Heading into the IAC Large School Championship on February 19, Trumansburg boys basketball faced a familiar opponent in Elmira-Notre Dame. The Blue Raiders had lost to the Crusaders twice during the regular season, including a heartbreaking double overtime loss in January.
But on this fateful night at Tompkins Cortland Community College, the third time was indeed the charm for Trumansburg.
The Blue Raiders prevailed 59-45 to capture their first IAC title since 2003. It was a defensive battle for most of the contest with Trumansburg holding a 22-16 lead at halftime and a 36-29 advantage through three quarters. They managed to hold a Crusaders team that averaged 62 points per game and scored over 70 points in both their regular season meetings to one of their lowest tallies of the season.
“I thought we had good matchups the second time we played them when we went to double overtime,” said head coach Erick Whelpley. “They have a lot of offensive talent. They have guys that can just put the ball in the hoop, and so we had to come up with a new game plan.”
It’s no surprise that defense has been the biggest area of improvement for the Blue Raiders. That’s been a significant factor in their recent run of form, winning 10 of their last 12 games after starting out the season 4-4.
“We are doing a much better job of playing defense and communicating,” Whelpley said. “Historically, I’ve been a zone defensive coach, and right now we’re playing great both ways, either man or zone, and a lot of it’s those guys having trust in each other and communicating. It takes a lot of communication and trust.”
On the offensive end, leading the way for the Blue Raiders is Arlo Peake. The senior and reigning All-State selection put up a game-high 22 points in the IAC championship—20 of which came in the second half—and averages a team-high 20 points per game. He also surpassed 1,000 career points this year.
“The biggest thing with Arlo is his ability to score,” Whelpley said. “I brought him up as a sophomore, and he was a really good driver. And then from the sophomore to junior season, we worked on his foul shooting, which has been phenomenal this season. And then from his junior to senior year, we really worked on his jump shot… Every year there’s been an aspect of his game that’s improved.”
Trumansburg’s other returning starter from last year’s team is Aidan Clarke-Cabezas. The senior is the Blue Raiders’ jack of all trades, leading the team in rebounds, steals, and assists.
“Multiple times this season, he’s just locked down some of the other teams’ best scorers,” Whelpley said. “I think football and baseball definitely have transitioned to basketball in trying to be the aggressor and set the tone. I’m really proud of him coming out again this season, being a senior leader, being one of the captains.”
Two other seniors join the starting lineup. Jacob Taves is the Blue Raiders’ fearless leader, while Amare Tucker is enjoying a productive first year at the varsity level.
“You talk about a glue guy, or someone that holds it together, a natural-born leader that will get the most out of them is Jacob Taves,” Whelpley said. “He is by far the vocal leader in that locker room. He gets everyone organized. He sets it up. He knows his role… Where I expected Amare to be versus where he is now is two different things. Amare is playing amazing defense as an undersized big, usually having to play the biggest guy, and he’s holding his own.”
Rounding out the top six on the team are a pair of juniors. Starter Dafydd Williams is their second-highest scorer at around 10 points per game, while Emmett Asbrand has given them a spark off the bench with his size down low.
“Dafydd’s shooting and decision-making has gotten a lot better, and that’s what you want to see from that sophomore to junior year and a guard,” Whelpley said. “Emmett’s letting the game come to him. We’re putting him in positions to be successful. He’s using his size and skill sets… And on the defensive end, he’s doing a much better job of using that length effectively and not having him sit on the bench because he has three or four fouls.”
The Blue Raiders get set for the Section IV Class C tournament. As the third seed, they earned a bye to quarterfinals on February 28 and will host either Unatego/Franklin or Tioga. Trumansburg is one of seven state-ranked teams in the tourney, and with no clear favorite among the bunch, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will come out on top.
Why not the Blue Raiders?
“We shot the best against Lansing [in the regular season finale], and then we followed it up against END and shot even better,” Whelpley said. “We’re getting hot shooting the ball right now, and that’s what’s going to take to beat some of these teams that can just put points up.”
