SECTION 4 BOYS' BASKETBALL: LATE THREES HELP LIFT ND TO FIRST SECTIONAL TITLE SINCE 2014 (24 PHOTOS) (March 7, 2026)

BY BRIAN FEES
Southern Tier Sports Report
DRYDEN — The Section IV, Class C championship game between Notre Dame and Delhi was like a heavyweight fight. 

Back-and-forth the game went with both teams trading shots all through the game at TC3.

As the seconds ticked down in the fourth quarter it appeared that Delhi may have delivered the knockout punch with a jumper in the final minute. 

Notre Dame trailed by three with under five seconds to go when Max O’Connor caught a pass, had to double clutch and then hit a three to tie the game with 3.4 seconds left. 

With the game tied in overtime it was O’Connor’s teammate Rocco Sayers who delivered what proved to be the game-winner, hitting a three himself that helped lead Notre Dame to a 68-64 win and a spot in the state quarterfinals.

“That’s a really good Delhi team,” Notre Dame coach Nick Weirmiller said. “They are very well coached. We knew it was going to be a tough game. It was just a great basketball game, back and forth. Just a great championship basketball game. I’m proud of my kids. They wanted this so bad from the beginning of the school year and it went all the way down to the wire.”

On the last-second three in regulation Sayers drove and found O’Connor, who had left the game a quarter earlier after a collision with a teammate. 

“I’m feeling much better now, but in the moment I was really dizzy,” O’Connor said. “I live for moments like this, so I had to go back in. I wanted to make that shot.”

For Notre Dame the players showed toughness throughout the game. 

“Max took a shot there, Rocco was a little banged up too,” Weirmiller said. “But, they are just tough kids.”

In the final minutes of the third O’Connor was shaken up after the collision and had to leave the game with teammate TreShawn Jenkins coming in and hitting the two free throws for O’Connor. 

Sayers saw O’Connor on the play and got him the ball, knowing he hits big shots in big moments.

It’s a play that Weirmiller drew up, but knows few can execute the play like his guards.

“I kind of drifted baseline,” Weirmiller said. “I drew that up, but that was all him to hit a double clutch three-pointer like that. I saw it go in from the baseline angle. They are just relentless. They are tough kids and they just did a great job of not givng up. How many times did Delhi come back, take the lead, and they just never gave up.”

While O’Connor hit the big shot in reglation it was Sayers taking his turn in overtime. 

“I saw myself wide open and I had to take it,” Sayers said. 

The shot was created by a relentless effort on the glass by Skoon Jenkins, who grabbed an offnesive rebound and found Sayers for the three. 

“They both have done that throughout the season,” Weirmiller said. “they both are averaging about 17 to 18 points a game. They both do a great job of tag teaming and making things happen.”

After the Sayers three Delhi got three attempts from three to tie the game, but the Crusaders pressured the shots and eventually O’Connor came down with the ball and hit a free throw to seal the win.

“I was like can the ball just find us,” Weirmiller said. “Luckily they didn’t really get a clean look. Our guys did a great job of scrapping and hustling around.”

For Notre Dame it’s their 11th sectional title and first since they beat Moravia 65-62 in the 2014 Class C final. 

“It means the world,” O’Connor said. “We’ve worked all year for this, we went through our ups and downs. We’re the number one seed, so we had to go out and execute.”

Notre Dame moves to 18-4 on the year. 

Delhi had won 17 straight and finishes the year 19-4. They were looking for their first sectional title since 1978. It’s a third straight loss in the finals for Delhi, who fell to Moravia the past two years. 

Sayers had 23 points, with four threes and O’Connor had 14 points, with three threes. The two combined for eight points in the overtime. Finn Schweizer had 11 points for the Crusaders and Mike Sutryk finished with five points, with his points coming in a burst to provide a second-quarter spark. 

Landon English had three points and TreShawn Jenkins had two points. 

“I’m so happy right now, it’s such an experience to get this win,” Sayers said. 

Notre Dame takes on the Section 3 champion in a regional final at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 15 at Onondaga Community College. Cooperstown and Cato-Meridian meet at 11 a.m. Sunday in the Section 3 final. 

“It’s just awesome for our school, for our community, for these kids to get the opportunity to go to states and compete and see where you are amongst other teams around the state,” Weirmiller said. 

The Crusaders are excited for states, but they want more than just getting there.

“The job isn’t finished,” O’Connor said. “WE’ve still got a long way to go. That’s what we’re striving for, a state championship.”

Notre Dame led the game by nine late in the third, but Delhi came back and took a one-point lead with 5:30 left in the game. 

Foul trouble made things tough for the Crusaders as English and Sutryk fouled out and they had other players in foul trouble.

“We had a lot of guys in foul trouble and when you are trying to run different sets and guys are out of position it’s almost impossible,” Weirmiller said. “They just did a great job of adapting and just making plays happen. 

“At the end of the day you can draw up all sorts of plays, but Rocco, Max, Finn all those guys just did an awesome job of making it happen out there.”

Schweizer go ta steal and a layup to put Notre Dame back up one, but then Delhi scored, and English followed as the Crusaders led 54-53.

Delhi hit a jumper and Schweizer made a free throw and the game was tied at 55.

A jumper with 56 seconds left by Cael Townsend had Delhi up two and they made a free throw to go up three before the big three by O’Connor. 

In overtime it was another big three by O’Connor that had Notre DAme up 63-60, but Delhi got a putback to cut the deficit to one and they hit a free throw to tie the game, before Sayers hit the go-ahead three. 

Delhi had four players in double figures with Lucas Nealis netting 15, with three threes and Teddy Klesh scored 14. Ben Schnabel and Josh Wilson each had 11 points. 
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:

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