The Trojans season came to an end after losing 60-45 against New Hartford High School in the first round of sectionals. The game, held at the New Hartford gym on February 20th left the Trojans to fall short in their hopes of advancing further in the postseason.
The post-game reflections from senior Wyatt Wilbur shed light on the challenges the Trojans faced in the game and what contributing factors led to the 60-45 outcome.
“We knew before the game we were going to have to come out and play all 32 minutes,” said Wilbur. “I won’t question that we put forth our best effort but it came down to execution. Unfortunately for us, we weren’t able to hit the shots we needed to keep us in the game. We got looks that we wanted but just couldn’t put it in the hoop. New Hartford was a good team and they simply executed better than us.”
Throughout the match the Trojans found themselves unable to convert the shots they wanted in order for them to execute, which ultimately prevented them from maintaining that competitiveness throughout the game. Homer had multiple opportunities created, but were unable to capitalize on those chances.
Throughout the first quarter the Trojans faced defensive pressure in their own end during restarts, as New Hartford employed a high press. In response, Homer implemented a zone defense to counteract the tactics. The first quarter concluded with New Hartford holding a 17-10 lead.
Just 40 seconds into the second quarter, Homer found themselves facing difficulties and falling back. Homer faced multiple turnovers in their end that led to easy layups for New Hartford. Junior Kaden Durham scored the Trojans first basket of the second with 2:23 left on the clock. Homer found themselves trailing, 31-19, ending the first half with New Hartford having a 12-point lead.
Entering the third quarter there was a shift in momentum from the Trojans. While still trailing, the team had a heightened level of intensity that changed the game into a more evenly matched contest. After some minutes of coming back, Senior Mitchell Earle added crucial points to the scoreboard, narrowing the gap to 31-37. As the third quarter ended, Homer made a significant change from the first half, closing the deficit to 45-35.
In the fourth quarter, the game returned to the dynamics of the previous quarters, resulting in a final score of 60-45.
Reflecting on the loss in the first round of sectionals and his last ever varsity high school basketball game, Wilbur expressed his emotions after the game.
“Obviously it is tough to lose your last game in the first round but I couldn’t have asked for a better year,” said Wilbur. “We improved throughout the season and that’s what brought us to that point. To me, there wasn’t much more we could’ve planned for. You can’t just plan on making every shot. It’s a part of basketball. I’m proud of my team for giving their best not only in that game but throughout the season.”