Eastside boys basketball tops Wayne Valley for first Passaic County title in seven years
WAYNE – Eastside is leaving absolutely no doubt who has the best boys’ basketball team in Passaic County.
The Ghosts captured their first Passaic County championship in seven years with Saturday’s dominating 66-37 victory over host Wayne Valley in the 52nd final.
“It feels great to finally come in here and win it,” Eastside senior guard Bryce Stokes said.
Top-seeded Eastside (23-2) was in control from the start en route to winning its 12th Passaic championship, two behind the all-time leader, crosstown rival Kennedy. The Ghosts transformed turnovers into transition points.
Stokes scored 20, senior Preston Brown scored 19 and they combined for 13 first-quarter points to help Eastside open a 20-4 lead. Guards Jaheim Best and Justin Bethea scored 10 apiece.
Eastside has dominated Passaic competition this season. The veteran Ghosts are 12-0 against county rivals and every victory has been by nine or more points.
“These are guys, like Preston, Bryce, Treyvon [Watson], who came in as inexperienced freshmen, believed in the process, and now today the sky is the limit,” Eastside coach Marquis Webb said. “These guys just got better year by year.”
Wayne Valley, the No. 6 seed, struggled against Eastside’s defensive pressure in the first half and trailed, 35-11. The Indians (15-12) played better in the second half, with junior guard Omar Ali scoring 12 and senior forward Andrew Teicher eight.
“They’re a great team, and we knew they’re a great team,” Wayne Valley coach Joe Leicht said. “When you have four four-year varsity players, you’re a great team. They completely took us out of anything that we wanted to do in the first half, surprising to me, and we didn’t do anything we wanted to do to, should we say, stop them.”
What it means
Eastside heads into the NJSIAA tournament riding a 11-game win streak and, as a No. 1 seed, is favored to capture the North 1, Group 4 title. The Ghosts' experience and intensity makes them a state title contender.
“We just have to keep playing the same way, don’t let up, and get another chip,” Brown said.
Wayne Valley is the No. 5 seed in North 1, Group 3 and could win multiple games if it plays with the same energy and intensity as it did in the second half. The Indians adjusted better to the faster pace.
Key sequence
Eastside came out hot, scoring on four of its first five possessions. The Ghosts led, 10-2, and doubled their lead to 20-4 after the first quarter.
Bethea opened with a 3-pointer from the right corner, and Best followed by scoring on a drive for a 5-0 lead. Stokes scored on a drive, then Brown turned a drive into a three-point play for the 10-2 lead.
“It’s very big to get off to a good start, because that’s how you keep the lead and maintain the lead and hold them back from getting closer and closer,” Stokes said.
By the numbers
Wayne Valley shot 30 percent from the field (14-for-46). The Indians had difficulty breaking pressure and running their offense and committed 20 turnovers.
Eastside shot 53 percent from the field (23-for-43). The Ghosts committed 19 turnovers, suffering a bad stretch to start the second half and suffering four consecutive miscues.
They said it
“To be quite honest, our guys came out and did a phenomenal job defensively,” Webb said. “They bought into our system and what we practice, day in and day out, and obviously they displayed that on the defensive end. And then offensively, it’s always fun when you can get out and play in transition and share the basketball.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Eastside boys basketball tops Wayne Valley for Passaic County title
