One game was close and the other was not, but in the end both junior and senior boys basketball District 10 champions have repeat winners.
The Centre Wellington Falcons started strong and never gave up the lead in their 78-56 win over John F. Ross Royals to take the senior boys crown Saturday at the University of Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
In foul trouble for the Falcons during the first half, Zach Cudmore came up big in the last half of the game with a series of layups and defensive stops.
“I sat out a lot in the first and I felt like I needed to contribute and make sure we put the game away, so I started on the defensive end and the offence just flowed,” said Cudmore.
Falcons head coach Jeff Brubacher said slicing to the basket is Cudmore’s game.
“He likes to shoot the three and he can do that, but we really like to go to the rim,” said Brubacher. “We knew we could get to the line and try and make some. I’ll take a high percentage layup all day instead of a missed three.”
Royals head coach Bill Price said his senior boys team put in a lot of work to get to the finals, entering the playoffs in fifth place.
The Royals were able to keep the score within five at the half, said Price, but could not catch up once the Falcons started opening up the lead in the third quarter.
“When they got the lead to 15 going into the fourth quarter — that’s tough,” he said.
Cole Newton was the highest scorer for the Falcons with 21 points. Brock Newton scored 15 points, while Cudmore finished with 13.
In the junior boys basketball finals on Saturday, the Lourdes Crusaders and Ross Royals spent the second half exchanging the lead, with Lourdes finishing on top 59-58.
With the team down by four more than halfway through the fourth quarter, Lourdes guard Angelo Randell hit back to back 3-point shots to put the team up by two.
Those were big shots by a Grade 9 player, said Lourdes junior coach Mike Finoro. “He stepped up huge for us.”
Randell said he knew the team had his back to take tough shots in the clutch situation.
“It feels so good. They had my back all year,” said Randell.
The Crusaders lost to the Royals the other three times they played them this year.
Struggling at the free throw line for most of the fourth quarter, Crusaders guard Kevin Martinez hit the last of two attempts — which ended up being the game winner.
“I just wanted to make it. I knew I had to make at least one to get us through it,” said Martinez.
Finoro said even with his struggles at the line, he didn’t have any hesitation keeping Martinez in the game, confident he would find his shot.
“He’s a tough kid. He’s going to play through anything,” said Finoro of Martinez.
The Royals came up with some good hustle plays in the fourth quarter, said Charlie Douglas, head coach of the Royals junior boys team.
A number of baskets in the dying seconds of the game refused to sink.
“They came up with some big shots, we didn’t hit ours,” said Douglas.
Both the junior Crusaders and senior Falcons teams advance to CWOSSA next weekend.
Even with two Royals losses in the finals, Price said having both of the school’s teams in the finals shows they are working toward returning to their winning ways.
“Four or five years ago we were in the finals every year. I think this is a big step for the program, not just the senior team,” said Price.
