×

Webster rallies past Crusaders in state finals

JAY W. BENNETT The Marietta Times Webster County’s Tyler Gray attempts to fight through a pick set by Parkersburg Catholic’s Ty Sturm (5) as Crusader teammate Jeb Boice (10) handles the ball during Saturday’s W.Va. Class A state championship game in Charleston, W.Va.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — History isn’t made very often on the hardwood, but Webster County became the first Mountain State team to go 28-0 here Saturday afternoon as the Highlanders rallied past Parkersburg Catholic in the Class A state championship game for a 47-40 victory.

Dorian Groggs, who tallied a game-high 21 points, had a personal 12-0 run in a span of 4:45 in the fourth quarter to turn a 36-30 deficit into a 42-36 advantage. The closest PCHS got the rest of the way was at 42-40 with 2:34 to play after Patrick Copen got a putback and Ty Sturm made two foul shots.

“I’m not sure if I ever seen a Class A high school basketball game with that kind of atmosphere,” said Crusader boss Rob Strcula, whose club finished 19-8 and was the first No. 6 seed in single-A to ever reach the finals. “That’s what basketball is all about and we saw it here today. I thought we played a great first half.

“I think the difference was they were hitting shots they didn’t hit in the first half. They really locked in on defense. We put ourselves in a position to win the game but it wasn’t meant to be. That zone, it’s almost like watching Syracuse sometimes. Their length really bothers you. You can’t simulate that kind of zone in practice and the length. It’s not a traditional 2-3 zone.”

Sturm’s double-double of 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds led the Crusaders, who got 10 points from Cade Ullman as well as nine points and a game-high six steals from Jeb Boice.

The top-seeded Highlanders of head coach Mike Gray bolted to a 6-0 lead thanks to buckets from Tyler Gray, Cole Taylor and Drew Holcomb, who had 12 points, nine boards and two blocks.

However, Boice’s inbound pass to Sturm and his hoop prior to the buzzer gave PCHS a 15-11 lead after one.

Webster County trailed 19-11 with 3:42 left in the half following a Xavier Collie putback and the deficit was 25-16 at intermission.

“We got after them on defense and I think that was the turning point of the game,” said coach Gray, whose team held a 22-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

“For a small town school, this team is about as good as it’s going to get.”

Still trailing 27-18 following a Taylor coast-to-coast lay-in after a defensive rebound, the teams combined for a trio of 3s in 31 seconds. Pryce Gadd drained the first for WCHS, but Ullman answered with a deep 3 only to have Holcomb counter with a bomb of his own.

Boice was off the floor at that time as he suffered a laceration below his eye while starting a drive into the paint shortly beforehand.

“It hurt. I’m used to getting hurt,” said Boice, who tied Groggs and fellow Highlander Garrett Hamrick for game-high assist honors with three.

“I’ll be fine. I’d like to have got a foul on that. It’s all right. It affected me. I thought I played my hardest out there.”

Shortly after Holcomb’s trifecta, Boice picked up his third and fourth fouls in a span of nine seconds. Holcomb followed with two more deuces to close it to 30-28, but two foul shots by Ullman and a Sturm putback pushed it back to 34-28 with 59 ticks to go in the third.

What proved to be a harbinger of things to come was the momentum the Highlanders got to end the frame when Groggs raced in for a layup to just beat the buzzer after Hamrick had a poke-away steal.

“My adrenaline went and I was ready to go,” Groggs stated.

The Crusaders connected on just 2 of 13 field goals in the fourth quarter and went 4 of 23 after halftime. PCHS was 10 of 20 in the first half.

“The bond and the family,” Ullman said of what he’ll remember about this season. “Just losing like that and going through all that adversity and big wins and emotional highs and we wanted to really win that one. It stings. It stings that you won’t play with these guys anymore. There’s not much to say.”

The only bench points of the game for either side came via Collie and the Crusaders also held a 16-4 cushion in second-chance points.

“I don’t think there are any words for it,” Sturm added. “Not as much as the loss hurts, but just leaving this family we’ve created in two years.”

Although PCHS shot just 32.6 percent (14 of 43), the Crusaders limited Webster County to 37.2 percent on 16 of 43 attempts.

“It’s hard to run certain stuff in a zone to get him (Ullman) open,” Strcula added. “Cade is a once in a lifetime player and ends his career with over 1,900 points.

“It’s going to hurt and sting and be hard to get over. They created a bond and a relationship that you can’t unbreak. These guys have given me the best basketball week of my life.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today