Westhill’s boys basketball team knows it can’t top perfection. But it will try to hold on to the state and Federation Class B championships earned a season ago in a memorable 27-0 dash to glory.
And the first step toward defending these titles was taken in Friday night’s Peppino’s Invitational at Henninger High School, where the Warriors reunited with one-time rival Jamesville-DeWitt and beat the Red Rams 81-60.
There’s plenty of reason to think Westhill can go all the way again. Just one starter, William Billy, graduated from 2013-14, meaning that the star senior duo of Jordan Roland and Tyler Reynolds, aided by fellow seniors Jeff Lobello and Dan O’Connell and junior Ryan Roland, are all back to give head coach Kevin King a wealth of talent and experience few defending state champions ever enjoy.
So it only figured that Westhill was part of the Peppino’s Invitational, which gathered many of Section III’s top programs for season-opening tests. The treat was that the Warriors would face J-D, who years ago provided a memorable rivalry when both were part of the same Onondaga High School League division.
Since then, of course, the Red Rams rattled off five state Class A titles from 2004 to 2011 (four of them in a row) under head coach Bob McKenney, with stars like Andy Rautins, Brandon Triche, Tyler Cavanaugh and Dajuan Coleman part of those teams.
No one of that caliber is on the current J-D roster, but it proceeded to make Westhill work hard through much of this match-up before the duo of Roland and Reynolds again took charge.
Roland was held without a field goal in a tightly-played first quarter, but Reynolds netted eight early points to help his side keep pace. Then, with a mix of free throws and deft moves to the basket, Roland scored 14 points in the second period as the Warriors moved ahead for good, building a 44-36 edge by the break.
As the second half wore on, the Warriors’ quality proved too much for J-D to handle. Reynolds, utilizing everything from pullback 3-pointers to a pair of dunks, would finish with 29 points.
Jordan Roland, constantly drawing defensive attention and going to line, ,earned 14 of his 28 points through free throws, while Lobello and Ryan Roland each finished with nine points.
Meanwhile, the Warriors’ man-to-man defense took its toll on the Rams, too, limiting them to just two field goals in the fourth quarter. In defeat, J-D saw Dom DeRegis finish with 19 point and Isaiah Williams add 16 points.
As that went on, Westhill’s neighbors, Bishop Ludden, began its new chapter as a Class AA squad with a mix of new and familiar faces working together to get an impressive 68-53 road victory at Baldwinsville.
Sectional titles each of the last three years – one in Class B in 2012 (which led to a state championship), two in Class A – meant another promotion for head coach Pat Donnelly’s Gaelic Knights, this time into the AA ranks against the largest schools in the area.
But it would be done without the two cornerstones of those three title teams, Dan Kaigler and Ben Hackett. Still, Jack Rauch and Zach Walser return, and their presence, combined with some fresh faces like Mika Adams-Woods and Shi’kem Lee, would make an impression on a B’ville side that has its own high ambitions this winter.
Through most of the first half, the Bees were able to keep pace with Ludden, only trailing 29-25 at halftime. But then the Gaelic Knights rattled off the first 16 points of the third quarter, and would never get caught.
Walser, with 18 points, was one of four Ludden players to score in double figures. Adams-Woods had 14 points, while Rauch picked up 12 points and Lee added 11 points.
To cap off this opening weekend, West Genesee, 11-8 a season ago, entered the fray meeting CBA Saturday in the Peppino’s Invitational, and led for most of the game before a late rally by the Brothers led the Wildcats to settle for a 65-62 defeat.
Having lost to Cicero-North Syracuse in last winter’s sectional Class AA quarterfinal, WG wanted a confidence boost from its opener, and catching CBA off a tough, draining loss to Henninger the night before appeared to provide a major opportunity.
Indeed, the Wildcats steadily built a 33-25 halftime lead. But then it went cold in the third quarter, only scoring nine points, which allowed the Brothers to regroup, get close and then perform down the stretch, led by Monte Stroman’s 27 points.
On WG’s side, four players scored in double figures, led by Nick Cunningham’s 18 points. Troy Temara and Rob Pocyntyluk had 13 points apiece, with Sam Brown contributing 10 points.