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SOUTH WEBSTER — On the near side corner, by the home side of South Webster's locker room, a well-painted and designed poster sits atop the water fountains next to the entrance to South Webster's boys basketball locker rooms.
That poster consists of four words.
The Boys Are Back.
If Friday evening's SOC III contest between the South Webster Jeeps' and Wheelersburg Pirates' boys basketball programs was any indication, the passion and fire within South Webster's group looks to be back as well.
Brycin McClintic enjoyed arguably the best opening half of basketball of his high school career by posting 19 points and eight rebounds en route to a 26-point, 10-rebound performance, Brayden Barnard added in 12 points, 12 rebounds and four steals, and the South Webster Jeeps' boys basketball program (12-6, 4-4 SOC III) held off a terrific second half rally by the Wheelersburg Pirates' boys basketball program (11-5, 6-2 SOC III) en route to claiming a 58-53 win on Friday evening at South Webster High School in South Webster.
Wily veteran head coach Norm Persin, who picked up his 835th career win as a head coach in the sport with Friday's triumph, said that the win was all about how South Webster answered adverse situations in the second half, as well as how the Jeeps executed in clutch moments.
"We switched up our defenses, which we had to," Persin said. "We know Burg is Burg. We know they're not going to quit. We were up 11 or 12 at the half, and I knew they were going to come back. A big key was how we responded and held the lead. We were tied in the fourth quarter, but we were able to sustain the lead, made free throws, and got a couple of layups that broke their back right there. That made them have to come down and shoot threes, and they made a couple, then missed a couple. I thought overall, it was a great win for our kids."
Barnard, who spent much of the second half bringing an energy level to the table that was Dennis Rodman-esque, said that the entire team had confidence in accomplishing what it was ultimately able to do on Friday.
"It means a lot to us," Brayden Barnard said. "We didn't have a game (on Tuesday), so we came in each day, worked hard, and had a great mindset. Coach told us yesterday, 'We've had a lot more time to prepare. We're going to get this win here at home.' That really helped us. Coming out here and showing out for the community — there's no better feeling."
Early on, the play of McClintic — South Webster's trusted floor general and the head of the Jeeps' 1-3-1 defense when Persin employs a zone look — was outstanding.
Scoring or assisting on 10 of the Jeeps' first 15 points in the contest, McClintic also grabbed six rebounds in the opening quarter as the senior flew around from end to end.
His presence in all facets, as well as the play of the Barnard brothers, who combined for six points themselves, allowed South Webster to take as much as a 12-point lead (19-7) in the opening frame before Wheelersburg's Braylon Rucker helped halt the bleeding with his trey that cut the margin to a 19-10 count at the first quarter horn.
McClintic ultimately led the Jeeps with his seventh 20-point outing of the season with his 26-point, 10-rebound effort. No. 22 had been leading South Webster with 18.5 points and five rebounds and was second on the Jeeps' squad with 1.8 steals coming into the game.
"Brycin McClintic was off the charts tonight," Persin said. "The thing about him is that he's got to use so much energy defensively, especially when we're playing our 1-3-1. That's not an easy spot to be, because he's got to move from side-to-side. He just has a knack of getting the ball somehow. You think about a guy dropping from the top of that 1-3-1 all the way down to get the rebound — that's showing you tremendous grit and tremendous energy."
However, Wheelersburg showed grit of its own.
Behind the play of its senior captain, Hunter Bivens, the Pirates went on a 12-5 run to start the second quarter as Bivens, at one point, scored nine straight points after connecting on back-to-back-to-back three-point attempts, cutting the South Webster lead to a 26-22 margin.
But Hunter Barnard, who led South Webster with six assists in the game, found McClintic for a three-pointer that the latter cashed, and connected with Brayden Barnard prior to the end of the half, helping the Jeeps neutralize the quarter's affairs with a 5-0 run that gave South Webster a 31-22 lead at the halftime break.
Down 12 at one point in the third quarter, Wheelersburg showcased its conference championship level fight.
Following a putback basket by Rucker and a bucket off of a steal by Xavier Miller via an errant pass, Landon McGraw got cooking.
The red-headed, sweet-guitar playing 6-2 senior showcased an even sweeter stroke by dropping in back-to-back-to-back treys of his own in the third quarter, cutting South Webster's lead to a 43-40 margin by the end of the third quarter.
Getting the ball back again to start the fourth, Miller then absorbed contact and finished through traffic by scoring after a scramble play allowed the junior to finish with a big bucket.
At that point, Wheelersburg had turned a 39-27 deficit into a 43-all tie.
But South Webster kept its poise down the stretch.
Following a missed shot on Wheelersburg's next offensive possession, McClintic found Hunter Barnard for a three-pointer with less than six-and-a-half minutes to play, giving South Webster the lead back at a 46-43 count. McClintic then drained two free throw attempts after another defensive stop, giving the Jeeps a five-point cushion to play with at 48-43.
"Hunter's a three-year varsity player for us, so he had to do that," Persin said of the elder Barnard's trey. "You expect your guys to make big plays for you, and he does. Hunter does a great job for his size rebounding as well."
Miller again came back with another big low post bucket to allow Wheelersburg to draw within 48-45, and an intentional foul called on McClintic gave Rucker two free throw attempts and Wheelersburg possession following the free throws.
But after splitting the free throw attempts, the Pirates didn't score and Brayden Barnard found Easton Large for a low post bucket to give South Webster a 50-46 lead.
With 1:24 remaining, Hunter Bivens again answered on Wheelersburg's end with a big rebound and putback to put the Pirates back within two at 52-50 following two more free throws by McClintic.
But Large found Brayden Barnard down low from the high post on the following possession to give South Webster a 54-50 advantage, and after getting the ball again on the other end, Barnard tight-roped his way down the right side of the court en route to scoring again as the Jeeps nabbed a 56-50 lead with less than 30 seconds left.
"Brayden Barnard was just huge," Persin said. "He was huge. He was all over the place. Realistically, he's probably the best athlete on the team. When he got to the rim, he rebounded like crazy. We're always really good when he plays well. He's still only a sophomore, so he's going to make mistakes out there as it's his first year at the varsity level, but when he's got his motor going and he's running and defending, he is hard to handle. He did a heck of job for us."
"As a little kid, I've always had a lot of energy, and that carries over into the sports that I play," Brayden Barnard said. "Last year, I was known as the hype man, so this year, I think I've transferred that over to being all over the place, being really energetic and doing what's best for the team, whether it's rebounding, going hard to the glass or finishing and doing what's best for the team, so whatever helps the team, that's what I'm trying to do."
Rucker knocked down a three on the following possession for Wheelersburg, but the three-pointer was all the Pirates were able to muster as South Webster held on for the triumph by going 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter en route to the win.
"We hit our free throws down the stretch," Persin said. "I told our guys, 'It's going to cost you a game or it's going to win you a game.' It won a game for us tonight."
The win by the Jeeps tightens the SOC III race up again, as Wheelersburg (6-2) leads the conference race by a game over Valley and West (5-3) while South Webster (4-4) sits just two games back of the lead as all four teams remain alive in their ability to either share the conference title or win it outright.
"We knew from the time the season started that the conference would be a gauntlet," Persin said. "From top to bottom, anybody can beat anybody on a given night, and it's showing. It's showing right now. We played Wheelersburg tough at their place. It was a knockdown, dragout for three quarters, and in the fourth quarter, we ran out of gas a little bit. Give them credit. They made some big plays and that's what it's about."
Continue reading...
That poster consists of four words.
The Boys Are Back.
If Friday evening's SOC III contest between the South Webster Jeeps' and Wheelersburg Pirates' boys basketball programs was any indication, the passion and fire within South Webster's group looks to be back as well.
Brycin McClintic enjoyed arguably the best opening half of basketball of his high school career by posting 19 points and eight rebounds en route to a 26-point, 10-rebound performance, Brayden Barnard added in 12 points, 12 rebounds and four steals, and the South Webster Jeeps' boys basketball program (12-6, 4-4 SOC III) held off a terrific second half rally by the Wheelersburg Pirates' boys basketball program (11-5, 6-2 SOC III) en route to claiming a 58-53 win on Friday evening at South Webster High School in South Webster.
Wily veteran head coach Norm Persin, who picked up his 835th career win as a head coach in the sport with Friday's triumph, said that the win was all about how South Webster answered adverse situations in the second half, as well as how the Jeeps executed in clutch moments.
"We switched up our defenses, which we had to," Persin said. "We know Burg is Burg. We know they're not going to quit. We were up 11 or 12 at the half, and I knew they were going to come back. A big key was how we responded and held the lead. We were tied in the fourth quarter, but we were able to sustain the lead, made free throws, and got a couple of layups that broke their back right there. That made them have to come down and shoot threes, and they made a couple, then missed a couple. I thought overall, it was a great win for our kids."
Barnard, who spent much of the second half bringing an energy level to the table that was Dennis Rodman-esque, said that the entire team had confidence in accomplishing what it was ultimately able to do on Friday.
"It means a lot to us," Brayden Barnard said. "We didn't have a game (on Tuesday), so we came in each day, worked hard, and had a great mindset. Coach told us yesterday, 'We've had a lot more time to prepare. We're going to get this win here at home.' That really helped us. Coming out here and showing out for the community — there's no better feeling."
Early on, the play of McClintic — South Webster's trusted floor general and the head of the Jeeps' 1-3-1 defense when Persin employs a zone look — was outstanding.
Scoring or assisting on 10 of the Jeeps' first 15 points in the contest, McClintic also grabbed six rebounds in the opening quarter as the senior flew around from end to end.
His presence in all facets, as well as the play of the Barnard brothers, who combined for six points themselves, allowed South Webster to take as much as a 12-point lead (19-7) in the opening frame before Wheelersburg's Braylon Rucker helped halt the bleeding with his trey that cut the margin to a 19-10 count at the first quarter horn.
McClintic ultimately led the Jeeps with his seventh 20-point outing of the season with his 26-point, 10-rebound effort. No. 22 had been leading South Webster with 18.5 points and five rebounds and was second on the Jeeps' squad with 1.8 steals coming into the game.
"Brycin McClintic was off the charts tonight," Persin said. "The thing about him is that he's got to use so much energy defensively, especially when we're playing our 1-3-1. That's not an easy spot to be, because he's got to move from side-to-side. He just has a knack of getting the ball somehow. You think about a guy dropping from the top of that 1-3-1 all the way down to get the rebound — that's showing you tremendous grit and tremendous energy."
However, Wheelersburg showed grit of its own.
Behind the play of its senior captain, Hunter Bivens, the Pirates went on a 12-5 run to start the second quarter as Bivens, at one point, scored nine straight points after connecting on back-to-back-to-back three-point attempts, cutting the South Webster lead to a 26-22 margin.
But Hunter Barnard, who led South Webster with six assists in the game, found McClintic for a three-pointer that the latter cashed, and connected with Brayden Barnard prior to the end of the half, helping the Jeeps neutralize the quarter's affairs with a 5-0 run that gave South Webster a 31-22 lead at the halftime break.
Down 12 at one point in the third quarter, Wheelersburg showcased its conference championship level fight.
Following a putback basket by Rucker and a bucket off of a steal by Xavier Miller via an errant pass, Landon McGraw got cooking.
The red-headed, sweet-guitar playing 6-2 senior showcased an even sweeter stroke by dropping in back-to-back-to-back treys of his own in the third quarter, cutting South Webster's lead to a 43-40 margin by the end of the third quarter.
Getting the ball back again to start the fourth, Miller then absorbed contact and finished through traffic by scoring after a scramble play allowed the junior to finish with a big bucket.
At that point, Wheelersburg had turned a 39-27 deficit into a 43-all tie.
But South Webster kept its poise down the stretch.
Following a missed shot on Wheelersburg's next offensive possession, McClintic found Hunter Barnard for a three-pointer with less than six-and-a-half minutes to play, giving South Webster the lead back at a 46-43 count. McClintic then drained two free throw attempts after another defensive stop, giving the Jeeps a five-point cushion to play with at 48-43.
"Hunter's a three-year varsity player for us, so he had to do that," Persin said of the elder Barnard's trey. "You expect your guys to make big plays for you, and he does. Hunter does a great job for his size rebounding as well."
Miller again came back with another big low post bucket to allow Wheelersburg to draw within 48-45, and an intentional foul called on McClintic gave Rucker two free throw attempts and Wheelersburg possession following the free throws.
But after splitting the free throw attempts, the Pirates didn't score and Brayden Barnard found Easton Large for a low post bucket to give South Webster a 50-46 lead.
With 1:24 remaining, Hunter Bivens again answered on Wheelersburg's end with a big rebound and putback to put the Pirates back within two at 52-50 following two more free throws by McClintic.
But Large found Brayden Barnard down low from the high post on the following possession to give South Webster a 54-50 advantage, and after getting the ball again on the other end, Barnard tight-roped his way down the right side of the court en route to scoring again as the Jeeps nabbed a 56-50 lead with less than 30 seconds left.
"Brayden Barnard was just huge," Persin said. "He was huge. He was all over the place. Realistically, he's probably the best athlete on the team. When he got to the rim, he rebounded like crazy. We're always really good when he plays well. He's still only a sophomore, so he's going to make mistakes out there as it's his first year at the varsity level, but when he's got his motor going and he's running and defending, he is hard to handle. He did a heck of job for us."
"As a little kid, I've always had a lot of energy, and that carries over into the sports that I play," Brayden Barnard said. "Last year, I was known as the hype man, so this year, I think I've transferred that over to being all over the place, being really energetic and doing what's best for the team, whether it's rebounding, going hard to the glass or finishing and doing what's best for the team, so whatever helps the team, that's what I'm trying to do."
Rucker knocked down a three on the following possession for Wheelersburg, but the three-pointer was all the Pirates were able to muster as South Webster held on for the triumph by going 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter en route to the win.
"We hit our free throws down the stretch," Persin said. "I told our guys, 'It's going to cost you a game or it's going to win you a game.' It won a game for us tonight."
The win by the Jeeps tightens the SOC III race up again, as Wheelersburg (6-2) leads the conference race by a game over Valley and West (5-3) while South Webster (4-4) sits just two games back of the lead as all four teams remain alive in their ability to either share the conference title or win it outright.
"We knew from the time the season started that the conference would be a gauntlet," Persin said. "From top to bottom, anybody can beat anybody on a given night, and it's showing. It's showing right now. We played Wheelersburg tough at their place. It was a knockdown, dragout for three quarters, and in the fourth quarter, we ran out of gas a little bit. Give them credit. They made some big plays and that's what it's about."
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