Seamus Breslin-Wilson

It was fitting that longtime Wilson boys basketball coach Reggie Weiss was in attendance for the Bulldogs’ playoff game on Tuesday. Weiss was the architect of the program. His teams won 362 games and were well known for their hard-nosed man-to-man defense. Matt Coldren, a 1990 Wilson graduate, has passed those same principles on to his players. Coldren holds the school record for wins with 390 over 22 years. The seventh-seeded Bulldogs locked up #10 seed Cedar Crest over the final ten minutes in West Lawn. Wilson advanced to the District 3-6A quarterfinals with a 48-40 victory. The (18-7) Bulldogs trailed 35-27 with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. With their season on the line, they went on an 18-2 run. The (14-10) Falcons were held scoreless for nearly five minutes in the last period. Seamus Breslin has been a defensive stopper for Wilson all season. “It’s something that I found is my niche. It’s kind of my thing. It’s the way that I’m helping this team be successful,” said the 6’ senior guard. Breslin, who averages 5 ppg., scored a career-high 15 points including seven in the third quarter. “It feels good for sure. It’s not necessarily something that I need to do. I’m really looking to do whatever it takes to win,” he replied. The Bulldogs were down 24-20 at halftime and 35-33 entering the fourth quarter. A breakaway layup by Cleveland Harding put Wilson in front 37-35 with five and a-half minutes to go. Breslin followed with two free throws and an assist to Ofure Odiale to make it 41-35. Sophomore guard Madyx Gruber knocked down four straight foul shots down the stretch. He finished with eight points. Harding chipped in with six points and a team-high nine rebounds. Odiale, a 6’5 senior, provided eight points, 8 boards, and five blocks. Cedar Crest was led by Fernando Marquez. The 6’2 wing dropped 17 points. He’s one of four juniors in their starting lineup. The Falcons hit seven triples and went 5-9 from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs were 11-19. They missed five free throws in the last period. Cedar Crest fell to Wilson 59-40 on January 14th. This was a much tougher challenge for the Bulldogs. They have eight seniors on the roster including four starters. “Our bond has gotten stronger…We were just fighting for one more day together,” said Breslin. We also talked about his favorite teachers and musical artists. Breslin likes to play poker in his spare time. He doesn’t have much of that because he’s also part of Wilson’s lacrosse team. His basketball season isn’t over yet. The Bulldogs will travel to #2 seed Cumberland Valley on Friday.