ONONDAGA COUNTY – Four area high school basketball teams would get underway before the calendar turned to December, taking advantage of opportunities to play in high-profile tip-off events.
For the Jamesville-DeWitt boys a new season came with a new head coach, James Jones stepping in to succeed Jeff Ike and nearly getting a massive victory in his debut.
Meeting Westhill in the Zebra Classic at Liverpool High School, the Red Rams played close to perfect for three quarters before it all got away down the stretch of a 54-51 defeat.
J-D caught Westhill short-handed without star guard Eli Prince and, in the second quarter, limited them to three points. Even when Westhill got going in the third quarter, the Rams matched it and led 46-32.
But the harsh lesson followed, Westhill cranking up its defense, getting big 3-pointers from Trevor Young and Jackson Goodness and seeing Goodness make every free throw late during a closing 22-5 surge.
Goodness finished with 14 points, one more than Alan Zanders’ leading total of 13 for J-D as Jackson Saroney got 10 points. Terrell Willis and Jack Hazelton each finished with eight points.
Just before this, Bishop Grimes got underway against Rochester’s University Prep and, with a dominant first-half performance, earned a 60-45 victory.
Steadily building a big margin, the Cobras were up 35-17 by halftime, cruising the rest of the way thanks to Garang Garang breaking through with 20 points to help top returning scorer Nate Abernethy, who had 17 points. Bol Garang added eight points.
The Friday of games at the Zebra Classic concluded with Christian Brothers Academy facing host Liverpool, who is now coached by Preston Shumpert after Ryan Blackwell left to assist Gerry McNamara at Siena College.
Limited to just eight players on its roster since several were still playing football, CBA lost 68-32, and nearly half the offense came from Tavin Penix, who had 18 points. All 11 Liverpool players that saw action got on the scoreboard, led by Alex Trombley’s 13 points and Denis Kuzma’s 10 points.
Meanwhile, in girls basketball Bishop Grimes got its first full season under the direction of head coach Jordan Vaught underway with a second-place finish in the Bill Middleton Tournament at Baldwinsville.
Friday’s opening round against Oswego provided quite a showcase for the Cobras on defense as it limited the Buccaneers most of the first half and built a comfortable margin on the way to a 55-33 victory.
The combination of stops and a hot-shooting offense produced a 20-6 edge through one quarter that continued to grow thanks to Sicily Shaffer earning 15 points and Kierra Baxter adding 10 points. Olivia Bitz earned eight points, with Riley Abernethy and Angelina Delladera adding six points apiece.
Lined up against host Baldwinsville in Saturday’s final, things turned around, Grimes taking a 60-31 defeat, much of the margin established when the Bees outscored them 22-4 in the second quarter to break it open.
B’ville’s Olivia Davis hit seven 3-pointers to account for most of her 23 points and Maddie Polky added 14 points. No Cobras player scored in double figures as Abernethy and Aaliyah Zachery had eight points apiece and Shaffer added six points.
