By LIAM HOFFMANN
ROCHESTER, N.Y.– The No. 1 Fillmore Eagles were crowned sectional champions for the first time since 2010 in their 74-38 Section V Class D final game win over the No. 3 Jasper-Troupsburg Wildcats. Fillmore used 8-2 and 11-2 first-half quarter-ending runs to solidify its 44-26 halftime lead. Tournament MVP Jonah Bialek scored 12 second-quarter points for the Eagles.
The sophomore ended the day with 22.
“It feels good to win it,” Jonah Bialek said. “I’m very grateful for my teammates, especially. We push each other in practice every day.”
Today was Fillmore’s first championship game appearance since 2013. The title win marked the fifth in program history.
The Eagles did it with only one senior (JD Bialek) on the roster.
“This group of guys, they love playing with one another, they love playing for each other, they’re the best group to coach,” Fillmore head coach Randy Crouch said. “I felt a lot of pressure, a lot of people were saying to us we were going to win, and for me, that felt like a burden all year. So, I feel so relieved and overjoyed at this point, just that we did what we set out to do.”
Fillmore trailed 12-11 in the first quarter before closing the frame up 19-14. JD Bialek scored a pair of inside baskets, and a 2-pointer apiece from Cam Mucher and Isaiah Sisson rounded out the scoring run.
Jonah Bialek led Fillmore’s difference-making second quarter. He knocked down the only two Eagles 3-pointers of the half and converted a pair of and-one opportunities.
Brothers JD and Jonah Bialek combined for 25 points in the first half. Mucher tacked on nine through 16 minutes.
“It’s special, I think it says a lot about how much we care about each other, it really shows how hard we work,” Jonah Bialek said.
Fillmore held a 21-16 second-quarter lead but extended the deficit to 44-26 by halftime. The Eagles scored 25 in the frame.
“One of the benefits we have is we’re so versatile, our starting five can hurt you in so many ways,” Crouch said. “Every possession is a sprint, but the quarters are a marathon, and we want to try and win those last two minutes because we’re winning the marathon, not just the sprints.”
Fillmore began the second half with a 10-5 run. Jonah Bialek hit two free throws, finished off a cut from up-top and euro-stepped inside for a fast-break 2-pointer. However, Mucher proved to be the Eagles’ closer, with 16 of his game-high 25 points in the final 16.
“Keeping our head level and not caring if we’re down or we’re up,” the sophomore said. “At halftime, the score’s always 0-0, we’ve got to keep pushing.”
He went the length of the court after a rebound for his first basket of the half. Then, two mid-range jumpers and two free throws lifted his total to 17 points through three quarters.
Mucher outscored Jasper-Troupsburg 8-2 by himself to begin the fourth quarter. He went to the bench for the final time before being named sectional champion with a 71-36 lead.
“I just attacked the middle, I knew they were smaller,” Mucher said. “My guys looked for me…I can score confidently in the paint.”
Next, Fillmore will face Panama in the D regional qualifier.
Class D All-Tournament Team:
MVP Jonah Bialek (Fillmore)
Vinny Joyce (Andover-Whitesville)
Cam Mucher (Fillmore)
James Ainsworth (Jasper-Troupsburg)
JD Bialek (Fillmore)
Isaiah Sisson (Fillmore)
Landon Zver (Jasper-Troupsburg)
Love all the comments that speak of the players’ appreciation for each other as members of the team. Also the reference to a marathon; determination to complete the race with their best effort.
Thank you for writing this article. The photos are wonderful too