HILLSDALE COUNTY — Waldron’s boys basketball team and Hillsdale’s girls program captured Pool B championships Tuesday, Dec. 30, as the 41st annual Hillsdale Rotary Pat Paterson Holiday Classic wrapped up at Hillsdale College.
The titles marked milestone moments for both programs, with Waldron winning its first Pat Paterson championship since 2008 and Hillsdale’s girls returning to the top of Pool B for the first time since 2023.
Pool B girls championship
Hillsdale outlasted Litchfield 41-35 to claim the Pool B girls title, leaning on defensive pressure and timely scoring down the stretch.
Senior Sydney Hartzler led the Hornets with 18 points in the championship game, including two 3-pointers, and was named Pool B MVP. Hartzler finished the two-day tournament with 33 points after scoring 15 in Hillsdale’s semifinal win over Will Carleton Academy.
Kherington Ladd added seven points in the final and totaled 18 points across the tournament after scoring 11 in the semifinal, earning all-tournament honors. Effie Heckel scored two points in the championship after posting nine in the semifinal, while Aubrey Peck, Olivia Broesamle and Brooke Riggs each scored four points in the semifinal round.
Hillsdale coach Corey Buller said the focus moving forward remains on steady improvement as the calendar turns.
“(Our New Year’s resolution is) to keep working hard and get better each day,” Buller said.
The title marked Hillsdale’s first Pool B championship since 2023. Despite hosting the Pool B semifinal, it was the Hornets’ first home game of the season, and Hillsdale will not play its official home opener until Jan. 8 against Onsted. The Hornets improved to 3-3 overall with the championship win.
Litchfield’s run to the title game came after an opening in the bracket allowed the program to make a rare Pat Paterson appearance. In the championship loss, Abby Bills led Litchfield with 23 points, 11 rebounds and three steals after posting 18 points, four rebounds, five blocks and six steals in the semifinal win over Camden-Frontier. Brianna Campbell scored eight points with four rebounds, four steals and two blocks against Hillsdale after adding 12 points and six rebounds in the semifinal. Flore LeNechet contributed two points and three rebounds in the final after scoring eight points with six steals in the semifinal.
Pool B boys championship
Waldron completed a dominant tournament run with a 62-32 win over Camden-Frontier in the Pool B boys championship, capping a title run that saw the Spartans defeat both tournament opponents by more than 30 points.
Senior Seth Williams led Waldron with 15 points in the championship game and was named Pool B MVP. Williams finished the tournament with 28 points after scoring 13 in the semifinal. His younger brother, Silas Williams, added 13 points in the title game.
Gabe Stiver earned all-tournament honors after scoring 14 points in the championship and finishing with 27 points across two games following a 13-point semifinal performance. Jayden Justice scored seven points in the final after leading Waldron with 16 points in the semifinal.
Waldron coach Mark Long said the championship reflected the experience and maturity of his senior-heavy roster.
“We’re an experienced group, and that’s what we lean on with Seth and Gabe,” Long said. “They’ve been through a lot of different games. There’s nothing you can do to them that they haven’t seen.”
The title marked Waldron’s first Pat Paterson championship since 2008 and capped a breakout stretch for the Spartans following a district championship run during the 2024-25 season.
Looking ahead, Long said the challenge now shifts to league play.
“We’re going to take a couple of days off and then get back to work,” Long said. “Eventually, we’re going to have to try to beat that team (pointing to Hillsdale Academy). They’re good, and we’ve got to get a lot better.”
Waldron improved to 6-1 overall and will face reigning league champion Hillsdale Academy on the road Jan. 21 in a matchup that could shape the conference race.
For Camden-Frontier, Braxton Gary led the RedHawks with 11 points in the title game after scoring 26 in the semifinal win over Pittsford. Luis Castro-Thilo scored five points in the final and 10 in the semifinal, while Matthew Draheim finished the tournament with 14 points across two games.
Camden-Frontier returns home for four of its next five games, including a rematch with Pittsford on Jan. 10.
Pool B consolation games
Pittsford bounced back in the Pool B boys consolation game with a 65-37 win over Will Carleton Academy. Jake Drawe led the Wildcats with 26 points after scoring 17 in Pittsford’s semifinal loss. Brendan Nave added 14 points in the consolation win after scoring 13 in the semifinal, while Hunter Peiffer finished with six points after a 13-point effort the night before.
Will Carleton’s David Maier led all Cougar scorers with 23 points in the consolation game.
In the Pool B girls consolation, Camden-Frontier earned its second win of the season with a 35-20 victory over Will Carleton Academy. The game saw extended stretches with Will Carleton limited in numbers on the floor. Across the two-day tournament for Will Carleton, Grace Williams totaled 19 points, while Madison Recob finished with 14.
Full Pool B all-tournament team selections will be published once they are officially released.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale, Waldron boys basketball grab Pool B titles at Pat Paterson
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
