Just 2 minutes and 24 seconds into the championship game, the hopes of the host Wakefield Warriors were dashed regarding winning their own George Long Holiday Hoops Tournament for the first time since the 2015-16 high-school campaign.
With their top scorer, rebounder and best player Carlton Young headed to the bench after whistled for two quick personal fouls, Wakefield quickly fell behind the Oscar Smith Tigers of Chesapeake and didn’t have the firepower to catch up.
Wakefield lost, 62-46, in the Dec. 29 boys basketball title game to finish second with a 2-1 record in the three-day, eight-team competition.
Young averages more than 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game.
“That changed everything and everything we do, and we had guys playing different roles with him out,” Wakefield coach Tony Bentley said. “We hadn’t had to play without him yet. But that’s good because we are going to have to learn how to do that in those situations. Tonight we didn’t do a very good job doing so.”
Young returned to start the second half when Wakefield (8-2) was behind 30-16, and he finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals to make the all-tournament team. In the first two tourney-games, Young scored 20 and 36 points to lead Wakefield to victories.
Wakefield’s Kevin McLinton, Jr. also made the all-tourney team. He has six points five rebounds and three assists against Oscar Smith.
Also in the title game, Denari Nesbitt scored eight and B.J. Willis and Miles Hancock (seven rebounds) five each.
The Warriors also shot poorly from the final line in the final, missing 15 free throws.
In the semifinals against Colonial Forge, Wakefield won 68-51 after building a 12-0 lead, then survived multiple rallies the rest of the way. Colonial Forge got as close as 34-30 in the third period.
Young led Wakefield with 36 points and nine rebounds. He was 14 of 19 shooting from the floor, scoring mainly inside on various post moves. He made eight straight shots during one stretch.
“Carlton is a special unselfish player who stays calm, never rushes and he knows how to score inside. Hes took over,” Bentley said.
Hancock scored 11 for Wakefield with seven rebounds and two blocks. Willis scored eight with three assists, McLinton had six points and eight rebounds, Jeremiah Poole had two points and seven assists and Gabe Henneman had four rebounds.
Colonial Forge is coached by former Wakefield player and assistant coach Deidrich Gilreath.
“I played and coached here. So I told our players when we fell behind, we can get embarrassed or fight back,” Gilreath said. “We did that and entered the fourth quarter with a chance to win. Their guy [Young] took over the game in the fourth.”
Added Bentley: “With Deidrich coaching I knew they weren’t going to quit and would keep playing hard.”
Wakefield routed Falls Church, 74-21, in the first round. Young scored 20, Nesbitt 10, Kooper Odar eight, Keyon Tiggle and Isaiah Ledbetter seven each and Henneman six.
