By JOSH NEWMAN
SYRACUSE — Given Wings Academy’s last three games, there is little doubt who the best team in New York State is.
Down 11 to Christ The King at the start of the fourth quarter, the Wings ripped off an 18-2 run to take charge on their way to a 79-73 win and the New York State Federation Class AA championship late Saturday night at the University of Albany.
Georgetown-bound senior forward Jessie Govan finished with a team-high 24 points for Wings, who defeated unbeaten Class AA public school champion Shenendehowa in a semifinal on Friday night and defending PSAL AA champion Cardozo on March 14 to win the city title.
“We just dug down deep,” Govan told the Daily News. “We didn’t want to go home the last loser.”
Govan and the Wings aren’t done playing. They will open play at the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School Nationals on Thursday as the No. 8 seed against No. 1 Oak Hill Academy.
Saturday night’s game may have marked the final contest for Christ The King star junior Rawle Alkins. There are eligibility issues stemming from varsity games he played in as an eighth-grader in Florida.
“He may still be able to play with us,” Royals head coach Joe Arbitello told SNY.tv.
Arbitello says Alkins, who is being recruited by Kansas, Villanova, Indiana, N.C. State, Seton Hall and others, has not petitioned for a waiver yet. The CHSAA will not make a decision until September.
Photo: AP
