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1st-quarter flurry propels Loyalsock

BRETT R. CROSSLEY/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Loyalsock’s Rees Watkins makes a shot over a Wellsboro defender during the District 4 Class AAA championship game Saturday at Montoursville.

It had been 364 days since Loyalsock watched Wellsboro receive gold medals at Montoursville. All the Lancers could do that day was watch, wonder and hope it might some day earn another opportunity.

Opportunity came calling Saturday and Loyalsock embraced it like a parent does a new-born child. What had been building for the past year came pouring out in a dazzling eruption of first-quarter points and big defensive plays. The Lancers would not let this opportunity slip away and, on the same court against the same team, Loyalsock finally earned those gold medals.

Gerald Ross scored 18 points, Bam Brima and Connor Watkins conducted a defensive clinic, Rees Watkins shined off the bench and Loyalsock built a 22-point first-quarter lead as it defeated defending champion Wellsboro, 70-36, capturing the District 4 Class AAA championship. Loyalsock (26-1) gave coach Ron Insinger his 22nd district title, won its 19th straight game and four senior starters avoided becoming the first Lancer senior class since 2000 to graduate without earning district supremacy.

“It feels awesome. Playing with these guys for so long, all the way up through middle school, it’s nice seeing the work we’ve put in paying off,” Connor Watkins said after scoring 10 points, grabbing seven rebounds and adding six assists. “I have to give all the credit to my teammates. They always pick me up when I’m not feeling the best. It’s a family atmosphere.”

From Wellsboro’s perspective, there was nothing familial about the way Loyalsock treated it early. The Lancers unleashed fury, rapidly taking a 13-0 lead and then pushing the lead to 23-2 less than six minutes into the game. Everything worked, nearly every shot went in and Loyalsock looked as dominant as it has all season. Wellsboro burned through two timeouts trying to stop the wave, but could not slow the Lancers who hit 12 of their first 13 shots and had six players score during that time.

Eventually, Loyalsock led 27-5 before Wellsboro scored the quarter’s first nine points. The Lancers, who play Palmerton in next Saturday’s state tournament opener at a District 4 site, forced the first nine of what would become 30 turnovers during that opening eight-minute blitz. It might not have been a perfect first quarter, but it was pretty close.

“I didn’t need a pregame speech. Between playing badly Wednesday night and losing a year ago today in this gym the scenario was all set for a good performance,” Insinger said. “It’s the same defense, the same transitions we made. The only difference was we had more energy today. Defense is only as good as the heart you put into it. We had been going through the motions the last few games and we knew we had to pick it up.”

“We just wanted to come out with bad intentions and the speed of the devil,” Brima said. “We just wanted to jump on them.”

Consider that, mission accomplished. Wellsboro, which plays Holy Redeemer at a District 4 site next Saturday, settled itself in the second quarter, cut the deficit to 12 by halftime and pulled within 10 early in the third quarter. But as that third quarter continued it began looking a lot like the first.

Watkins, Brima and Rees Watkins sparked a 9-0 run that re-energized Loyalsock and it never slowed again, building a 24-point lead entering the fourth. The Lancers made 16 of their first 23 second-half shots as they scored in transition, in the half-court, off 3-pointers and in the post. Everything was working and Loyalsock left no doubt that it was District 4’s best Class AAA team.

“We beat them earlier in the year so we knew they wanted to take one away from us,” Brima said. “We wanted this one bad. This had never happened for this group so it means a lot.”

Brima and Connor Watkins anchored a defense that forced at least seven turnovers in each quarter and that erased Wellsboro’s strong post game. Brima, a 6-6 forward, constantly harassed Wellsboro’s ball-handlers, wreaking havoc and denying entry passes. Watkins was equally impressive inside, slowing Wellsboro all-state candidate Brandyn Tuttle and holding the double-double machine to a season-low three points. Watkins made a career-high eight steals, Brima added four more and he also blocked four shots.

“We just know they like getting their bigs a lot of touches to set up their shooting. We knew that was a big key to the game,” Connor Watkins said. “We know they try pounding it inside early so Bam and I knew we were going to have to go to work right away and, luckily, we were able to get some steals and get the tempo up.”

While those two ignited the defense, Rees Watkins helped the offense open up. Providing Loyalsock yet another threat, the junior guard, scored a season-high 12 points, 10 coming in the middle quarters. After missing most of the season with a broken hand, Watkins made up for lost time on a big stage, in front of a huge crowd, playing a large role in the game-breaking third-quarter run.

Rees Watkins drained two 3-pointers, scored inside and made three steals. His points came at critical times, answering Wellsboro’s runs in the second quarter and fueling the third-quarter push. He would rather have not missed any games, but Rees Watkins made quite a statement about what he can do.

“It took a lot of time to get back where I wanted to be and I’m getting better every game now,” Rees Watkins said. “I just wanted to play my hardest and get the win. I felt locked in. It’s a great feeling and hopefully I can feel it again next year.”

Ross scored 12 of his 18 points in the opening quarter and made all six of his shots from the field and line during that time. He offered a preview of things to come, scoring four seconds into the game. Anthony Pastore made a steal and found Aiden Gair (11 points) and Connor Watkins followed with a steal and Pastore found Ross for a shot and Loyalsock led 7-0 less than a minute into the game. The tone already was set and Loyalsock quickly showed it would not history repeat itself.

“It’s like it always is. I couldn’t sleep last night. The adrenaline was flowing and I butterflies all day,” Insinger said. “I knew that was a good thing.”

Loyalsock 70, Wellsboro 36

WELLSBORO (36)

Brandyn Tuttle 1 0-0 3, Andrew Brelo 4 0-1 11, Joe Grab 2 0-0 5, Tanner Button 1 0-0 3, Hunter Brown 2 0-0 4, Holden Kennedy 2 0-0 6, Karter Witmer 1 0-0 3, Andrew Larson 0 1-2 1. Totals 13 1-3 36.

LOYALSOCK (70)

Gerald Ross 8 1-1 18, Aiden Gair 5 1-1 11, Anthony Pastore 2 1-2 5, Connor Watkins 5 0-0 10, Bam Brima 3 1-2 7, Rees Watkins 5 0-0 12, Dane Armson 0 0-0 0, Idris Ali 2 0-0 4, Derek Gee 0 1-2 1, Dominic Jennings 1 0-0 2. Totals 31 5-8 70.

Wellsboro 9 11 10 6–36

Loyalsock 27 5 22 16–70

3-point goals: Wellsboro 9 (Brelo 3, Kennedy 2, Tuttle 1, Grab 1, Button 1, Larson 1), Loyalsock 3 (R. Watkins 2, Ross 1).

Records: Loyalsock (26-1), Wellsboro (23-4).

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