ONONDAGA COUNTY – High school sports is constantly evolving, with the only constant the fact that players and, in some cases, coaches arrive and depart at regular intervals, so the picture is never static.
Yet when it comes to area boys basketball, what remains true is that Westhill is a championship program and that West Genesee, as much as it has accomplished, has found a true nemesis in Liverpool.
Both of these facts were on display during the annual Peppino’s Invitational, held over two days with games Friday at Jamesville-DeWitt and Saturday at Christian Brothers Academy.
Again, Westhill displayed winning form, romping past Henninger 67-36, and right after WG had yet another clash with Liverpool that, for the sixth straight time, ended in the Warriors’ favor by a 57-49 margin.
After it won another state Class B title last March, many things changed for Westhill. Shawn Mayes and Luke Gilmartin graduated. Omar Robinson took his vast talents to a prep school in Connecticut.
Most of all, though, Kevin King stepped down after two decades where he coached the Warriors to three state titles and five state championship game appearances. But Westhill kept it within the program, promoting long-time junior varsity coach Jon Connelly to the top job.
Connelly’s first win proved a stress-free one. Henninger, with just nine players on its roster, struggled for long stretches to put up points, while the Warriors found plenty of options aside from returning top scorer Kam Langdon.
Charlie DeMore, Westhill’s other returning starter, equaled Langdon’s team-high 17 points, adding four rebounds and garnering game MVP honors. Stepping up in a big way, Eli Prince had 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists, with Eli Welch getting a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, adding five assists, three blocks and two steals.
Then it was West Genesee’s turn, still with the fresh memory of back-to-back sectional Class AA finals defeats to Liverpool and figuring it had a great chance to get an upper hand since the Warriors’ top three scorers – Andreo Ash, Bruce Wingate and Jah’Deuir Reese – all departed, two of them to prep schools.
Yet the game was a low-scoring, back-and-forth affair where the Wildcats trailed most of the way but stayed well within range until, with the score 30-28 late in the third quarter, returning senior Gary McLane picked up his fourth goal.
Taking full advantage of McLean’s absence, the Warriors closed the quarter on a 10-3 run, capped by Alex Trombley banking in a half-court shot as the buzzer sounded.
Eventually, the Warriors built a 49-38 margin and WG never got closer than six points again, the attack now led by Kaelem Haskins, who poured in 20 points, and Jeff Manuel, who earned eight of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
McLane, despite his foul trouble, still led all scorers with 21 points. Jordan Cain finished with 12 points, but no other WG player had more than four points.
Bishop Ludden has gone through its fair share of early departures to prep schools and other destinations, but still expects to contend this winter and, on Saturday in the Peppino’s Invitational at CBA, defeated Chittenango 61-49.
Snowed out of what was supposed to be its opener against Marcellus earlier in the week, the Gaelic Knights were cold at the start but outscored the Bears 16-9 in the second quarter to seize control.
Liam Sheard, a 6-foot-7 freshman, amassed 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead Ludden. Jahzar Greene added 13 points, six assists and four rebounds, with Joe Dunham, Tim Dunham and Colden Sheen adding six points apiece.
Westhill also played on Saturday and, moving to 2-0 on the season, topped Canton 58-49, a game where it led most of the way and was led by Langdon, who poured in 21 points. Prince added 12 points, with Welch getting eight points and DeMore seven points.
