8-1 NAC) sophomore Carter Turk, son of coach Justin Turk, split a pair of free throws to give the Mustangs a 63-62 lead, but Jan Castellano fed to sophomore Ben Allen under the hoop to put Fairport back in front, 64-63, with 17 seconds to go. Grand Valley’s Braden Hart drew a foul and sank both with 8 seconds left for a 65-64 lead, then the Mustangs called time out before the Skippers could respond. Then Fairport (8-5, 5-3 NAC) came achingly close to pulling the upset. For the second consecutive night, Grand Valley pulled out a one-point conference victory, along with a 73-72 win over St. John on Jan. 17. “We thought it was going to be a dogfight,” Justin Turk said. “They’re a great team. Our guys, coming on the road, getting a one-point win, hats off to our guys. (Fairport) came out in the third quarter with a couple and-ones, and then (in the fourth quarter) a 3 and an and-one, and our guys just kept battling.” @GVLocalSchools coach Justin Turk gives his thoughts on Grand Valley’s 65-64 win at Fairport, and the Mustangs’ 13-1 showing so far @CoachHites36 pic.twitter.com/2chEwUaPjv — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) January 19, 2025 Grand Valley, ranked No.24 in Division VI in the latest Martin RPI ratings, used its length advantage and edge in rebounds to take leads of 15-11 after the first quarter and 28-21 at halftime. Fairport, led by the Castellanos, continually drove to the hoop throughout the first half, but couldn’t get many of their layup attempts to fall, converting 8 of 29 from the field before halftime. “Jan and Yomar were both driving relentlessly on these guys and making them leave their feet, and (the shots) were right around the rim and out,” Ettinger said. “We had to do a better job of boxing out and driving them out of the paint on those. (Carter Turk) had a field day getting those long rebounds. “I have to give it Coach Turk. He has those boys running a tight offense and tight defense, and they were relentless.” Fairport coach Dustin Ettinger talks about the Skippers’ 65-64 loss to state-ranked Grand Valley (Part 2) @CoachHites36 pic.twitter.com/YsvFOcfIUw — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) January 19, 2025 Fairport ripped off a 28-point third quarter, taking advantage of five turnovers and riding a 13-point effort in the frame by Yomar Castellano to take a 49-48 lead going to the fourth. Senior Charlie Beardslee grabbed seven rebounds for Fairport, and Yomar Castellano collected six steals. Carter Turk scored a game-high 28 points, Braden Hart added 18, and Solly Schultz chipped in 17 off the bench for Grand Valley, which will host Lordstown and travel to Pymatuning Valley next week before hosting Fairport in the return match on Jan. 28. Ettinger and his indomitable Skippers are looking forward to the rematch. Fairport will host a pair of NAC opponents in Southington and Vienna Mathews next week before going to Orwell on Jan. 28. “If we had those paint finishes, I think it’s a completely different game,” Ettinger said. “Great game overall. I’m very proud of my boys and the fight they gave. I just love them, and that’s why I’m so passionate about this school. We’re going to get them next time, I know that for a fact.” The score Grand Valley 65, Fairport 64