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State Champs
The Woodstock Academy boys' basketball won the state championship March 16. Coach Greg Smith and the team and the whole Centaur Nation celebrate afterwards. More photos on pages 6 and 10 and all photos courtesy of Jimi Gothreau.
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Top left: Above: Chris Lowry coming through! Below: Ian Converse takes a shot. Right: Sullivan Gardner waits for pass.
Bottom right: Ian Converse in the middle of it all.
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Top and above: Fan mania. Left: Centaur John McGinn
By Ron Coderre
The dream of every high school basketball player who steps on to the hardwood is to win a State championship. In reality, however very few ever achieve that dream. For the members of the 2012-2013 Woodstock Academy boy’s basketball team they’ll always be able to say they accomplished that feat and won a State title.
In a game that started like it would be a runaway but turned into a nail biter, the Centaurs of coach Greg Smith captured the Connecticut State Class L championship in a game that gave the capacity crowd its money’s worth with a 52-49 victory over number 1 seed Trinity Catholic of Stamford.
As it’s been all season, Woodstock was led by the duo of Ian Converse and Chris Lowry, although the entire starting unit and the lone sub off the bench, Trent Peters, all had a significant hand in the victory. Converse led the offense, posting a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Lowry was the “head of the snake’ as the point guard is often referred to, dishing out 11 assists and controlling the tempo of the game with his ball handling.
The contest was tight throughout. Woodstock’s largest lead of the evening came at the 0:46 point of the first period when they led by nine points. The Centaurs, seeded number 2 in Class L, led by one at the half, 28-27, thanks to a Lowry three-pointer, which he hoisted with four ticks of the clock remaining.
The outcome of the game, which was tied twice and which saw four lead changes, was decided in the final 6:05 of the final stanza. Tied at 38 all, baskets by John McGinn (five points) and Tristan Welch (eight points) put the Acads up 42-38 with 5:30 remaining.
Trinity Catholic responded with five consecutive points to snag the lead 43-42, one coming on a three-pointer by Tremaine Frasier, who was Trinity’s leading scorer with 17 points. Schadrac Casimir, the Crusaders leading scorer was held to 15 points, on a 3-14 shooting night. The Woodstock defense stifled the high scoring guard, who had a 50-point game this season, holding him well below his average of 26 points per game.
Woodstock then reeled off a seven-point run of its own on a put back by Converse, two from Lowry, who hit both ends of a one-and-one and a huge three by Tristan Welch that put the nail in the coffin, as they forged ahead 49-43with 3:23 left to play.
Frasier kept Catholic in the game with another big hoop from beyond the arc and with 2:27 left it was a three point game 49-46 in favor of Woodstock. After McGinn hit the front end of a one-and-one the Centaurs went cold at the charity stripe putting fear into the hearts of the hundreds of faithful who had made the trek to the Mohegan Sun Casinoland arena.
After McGinn missed the second free throw, Lowry missed two as Woodstock couldn’t capitalize on being in the double bonus situation. With 1:05 remaining Brandon Wheeler (13 points) hit an inside shot to pull Trinity within two 50-48. Once again Lowry had an opportunity to extend the Woodstock cushion but he was unsuccessful on two free throws with 1:02 to play.
The poor free throw shooting bug then hit Trinity as Wheeler could only make one of four in the final 37 seconds. Converse settled matters, when he converted two from the stripe with 5.7 seconds on the clock giving the Centaurs a three-point cushion and the State championship.
Our goal was to control the tempo of the game and to play strong defense in order to hold their high scorer down,” said Woodstock assistant coach Mike Bourgeois.
Woodstock limited the Stamford team to 33.3 percent (19-57) shooting for the game while they posted 19-45 and 42.2 percent.
The Centaurs held a significant edge on the boards thanks to burly senior Sullivan Gardner who finished with 14 caroms to go with his eight points, outrebounding Trinity 41-33. They went to the free throw line 18 times and converted 10, while Trinity was 3-9 from the charity stripe.
“The Woodstock kids seemed to mature as the game went along. I think, since this was their first experience in this type situation they gained confidence when they realized they had a shot at the title. I’m pleased for all the team and coaches,” said Woodstock resident and former Centaur Dennis Kelly.
The victory brings the successful season and run to the title to a conclusion with a sparkling 24-3 record for Woodstock. Trinity Catholic closes out its books with an identical record.