Wayne Valley wins its first Passaic County boys basketball championship in program history
WAYNE – Wayne Valley has graciously hosted so many Passaic County championship doubleheaders, and now the boys’ basketball program finally has a county title to call its own.
The veteran Indians fought off defending champion and top-seeded Eastside, 44-38, in Saturday’s 53rd Passaic County final, one year after losing this final in their home gym by 29 points.
“Fifty-two weeks ago, we got hammered, and we sat in that classroom and we said, ‘Fifty-two weeks from now, we’ve got to get there, and then we’ve got to win it,’” said Joe Leicht, Wayne Valley’s longtime coach.
Senior Caden Flower scored all of his game-high 12 points in the second half, including a trio of 3-pointers to carry Wayne Valley. In a game dominated by defense, the Indians made six 3-pointers, while Eastside did not make a shot from beyond the arc.
“We lost a year ago, and we all said we’d be back,” Flower said after the Indians won their 12th consecutive game. “It feels amazing, and coach Leicht has been looking forward to it, and everybody’s been looking forward to it.”
Senior Hudson Devine made a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight for Wayne Valley (20-5). Senior Omar Ali scored all of his eight in the first half to help provide the Indians with a 20-19 lead at intermission.
Senior Jason Soto made two free throws with 22 seconds left to give second-seeded Wayne Valley a two-possession lead, 42-38. Soto was 5-for-6 from the foul line and scored seven.
Junior Xavier Cuevas led Eastside (18-8) with nine points. Senior Nyreek Clyburn scored eight and freshman Jariel Garcia seven, including a free throw to pull the Ghosts within 40-37 with 56 seconds left in the game.
What it means
Leicht has coached 20 seasons at Wayne Valley, after a long stint at Indian Hills, and labeled this the biggest of his 632 career wins. His previous biggest win was the Indians capturing a sectional title in 2008.
“This has been the greatest place I could ever coach at,” Leicht said with a smile. “Twenty years ago they accepted me, and every single day, they say hello and goodbye with a smile. It’s the greatest place in the world, and I’d walk nine miles from my house to here every day if I had to.”
Key quarter
Wayne Valley scored on six of seven possessions in the third quarter to turn a 21-20 deficit into a 35-25 lead. The Indians generated a 15-4 run for that 10-point lead.
Flower opened the spurt and put Wayne Valley ahead for good, 23-21, with a 3-pointer from the right wing. Senior Devine followed with a 17-footer from the foul line to extend the lead to 25-21. Devine hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to make it 28-21 and trigger an Eastside timeout at 5:39.
Soto made two free throws to push Wayne Valley’s lead to 30-23, and Flower stroked a 3-pointer from the left corner for a 33-25 lead. Flower gave the Indians their first double-digit lead, 35-25, on a layup.
“Going into the game late with a lead, that’s all you can ask for,” Devine said. “Then you play the waiting game, it’s all about defense, and you lock in.”
By the numbers
Wayne Valley shot 34 percent from the field (14-for-41). The Indians shot 29 percent on 3-pointers (6-for-21). They shot 71 percent from the foul line (10-for-14).
Eastside shot 26 percent from the field (12-for-46). The Ghosts were 0-for-16 on 3-pointers. They shot 67 percent from the line (14-for-21).
“We knew they had a couple of really good shooters, but we’re great at contesting shots and we’re great at scrambling out to shooters,” Flower said. “And that was our game plan, to stay on them, force them inside, and then take it from their post men.”
They said it
“To do it this way, with these guys – we worked so hard for this,” said Wayne Valley’s Anthony Apicella, one of five senior starters. “Everyone contributed. We play for each other, and it made it all worth it after seeing coach Leicht after the game.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne Valley wins first Passaic County boys basketball championship
