Victor ends a 45-year title drought: Here's how they did it

ROCHESTER — Victor's 45-year title drought is officially over.

The Blue Devils suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss in the 2021 final so they knew clinching their first Section V championship since 1978 would be challenging.

As expected, the sixth-seeded Red Raiders made them sweat, but the top-seeded Blue Devils held on for a 66-54 win in Saturday night's Section V Class AA final.

Coach Tyler Roberts fell into a pile of his players as they celebrated after the final buzzer sounded.

"It comes down tot he efforts of the entire community," Roberts said. "Our travel program bought in. Our modified coaches, our JV coaches. This is not a top-down thing, this is a bottom-up thing in Victor. Right now ... our entire program is humming. I expect we show up everyday and get 1% better all this offseason and keep it going."

What it means for Victor

This is the fourth Section V championship for Victor (21-2), but first since 1978. The Blue Devils' other titles came in 1954 and 1970.

Fairport coach Scott Fitch's Red Raiders ended their season 14-10.

Player of the game

Nick Leonard

Victor's junior forward was named tournament MVP. Leonard outscored Fairport's entire team in the first quarter with seven points. He even knocked down a 3-pointer. Leonard was a huge paint presence, the team's best screen setter and finished the night with 13 points.

Play of the game

Ryan Dodge's fourth quarter 3-pointer stopped Fairport in its tracks.

Victor's 29-14 halftime lead shrunk to six in the fourth. Garrett Clar and AJ Queri were heavily marked by Wallace Rahmaan and Lashard Lowry, respectively, when Fitch cleverly summoned a diamond-and-two defense. Victor eventually pulled away with 3-point bombs, none bigger than the trey Dodge hit for a 54-45 lead with four minutes left. Queri got loose and made his third 3 with 2:50 remaining to go up 57-47.

More:Section V boys basketball scores for the 2022-23 season

By the numbers

5 - Total points Victor allowed in the first quarter. The Blue Devils led 17-5.

17 - Aidan White, Fairport's 6-foot-6 junior forward, scored 13 of his game-high 17 points in the second half despite playing with foul trouble.

14 - Fairport senior forward Zac Ditzel scored 9 of his 14 points across the final two quarters.

12 - Fairport's sophomore point guard Lashard Lowry scored 11 of his 12 points in the second half. He even exhibited keen court vision and precise passes.

Class AA awards

All-tournament team: MVP Nick Leonard (Victor), Garrett Clar (Victor), Ryan Dodge (Victor), Aidan White (Fairport), Griffin Hopkins (Victor), Zac Ditzel (Fairport), LaShard Lowry (Fairport).

Sportsmanship awards: Brennan Hopkins (Victor), Wallace Rahmaan (Fairport).

Tom Downey Coach of the Year: Tyler Roberts (Victor).

They said it

Garrett Clar, Victor: "Guys on our team knocked down big shots to keep the lead. ... At the end of the day we just trusted our game plan and it worked out."

Coach Tyler Roberts, Victor: "I'm just really proud of the way we came together and just played basketball. We're a bunch of basketball players."

What's next

Victor advances to its first New York State Public High School Athletic Association region final. The first year of the state tournament was in 1978, but the Blue Devils did not advance to the regional round.

A Niagara Falls (21-2) program that's been here before awaits. The Wolverines have won the Section VI title twice in the last three seasons.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V boys basketball chmpionship: Victor beats Fairport