WAYNE, NJ - On this Saturday - February 18, at Wayne Valley High School the finals for both the boys and girls Passaic County basketball tournaments will be held and teams from both Wayne Township public high schools will be competing for championships. At noon, the Wayne Valley varsity boys basketball team will be taking on Paterson Eastside and, on the same court at 2:00pm the Wayne Hills varsity girls team will also be facing Paterson Eastside.

While the #6 seed Valley boys have a steep hill to climb as their opponent is the #1 seed and has racked up 22 wins with only two losses this season. It's just the opposite for the Hills girls who have had an incredible season, winning twenty games with only four losses. However, their last loss - just three days ago on Valentine's Day was to this same Paterson Eastside team. It really should be a great game.

How did Wayne Valley get to the finals?

SIGNUPSCRIPT

The Indians started their season off on rocky footing but managed to find a rhythm and began to have success. They had just two wins in December with five losses, while in January, the Valley boys won seven games and lost five. The team got hot at the right time and won six games with only one loss in February – these include the three county victories in this tournament that moved them into the finals.

Senior Andrew Tiecher Gets Air - Photo by Brian Borchard**BULLSEYE

In the first round of the tournament, the #6 seed Valley boys eliminated Passaic Valley, 60-26, giving the boys a boost of confidence. The quarterfinal round was played against #3 seed Clifton which was going to be a tough matchup for Valley, having previously lost to the Stallions by ten in January.

The Valley boys were determined to not let that happen again. While the score fluctuated throughout the quarterfinal round, the Indians were able to push through and beat Clifton by four points, with a final score of 61-57.

Proceeding into the Semifinal round, the Valley boys faced #7 seed Paterson Kennedy – who had just come off a thrilling victory over #2 seed Paterson Charter. The Indians found themselves down by one point at the end of the first quarter – but it was all Valley from then on. Juniors Omar Ali and Anthony Apicella both scored 15 points each for their team, more than half of their 58 total points. The final score: 58-42.
It all comes down to Saturday’s finals game at noon on their home court when the boys take on #1 seed Paterson Eastside. It's going to be an uphill battle as the Ghosts are a powerhouse with a record of 22 wins and only two losses, and undefeated against Passaic County opponents.On the same day, at 2:00 pm, the #2 seed Wayne Hills girls basketball team will also be taking on Paterson Eastside, a team they lost to by nine points in a regular season matchup just four days ago. *Tournament games are scheduled among games throughout the regular season.**STANDARD

How did Wayne Hills get to the finals?

The Wayne Hills girls basketball team has had one of the best seasons in school history. The Patriots have racked up 20 victories with only four losses, including the two county games they won to get to the finals.

As the #2 seed, the girls were given a bye in the first round and jumped straight into the quarterfinal round where they took on #7 seed Passaic Tech and won 48-32. Senior Shannon Tighe led the team with 16 points and Junior Siena Shuster was right behind with 14.**BULLSEYE

Hills Senior Captain Shannon Tighe Shows Perfect Form on a Jumpshot - Photo by Brian Borchard

In the semi-final game girls played against #6 seed Passaic Charter and won 47-36. This time, Shuster was unstoppable with 16 points and 13 rebounds; once again being a major asset to her team's success.

The rematch between the Hills girls and #1 seed Eastside looks to be an exciting game.

Come out to Wayne Valley High School on, Saturday, February 18 at noon to see the Indians vie for their championship. Then stick around for the 2:00pm game on the same court when Hills will fight for the title of best in Passaic County.

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Jon "Ferris" Meredith contributed to this article