One team is looking to avenge a loss in last year’s state final. The other is looking to continue its chase for a second-straight state crown. Wayne and Glens Falls (II) meet for a second consecutive year in a win-or-go-home matchup. Here’s the breakdown:
WAYNE EAGLES (23-2 / Finger Lakes East / No. 4 NYSSWA)
vs.
GLENS FALLS BLACK BEARS (25-0 / Foothills Council / No. 1 NYSSWA)
Saturday March 22, Visions Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton 3:15 p.m.
How they arrived here: Wayne defeated Midlakes (78-17), Newark (66-53) and Geneva (46-39) to reach the sectional championship. The Eagles knocked off top-seeded East in the sectional final 61-55 and beat Williamsville South, 69-61 in the state quarterfinals. Glens Falls opened the postseason with wins over Broadalbin-Perth (96-56) and Hudson (104-55) before beating Catholic Central (93-55) in the Section II Class final. The Black Bears then eliminated Beekmantown (100-51) and Westhill (66-49) to reach Saturday’s semifinal matchup.
Scoring offense: Wayne (66.1), Glens Falls (84.3)
Scoring defense: Wayne (44.8), Glens Falls (45.9)
Trends: Wayne has won seven straight and held six of those opponents to 55 points or less. Glens Falls has the longest current active winning streak in the state at 52 games. The Black Bears beat Lawrence Woodmere Academy (Woodmere, N.Y.), 57-51 on January 18th. Since then the Section II champs have rattled off 13 straight double-digit victories. Only once this season did the Black Bears allow an opponent to score 60 or more points and that game took place on December 17th.
Players to watch for Wayne: Cam Blankenberg Jr. (28.0 PPG, 7.0 APG, 11.0 RPG, Finger Lakes East Player of the Year, program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,645 points); Aidan Twist Jr. (16.0 PPG); Richie Miles So. (12.0 PPG, 51 percent from behind the 3-point arc); Cory Jones Sr. (5.0 PPG); Kahlen Clark Sr. (5.0 RPG), Isaac White Sr. (22 charges taken on the season).
Players to watch for Glens Falls: Kellen Driscoll (18. 2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 7.0 APG/2024 First-Team All-State selection), Brody Holcomb (20.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.1 APG), Oscar Lilac (16.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.9 APG), Aiden Prunty (13.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.5 APG) and Bryce McClenning (4.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG).
Coaches: Bill Thomson (Wayne), Rob Girard (Glens Falls)
History 101: Wayne is making its second straight trip to the state semifinal and second in program history. The Eagles beat Friends Academy (VIII), 61-48 in last year’s final four game before falling in the finals, 50-37. Glens Falls is looking for its second straight and fifth overall win in the state semifinals having also beaten Olean (VI), 83-63 before claiming the 2019 Class B title with a 75-74 win over Lowville (III). Joe Girard III led that Glens Falls squad. Glens Falls also won state semifinal matchups in 2007 and 2003 with a loss to Bishop Kearney in 1999. Glens Falls was one of four schools from Section II that won state titles in 2024 joining Green Tech (AAA), Stillwater (B) and North Warren (D).
What’s at stake: A spot in the NYS Class A championship game against either Byram Hills (I) and Mount Sinai (XI).
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