What a battle! Winooski jumped out to a big lead going into the half, but Hazen showed no quit as they clawed back in the 2nd half. This was a defensive clinic with both sides digging deep until the final…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inWhat a battle! Winooski jumped out to a big lead going into the half, but Hazen showed no quit as they clawed back in the 2nd half. This was a defensive clinic with both sides digging deep until the final whistle. Key in on D3’s top players from the Championship!
MVP: Daniel Surma
Daniel Surma, 6’7 F – Winooski High School Class of 2023
Surma was dialed in defensively, no doubt. The big fella matched up with the most dominant forward in D3, Tyler Rivard, and absolutely locked him down offensively. Daniel utilized his length, quickness, and athleticism all night long as he battled down low. Surma reeled in a game high 15 boards to keep a pesky Hazen squad off the offensive glass. But even more impressive, Surma sent back seven shots, at least four of which came against Rivard, absolutely owning the interior and refusing Hazen any easy shots. He was a steady force all game, adding nine points to his seven blocks and 15 boards. Daniel’s interior work was the game changer; the kid was dominant.
Standouts:
Hassan Hassan, 5’11 G – Winooski High School Class of 2023
Amidst the tough defense, Hassan was one of the few guys to catch a little rhythm for either side. Hassan finished with a game high 20 points as he connected on four deep balls and added 11 FTs to lead Winooski offensively. But it wasn’t all offense for Hassan; he defended at a high level too. Hassan worked hard and rotated well in WHS’ various pressure defenses, forcing errant passes, TO’s, and disrupting Hazen at large. Hassan’s two-way effort, with his shooting and rugged defense, proved critical to Winooski’s title effort.
Trevon Bradley, 5’8 G – Winooski High School Class of 2023
Mr. Facilitator, Trevon was highly efficient. He took care of the ball as he limited himself to one, maybe two, turnovers all game. Moreover, his scoring ability drew a lot of attention, so he balanced it out and made plays for others. Bradley finished with 15 points, adding a couple 3s, rim finishes, and feeds for dimes. And of course, his defense was tough. Tre got in passing lanes, hawked ballhandlers, and moved his feet to stay in front of guys. Tre led this team back to the finals and got the job done.
Sam Parris, 5’10 G – Winooski High School Class of 2024
My goodness, Sam’s defensive effort was clinical! Parris’ is incredibly agile with excellent defensive footwork, and he hawked guys all game. Sam was glued to ballhandlers hips, giving opponents what felt like literally zero space as he forced tons of TO’s and took guys completely out of rhythm. Moreover, Sam created some offense with his defense. Parris got out in transition and finished numerous takes with smart, controlled decisions. Additionally, he orchestrated the offense a bit, controlled tempo, and made smart reads. With his relentless motor, smart basketball, and defensive pressure, Sam was excellent, to say the least.
Xavier Hill, 6’1 G – Hazen Union High School Class of 2024
The savvy southpaw paced Hazen offensively, both with his facilitation and scoring. Hill worked hard to navigate the WHS pressure, getting guys into spots and running their stuff. Yet when the offense broke down, Xavier provided some reassurance. Hill, particularly in the 3rd quarter, was able to get going. He got in the second layer and finish shots inside, plus he added a couple 3s en route to his 19-point performance. And his defensive effort was solid throughout, but especially in the 2nd half. Hill showed off his two-way game as he fought to the finish.
Tyler Rivard, 6’5 F – Hazen Union High School Class of 2023
While Rivard struggled to contribute offensively, that didn’t slow him down one bit. Tyler remained quite effective, particularly on the defensive end. He limited his matchup, Surma, to just a few buckets himself, blocking a couple of his shots and a couple others for a total of four on the night. Plus, you can always count on his rebounding effort. Tyler came away with 14 boards with a few on the offensive end for second chance buckets. Rivard and crew showed no quit as Hazen made a late surge, it just too little too late.
Brendan Moodie, 5’7 G – Hazen Union High School Class of 2025
Brendan put in a ton of work in this one. Moodie took on the ball pressure of WHS all game, showing flashes of smart facilitation under duress. And in a 3rd quarter run he came alive offensively. Moodie got to the rim for a couple inside finishes, plus he added a 3 and some savvy ball movement to get others going too. All in all, Brendan put up a strong fight as a fairly undersized sophomore. I like his game.
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