3A State Championship: Wren vs. Crestwood

The Hurricanes' girls team was unsuccessful in its 3A state championship bid against Camden. Its boys assembling was hoping to make it one for two in Wren efforts at the USC-Aiken Convocation Center.    Opposing the Hurricanes on the opposite bench was the Knights out of Crestwood. Just as history was made in last season's 3A state title game when Blue Ridge won its first-ever crown by defeating Orangeburg-Wilkinson, this year's winner would also bring home a first-ever state championship back to their school.    That honor belonged to the Hurricanes as they defeated the Knights by a final score of a hard-fought 56-49.    “They know now how we have to play to win,” longtime Wren coach Fran Campbell says. “We figured out how we had to play to win. We thought we could just shoot. Now we found out we've got to turn the game into, like, a grind for them. Make them have to go side-to-side, side-to-side…and not just come down and get into the lane.”   Quarter-By-Quarter   The Wren fans in attendance that may have felt a bit down after the girls team's loss to Camden were re-energized by the early start of the boys squad. The Hurricanes embarked on a 7-0 run to open the contest. Crestwood answered back with a 10-2 scoring binge to assume a 10-9 with under three minutes to play in the opening stanza. It was 16-12 Wren after the first.   If the ensuing eight minutes told any story, is that Hurricanes-Knights was shaping up to be a back-and-forth get-together. As both teams entered into their respective locker rooms for halftime, it was 32-27 – advantage Wren.   Neither team was pulling away from the other in the second quarter as both teams continued to display how evenly matched both were. With eight minutes remaining to decide a 3A boys champion, it was 42-38 in favor of the Hurricanes.    Wren placed the first seven points on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter to establish a bit of breathing room between it and Crestwood. Midway through said fourth quarter it was 49-38 in favor of the Hurricanes.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8607-2-crop-2272x1492-1677881686.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8607-2-crop-2272x1492-1677881686.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1829420" width="335" height="219" /></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1495098' first='Johnathan' last='Whysong'] concluded his high school career with an emphatic exclamation point. The 6-foot-6 senior wing tallied 26 points to lead all scorers. He also brought down five rebounds and sent back two blocks. Whysong was 10 out of 18 from the field.   “Withstanding their pressure,” Campbell says. “When we got it inbounds, we threw it back to Johnathan and he was able to bring it up and they didn't really have anybody that could pressure him because he can see over everybody.”   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8379-crop-2647x1738-1677881777.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8379-crop-2647x1738-1677881777.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1829422" width="309" height="202" /></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1626155' first='Jacob' last='McQueen'] was one of two that aided the Wren cause with an eight-point effort. He is another of the seniors that had an emphatic close to his high school career. McQueen played 31 minutes.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8427-crop-2802x1840-1677881857.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8427-crop-2802x1840-1677881857.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1829424" width="313" height="204" /></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1543950' first='Brock' last='Cherry'] also chined in with eight points. In addition to those eight points, he also compiled four rebounds in the 29 minutes of time he spent on the court. Cherry is a sophomore who is listed at 6-foot-3.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8670-crop-3606x2368-1677881934.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8670-crop-3606x2368-1677881934.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1829427" width="318" height="208" /></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1225775' first='Corean' last='Nelson'] had the most points of any Knights scorer with 12. In the 30 minutes of playing time he garnered, he also brought down 11 rebounds for a double-double along with five assists, three blocks and two steals.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8707-crop-2818x1850-1677882010.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/IMG_8707-crop-2818x1850-1677882010.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1829429" width="314" height="205" /></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1366649' first='Justin' last='Rembert'] concluded his afternoon with 11 points. Rembert led Crestwood's attack from behind the 3-point line as he had two of the team's five 3-pointers. He shares team captaincy duties with Nelson.   Closing the Book   The record for Wren finishes at 24-7 and with a state championship. That same record book will say 3A runner-up Crestwood concluded its season with a 23-5 mark.    Coach Campbell Reflects on 2022-23 Season   Given that Campbell has completed his 39th season at the helm at Wren, it makes the euphoria of winning a state championship all the more euphoric. Campbell believes that it was around the holidays that the Hurricanes' championship dreams could become reality, but Wren had to be “smacked in the mouth” by other teams in order for it to happen.   “We went out of state to Tennessee, we played really bad,” he says. “And I didn't think we shared the ball well because we're a good shooting team, so sometimes we'll settle for just all threes. So we had a game up there where we shot one of 23 and another one it was one of 19. And obviously we lost both games. So, the thing was we went back to the drawing board and said we're not doing anymore just shooting threes. We're going to start attacking the rim and make our threes be kickout threes.”   So Long, Seniors   [player_tooltip player_id='1225775' first='Corean' last='Nelson'], [player_tooltip player_id='1366649' first='Justin' last='Rembert'], Isaiah Walton, Darius Loney and Anthony Steele will soon sport caps and gowns as they depart from Crestwood. [player_tooltip player_id='1626155' first='Jacob' last='McQueen'] and Jonathan Whysong are the lone two seniors that will leave from Wren.

The Hurricanes' girls team was unsuccessful in its 3A state championship bid against Camden. Its boys assembling was hoping to make it one for two in Wren efforts at the USC-Aiken Convocation Center.