Wilson tops Liberty in Nailbiter

Wilson versus Liberty was a highly anticipated matchup in the CoBL Winter Classic at Exeter High School. The Bulldogs and Hurricanes didn’t disappoint. Wilson pulled out a gutsy 45-43 victory on Saturday night. The Bulldogs were without All-County soccer player Tommy McFadden due to an illness. Jon Etim made two free throws with six seconds left to put Wilson on top. Jake Pukszyn’s heave from just inside half-court hit the backboard and then the back of the rim at the buzzer. The 6’3 junior and standout football player led Liberty with 17 points. Pukszyn had seven points over the last eight minutes. The Hurricanes were the District 11-6A runner-up a season ago. They brought back four starters from a 20-win squad. The Bulldogs are the defending BCIAA champions with a very experienced team. Wilson got off to a slow start and fell behind 13-4. Jarrell Teague sank two 3-pointers and scored eight points in the opening quarter. The 5’11 junior ended up with 15 points. Madyx Gruber kept the Bulldogs in the game. The All-County guard reeled off Wilson’s first 15 points. The star quarterback had a game-high 21 points, despite not making a shot in the second half. Gruber was 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Liberty was in front 24-21 at halftime. Cam Zullinger’s trey gave the Bulldogs a 27-26 edge. They had a slim 33-31 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Correll Akings connected from long range to make it 39-38 midway through the final period. The 5’10 guard provided eleven points. Chase Dusseau came off the Hurricanes’ bench and splashed a triple that tied it at 41-41 with three minutes remaining. Liberty was limited to two points the rest of the way. Pukszyn fouled Etim beyond the 3-point line in the final seconds. Etim, a senior guard, came through on his first free throw attempts of the night. He chipped in with six points. The (2-0) Bulldogs were 11-of-12 from the foul line. The (2-1) Hurricanes were just 2-of-5. They made five 3-pointers, one more than Wilson. The Bulldogs square off against another tough opponent on Monday night. They meet Berks Catholic in West Lawn. McFadden is expected to return for Wilson. The (2-0) Saints defeated Cumberland Valley and Pope John Paul II at the CoBL Winter Classic. All-State guard Kingston McKoy had 44 combined points for Berks Catholic.