One team is seeking its third consecutive sectional title. The other is looking to win its third in the last seven years. East High and Pittsford Sutherland will meet in sectionals for the fourth straight year on Saturday to decide the 2022 Section V Class A2 Boys’ Basketball Championship. Here’s the breakdown:
No. 2 seed EAST HIGH EAGLES (13-3/RCAC Division I) vs. No. 5 seed PITTSFORD SUTHERLAND KNIGHTS (13-9/Monroe County Division III)
Scoring offense: East High (78.9 PPG), Pittsford Sutherland (58.6 PPG)
Scoring defense: East High (63.5 PPG), Pittsford Sutherland (51.4 PPG)
Current streak: East High has won five straight. Pittsford Sutherland has won four straight.
How they arrived here: East High defeated No. 10 Brockport, 76-57, in the quarterfinals before downing No. 3 Wayne, 60-56, in the semis. Pittsford Sutherland beat No. 4 Honeoye Falls-Lima by a 63-53 score and took down top-seeded Eastridge, 39-37, in the semis.
Players to Watch
East High: Damani Barley 6-foot-5 Sr. G 27 PPG, 8 APG, 4 SPG; Shamir Caruthers 5-foot-8 Sr. G 12 PPG, 7 APG, 7 SPG; Kai McCullough 6-foot-3 Sr. G 17 PPG, 11 RPG, 5 SPG; Zion Parsons 6-foot-3 8th-G. G 9 PPG, 9 RPG, 3 APG.
Pittsford Sutherland: Max Michalski 6-foot-4 So. C 7 PPG, 7.1 RPG; Tyler Mullin 6-foot Sr. G 9.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1 APG; Sam Pisanelli 6-foot Jr. G 18.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.4 APG; Chandler Reynolds 6-foot Jr. G 6.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.6 APG; Everett Wilcox 5-foot-9 Jr. G 8.1 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.1 RPG, 2.1 SPG.
Coaches: Darrell Barley (East High), John Nally (Pittsford Sutherland)
History 101: This is the fourth straight year both of these squads will match up in the Class A2 sectional bracket. East High has won the last two meetings: the sectional semifinals in 2020 and the sectional quarterfinals last season. Pittsford Sutherland took down East High to claim the 2019 Class A2 sectional title before falling to crosstown rival Pittsford Mendon in the regional qualifiers.
The Eagles are seeking their third consecutive sectional championship and 27th in program history (tops all-time in Section V). Barley’s squad is also looking to win three sectional titles for the program for the third straight decade. The Eagles won the 2003 and 2008 Class AA titles and the 2005 AAA block. East also won the 2010 and 2012 Class AA1 sectional titles and the 2014 A1 championship as well. East High’s Darrell Barley is tied for third all-time with eight sectional titles. Former Lyons head coach Dean Schott tops the list with 10 sectional victories.
Pittsford Sutherland is seeking its third sectional title in the last seven years. Other than the 2019 block, the Knights won the 2016 Class A1 championship as a No. 3 seed over top-seeded Greece Athena.
What’s next: Winner will face the Class A1 champion (either Pittsford Mendon or Webster Schroeder) in the NYS Class A Far West Regional qualifier.
An 11 a.m. tip off is scheduled at Gates-Chili High School.
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