By PAUL GOTHAM
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Three years ago, a promising Wayne boys’ basketball team had its season cut short because of precautions surrounding Covid-19.
Saturday afternoon at Buffalo State College, the current Eagles took advantage of what its predecessors couldn’t.
Cam Blankenberg scored 18 of his game-high 30 points in the second half, and Wayne defeated Section VI champion Williamsville South, 58-41 in the NYSPHSAA Class A Far West Regional.
The regional championship is the first in program history.
“We felt like in 2021 we had the team that could go to Glens Falls,” said Wayne head coach Bill Thomson. “We were in Class B for the first time in 25 years. We beat Batavia on their home court, and Covid stopped us from the state tournament. That’s the year we believed we could go far.
“We got knocked out three of the last four years by East. This was the year to get it back.”
Mason Blankenberg and Tyler Reynolds led the ‘21.
Cameron, the younger brother of Mason, shouldered a heavy load on Saturday.
“Cameron as a sophomore is doing things that a lot of people can’t do,” Thomson said of the 6-foot-5 sophomore guard. “He’s a smart, smart player. Very cerebral. He leads us, not so much vocally, but by his play.”
His runner outside the lane gave the Eagles their first double-digit lead of the game at 30-19. He scored six of the next and handed out an assist as the Eagles extended the lead to 17 at 40-23.
“This is what we’ve worked for all season long,” Blankenberg said. “This is why we show up every day. Putting in all that hard work, it’s a blessing.”
He connected nine times from the floor in the game including twice from long range and converted 10-of-15 free throws.
“It was my team,” he said. “They were getting stops on defense, and we got out in transition. They fed me the ball, and I just finished. It’s really them. It’s not me. I just put the ball in the hoop. It’s them making the plays that don’t get counted for in the stat sheet.”
Wayne has limited its past four opponents to 42 points or less. The Eagles held Williamsville South more than 20 points under its season average of 61.8 points. The 41 points were the second lowest output of the season for the Billies and lowest since a 56-38 loss to Class B regional champion Salamanca on December 13th.
“Our defense has been carrying us for the last five to six games,” Thomson said. “We had to know in our scouting report where the shooters were.
“Overall, I thought we did a really good job of taking away what they wanted to do. We didn’t give up transition points. We got back, got in our half-court defense and played with a lot of energy.”
Winners of four sectional titles since 2017. Saturday’s regional appearance was the first in program history.
For Thomson, in his 22nd year at the helm, this run has caught him a little by surprise.
“I’m going to be honest with you, our goal was to win our league. Our goal was to make a run in the sectionals and see what happens. I’d be lying if I told you that this what we thought we could do.”
PJ Ostrowski scored 11 in the win. Jonah Schichtel and Stephen Habecker added six apiece. Joshua Warner had five.
Carter Lampke led Will South with 21 points. Michael Munzert added six.
Wayne will play either Southampton (XI) or Friends Academy (VIII) next week’s semifinal.
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