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Rauber Hill Sunrise, by Mel Hunt

Wellsville’s Cinderalla season continues tonight against Newark Reds in state qualifiers

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Kailob Phelps may work inside Pizza King but oh can he deliver! In the Section V finals, Phelps, a senior, dropped this incredible assist, grabbed rebounds and scored as Wellsville won the Section V title over Mynderse. Chris Brooks photo.

By JOHN ANDERSON

PENN YAN — The Wellsville Lions boys’ basketball team has played the underdog most of the post-season, as they reached sectionals a few games over .500 and had some major teams to beat on the way to a sectional title.

Even the first round home game with Penn Yan was not a given. From there, a huge upset of the No. 1 Dansville Mustangs and then an upset victory over No. 2 Mynderse, a team many thought would win the Class B2 title.

Tonight in Penn Yan, Wellsville will take on the Class B1 champion Newark Reds at 6 p.m. in Penn Yan.

The winner will take on Allegany-Limestone, the Section VI winner with a trip to the New York State Final Four on the line.

Wellsville lost to A-L twice this season in close games and lost to Olean. A-L stunned Olean to win the overall Class B crown.

To win the overall Class B crown, Wellsville has to stop the exciting, high-flying Newark Reds (17-6) who had some impressive dunks in the sectional finals.

Being a larger school, Newark, the No. 2 seed in Class B1, had to knock off larger schools than Wellsville including Geneva, Greece Olympia and Pal-Mac.

Newark with the Class B1 title.

Newark senior center Isaiah Camp is 6-foot-6 and averages 12 rebounds a game while junior forward Raeshawn Howard is 6-foot-4 and averages 13 points a game. The other forward, Brayden Steve is 6-foot-5 and averages 15 points a game.

Wellsville does not have a starter over 6-foot-4, as Logan Dunbar, Aidan Riley and Alex Perkins will have their work cut out for them against a Newark team that has won nine in a row. Connor Ferguson is 6-foot-6 for the Lions.

Wellsville has had to deal with giving up size all year and guards Eli Schmidt, Cody Costello and Cooper Brockway have been successful driving and scoring inside. Wellsville coach Raymie Auman, depending on the match-ups, has also rotated in Asher Billings, Kailob Phelps and Dalton Ketchner for key baskets. JV call-up Tyler Vogel is another tall player who can mix it up as a guard or forward and played valuable minutes in the regular season and in sectionals. The Lions also called up Alex Green and J.J. Howard for the post-season run. Guard Jacob Hoyer has been sidelined with an injury in the post-season.

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