Section V champions are made in Class C boys basketball
The beginning of the end led to another Section V boys basketball championship for the Oakfield-Alabama Hornets.
Oakfield-Alabama turned the five-point lead it held at halftime of the sectional Class C2 tournament final at Victor into a 17-point cushion that allowed the Hornets to surge to a 55-29 win over Lyons.
The Hornets also won the Section V Class C2 championship last season, defeating Caledonia-Mumford by five points in the final.
That championship game turned out to be a much larger challenge for the No. 2 seed Hornets (22-1) than the matchup against the No.1 Lions (21-2), who played without 6 foot-4 inch junior JC Walker.
"Defense was the key in that game (against Lyons)," Oakfield-Alabama senior and tournament Most Valuable Player Gaige Armbrewster said. "We always talk about how the first four minutes are really important, it sets the tone.
"We just kept rolling."
Armbrewster, Oakfield-Alabama's point guard, scored 13 points. He also grabbed six rebounds and had six assists.
Oakfield-Alabama and Elba merged their football teams, and with Armbrewster at running back, went on to win the Section V football championship and reach the Class D state semifinals in the fall. Armbrewster also was named MVP of the sectional football final.
"Football and basketball, it's very exciting to go back-to-back," Armbrewster said. "Those are the two toughest things to win in Section V."
Oakfield-Alabama's top three scorers against Lyons all were key players on the champion Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies football team.
Kam Cusmano finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, while Kaden Cusmano scored 10 points for the Hornets, who will move on during this high school postseason.
Oakfield-Alabama takes on the winner of a matchup of two more Section V champions in Class C, Avon versus York, on Wednesday to figure out which team advances to the state tournament.
"They work hard everyday," Oakfield-Alabama coach Ryan Stehlar said. "When they put their mind to it, anything is possible.
"They just stick together.”
The Hornets scored the first six points of the sectional final, and led 25-20 at halftime. A switch was made for the third quarter by the Hornets to a zone defense, with instructions for the players at the top or in the front line to be aggressive.
"The boys did a really good job of flying around," Stehlar said.
That led to turnovers or shots by Lyons that were rebounded and turned into fast breaks for points. Oakfield-Alabama led 40-23 with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter.
Girls basketball: Midlakes, Waterloo win Section V championships with stout defense
York on top in Class C3
The York Golden Knights had Caledonia-Mumford's number this season so to speak, and the result is a Section V Championship.
York won the fourth matchup this season between the Livingston County league members, 55-42 in the sectional Class C3 final at Dansville.
Timothy Maddox, named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, scored 18 points for the No. 4 seed Golden Knights. Tyler Brady and Austin Flynn each scored 12 points to help York defeat No. 2 Cal-Mum for a third time in 2021-22.
"They've got five guys who can score on the floor at all times," Cal-Mum coach Dan Dickens said. "It's tough to defend them."
Kyle Wade scored a game-high 20 points and had 11 rebounds, while trying to lead the Cal-Mum Raiders to a fourth sectional title with Dickens as coach. This was the 47-year-old Dickens' 21st and final season leading the team.
"The kids I had my first year, I can’t believe they are coming up on 40," Dickens said after his eighth appearance in a sectional basketball final as Cal-Mum's varsity coach.
York maintained a lead of five to seven points for most of the game, but were ahead 46-36 after a 3-pointer by the hot-shooting Timothy with five minutes remaining.
The Golden Knights were on their way to a championship game reversal. Caledonia-Mumford defeated York during sectional finals in 2019 and 2020.
"I couldn't be happier for our kids and our community," York coach Ed Orman wrote in an e-mail. "Cal-Mum has really had the better of us the last few years and to finally get one is incredible.
"Now we become big cheerleaders for our girls team."
Avon makes it 3 for 3
The big three in Avon, made it three Section V boys basketball titles in three years for their team.
Tournament MVP Zach Colvin, sophomore Michael Rowland and Andrew Rowland helped turn the Section V Class C1 final into a runaway from Rochester Academy Charter School, 68-43 at Bloomfield.
Michael Rowland, who joined the Avon varsity as an eighth-grader, scored a game-high 25 points, including six 3-pointers.
Colvin, a senior forward, had 20 points. Jack Browne had 11, while Andrew Rowland dealt with the No. 1 seed RACS pressure defenses and handed out 10 assists.
If Avon (20-3), a No. 2 seed in the sectional tournament, can get past York, 7 p.m. Monday at Dansville, then Oakfield-Alabama on Wednesday, the Class C1 sectional champions move on to the state tournament regionals.
"Every coach will tell you, this season (because of the coronavirus pandemic) was really tough," Fries said. "They never complained.
"They are a really easy group to coach because they work hard."
The RACS Racers finished with a 19-1 record.
"We were 17-3," Fries said about Avon's regular season record. "The three teams we lost to, were the team we beat in sectionals to win."
JAMESJ@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V champions are made in Class C boys basketball
