Wi-Hi advances to state semifinals with dominant performance over Winters Mill

SALISBURY, Md. – Wi-Hi boy’s basketball advanced to the MPSSAA 2A Semifinals Friday night with a 74-50 victory over the Winters Mill Falcons in Salisbury.

It started early for Wi-Hi, with the Tribe carrying a 40-14 lead into the break behind Demar Brunson’s 10 first-half points.

Winters Mill opened the 2nd half on a 12-2 run. After not starting in the first half, Vic Collins checked in and scored nine straight points to ice the Falcons’ momentum. “Truthfully, I was kind of upset that I didn’t start,” said Collins, who finished with a team-high 19 points. “But I gotta be for the team. I got in the game and I provided. That’s what Coach wanted me to do, and that’s what I did.”

Winter Mill’s continued to threaten in the second half, but Tyson Hayward came up with some clutch buckets down the stretch to put the game out of reach. “I stay in the gym, so I’m gonna hit those shots every time,” Hayward said of his confidence. 

Hayward’s seven fourth-quarter points helped get the Tribe over the hump late.  “This means everything to me. The last couple years we lost in the second round, so I’m grateful to make it this far,” the senior said.

The win puts Wi-Hi one game away from the program’s seventh state championship appearance under legendary Head Coach Butch Waller. Waller, after 60 years at the helm of Wi-Hi boy’s basketball, announced during the year that this season would be his last.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to cut those nets down in this situation a lot of times…this one is super,” Waller said.

But even with all the celebration in the Waller Dome, the Wi-Hi Head Coach reeled the focus back to the team’s next game: “We won’t know until tomorrow morning who we’re gonna be playing. At this point, it doesn’t make any difference, they’re all gonna be good.”

Wi-Hi will play Southern in the MPSSAA 2A Semifinals next week.