Winooski boys basketball brushes off first loss this year with win over BFA-Fairfax

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The Spartans of Winooski faced off against Bellows Free Academy Fairfax and emerged victorious on Wednesday, February 2nd.

Winooski went into the game with a record of 14 wins and one loss, while BFA Fairfax held a record of four wins and seven losses.

The game started off with quick defense from Winooski, as BFA battled for an early lead. Sharras McIver gives Winooski their first lead of the game with a 2 point shot in the last two minutes of the first quarter.

Winooski is plagued by several missed free throws in the first quarter, but Sam Parris gets a two point buzzer-beater to give the Spartans a 12 to 10 lead over BFA at the end of the first.

One minute into the second, Sam Parris misses a free throw, but scores on the rebound. BFA takes back the lead with some free throws, but Trevon Bradley and Camden Benoit score back to back two pointers to bring Winooski’s lead up to three points, making the game 18 to 15.

Sharras McIver makes a free throw with 38 seconds left in the half, is fouled again with 28 seconds to go, and makes another free throw. Ayden Johnson is fouled with two seconds remaining in the half, and completes two free throws, giving the Spartans a 26 to 21 lead at the end of the half. 

BFA Fairfax is off to a strong start in the third quarter, but a fierce defensive battle keeps both teams on their toes and prevents much headway. A few scrums end up on the floor as players fight for possession.

After numerous scrambles for the ball, and a few fouls, points from Sharras McIver, Sam Parris, and Taylen Bennett bring the Spartans up to 38 points at the end of the third quarter, while BFA trails them with 31 points.

The 4th quarter gets off to a chippy start resulting in a foul on Sam Parris, who makes 1 free throw. Several free throws after this are missed by the Spartans, but they still maintain a lead.

A multitude of fouls work in the Spartan’s favor, as Parris is awarded another free throw and makes it, bringing the lead up to 40 to 31 in favor of Winooski. Trevon Bradley makes another free throw, as well as a three pointer with two minutes and 41 seconds left in the game.

Taylen Bennett is awarded a free throw and makes it, making it a 45 to 37 game with two minutes and 21 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and a minute later Sharras McIver makes another, further cementing the Spartan’s lead.

Scoring efforts and free throws by Trevon Bradley, Sharras McIver, and Taylen Bennett with under a minute to go brought the game to 56 to 40 by the final buzzer, securing the win.

After the game, Winooski head coach Sam Jackson had some thoughts to share on his team's successes. 

“Coming together and working as one unit. And really, you know, family. Family over everything,” said Jackson.

The game was important for other reasons, not just simply a win. 

In honor of Black History Month, the Spartans put on a pre-game presentation highlighting their fight against systemic racism. 

“Tonight was a special night especially with the Black History Month,” said Jackson, “the kids really champion that right and they really wanted to come out and bring the community together and try to, you know, be aware of racism. So we are just happy that we're able to share this community. We want to keep going and we need to lean on the community and together we are stronger.”

Snapping a winning streak

The undefeated Spartans of Winooski were met with their first loss of the season after they took the court against the Marauders of Northfield Jan. 26. 

Winooski boys basketball went into the game with 13 wins and no losses, while Northfield held a record of five wins and seven losses. 

The game started with strong offense from Winooski, but was met with a fierce Northfield defense. Northfield was quick on the rebound, eliminating multiple scoring chances from the Spartans.

Winooski’s Trevon Bradley, Daniel Surma, and Ayden Johnson had a strong first quarter, gaining 11 points for the Spartans, but the Marauders still managed to come out on top with 14 points. 

In the second quarter, the same three players kept up the pace with scoring, with an additional free throw from junior Kellen Bourgeois, bringing Winooski’s score up to 22. Winooski’s Daniel Surma left the game with an apparent leg injury, and Northfield had a strong offense. By halftime the score was 29 to 22 in favor of the Marauders.

The second half started with a strong showing again from Winooski’s Trevon Bradley and Ayden Johnson, this time joined by senior Sharras McIver. Daniel Surma returned briefly in the third quarter, and Trevon Bradley scored Winooski’s first 3 point shot, making it through the Northfield defense. Both Bradley and McIver played a fantastic third quarter, but the Marauders still came out on top with a score of 40 to 33.

The fourth quarter was fought right down to the wire, as both teams battled for the win. Starting the quarter only behind by 7 points, Winooski ramped up their offense. Ayden Johnson held the team together, making a tremendous effort to put Winooski back on the board, which earned him 22 points by the end of the game, making him the Spartan’s top scorer. 

The last minute of the game was hard fought as Winooski managed to narrow Northfield’s lead to just 1 point with 40 seconds remaining. A foul on Northfield and two successful free throws brought their lead back up to 3 points with 39 seconds left on the clock. 

A two point shot from Northfield brings the score to 57 to 53, but two free throw points from Sharras McIver brings Winooski up to 55 with only 21 seconds remaining. A foul on Northfield’s Hayden Lilly results in another point for the Marauders. 

A final buzzer beater attempt is made by Winooski’s Ayden Johnson, but it misses and Northfield defeats Winooski 58 to 55, ending Winooski’s undefeated streak and bringing the Marauders record to 6 and 7.