Story and video By JOHN ANDERSON, slide show by ELLA GREEN, other photos by Amy Brown, AW Sports Photos
Andover-Whitesville basketball coach Jimmy Joyce was briskly walking to the locker room at the Blue Cross Arena at halftime of the Section V Class D finals. The team was confused. First, they had to figure out which hockey bench opening to go through, then make the correct turn down a long hallway to their room.
Joyce was not happy. No. 1 Andover-Whitesville trailed No. 2 Elba, 26-20. His Andover-Whitesville team averages 81.1 points a game, and they barely scored 20 in the first half.
He went into the locker room with his assistants and raised his voice for 30 seconds, expressing his disappointment with a few things the team did in the first two quarters. But he needed the rest of the speech to explain, ‘This is not the Andover or Whitesville teams of past years.’ Each year they learned from losses. But the past teams did not have these issues. Not only did this team trail, three starters were in major foul trouble.
“In the semi’s last year, Brody Vance (29.2 points per game) had a few fouls and that put us behind the 8-ball, and we preached all year we can’t get in foul trouble — but that’s how the first half unfolded,” Joyce said. “In previous years, we would get down by eight or 10 points and it was a hurdle we could not get over. This year, we got behind by that much multiple times and won. They are so mentally strong and confident and it shows.”
So Joyce changed his tone to positive and said, “We took a punch, we know what is happening, stick to the plan and things will start to turn in our favor.”
As he surveyed the room for emotions, he was met by confident stares. No one was upset. No one was nervous. He was about to finish his speech when Vance, a junior, spoke up.
Vance said, “We got this, we’re going to come out on top, guys.”
And this was before Vance would pick up his fourth foul along with junior Vincent Joyce (14.8 points per game) and another junior starter, Jake Mattison. That meant two other starters and three players off the bench had to step up.
Did they ever. Andover took what appeared like their first lead of the game with 1:48 left in the third on a 3-pointer from senior forward Colton Calladine and then a steal and basket in the fourth with 20 seconds by Calladine sealed it.
Andover-Whitesville 54, Elba 47. Section V champions. First time for Andover in 71 years. First one as a merged program.
Story continues after video and locker room celebration!
Interestingly enough about the 47-54 final score, in his preview for the Wellsville Sun sports writer Bill Collmer pointed out Andover gave up 54 points a game and Elba gave up 47.
CELEBRATION TIME
After team photos, interviews and more, the coaches noticed the kids were tired and thirsty. They brought additional cases of water to the locker room that already had enough water.
Little did they know, that water was to soak the coaches when they entered.
Next up, the walk down the hall out the “stage door” entrance of the Rochester War Memorial where the yellow school busses are lined up to bring champions home.
“It was a wild experience,” said Coach Joyce. “We didn’t put 2-and-2 together why they had so much water and they got us pretty good! Then Brian and Heather Perkins, who are part of our boosters, set up a little impromptu ceremony outside the War Memorial doors to the bus. The boosters are phenomenal. There are times when the weather is bad or things are tough and you question why we still live where we live. But it’s things like this that happen — basketball or not — that make you realize why we live in the Southern Tier.”
The team grabbed fast food to go and the bus rolled down Route 21 for a parade before going to Whitesville.
“The celebration in Andover was better than I thought. My wife (Jen) is used to it, she played sports in Wellsville and had a lot of fire truck rides! But to be part of it, the fire trucks blaring from 21 past my house to downtown, getting out, greeting everyone, it was incredible,” said Coach Joyce. “Then we went to Whitesville and there were a ton of fans who did both. Amazing community. I think the community has more of a positive effect on us than they realize, it makes the kids work even harder.”
Joyce then added, “It took me 46 years to get a fire truck ride but it was worth it.”
WE ARE IN STATES?
During the 90-minute ride home, a couple players spoke up. “Hey coach, we aren’t done yet. Do you realize we are in states?”
Andover-Whitesville is indeed in states. There was one Class D bracket this season. No play-in game to advance. The brackets for the state tournament are set. A-W (21-2, the No, 3 ranked team in the states) takes on Section VI champion Clymer on Saturday at Buffalo State. The winner heads to the State Final Four in Glens Falls. Clymer beat Sherman, 41-29.
“I’d be lying to you if I said we thought of states,” Coach Joyce said. “The word states has never came up until the bus ride home when the kids said, ‘We are on to states!’ “
THE WHITESVILLE CONNECTION
Many schools merge in sports, but the situation is unique at Andover-Whitesville. Athletic Director Jacob Bannerman oversees the modified through varsity programs as all students from Whitesville in grades 7 to 12 attend Andover. That started this year.
Jake Mattison is the lone starter from Whitesville. If you are from the area, you probably guessed from the last name. But the senior has fallen in love with his second home.
He also picked the perfect night to play the best game of his career.
With Joyce and Vance playing with four fouls, Mattison scored five points, had five rebounds, had two offensive rebounds and had a steal. He picked up his fourth foul playing aggressive defense, but then other players stepped up so he could continue playing.
Rewind to Jake’s modified season in Whitesville, and he thought that was the end of his career.
“We had five guys on the modified team and we didn’t know if we would have a team,” Mattison said. “And then the next year, forget basketball, we didn’t know if we would have a school!”
Mattison said the kids wanted to merge with Andover. There were a lot of tough community meetings and discussions. The administration did not rush into it, and the end result was perfect for the kids. Just ask Jake.
“They are like family now in Andover. We were rivals. We hated each other. But now? We are like brothers,” Mattison said.
To make things fair for the two Whitesville players and the community, the team played a few games in Whitesville.
“We played Fillmore and Scio-Friendship in Whitesville, but it’s a different feel now, it felt like an away gym,” Mattison said. “There’s something special about playing in Andover and we have support there from Whitesville.”
But one thing Whitesville has over Andover is basketball tradition. Sectional titles, a run to the state final four. And the girls team has even more sectional hardware. Unlike the Andover kids, Mattison was in elementary school when he started watching Section V champion parades. Three in a row in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
“I watched those parades and wanted to be part of that some day,” Mattison said. “To be in a parade was awesome. That was my dream coming true.”
As for his performance on the court, Mattison said it wasn’t about his play that helped win the historic title.
“When Brody picked up his first two fouls early, we had to rely on each other,” Mattison said. “But that was easy because we all believe in each other. We kept switching up on defense, we were constantly guarding different guys, but we were holding them, cutting into the lead by the half and then Colton hit that 3-pointer and we had the momentum.”
THE GAME, THE FOULS, THE WIN
It’s the Section V finals. You have three of the top-ranked officials in all of Section V on the game. Arguing will take away from strategy.
But the fouls were piling up against the Panthers.
“I told the guys, ‘You may not like the calls, but you have to adjust accordingly.’ We needed guys to step up and right the ship,” Coach Joyce said. “Colton Calladine, for one, played a phenomenal game. He took over and kept it close. Carter Grice, Gavin Frungillo, Jake Mattison, Trey Kent — they played huge minutes and played their best basketball of the season. There was no drop off when they were out there.”
It’s easy to sit in the stands and make decisions when players should sit or play when they have three or four fouls. But this was the Section V finals. Joyce couldn’t make the coaching decision alone when it came to subbing and trying to win.
“(Assistant coaches ) Pat Vance, Cody Borden and I had continuous conversations on the bench, ‘When is the right time to do this and that?’ It was constant gambling,” said Coach Joyce. “We are putting guys in a position they are not used to, until we can get all five together and go for the win late.”
GETTING THE WIN
“There were some nerves early, and I saw it from the starters and those off the bench,” Coach Joyce said. “But Gavin Frungillo really stepped up, hit big shots, played great defense and did a really good job.”
Joyce continued, “We are 7-to-8 deep and a good defensive team. I knew it would affect us, but they took risks playing with four fouls to stay in the game, and no one fouled out.”
Brody Vance had 20 points, 4-for-5 from the free throw line, while Colton Calladine had 16 points, four assists, three rebounds, two key steals.
Vinny Joyce shot the ball five times the entire game, but had 10 rebounds, four blocked shots, an assist, steal and six points. James Miller-Young had five points, three rebounds, an assist and blocked three shots. Gavin Frungillo had two points off an offensive rebound, and an assist. Trey Kent had a rebound.
Many players got in the game who didn’t show up on the stat sheet. Some kids didn’t get in the game. You would have no idea watching the celebration who started and who didn’t.
“The hugs were real and it’s 100 percent true of this team — the No. 1 player to No. 13, no one gives a darn how many minutes they play,” Coach Joyce said. “They don’t care. All they wanted was that block and they got it. You could see it in the celeration. Everybody was one.”
Coach Joyce said the family atmosphere extended to all of Allegany and Steuben counties.
“The communities and the fellow coaches — there are a lot of good coaches in Allegany and Steuben counties. The games are close and competitive and fans are into it, jawing back-and-forth,” Joyce said. “Once you get into sectionals, everyone is supporting you. Coaches and former alumni helped me prepare for this game. It’s a phenomenal area we are all pretty darn lucky to live in.”
Speaking of good coaches, Elba coach Chachi Zambito had a near-perfect game plan to win. Elba ended 17-6 record, a year after going 4-18.
For Elba, junior Brady Werth had a team-high 11 points, sophomore Ryan Marsceill had 10, senior Bing Zuber had 10 and senior Alex Rascoe had 10 points while senior Nick Scott had six.
“You could see what they were doing to stop us and I can’t give those guys over there enough credit,” Coach Joyce said. “They were prepared and executed their game perfectly, unfortunately for them it wasn’t enough.”
Another clutch second half moment was Vance getting fouled shooting a 3-pointer and making all three free throws.
As the last seconds were ticking off, Coach Joyce started fighting back tears. He had to walk away from the court toward his assistants. He raised his arm in the air triumphantly so no one could see the tears.
“I’m going to get emotional … bear with me … I’m thinking of my son, my administration, my 1997 teammates … we didn’t get a chance to enjoy it,” Joyce said. “I see my wife, my athletic director, our principal Molly Turner and I’m looking at Pat Vance — he’s been with me the whole time. He’s been great. The last 70 years for the Andover boys basketball program and nothing to show for it. Well damn it, we did it.”
Ella Green slideshow:
