On Friday, Wayland Boys Varsity basketball shot off to a great start to the season in an impressive win over the Newton South Lions with a score of 81-65. Wayland dominated every sense of the game, from rebounds, to fast breaks, to scoring.
Co-Captain and senior Adam Lewin lead the way with 26 points and five three pointers. Lewin, a senior, has been on the varsity squad for three years and his experience showed on Friday night. “Adam plays games like that because of his love of the game and his dedication to the game, and it’s possible due to his work ethic,” said head coach Dennis Doherty.
Senior Ian Bonner backed up Lewin with 11 points in the first half, and dominated the boards. Wayland’s transition offense and defense proved to be the key against the Lions. The Warriors scored six times in the first half off a fast break, while Newton South scored only once in transition.
Bobby Andrews, an assistant varsity coach and freshmen head coach, explained Wayland’s success: “Our three guys in back Zack [Miles], Matt [Crismond], and Ian [Bonner] did a great job getting rebounds, which let our guards outlet and score on fast breaks.”
The Wayland fan section also lived up to its potential. Around 30 students led by spirited senior Taylor Bridgman gathered in the stands and out-cheered Newton South’s 250-member crowd. The famous rituals and chants echoed throughout the gym for the whole game including, “Woosh!” and “Sick Beater!”
The Junior Varsity and Freshmen teams also had a successful Friday, coming away with two wins. The JV squad stayed ahead of the Lions all game and pulled out a 64-57 final score. Sophomore Tyler Mordas scored 20 of Wayland’s 64 points in the game.
The freshmen team defeated Newton South by a score of 46 to 37. Co-Captains Yannick Schaefer, Harry Leavitt, and Mark Bonner combined for more than half of the team’s 46 points in the victory.