Waubonsie Valley hauls in regional championship

The only thing missing was the traditional cutting down of the nets, but Waubonsie Valley still left Andrew High School with quite a haul.

The Warriors knocked off Plainfield North 61-47 in the Class 4A regional title game to claim the school's first regional crown since 2008. The gym was filled with smiling players and fans and players took turns holding the regional plaque up high as parents and friends snapped photos to make memories.

Senior guard Marcus Skeete, who picked up his second foul in the first quarter while fighting for an offensive rebound, was limited to 4 points in the first half. But his teammates managed to build a 28-21 lead on the Tigers nonetheless. When Skeete came on strong in the second half to finish with 18 points, he and his fellow record-setters were on their way to Tuesday night's East Aurora sectional semifinals.

"We've been working hard for a couple years with these guys, so to be able to get this win is big. I'm so proud of the guys," the 6-foot-5 junior said. "It's real cool. This has been a fun year."

The Warriors started fast, taking a 15-6 lead following a driving basket by Caymen Woods. But Plainfield North closed to within 15-11 after one quarter and kept the contest close in the second quarter. The Warriors did get a boost just before the half on Derrien Porter's step-back 3-pointer for a 28-21 lead at the break.

"It feels really good," said Porter, who finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. "Making history with these guys. I love these guys and it feels really good. That shot at the end of half was just trusting myself. I believe in my shot. I know I can be consistent and I got that one to fall."

Veteran guard Eric Cannon, who played through some lean years with the program in his first couple seasons at Waubonsie, also had a big night with 17 points and a pair of steals. His coach, Jason Mead, was all smiles afterward even though he had hoped to climb a ladder and trim some netting

"I'm really proud of our kids. Before this season nobody picked us to really be in the hunt for anything like this, and right now they're 27-4 and have the first regional in 11 years in this school," Mead said. "It's just a testament to how hard they've worked. How they've bought into something. Three years ago when I took the job they had just won five games.

"This is a testament to how hard they work. There was nothing that they had set before them, they didn't have any of that to pull them along and they forged their own way. I'm really proud of them not just for tonight but for all year."

The Warriors led 42-31 after three quarters and then survived one last charge from the Tigers in the fourth quarter. Adonis Cubas-Hughes paced Plainfield North with 14 points and helped them close to within 44-36 in the middle of fourth with an 11-2 run.

But the Warriors would not be denied.

"Everybody played real hard. The bench had high energy, the crowd had high energy, everybody had it," Skeete said. "It was just a fun night."