Kaden Durham drove the baseline in the fourth quarter, rose up and punched home a monstrous dunk to get Homer within two. Even battling sickness, the senior let out a thunderous roar.
Brycen Poole got a rebound on the defensive end and slung a perfect pass up the court to Jack Brady, who finished a reverse layup to tie the game at 62.
Max Franco led a break on the next Homer possession and dished to Brady in the corner. Brady knocked down a 3-pointer and let out a roar as the Homer fans and players went crazy.
It was the Trojans’ first lead of the day and was the middle of an 18-0 run that helped Homer erase a 20-point first-quarter deficit to beat Jordan-Elbridge 72-65 Monday night at Homer High School.
Durham’s dunk provided a spark the Trojans needed during a big stretch that helped turn the tide of the game.
“I’d say it was pretty good,” Durham said. “Coming off sickness, it was kind of tough for me, but it was pretty hype.”
“That was hype,” Brady added. “We’ve been waiting for him to dunk all season. We’ve been waiting for him to show he’s an animal.”
Brady’s two makes highlighted a big day with a career-high 19 points. The senior also had some big defensive responsibilities, but his offense made a noticeable impact.
“I was feeling juiced,” Brady said.
Homer was down 62-54 through three quarters and held Jordan-Elbridge scoreless in the fourth quarter until a Lewis Vincent three with seven seconds left.
The Trojans were in that spot due to a career day from Jordan-Elbridge star Nolan Brunelle. Brunelle finished with a career-high 47 points, scoring 35 of them in the first half. The junior knocked down seven threes, one shy of a career best, and went 18-for-25 from the charity stripe.
Homer head coach Ken Updike had his guys start the game in a 1-3-1 defense, then switched to a man-to-man with the intent of denying Brunelle the ball. Both failed, so Homer went to a triangle-and-two in the second half, with both of the two guarding Brunelle.
“We had a plan, and that didn’t work,” Updike said. “Then we had a second plan, Plan B, and that didn’t work. Then we went to Plan C, which was formulated at halftime. It was to play that half zone, half man. The kid’s a good player. He can shoot the ball, he can get to the free throw line, he handles the ball well, he moves well. What I’m most impressed with is how he moves off the ball. He knows how to get to his spots, which is almost anywhere.”
“Defensively, we had job descriptions for our guys,” Updike said. “We talked about it at halftime and executed it. Being able to do those things in a short amount of time, it’s something we’ve never done before.”
Brady and Lincoln Marshall got most of that task and the duo stood up to the task. The other three Trojan defenders were daring the rest of the Eagles to shoot, which resulted in plenty of misses and fast breaks.
Brady and Marshall had to do a lot of chasing and communicating, but it was all worth it in the end.
“When we made that run to cut the lead from 15 to four, we got a timeout after that and I was gassed,” Brady said. “It is tiring. We practice for that stuff. We work full speed. The Blue Pride way is just working our tails off and getting down to business.”
Homer was down 45-30 at halftime, but a 14-6 run out of the break made it a game. A Poole technical foul resulted in a four-point play for Brunelle, but the Trojans responded to keep it within double figures.
The Trojans were in massive foul trouble all game, with Durham, Poole and Ryan Beard each picking up three in the first half. Beard fouled out in the third quarter and Durham bowed out with 1:30 remaining.
Max Franco was seemingly the only Trojan not in foul trouble, and was tasked with leading the team. Franco was often handling the ball in transition and finishing at the rim, ending the night with 16 points.
“I was just thinking I’ve got to keep us in the game,” Franco said. “We all had to stay together and keep it a game because once all the starters could get back in in the fourth, I knew we could pull it out.”
Durham and his teammates were frustrated with the early foul problems that caused many players to come in and contribute.
“We were kind of disappointed in ourselves,” Durham said. “None of us expect to foul like that and it comes from how he (Brunelle) plays.”
Jordan-Elbridge started out white hot, taking a 15-0 lead and extending it to 24-4 in the first. Homer needed some energy and eventually found it, but Franco knows he and his guys have to be ready from the opening tip.
“It tells us we’ve got to start out with that energy,” Franco said. “We’ve been playing great in the second halves of games, but it’s been our starts that’s the reason our record is what it is. We started out down 15 to start the game, so if we can keep that energy we had in the second half through a whole game, we’ll be a much different team.”
Brady ended the night with 19 points on two made threes, Franco and Durham each added 16 points, Beard knocked down a pair of triples for seven points, Poole added six, Benny Wilbur scored five, Dane Francis had two and Graydon Hickey notched one.
The win sends Homer to 2-6 on the season, but Updike feels it means a little more than normal. The guys were filled with energy during the second-half surge and were fully invested in the outcome, something the second-year Homer coach has been yearning for.
“We started the year not being together as one,” Updike said. “We’re all wearing the same uniform, we’re all in the same gym, but we all had different thoughts and ideas and different ways of communicating. I think we started to turn the corner a little bit. With Ryan Beard, he fouled out with a whole quarter left and could’ve been super sad and sat on the bench. But he was probably our best teammate, cheering and trying to coach them up a little bit and wanting his team to win. It’s a proud moment.”
Homer will look to build off the victory at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Institute of Technology.
BOYS BASKETBALL
CINCINNATUS 61, GREENE 39
John Schuyler and Jack Stafford each knocked down four 3-pointers as Cincinnatus won its third game in a row. The Lions led 27-14 at halftime and cruised to the win.
Schuyler finished with 27 points, four assists and four steals, Stafford recorded 15 points, four assists and three steals, Trevor Shevalier notched six points, eight rebounds and three blocks, TJ Walker added four points and eight boards, Zack Streichert had four points, Koda Temple knocked down a three and Bob Turshman scored two points.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
CORTLAND 47, WHITESBORO 33
Cortland took a 22-14 lead into halftime after some stifling defense and went on to win for the second time in three games. Gabby Brown paced the Purple Tigers offensively with 12 points, eight coming in the first half.
Lily Yang notched nine points on three 3-pointers, Kartyr Hubbard and Lily Tinker recorded seven points apiece, Zee-Anna Sweat knocked down a pair of threes for six points, Ava Turner scored four points and Nora Gambitta had two points for Cortland.
HOCKEY
CORTLAND/HOMER 5, NEW HARTFORD 3
Bodey McGrath scored twice and notched an assist and Martin Petri and Finn Thomas each recorded a goal and two assists as Cortland/Homer snapped a three-game losing streak. The Golden Eagles outscored New Hartford 2-0 in the third to win the game.
Max Totman scored once and Brendan Andrews also had an assist. Cole Mead made 22 saves in goal for Cortland/Homer.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
DERUYTER 3, MCGRAW 2
Chelsey Prince paced DeRuyter with 15 kills, four assists and three digs as the Rockets won 25-16, 25-20, 19-25, 21-25, 16-14 to snap a six-match losing streak.
Annabelle Stanton added 27 assists, three digs and a kill, Molly Amidon pitched in 11 digs, a kill, seven aces and two assists and Angelena Rodriguez contributed seven kills, a block and four digs. Selena Rodriguez (six kills, one dig), Rebecca Amidon (four digs, three kills, one ace) and Erin Bragg (four kills, one ace, two digs) also aided DeRuyter’s effort.
BOYS WRESTLING
MORAVIA 36, WHITNEY POINT 35
Hunter Boynton (131 pounds), Colten Leonard (160 pounds) and Nicholas Plue (170 pounds) all won by pin for Moravia in the Blue Devils’ dual win. Carter Wiley (190 pounds), Jake Bushey (215 pounds) and Dustin Shauger (285 pounds) all won by forfeit.
Clayton Wells (124 pounds), Thomas Harriger (138 pounds) and Anthony Endres (152 pounds) all lost by pin for Moravia, while Trever Wells (145 pounds) lost by tech fall.
BOWLING
HOMER BOYS 5, CBA 2
CBA 7, HOMER GIRLS 0
John Bishop ended his day with games of 266 and 257 for a 716 series in the Homer boys’ win. Jaden Bush led the Homer girls’ effort with a 145 high game and 371 series.
Caleb Hamilton followed Bishop with a high game of 224 and a 606 series, John Holcomb notched a 207 game and 540 series, Tanner Vogel rolled a 187 game and 502 series, Ivan Eaton pitched in a 174 game and 488 series and Chris McMullin contributed a 169 game and 477 series.
Addy Platt recorded a 129 game and 360 series, Annabelle Watkins had a 134 game and 353 series, Lucy Goodwin notched a 124 game and 328 series, Kristen Combs rolled a 131 game and 324 series and Abby Biviano added a 116 game and 309 series.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
BOYS BASKETBALL
OnTech at Cortland, 6:45 p.m. today
Marathon at Southern Cayuga, 7 p.m. today
Tioga at Groton, 6:30 p.m. today
Watkins Glen at Dryden, 7 p.m. today
Union Springs at Moravia, 7 p.m. today
McGraw at Brookfield, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Cincinnatus at Faith Heritage, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Hamilton at Tully, 7 p.m. Wednesday
DeRuyter at Stockbridge Valley, 7 p.m. Wednesday
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Cazenovia at Homer, 6:45 p.m. today
Southern Cayuga at Marathon, 7 p.m. today
Brookfield at McGraw, 6 p.m. today
Dryden at Watkins Glen, 7:30 p.m. today
LaFayette at Tully, 7 p.m. today
Moravia at Union Springs, 7 p.m. today
Cortland at CBA, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
HOCKEY
Cortland/Homer at New Hartford, 7 p.m. Wednesday at New Hartford Rec Center
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
DeRuyter at Tully, 7 p.m. today
Fabius-Pompey at Cincinnatus, 7 p.m. Wednesday
BOYS WRESTLING
Marathon at Deposit/Hancock, 6 p.m. today
Jordan-Elbridge at Cortland, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Marcellus/Onondaga at Homer, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Groton at Marathon, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Dryden at Lansing, 6 p.m. Wednesday
Cooperstown/Milford at Southern Hills, 6 p.m. Wednesday at Tully High School
Moravia at Newark Valley, 6 p.m. Wednesday
GIRLS WRESTLING
Homer at Groton, 5 p.m. Wednesday
BOWLING
Cortland at Chittenango, 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cazenovia Sports Bowl
A-P-W at Homer, 4 p.m. Wednesday at Hi-Lanes
