The Westfield guard quickly grabbed the rebound, scored through contact, and completed a three-point play.

It was that kind of night for Section VI’s all-time leading scorer.

Swanson scored 38 points, handed out 11 assists, grabbed seven rebounds and picked up six steals to lead the fourth-seeded Wolverines to the eighth sectional title in program history, 72-57 over No. 2 Holland at Jamestown Community College.

“It’s a goal to get here in the first place. The Randolph game was just such a dogfight. … That game took a lot out of us,” said Westfield head coach Nolan Swanson, Carson’s father. ” … We’ve just tried to recover; we were worried about matching Holland’s energy.”

Westfield’s Braylon Swanson cuts between Dutchmen Simon Brown, left, and Brady Wiskup for a layup during the 72-57 victory in the Section VI Class C boys basketball final at Jamestown Community College’s Physical Education Complex on Friday.
P-J photo by Jason Bower

It was a fitting end to the senior star’s career at the Physical Education Complex.

“This is everything. It’s just amazing to be able to do it with my younger brother, Braylon, because I was fortunate enough to be able to do it with Darien,” Swanson said postgame about a 2022 title with his older brother. “I’m just happy that we have another great team and are able to go on this run again.”

Despite a grueling, double-overtime semifinal win over No. 1 Randolph just three nights earlier, Westfield jumped out to a 23-14 lead through one quarter Friday, thanks in large part to senior Zach Maguire scoring 7 points and Swanson adding 11 through eight minutes.

“He’s coming off a little sickness, but he has a great motor. He’s in crazy-good shape,” Coach Swanson said of Maguire. “He doesn’t really come out unless he gets into foul trouble.”

The Wolverines’ lead grew to 15 at halftime as the Dutchmen went cold in the second quarter, shooting just 2 of 13 from the field, including 1 of 6 from 3-point range.

“We were all very sore. We rested and watched a lot of film the last two days. They like to push the ball so we knew we had to run and get them tired out in transition,” Carson Swanson said of the Dutchmen. “We knew we had to work hard and bring that energy from the last game. No game is going to be easy from now on. We know we have to bring it every night.”

Swanson and the Wolverines put any thoughts of a Holland comeback to rest early in the second half.

Junior Lincoln Thomas hit a 3-pointer before Swanson and Maguire scored inside to make it 46-24.

“We always want to keep Lincoln involved and get him a shot,” Coach Swanson said. “We know we are going to draw that help off the wing … and find somewhere to have him hit one.”

Swanson then put his exclamation mark on the game with a breakaway dunk that forced Holland head coach Matt Krotz into a timeout.

After a free throw from Dutchmen senior Brady Wiskup, the Westfield run continued as Swanson found Maguire open in the lane for a bucket, then completed a Eurostep of his own for a layup. After another Holland free throw, Swanson completed the 18-2 onslaught with another bucket inside and a 3-pointer.

“They couldn’t contain him. The drives into the middle and the dishes were there,” Coach Swanson said of his son. “A lot of times if the play broke down, he hit some stepbacks. His shooting has really come around the last eight or nine games.”

Westfield rolled through its bench freely in the fourth quarter, especially after Swanson’s missed dunk and subsequent three-point play made it a 68-39 game with 4:29 left.

“I was like ‘Geeze, that’s embarrassing,’” Carson Swanson said. “I had to get it back somehow.”

The Wolverines will now reset and rest for next Saturday’s 5:45 p.m. Far West Regional at Rush-Henrietta High School. Section V will decide its overall Class C champion Wednesday.

“We’ll try to learn who we are going to go against,” Coach Swanson said. “I think we are a very versatile team. We can get big, we can get quicker, we can run a press. It’s a neat thing. We have different shooters who can come in off the bench. I have a lot of faith in these guys.”

When Swanson steps on the floor next Saturday, Section VI’s all-time leading scorer will be at 2,425 career points — 51 shy of Jaiden Harrison’s Western New York record of 2,476.

“That’s in the back of my head right now. We are focused on one game at a time. I just want to go all the way with these guys,” Carson Swanson said. “It’s an amazing record, but I would rather reach a team goal than a personal one.”

NOTES: Maguire had 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists; Thomas had 9 points; and Grant Beadle grabbed eight rebounds for Westfield, which shot 30 of 64 from the field, including 9 of 32 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 11 times. … Jude Gerbec had 17 points and Wiskup had 13 for Holland, which shot 18 of 51 from the field, including 6 of 22 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 14 times. … Wiskup and Maguire were named the Heart of a Champion Award winners by Cross Training Athletics and Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant. … Westfield last won a sectional title in 2022, when it lost to Avoca/Prattsburgh in the Class D Far West Regional. … Alexander won Section V’s Class C1 title, York won the Class C2 crown and Honeoye won the Class C3 championship. Their playdown games are Monday and Wednesday.

WESTFIELD (72)

Paddock 0 0 0, BSwanson 1 0 2, Whitesell 0 0 0, Stein 0 0 0, Maguire 8 0 17, CSwanson 15 3 38, Thomas 3 0 9, Anderson 1 0 2, Stellhorn 0 0 0, Schuster 0 0 0, Tunison 0 0 0, Beadle 2 0 4, Tuah 0 0 0, Ramm 0 0 0, Baum 0 0 0. Totals 30 3 72.

HOLLAND (57)

Gerbec 6 3 17, Wiskup 3 7 13, Brown 3 2 9, Barnanowski 3 1 8, Leary 0 0 0, Houde 0 0 0, Howlett 2 2 7, Szucs 0 0 0, Lewandowski 0 0 0. Totals 18 15 57.

3-point goals–Maguire, CSwanson 5, Thomas 3, Gerbec 2, Brown, Barnanowski, Houde, Howlett.

Westfield 23 16 20 13 — 72

Holland 14 10 8 25 — 57