Niagara Falls is veering into unfamiliar territory.
The Wolverines are known for the grit-fueled, explosive play that’s led them to the hardware. They took a trip to states last year after winning the Section VI Class AAA championship — their seventh title in nine years — and finished the season 15-6 overall.
But this season is starting off a little different from the standard.
The Falls are off to one of the slowest starts of a season in the last 10 years, posting a 3-4 overall record that includes a three-game skid. The last time the Wolverines lost consecutive games was in 2017 when they started the season 0-2.
“We usually catch up offensively halfway through the year, and we’re good,” said Carlos Bradberry, the head coach at the Falls. “But this year, I think we’re a little behind where we usually are defensively, which I think is a huge reason why we are where we are, and we’ve probably played the most challenging schedule we’ve had in the last three years.”
The season couldn’t have started with a tougher opponent, as the Falls dropped a 14-point game to defending Class AAA state champions Green Tech, which took the game on a day’s notice after Massillon (OH) had to cancel.
The Wolverines followed with solid wins over Bishop Timon and Nichols, but have dropped their last three games to Cicero-North Syracuse, St. Joe’s and Rome Free Academy by double-digits. The 71-51 loss to Rome Free Academy on Dec. 28 is their worst loss since falling by 30 to Bishop Timon on December 9, 2023.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier, with Canisius due up Saturday, along with games against Health Sciences and Aquinas next week. But the challenges present aren’t a bad thing, rather an opportunity to compete at a higher level to prepare themselves for games later in the season, and hopefully a trip to states in March.
“We might end up .500, but if it gets us ready in March, that’s always the main goal for me. Not looking at a pretty record at the end of the year,” Bradberry said. “But that’s just staying consistent and getting better through the year.”
The recipe for getting better is a mixture of the coaches putting players in better spots as well as knowing the athlete’s strengths, and the players having confidence in their looks and shots. Bradberry says the team is getting open shots but not getting them in the basket.
The Wolverines have also struggled to have their full roster this season as many players have been dealing with injuries or illnesses. Tre Gayle, the clear leader alongside John Strong, missed three games due to injury, two of which ended up losses.
In the three games Gayle’s played, he’s averaging 21 points and 3.3 boards per game.
“Tre can put the ball in the basket,” Bradberry said. “When he doesn’t play we have to do a lot better defensively to make up for some of his points.”
With Gayle’s spot in the lineup open, players like sophomores Dequarius Seaberry and Jeremiah Shipp and junior Darryl Smith have had to step up and play a greater role to try to make some splashes for the Falls.
Strong is the most dangerous player leading the Wolverines, stepping up and scoring more points even if he’s “not a natural shooter.” Bradberry referred to him as one of the best players in Western New York because of his versatility and ability to be a jack of all trades on the court, and his skills as a defender could earn him best in Western New York.
Strong is averaging 16.4 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game and has posted four double-doubles in seven games. He netted a season-high 31 points against Nichols to propel the Falls to a 67-63 win in Gayle’s absence. The next closest scorer in that game was Marshawn McTyere with eight points.
It’s easier said than done, but according to Bradberry, all the guys need to do is keep competing to get back on track and back to their winning ways.
“We compete everyday. We practice hard everyday. I think that’s what gets the most out of our kids,” Bradberry said.