The WCA boys basketball team has gone from the two-headed scoring monster of Drew Williams and Zaire Lott to an offense by committee approach.
That’s what happens when you lose two 1,000-point scorers – the aforementioned Williams and Lott – along with six-foot-six Jonovan Bracey, who transferred to King School in Stamford. Bracey, who reclassified to the Class of 2026, was expected to be the go-to guy for the Spartans, according to his profile from Run the Bronx.
So what do you do when you lose that much scoring punch? Find a bunch of different guys that can do the job.
Enter Jeremiah Williams, a senior and one of two returning starters, along with fellow senior Dylan Rossi. Then there’s fellow seniors Kewan Petteway and Zyair Moreno, along with juniors Anthony Rodriguez and Maekhi Weaver.
Williams erupted for a season-high 27 points in Monday night’s 71-64 win over St. Paul at the Rev. Brian Monnerat Gymnasium on Maltby Street. Moreno (12) and Weaver (10) also hit double figures for WCA, which improved to 6-1 with its fifth straight win.
The Spartans possess quick players who showed Monday that they know where to be when head coach Ronan O’Leary turns up the defensive pressure. WCA’s press gave St. Paul fits in the second quarter, and if it weren’t for a Lamar Frazier putback at the buzzer, the Spartans’ lead would have been near 20 points (they were ahead, 37-22).
The Spartans also showed their inexperience, however, when the Falcons began breaking the press, then beating their foes down the floor on rebounds or turnovers. WCA’s once 22-point third quarter lead was cut to 12 late in the eight-minute stanza. The Spartans built the lead to 18 early in the final quarter, but the Falcons stormed back and were twice within three points, the last time at 66-63 with 1:45 to play.
WCA faced a serious gut-check moment, and it scored five of the game’s final six points to finally put the game away. Williams had four of those points, including two on a fast-break layup off a nice pass from Rossi. Moreno added a free throw with 5.2 seconds left for the game’s final point.
There will be many more challenges ahead for the Spartans, especially given that they’ve won the last two Naugatuck Valley League championships. That means they’re going to get every team’s best shot.
GALLERY: Here are my photos from Monday night’s game.
