Top Takeaways As Westfield Takes Class 6

Westfield took on Landstown in the Class 6 final, and it was a close, physical battle. Westfield was able to pull this one out late, capping off a dominant season. Here were my 3 biggest takeaways.   Player of the game    The MVP of this game was pretty easily [player_tooltip player_id='2252302' first='William' last='Robinson']. Will used his size effectively throughout the game and proved why he is a matchup nightmare. He did a great job driving the ball and showed off that mix of skill and size. Will knocked down a three-pointer early, and he really showed off his full offensive arsenal. I think my favorite thing Will did was not on the offensive end, though. In a game that was low-scoring and physical, what Will did on the defensive side of the ball was paramount to Westfield winning. My favorite play he had on the day was when a Landstown player cut back door behind a defender, and on what looked like an easy layup, Will rotated over and met him at the rim. He followed that up with running the floor and converting an easy layup. Will had a game-high 23 points and 4 blocks.    3 Takeaways:   Westfield's reason was why they won states.   I feel like Westfield's identity is more thought of as an offensive team with a good defense, but I think this postseason run, their defense was what won them states. In the final, [player_tooltip player_id='2918960' first='Malachi' last='Lee'] was excellent when he was on star guard [player_tooltip player_id='2916372' first='Damien' last='Robinson'], and I mentioned earlier how good [player_tooltip player_id='2252302' first='William' last='Robinson'] was protecting the rim. But the final was just the final touch in what was a truly elite defensive run from Westfield. They locked down Manchester and Edison and hounded those teams full court early, holding them scoreless for large portions of the first quarter. Everyone on the court bought in on that side of the ball, and both of these games were over by halftime, and that defensive pressure and intensity were a big part in why.    [player_tooltip player_id='2918960' first='Malachi' last='Lee']'s defense was crucial in shutting down [player_tooltip player_id='2916372' first='Damien' last='Robinson']. He is an elite athlete who plays taller than his frame. He is physical and you can see a lot of the traits that make him a star on the football field translate over to the court. Assuming he returns he should be a massive part to what Westfield does next season.     Westfield this season is one of the most dominant Class 6 teams recently.   Even though the final was very competitive throughout, that was not the norm for Westfield this season. As I mentioned, the two games leading up to the final in Edison and Manchester were games that were over before halftime. And going further, Westfield finished the year going 30-1, and 25 of those 30 wins were decided by 10+ points. Their only loss was an early-season loss to the best team in the country in PVI, and Westfield's strength of schedule was overall pretty solid. Teams like the recent Patriot and Hayfield teams and the South Lakes teams of the last 2 years are up there as well. And if you look at this roster, there are no real holes. The guard play is elite, and they all play off each other well, and [player_tooltip player_id='2918960' first='Malachi' last='Lee'] is a great defensive wing that can stop your opposing 1. They have [player_tooltip player_id='2252302' first='William' last='Robinson'] as a big interior piece, and this team may not have elite depth, but they have guys they can bring on off the bench that can contribute. They did all this without [player_tooltip player_id='2252298' first='Mathias' last='Lee'] for most of the year, who would have started and been a massive piece for this team, especially on defense.    Westfield has had different guys dominate games all year, but [player_tooltip player_id='2252294' first='Jemon' last='Price'] is probably the best one. He has been one of the best scorers in NOVA the past couple of years, and his level of efficiency was elite this season. He did not have a huge game in the final, but had multiple 20+ games in the postseason leading up to it. He was District POTY, Region POTY, and First Team All-Met.    These teams were on a collision course but on slightly different timelines.   There was a feeling these two teams were on a collision course, and their meeting in the final felt like the two best teams in Class 6. While this game was competitive and it showed these two teams were on the same level, it felt like Westfield's experience was why they came out on top late. And it leads me to think that while these teams were running the same race, they were doing it in different positions. 4 of Westfield's 5 leading scorers are seniors, and this is a team that has been building towards this for the last 3 years with most of the same core. On the flip side, Landstown's 4 leading scorers will be back next year if they choose to. [player_tooltip player_id='2916372' first='Damien' last='Robinson'], who averaged over 20 PPG this year, is one of the top Sophomores in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='2916383' first='Rashad' last='Shaw'] is another star Sophomore and was great in the final and really solid for this team all year. There are more talented players who should be back next year, and as of now, I think Landstown could come back better next season.    [player_tooltip player_id='2916372' first='Damien' last='Robinson'] was held in check in the final, but he showed why he is one of the best guards in the state this postseason. A truly elite 3 level scorer and one of the better shot makers I have seen this year. He already has high major offers and will enter next season leading a Landstown team that will be one of the favorites to win states.

Westfield took on Landstown in the Class 6 final, and it was a close, physical battle. Westfield was able to pull this one out late, capping off a dominant season. Here were my 3 biggest takeaways.