One team is seeking its fourth sectional title in the last 11 years. The other is looking for its first championship in five seasons. Monroe County Division III rivals Greece Athena and Irondequoit will meet in sectionals for the fourth time in the last seven years on Saturday to decide the 2023 Section V Class A1 Boys’ Basketball Championship. Here’s the breakdown:
No. 1 seed GREECE ATHENA TROJANS (18-4/Monroe County Division III)
vs.
No. 2 seed IRONDEQUOIT EAGLES (18-4/Monroe County Division III)
Scoring offense: Greece Athena (67.5 PPG), Irondequoit (65.1 PPG)
Scoring defense: Greece Athena (57.9 PPG), Irondequoit (47.6 PPG)
Current streak: Greece Athena has won three of four. Irondequoit has won back-to-back.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JENNIFER LAEMLEIN.
How they got here: Greece Athena defeated No. 8 Gates-Chili, 81-51, in the quarterfinals before downing No. 4 Brockport, 81-56, in the semis. Irondequoit beat No. 7 Canandaigua by a 60-37 score in the quarterfinals and took down No. 3 Webster Thomas, 67-52, in the semifinals.
Players to Watch
Greece Athena: Zee Johnson Jr. F 12.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.8 DPG, 2.3 APG, 2.2 SPG; Connor Osier Jr. F 10.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.9 DPG, 1.9 SPG, 1.5 BPG; Khorie Reaves Jr. G 19.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.2 DPG, 1.6 SPG; I’Zayah Reaves So. G 8.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.5 APG; I’zick Reaves So. G 9.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.6 DPG, 1.6 APG, 1.5 SPG
Irondequoit: Isaiah Ballard Jr. C 7.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.6 DPG, 0.75 SPG, 0.65 APG; Xavier Gissendanner Sr. G 16.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.6 DPG, 1.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG; Ryan Heath Sr. G 20.2 PPG, 5.8 APG, 5.7 DPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.0 SPG; Kenyen Lovett Sr. F 6.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.6 DPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 SPG; Quinn VanKerkhove Jr. G 8.8 PPG, 4.8 DPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG
Coaches: Mike Setzer (Greece Athena), Chris Cardon (Irondequoit)
Last time they met: Athena has taken two of three head-to-head meetings during the regular season including the most recent matchup in mid-February.
History 101: This is the fourth time in the last seven years that Greece Athena and Irondequoit will meet in sectionals, including their third meeting in the final. These rivals matched up for three straight seasons between 2017 and 2019. The Eagles won back-to-back blocks over the Trojans in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, the Trojans avenged the setbacks with a 53-45 victory in the semifinals before falling to Pittsford Mendon in the title game. The Trojans are looking for their fourth sectional title in the last 11 years and first since 2015 when current Golden State Warrior Anthony Lamb led the Trojans to the A1 championship. Lamb led the club all the way to the state championship, where they fell to Section II representative Scotia-Glenville. The Eagles are making their third sectional final appearance in the last four years. Chris Cardon’s squad made back-to-back title game appearances in 2020 and 2021, but came up short to Eastridge and Pittsford Mendon, respectively. In 2017, Cardon’s club reigned supreme in all of New York State, winning the New York State Public High Schools Athletic Association title by defeating North Tonawanda (VI), Jamesville-DeWitt (III) and Our Lady Of Lourdes (I).
What’s next: Winner will face the class A2 champion (either East High or Pittsford Sutherland) in the NYS Class A Far West Regional qualifier.
A 5 p.m. tip off is scheduled at Blue Cross Arena.
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