Boys Basketball: North Warren hangs on for Class D championship (2024)

GLENS FALLS — The Chestertown community’s heart skipped a beat when Sackets Harbor’s Austin Griner launched a 3-pointer with time expiring Sunday afternoon.

To North Warren’s great relief, Sackets Harbor’s last-second shot banged off the rim, allowing the Cougars to celebrate a 68-66 Class D championship victory over Sackets Harbor to cap off the State Boys Basketball Tournament.

“It means the world, it means that our hard work finally has paid off,” head coach James Cuyler said. “After we lost the (state semifinal) game last year, we were back in two weeks after that preparing for this time.”

The victory gave North Warren (22-4) its first state championship in school history, and the exciting game served as the perfect sendoff for the state tournament in Glens Falls, as it moves to Binghamton next year.

“Our community is tough, our kids are tough, they wanted this,” Cuyler said. “They worked hard all year, all summer. I expected nothing less than a state championship this year.”

Wyatt Jennings set a state tournament record with nine 3-pointers and finished with 29 points to lead the Cougars, who also got 17 points and 12 assists from eighth-grader Semaj Cuyler, and 12 points and 16 rebounds from Derrick Tyrell.

“It feels great, but I couldn’t have done it without this amazing program at North Warren,” said Jennings, a junior who was named tournament MVP. “Last year, we got to the final four and fell short by one point. It feels real good to come back here and win it all.”

“It doesn’t surprise me, that is who he is,” Cuyler said. “I told people he is the best shooter in Class D and people didn’t believe me. I have seen it with my own eyes, the boy can shoot. He helps Semaj by stretching the floor. He can hoop.”

Jennings had just three points in Saturday’s semifinal win and the Cougars finished 1 for 14 from beyond the arc, but Tyrell never had a doubt in his teammate’s ability.

“I told you before and I will say it again he’s a sniper, I believe in him 100 percent,” Tyrell said. “When he is on a roll, he doesn’t miss. He has that confidence and knows he can do it. He has the green light from everybody.”

Tyrell, a senior, finished his high school career with a state championship in his final game.

“This is a perfect ending to finish the season. There is nothing better,” Tyrell said. “I didn’t want to go home and think about what I did wrong. I get to go home and think about everything that went right.”

The Cougars rallied from an early deficit behind Jennings’ 3-pointers, as he knocked down six in the first half, which ended in a 32-32 tie.

From there, North Warren slowly built a lead, going ahead for good, 41-38, on Semaj Cuyler’s triple from 30 feet out midway through the third quarter.

The Cougars opened their biggest lead of the game, 63-50, by early in the fourth quarter after back-to-back 3s by Jennings and Cuyler. However, the No. 1-ranked Patriots (25-2) rallied, going on an 8-0 run as the Cougars turned the ball over on six straight possessions.

The Cougars went 5 for 8 from the foul line in the final 1:13 to open a 68-60 lead, but Sackets Harbor got back-to-back 3-pointers from Ethan Shi and Dylan Aubert to pull within two points with five seconds left in regulation.

North Warren only had to inbound the ball and go to the foul line, but the long pass was tipped away and recovered by the Patriots. The ball ended up in the hands of leading scorer Griner — who finished with 28 points — but his final shot glanced off the rim as the Cougars celebrated in a dogpile at center court.

North Warren was not picked by many to be the state champions coming into the weekend, something the team was aware of.

“The state picked us to lose in the state final four — we knew we were underdogs. We knew it was personal and came out and gave it our all on the court,” Semaj Cuyler said.

“I felt like no one believed in us,” Tyrell said. “They predicted we were gonna lose and we proved them wrong, and we stand on that. We kept pushing and it feels amazing.”

The crowd was packed in green and gold and that wasn’t just for Saint Patrick’s Day. It seemed like the entire town was in the building for the state final.

“That is who Chestertown people are, I will say this until I am blue in the face,” James Cuyler said. “They will find a way to be wherever we are at. If we were playing on the moon they would find a way to get there. I am so proud to be a Cougar, I wouldn’t want to be anyone else.”

“Our hometown every basketball season it just comes alive, it brings everyone together,” Tyrell said. “The support is amazing and just to see everyone that truly cares, it felt amazing.”

North Warren’s victory made Section II a perfect 4 for 4 in state championship games, with Glens Falls, Stillwater and Green Tech also winning titles.