View from the bleachers as Wayland lights up EGR

February 17, 2010 Comments { 7 }

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David Chandler Photography | davidchandlerphoto.com

Ever look forward to something with great anticipation, only to find that it doesn’t quite play out in reality the way it did in your head?  There seemed to be little to no chance of the game between East Grand Rapids (9-8) and undefeated Wayland (15-0) ending up a disappointment.  But after the first quarter ended in a 19-5 Wayland lead, it was evident East Grand Rapids had no answer for stopping Cornerstone-bound Wes Hudson.

Hudson set the tone early popping a DEEP three at 2:12 in the first quarter giving Wayland a 17-5 lead; there was no looking back for the Wildcats.  He scored 30-points on Tuesday as the Wildcats extended their undefeated season record to 15-0 with a 72-46 blowout of East Grand Rapids.

David Chandler Photography | davidchandlerphoto.com

Wayland is exceptionally well-coached. It is especially evident in how they move the ball on offense and aggressively hit the boards. Don’t imagine that Wayland is a one man show — their team moves well off the ball, and one way or another the open man is typically found, whether it is Chase Burgess down low or Ben Lenard spotting up for a three point attempt. As impressive as is Wayland’s offense, their defense is equally imposing.  Coach Hudson runs a well-oiled machine at Wayland.

East Grand Rapids’ CMU-bound center, Colin Voss, and company had great difficulty all night manufacturing good shots against Wayland’s trapping man-to-man defense that falls back into a tough 2 – 3 zone. Wayland’s zone smothered East’s guards. There were few good shooting opportunities for A.J. McEwen and DeAndre Grady. Colin Voss was forced to spend much of his time on the three point line making skip passes as Wayland’s defense shaded him, forcing the ball out of his hands.  Not the gameplan EGR had in mind.

The Wayland kids showed a tremendous amount of hustle in the game. In the second quarter, for example, an over and back call was imminent on East Grand Rapids until Wayland’s Lenard sprinted in and tipped the ball to Hudson, who drove in for an and-one layup.

At halftime the score was in Wayland’s favor, 36-19. Any hope of a East Grand Rapids comeback was dashed by Lenard, who scored 10-points in the third quarter, hitting two three pointers and a couple driving layups. There was no let up to Wayland’s defense in the third quarter either; any adjustments East made at half time were for naught as Wayland continued their assault. The quarter ended with Wayland up 60-36. The final eight minutes of the game ticked off and Wayland walked away unscathed with a 72-46 victory over East.

In response to the familiar chant of  ”airball” emanating from the East Grand Rapids student section after Hudson uncharacteristically missed everything on a three-pointer, one East Grand Rapids fan quipped “be quiet, he’s lighting us up.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

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About jason bowers

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  • Mike Kanoza

    Very well written. You will not see the same in the GR Press. A side note on Ben Lenard. Last week he was pushed out of bounds running full speed and landed on the ball. He injured his ribs. He is wearing pads under his jersey. This kid knew it was going to hurt and dove for a losse ball. This type of courage and heart is what makes this Wayland team a TEAM.

    • http://www.westmiallstar.com/ Ryan Vaughn

      Concurring on the well-written part. Jason’s obviously got a knack for sportswriting, and I really hope he’ll continue to write for WMA.

      As for Ben Lenard, thanks for the info — I’m betting that he’s not the only one from that team who has a similar story. Wayland’s a pleasure to follow, the way they play ball.

    • Jason Bowers

      Mike – thank you for your kind words regarding the article. The info on Lenard also is interesting, thanks for passing that along. It will be fun to see what Wayland does once the state tourney begins.

  • Jenn Amo

    Jason – Wow! You have a way of making me feel like I was in the stands by your side! This is very well written and very impressive. You have a way of keeping the game alive after the clock has run down to zero. Your contributions are definitely a benefit! Thanks!

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  • Ben Taylor

    This article is very impressive. I especially liked the ending. Sounds like that second EGR student was aware of what was actually going on. I have heard a lot of good things about Hudson. I am really looking forward to him coming to CU in the Fall.

  • Larry Carter

    Well-written article- hope to read more. I’m a casual West Michigan Basketball fan, but Wayland will be on my radar from here on out. It’s a pleasure reading a game summary sans time-worn cliches.