By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
SAND ROCK – Like the rest of his Sand Rock basketball teammates Tuesday night, Wildcat forward Will Cleere climbed the ladder and cut a piece of the net from the basketball goal following the Wildcats’ 76-60 victory over Cedar Bluff in the Class 2A, Area 13 championship game.
The thread of net may be small, but it symbolizes something big to him.
“It means a lot,” Cleere said. “We work so hard together at practice. We get pushed a lot by Coach T (Nick Traffanstedt), but I love it. It’s my last year and you’ve got to go all out.”
Go all out is exactly what Cleere did on Tuesday night. He scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed 15 rebounds against the Tigers to earn the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honor and clinch the Wildcats’ first area championship since 2023.
“My favorites are the kids I see in this gym every day when I walk in here, and that’s who Will Cleere is,” Traffanstedt said. “I literally have to run him out of this gym. He’s dedicated his whole high school career to it. He’s put more work in than I’ve ever seen a high schooler do. I don’t know if anyone will do what he’s done. That kid has put countless hours in the gym, and it shows.”
The work Cleere and the rest of his teammates put in to preparing for Tuesday’s championship game showed from the opening tip.
The Wildcats (20-11) went on a 13-0 run to begin the game. They led 21-5 at the end of the first quarter, 35-16 at halftime, and 52-33 after three quarters.
“They were a little bit smarter, a little bit tougher on the inside than we were,” Cedar Bluff coach Johnny Amison said. “Cleere had a really good game. He rebounded, had put backs, in-bound underneath plays. I think they scored almost every time (down low) and it was him. That’s one of their advantages over us. They’re bigger on the inside and it showed up tonight.”
Traffanstedt said the key for the Wildcats was being ready for the pressure Cedar Bluff (19-11) applies.
“Cedar Bluff is a very athletic team. You’ve got to be smart. You’ve got to have good ball handlers. You’ve got to know what you’re doing,” he said. “Your bigs have got to be in the right spot at the right time. Your guards have to be in the right spot at the right time. It can’t be done by one person. That was the thing we were preaching, trust in each other.”
Trust is something the current Wildcats have built over time with Traffanstedt. There have been a lot of ups and downs – including this season after losing point guard Tyde Traffanstedt to a torn ACL injury – but now they’re beginning to reap the rewards.
“When I moved up here 6 ½ years ago, I told this group if you’ll do what I’m asking you to do and put the time in, it’s not going to happen today, and it’s not going to happen tomorrow, but it will happen in the years to come,” Traffanstedt said. “It’s really awesome to see it come to fruition.”
Jonas Browder added 18 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and a steal for the Wildcats. Wyatt Miller managed 16 points and 11 boards. Elijah Hood finished with eight points, four boards, three assists, and two steals.
Browder and Miller joined Cleere from Sand Rock on the all-tournament team.
Shon Gleen led the Tigers with 23 points, including three 3-pointers. Kuper Bradley contributed 19 points with a pair of treys. Jonas Brown finished with five points.
Gleen and Bradley were all-tournament selections, along with Pleasant Valley’s Jake Barnwell.
Both teams advance to sub-regional play this weekend. Sand Rock will host Class 2A, Area 9 runner-up Alabama Aerospace and Aviation of Bessemer. Cedar Bluff travels to Westminster of Oak Mountain on Saturday at 6 p.m..
Both coaches are hoping for crowds similar to the atmosphere they had at Sand Rock on Tuesday evening.
“Our crowd is phenomenal. It was awesome tonight,” Traffanstedt said. “The atmosphere was electric I appreciate what they do. We’re very fortunate to play at home because this is a special place.”
Added Amison: “I’m proud of how our community showed up tonight. They had our back. I’m sorry we couldn’t get the win for them tonight, but I’m proud of how Cedar Bluff showed up. It was a great experience. When next time comes around hopefully we’ll be ready.”
