(From start to finish, Tuesday evening at Canisius was special )
Canisius 48, Irondequoit 47
The basketball game of the night in the New York State had a thrilling finish. But the tone of the evening at Canisius and moments before & after the contest were far more meaningful. I have no doubt in my mind that Tuesday night's ending & outcome were meant to be, because of something greater than anything a coach can design or his players can execute. My most sincere attempt to put it into words leads me to write that the evening at Canisius was emotional, powerful, and special.
Canisius High School lost one of its own over the weekend with the passing of senior Devin Waring. His brother Owen, who is a junior at Canisius, attended Tuesday night's game, and was surrounded by a fraternity of support amidst the student section known as the Blue Crew, where together they paid tribute to Devin. The magnitude of something divine carried the team to a victory and then the Blue Crew carried Owen Waring to the middle of the floor, where he led an inspiring victory chant in one of the most unforgettable moments I've ever witnessed.
In a matchup of the highest ranked Class A teams in New York State from the NYSPHAA and CHSAA respectively, Irondequoit led Canisius by as many as 13 points and never trailed in the game until Ryan Bradley found Jayce Johnson for the game-winning basket with just 29 seconds remaining.
Canisius 5 - 10 - 18 - 15 = 48
Irondequoit 13 - 15 - 12 - 7 = 47
Point Totals
Canisius: Ryan Bradley 15, Jayce Johnson 13, Nick MacDonald 13, Brendan Trapper 3, Austin James 2, Joe Jamison 2
Irondequoit: Patrick Thomas 14, Gerald Drumgoole 12, Freddy June 8, Joshua Stenglein 7, Tanner Pioch 4, Robert Diaz-Judson 2
Records
Canisius 5-0 / Irondequoit 2-1
Player of the Game
Ryan Bradley - Canisius
Unsung Hero of the Game
Brendan Trapper - Canisius
Key Stats
Canisius' Ryan Bradley scored a game-high 15 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and delivered the game-winning assist
Canisius' Brendan Trapper drilled a 3-pointer to set up the game-winner
Key Runs
Irondequoit take a 13-0 lead to start the game and had an 8-0 stretch late in the second quarter.
Canisius began the second half on a 16-3 tear and finished the night with seven unanswered points to earn the victory.
3-Pointers
Canisius: Nick MacDonald (3), Jayce Johnson, Brendan Trapper
Irondequoit: Freddy June (2), Joshua Stenglein
#BOOM
Ryan Bradley rocked a miss home for Canisius the moment it left the cylinder
Coaches Quotes
Kyle Husband - Canisius
On Irondequoit:
"They are a great defensive basketball team. They have a plan and they execute the heck out of it."
On Brendan Trapper's clutch 3-pointer:
"He's one of the better shooters on the team and I'm always telling him to shoot it more, which usually isn't the case. He had a clean look, let it fly, and it went in. I thought the whole second half he was terrific - he played physical on the glass, was tough defensively, and obviously knocked down a huge shot."
On the play of Ryan Bradley:
"We were trying to get the ball to Ryan almost the entire second half. The way he has come out of the gates this year has been terrific. At both ends of the floor you can see the confidence he's playing with and it's what we've been waiting for and hoping for from him. All the hard work he's put in is really starting to come to the forefront."
Final thoughts
"You can't ask for much more. The crowd was one of the best I've seen and our guys were playing with a ton of emotion. It was awesome."
My Takes
- I hear the phrase 'Ball is Life' a lot, but Tuesday night was evidence that the game will always take a backseat to the compassion humans feel for one another, and that ball is something that brings us together to celebrate life.
- Ryan Bradley has been outstanding in his last two outings for the Crusaders with his combination of skill, toughness, and focus.
- Joe Jamison had a pair of defensive plays as a result of hustle and timing in the second quarter that likely prevented scores by Irondequoit. In a game that tightly contested, those plays were huge.
- Jayce Johnson rebounded from a scoreless first half to contribute 13 points over the final two quarters, along with guarding Eagles' standout Gerald Drumgoole.
- If there's a better team in Rochester than Irondequoit, I look forward to watching them play in the Far West Regionals. The Eagles have everything including coaching, size, shooting, star power, and a commitment to defend.
-centercourt
I have always liked Brendan Trapper’s game. I coached against him when he was younger and he was the type of kid you loved to have on your team and hated to play against. He always made the extra pass, played tough defense, and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. If he wants, he is a college player.
Posted by: CloseOut | Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at 10:19 PM
On a related note, below is a link to a great story about the MacDonald family that was published in the USA Today. Just confirms my belief that Mom's are the glue, that holds basketball families together. Maura MacDonald is all of that and more!!
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2017/12/20/its-hardwood-life-americas-basketball-mom/935276001/
Posted by: CloseOut | Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at 10:50 PM
More "My Takes" and/or "Random Smatterings".
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 10:16 AM