One team is seeking its fourth consecutive sectional title. The other is looking to win its third championship in the past eight years. Rochester City Athletic Conference (RCAC) Division I runner-up East High and Monroe County Division III runner-up Pittsford Sutherland will meet in sectionals for the fifth straight year on Saturday to decide the 2023 Section V Class A2 Boys’ Basketball Championship. Here’s the breakdown:
No. 2 seed EAST HIGH EAGLES (18-3/RCAC Division I)
vs.
No. 4 seed PITTSFORD SUTHERLAND KNIGHTS (15-7/Monroe County Division III)
Scoring offense: East High (78.2 PPG), Pittsford Sutherland (63.2 PPG)
Scoring defense: East High (56.1 PPG), Pittsford Sutherland (54.6 PPG)
Current streak: East High has won three straight. Pittsford Sutherland has won four of six.
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How they got here: East High defeated No. 7 School Of The Arts, 84-57, in the quarterfinals before downing No. 3 Wayne, 51-41, in the semis. Pittsford Sutherland beat No. 5 Pittsford Mendon by a 49-46 score in the quarterfinals and took down top-seeded Monroe, 73-69, in the semifinals.
Players to Watch
East High: Nigel Copeland Sr. F 4.7 PPG; Quentin Gordon-Smith Sr. G 17.1 PPG; Zymier Jackson Jr. F 7.4 PPG; Micah Johnson-Breedlove So. G 14.1 PPG; Kesean Leonard So. G 8.5 PPG; Kollin McCullough Jr. G 13.1 PPG; Zion Parson Fr. G 13.9 PPG
Pittsford Sutherland: Luke Fliss Jr. G 8.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.6 APG; Ivan Goettler Sr. G 2.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG; Max Michalski Jr. F 12.5 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.0 APG; Dutch Pestorius Jr. F 7.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.8 APG; Sam Pisanelli Sr. G 15.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.8 APG; Chandler Reynolds Sr. G 8.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.6 APG; Everett Wilcox Sr. G 8.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.6 RPG
Coaches: Darrell Barley (East High), John Nally (Pittsford Sutherland)
History 101: This is the fifth straight year both of these squads will match up in the Class A2 sectional bracket, including third time in the final. East High has won the last three meetings: the sectional semifinals in 2020, the sectional quarterfinals in 2021 and last year’s title game. 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 fourth consecutive sectional championship and 28th in program history (tops all-time in Section V). Barley’s squad has won 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 High also won the 2010 and 2012 Class AA1 sectional titles and the 2014 A1 championship as well. East High’s Darrell Barley is third all-time in Section V Boys’ Basketball history with nine 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 eight years and 10th in program history. 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 Greece Athena or Irondequoit) in the NYS Class A Far West Regional qualifier.
A 7 p.m. tip off is scheduled at Blue Cross Arena.
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