BY JIM HAGUE
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD | THE RECORD
HALEDON – Jerrel Wright is new to all of this state basketball playoff excitement. The Manchester sophomore attended Cliffside Park last year, so Wright wasn’t a part of the Falcons’ team that won the North 1, Group 2 championship a year ago.
So when the Falcons’ top player Alex Morales was lost for the season due to a school suspension, it became the Wright time for the Manchester southpaw.
“Everyone said that we couldn’t win without Alex,” Wright said. “From the beginning of the game [Thursday against Pequannock], I heard from everyone that I had to step it up.”
Early on, Wright had a sense that it was going to be his night. With five seconds left in the first quarter, Wright unleashed a three-point attempt that swished home. Wright was also fouled on the play and made the free throw.
The four-point play gave the Falcons a 12-3 lead and started Wright on a memorable 19-point performance, leading the defending sectional champs to a 53-45 quarterfinal victory over the Panthers.
With the win, the Falcons (18-7) advanced to the sectional semifinals Saturday night against 10th-seeded Mahwah, which upset No. 2 seed Pascack Hills, 53-52, in Thursday’s other quarterfinal matchup. Because of the Thunderbirds’ win, the Falcons get another home game.
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