Greenlaw’s layup at buzzer, Smith’s big second half spark Wolverines
RICHMOND — In Trevor Smith’s words, it was a rough first half.
The Woodside star senior guard was 1 of 6 from the field with two turnovers as the Wolverines trailed Patrick Henry of Roanoke by six in the first half of Saturday’s Class 5 state championship game at VCU’s Siegel Center.
It was so bad that Wolverines coach Stefan Welsh chose not to start him in the second half.
“I knew that would kind of get him going a little bit, and that’s what happened,” Welsh said. “I just told him if he’s the guy, then go out in the second half and be the guy.”
And that’s just what Smith did as he scored 15 second-half points to help the Wolverines come back from a 16-point deficit and beat Patrick Henry 54-52 to win the state title.
But it was senior forward Christian Greenlaw’s rebound and reverse layup at the buzzer that gave Woodside the title. The last time the Wolverines won a state title was when Welsh helped lead Woodside to back-to-back state titles in 2004 and ’05.
Patrick Henry guard Sidney Webb missed a layup with 8.2 seconds remaining. Mykel Jenkins rebounded the ball and got it out to Smith.
“Anytime the ball is in his hands with the game on the line, I’m taking him all the time,” Welsh said about Smith, who finished with a game-high 17 points. “He made a tough move at the basket. He didn’t make it, but Christian was right there to clean it up. Two seniors that went out like they were supposed to.”
Greenlaw knew he didn’t have much time when he got the rebound.
“I just knew I had to go get it and finish up for the game,” said Greenlaw, who finished with
six points and four rebounds. “I knew we didn’t have enough time, so I just put it up, and somehow it went in, and now we’re state champions, baby.”
Smith, a University of Richmond commit, could only smile.
“I was underneath the basket and saw it [go in],” he said. “Thank God. Thank God.”
But the game didn’t start pretty for the Wolverines, who shot a lowly 31% in the first quarter. They trailed 28-22 at halftime.
During the break, Welsh informed Smith he wouldn’t start the second half.
“I was trying to get a feel of the game and the court. It was tough,” Smith said about his rough start. “I was trying too hard and wanting it really bad. And knowing that it was my last high school game and so much was on the line, I was just trying to do too much.
“I was just ready to go when he called my number.”
With Smith on the bench, the Wolverines trailed by 16 with 3:00 left in the third quarter.
That’s when Smith took over as he scored eight third-quarter points to help Woodside finish the quarter on a 14-0 run.
The Wolverines (23-5) carried the momentum into the fourth quarter until the run ended at 25-0.
Patrick Henry, which saw its winning streak end at 17, got back into the game and tied it at 52 thanks to a 10-2 run.
The Patriots had a chance to win on Webb’s layup, but he missed it to set up the dramatic ending.
Woodside’s victory also helped Welsh join a small fraternity of people from Hampton Roads who have won a state title as a player and coach.
Darren Sanderlin led Booker T. Washington to a state title in 1985 as a player and as a coach in 2006. Brandon Plummer was a player on that Bookers state title team in 2006. He also guided Maury to a state title as a coach in 2019.
Welsh couldn’t stop praising his team’s perseverance, even when the Wolverines trailed by 16.
“It was never a doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to win the game,” he said. “My first time winning a state championship here, we were down 20 at halftime. I’ve been in this situation before. But I knew with our style of play that it would eventually wear on them. And it did, right there in the third quarter.”
He also couldn’t say enough about Smith.
“The one thing about me is I’m honest with my guys. And he knew he didn’t play well,” he said. “And when you don’t play well, you don’t get rewarded for it. So he started the second half on the bench. But I knew he would come out and play exactly the way he did. That’s who he is.”