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CITY CHAMPS — Weir High celebrates after beating Madonna on Saturday afternoon. — Aaron Petchal
WEIRTON — The trophy is staying at Weir.
Propelled by a big first half, the Weir boys’ basketball team rolled to a 70-43 victory against city rival Madonna in the annual City Championship Game Saturday afternoon on Ron “Fritz” Williams Court inside the Carl Hamill Fieldhouse.
“It’s awesome,” Weir (6-10) head coach Anthony Santangelo said. “I have been here for four years, and it gets more special every year. It was a great environment. It was great for the community. As a kid, I use to come up here.
“For the seniors to win this game, it’s just awesome. It gives me chills. It is great for the city of Weirton. It is great for the school. We are able to keep it here. It was a great day today.”
The Red Riders built an 11-point advantage at the end of the first quarter before leading by 20 late in the first half.
“They jumped on us early,” Madonna head coach George Vargo said. “We missed some shots we couldn’t afford to miss. We missed those shots due to Weir’s intense pressure.
“In the fourth quarter, they hit six foul shots and a couple of layups, and they were able to pull away and get the win.
“I am happy with the team. I am happy with how the team played. I am happy for Anthony. He had a good night. He needed that.”
The Blue Dons made a run in the third, but the Red Riders’ were able to withstand their rivals’ charge.
“They brought it down to 12, but we were able to finish it off,” Santangelo said. “We learned how to play with a lead. We faced adversity in the third, but we stepped up and were able to get the win.”
Weir outscored Madonna by 12 in the fourth to seal the deal.
“The fans were great,” Vargo said. “They were into it. They did not denigrate anyone. They were supportive of their team. It is good for Weirton. It is nice for the community. It was a typical Weir-Madonna game today.
“I thought we played well. The final score was not indicitive of the type of game it was today.”
The hosts were led by a balanced scoring attack as five players produced at least eight points in the win. Individually, Anthony Jeffers finished with a team-high 15 points, G Cross scored 14 and Cayden Braswell tallied 13. Also, Damir Mowder delivered nine points, and Christian Long collected eight.
“They came out and double G Cross,” Santangelo said. “We had to adjust. We had to stay in our offense. G did a heck of a job. He was patient. He moved the ball. He did not force anything. He got the other guys involved. It helps when we are able to get everyone involved.”
Anthony Mascio contributed a game-high 25 points to lead the way for the boys in blue, while Luca Muzzi added eight.
Weir 70, Madonna 43
Madonna 5 10 14 14 – 43
Weir 16 17 11 26 – 70
MADONNA (6-7): Mascio 11 3-4 25, DoBraska 1 0-0 2, Miller 0 0-0 0, Crossland 1 0-0 2, Muzzi 3 2-6 8, Gontas 0 0-0 0, Littleton 2 0-0 4, Connors 0 1-2 1, Wilharm 0 1-2 1. TOTALS: 18 7-14 43.
WEIR (6-10): Cross 6 0-0 14, Mowder 4 1-2 9, Stromile 0 2-4 2, Jeffers 6 0-0 15, Potock 1 2-4 4, Glyptis 1 0-2 3, Stevenson 0 2-2 2, Long 3 1-2 8, Kaczmarek 0 0-0 0, Braswell 5 2-2 13. TOTALS: 26 11-18 70.
3-POINTERS: Madonna (none); Weir 8 (Jeffers 3, Cross 2, Glyptis, Long, Braswell)
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