SALEM, OR - Wednesday, 12-22-21 - Hail to the champions, and for the first time in Capitol City Classic history those champions are a team from Oregon. A hometown team from Salem, no less.
West Salem (6-1) gutted out a hard-fought, come-from-behind win over Wilsonville, in an all-Oregon championship game that featured toughness, defense and physicality.
In the end, the Titans won behind the great leadership and inspirational play of senior guard Jon Breyman, the rugged interior combination of 6'6 senior post Brooks Ferguson and 6'7 sophomore post Trent Ferguson, and some timely contributions of wings Tommy Slack and Jackson Leach.
For three quarters, the outcome looked like it might be different.
The Wildcats, playing in their record-setting third consecutive CCC championship game, built a 35-30 lead in a contest that felt more like a playoff game than a preseason affair. With every possession, shot and rebound contested, scoring was hard to come by for both teams. Through three quarters, Wilsonville was getting the better of it.
But Coach Travis Myers' Titans were not to be denied, and they rallied in the final period to win their first-ever Johnny Leonard Trophy. Leach hit a huge three-point shot that gave West Salem its first lead since early in the game at 38-37 with three minutes to play, and then Slack cleaned up a put-back shot to extend the Titans lead to 3.
Wilsonville's final 3-point attempt to tie the game and force overtime at the buzzer fell well short, and the celebration was on for West Salem.
While the heartbreak for Wilsonville (7-1 after the loss) was real, the Titans are one of the only other programs in Oregon to understand the feeling. West made the finals in the CCC's second tournament in 2016, only to lose to Mater Dei (CA) on a 35-foot three-point shot at the buzzer.
Breyman led the Titans with 11 points. 6'10 Oregon Tech signee Logan Thebiay led Wilsonville with 10 points.
Other Games
PIL power Roosevelt took 3rd, despite an injury to Raysean Seamster which kept him out, with an impressive 69-60 win over the very game Beaverton Beavers, who were without leading scorer Braden Rice themselves... In the 4th place game, Cane Ridge (Nashville, TN) got 40 points from 6'9 5-star Alabama commit Brandon Miller, but needed a running 10' bank shot at the buzzer by Joshua McDaniel to come-from-behind and shock Mountainside for 4th place... Cascade impressed in their first-ever CCC appearance going 3-1, culminated by a 59-50 win over Salem Academy in the 5th place game...
CHAMPIONSHIP WEDNESDAY RESULTS
Championship Game
West Salem Titans 42, Wilsonville Wildcats 39
3rd Place Game
Roosevelt Roughriders 69, Beaverton Beavers 60
4th Place Game
Cane Ridge (TN) Ravens 68, Mountainside Mavericks 67
5th Place Game
Cascade Cougars 59, *Salem Academy Crusaders 50
More Games
Rancho Christian (CA) Eagles 50, Silverton Foxes 38
Crescent Valley Raiders 73, Lincoln Cardinals 72
*Corvallis Spartans 62, South Salem Saxons 53
*McNary Celtics 66, Jefferson Democrats 55
* Team has been moved off their earned line in tournament bracket to avoid inter-league game.
