Western brings home improbable state title

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Feb. 26, 2001 | 9:56 a.m.

Point guard P.J. Stinnett collapsed at center court in tears as the bench exploded and prepared to pile on. Swingman Brandon Weaver circled the floor pointing to the rafters.

Trumpets blared, cheerleaders tumbled and two students donned in feathered headdresses vaulted over the media table and joined the frenzy.

But as Western High School celebrated its first state boys basketball title in 11 years -- courtesy of its upset win over top-ranked Bishop Gorman -- Friday night, one figure remained calm, hardly acting as if he were in any way responsible.

Because for Warriors coach Tony Hopkins, the occasion was not entirely a joyful one. He knew he had just coached nine seniors for the last time.

"That's the toughest thing about high school basketball. Your players grow up and you can't coach them anymore," Hopkins said. "It's the end of a relationship."

So Hopkins watched from the sidelines, soaking in the scene and storing it in his memory banks.

"I wanted to watch everything that was happening, absorb everything so I could reflect on it later," Hopkins said.

When Hopkins does look back, he'll see a team that did the improbable Friday night, rallying from 14 points down at halftime to defeat the favored Gaels 64-61.

He'll recall a 29-13 run to start the second half -- one triggered by the Warriors' trademark pressure defense -- which gave his club its first lead of the game, 43-41 with seven minutes remaining.

And of course, he'll remember Stinnett's game-winning jump shot, a rim-to-backboard-to-rim job that finally found its mark with 18 seconds to play.

But when Hopkins looks in his mind's eye, the most vivid image will likely be that of his hard-nosed players, who didn't let three previous losses to the Gaels keep them from believing they could beat the defending champs the fourth time around.

"We did not want to play anybody else," Hopkins said. "We wanted to play Gorman. We said let's go out and erase those three defeats."

Offered Weaver, "We had something to prove to ourselves. We knew we could beat them, and our coach told us we would get them when it counted."

Renowned for their athleticism and up-tempo style, the Warriors' bread-and-butter all season was actually the inside play of 6-5 center Tim Day.

The Oregon-bound defensive end helped Western to a 26-5 record and a second-place finish in a loaded Southwest Division that also featured fellow top area big men Jason Carter (Gorman), Martrel Johnson (Durango) and Michael Cooper (Clark.)

"Tim's our MVP," Hopkins said. "He always commands the double-team, and he did a great job kicking the ball out to our shooters."

Averaging a double-double, Day contributed his usual solid play in the state tournament, scoring 10 points in all three Western wins and pulling down 27 rebounds. His clutch free throws in the final seconds Friday put the Warriors up by three, forcing Gorman's Dinard Taylor to attempt a tough 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Weaver, a 6-4 high-flier, also brought his 'A' game to Reno. Best known for his exploits above the rim, he regained his shooting touch at the right time of year, connecting on six 3-pointers, including three in the title game.

Weaver also spearheaded the Warriors' pressure defense, with his double-overtime block one of the critical plays in the team's 73-61 round one escape against McQueen Wednesday.

"Defenses were set up to keep him from getting to the basket," Hopkins said. "I just kept telling him, 'Shoot when you're open.' And he can rebound and defend with the best of them."

Shooting guard Wendell West, whose heroics in December helped Western topple nationally-ranked Arlington (Fla.) Country Day, continued to knock down open look after open look. His 30 points, particularly an 11-of-14 effort from the line, were the difference against the Lancers, and he scored in double-figures in all three state games.

Power forward Matt Robinson teamed up with Day to form a rugged low-post tandem. He grabbed 23 rebounds in Reno, including three in a game-opening 9-0 run that all but sealed the team's 50-30 semifinal win over Las Vegas Thursday.

For Stinnett, the state tournament was about redemption. His missed free throws in round one's narrow win caused Hopkins to pronounce, "P.J. can't shoot a lick" in an attempt to motivate his floor leader. After his game-winner two nights later, Hopkins had an understandably different take.

"P.J. is probably the best point guard in the whole state," Hopkins said. "He can do so many things others players can't."

The Warriors also received solid play from reserves Andre Mitchell and junior Leonta Matthews, the latter of whom will be counted on to carry a heavy load next year as the only returnee with significant playing time.

The rest will move on, leaving Hopkins to reload next season. Before he starts thinking about that, however, he'll spend the next few weeks relishing his team's achievement and his time spent with a special group of seniors.

"We built this team to try to make a run at the state championship," Hopkins said. "Our window of opportunity was open and we wanted to take advantage of it.

"This group of kids played with their hearts, and sometimes when you play with your heart, you get rewarded.