By Jim Workman
Register-Herald Sports Writer
CHARLESTON — Wyoming East is best known for its all-state caliber 1-2 punch in the backcourt.
But 6-foot-5 junior combo guard/forward Alex Webb has provided versatility — netting 12.2 points per game while also grabbing five rebounds and playing tight defense.
It’s a role that he’s grown accustomed to.
“When a lot of people think about Wyoming East, they think about our guard play,” Wyoming East coach Rory Chapman stated. “A lot of teams may key on our guards this week, so that could open the door for Alex to put up some big numbers.”
The long, lanky Webb is deceptively strong, too.
“His kind of versatility is rare,” added Chapman. “There aren’t many 6-5 guards playing AA basketball in West Virginia. He can give us a mismatch at guard or we can play him down low. He plays four positions for us. He’s had some big games, where he led us in scoring or rebounds several times.”
“I love playing the wing because I like getting the ball and pushing it up the floor,” said Webb. “But if our big guys are in foul trouble, I’ll go in there and bang. I’m comfortable either way.”
Wyoming East, the No. 1-ranked team in Class AA and No. 1 seed in the state tournament, barely escaped with an 85-83 victory over Bluefield in the Region 3 co-final last Thursday night.
The Warriors will face No. 8 seed Frankfort in a state quarterfinal game at 5:30 p.m. today at the Charleston Civic Center.
Against Bluefield, it took a running jumper from Chase Morgan with five seconds left and a steal on the ensuing inbounds pass by Evan Muscari to clinch the win.
Morgan paces the Warriors with a 21-point scoring average, while Muscari adds 12 per game.
“I went back and looked at the film and it was unbelievable how loud the crowd was,” said Chapman. “As a coach or a player you are zoned in, and you don’t really realize how loud it is at the time.”
The Warriors also withstood one of the greatest single-game scoring performances from a high school player. Bluefield guard Craig Ponder tallied 56 points, 24 in the fourth quarter alone as the Beavers rallied from 13 down after three quarters.
“It’s something that we survived Ponder, too,” Chapman added. “He almost willed them to win. I’m sure he told himself that it was his last game, and he wasn’t going to go down without a fight. He was awesome all night.
“But you have to give our kids credit, too. Even though we would make a run and they would keep answering, we never put our heads down. We fought the whole game. We just hate to lose.”
Webb had a solid game against the Beavers, scoring 16 points, including three 3s and two thundering dunks.
“Alex usually gets his points and rebounds quietly,” Chapman said. “But he wasn’t quiet in that game.”
“There’s no better feeling than getting a dunk in a game,” said Webb. “The crowd was ridiculous. When we went into the locker room at halftime, my ears were ringing. We have so many weapons. (Andrew) Bishop and (Marcus) Schofield came up big against Bluefield, too. It was a team effort.”
The road to the states was extremely tough, even for a top-ranked team.
Region 3 was stacked with strong squads. The final four were all state-ranked: No. 1 Wyoming East, No. 2 Oak Hill, No. 3 PikeView and No. 9 Bluefield.
Oak Hill also advanced to the state tournament with a 59-49 win over PikeView.
“My nerves are a lot better now than in the region,” Chapman said. “It was tough.”
Wyoming East will enter the game against Frankfort with limited information on the Falcons.
“I don’t know a lot about them,” Chapman admitted. “Hopefully we’ll get a chance to trade a game film with them. But I know they beat a good Grafton team in the regionals. Everybody that makes it to states under the new format is good. With the way it’s set up, you have to be good. So we’ll have to be ready.”
Wyoming East has lived up to its nickname, being true warriors while fighting through a grueling schedule and physical play that comes from being a target at the top virtually all season.
“We’re as close to 100 percent as we can be,” Chapman said. “We’ve had some bumps and bruises, but we’re fine.”
“We’re looking pretty good right now,” Webb said. “It’s going to take a team effort, but I think we can come back with the gold. We hope to go there and finish.”
— E-mail: jworkman@register-herald.com
