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Sectional champs: Waterford Wildcats boys basketball team tops Green

MIKE MORRISON The Marietta Times Waterford’s Andrew Thieman (40) posts up a defender during a high school boys basketball game against Green Tuesday night at Meigs High School in Pomeroy.

POMEROY — It may have taken the Waterford Wildcats a few minutes to heat up in Tuesday night’s Division IV Sectional Championship game at Meigs High School, but once they did, they did so in a big way.

Waterford connected on four straight triples in the first half and a grand total of 12 in the game as the Wildcats rolled to a 77-52 win over the Green Bobcats to claim the Sectional title.

Wildcat senior Jordan Welch knocked down seven of those 3-pointers as he led three Waterford players in double figures with 24 points as the green and white used a 23-0 first half run to blow out the Bobcats.

Trailing 4-2 at the four- minute mark of the first quarter, Tyler McCutcheon opened the long distance barrage by knocking down a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats in the lead for good.

Bryce Hilverding’s 3-pointer increased the lead before Welch splashed in back-to-back three’s to quickly stretch the lead to double figures.

“Coach (Tom Simms) told us to get out and go fast and that’s what we did,” said Welch, who also led the Wildcats in assists and rebounds with nine and six respectively. “We got pretty hot at the beginning. Tyler (McCutcheon) hit that first three and then we just went from there.”

Buckets by Isaac Huffman and Andrew Theiman increased the lead to 14 before Welch finished off an eight-point first quarter by canning a pair of freebies to push the lead to 20-4 at the end of the first quarter.

Another triple by Welch opened the second quarter before Bryce Hilverding capped the run to give the green and white a 20-point lead early in the second quarter.

Tanner Kimbler nailed a 3-pointer for Green to snap the Waterford run but the potent Wildcat offense went on another 13-2 run to open up a 38-9 lead.

Waterford shot a blistering 63 percent (19-30) from the floor in the first half including seven-of-12 from long distance.

“Jordan (Welch) got in a real rhythm early on and that got us going,” said Waterford head coach Tom Simms. “It’s really nice to have that many kids that can shoot the ball, we just have to realize that on any given night they can go cold so we have to continue to play great defense.”

The Wildcats extended their lead to 48-16 at the half, putting things away for all intents and purposes at the intermission.

Simms played his starters for much of the third period as the lead swelled to 40 before emptying his bench for the rest of the game.

Joining Welch in double figures were Hilverding with 15 points, including three triples and Travis Pottmeyer with 12.

Huffman chipped in with six points while dishing out eight assists.

“It’s always key to get out to a big lead like that early on,” said Huffman. “It gave us time to work on our game and it gave the young guys some work that way they are ready to go when it’s their turn.”

Tayte Carver led Green in scoring with 19 points, including four 3-pointers, while Tanner Kimbler finished with 13.

The Bobcats season comes to a close with a 4-18 record while the 17-4 Wildcats will advance to play at the Convocation Centre in Athens next Tuesday night against the winner of the Fairfield versus Sciotoville Community sectional championship battle.

It’s a great feeling to win this sectional and get to go back to the Convo, we just hope we can have some success while we are there,” said Simms. “I think if we can get focused in and not lose focus from time to time, we will give everybody what they want. We will just have to see what happens in the end.”

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