Can't get any better than this: Wildcat boys finish regular season 20-0

[caption id="attachment_249" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Senior guard Clark Pelham gets some love from a teammate after Pittsford wrapped up a perfect regular season Friday."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 7, 2009

It was a wondrous night in Pittsford, the type grandparents tell their grandchildren about 40 years later, the kind that makes a small town feel like the only place in the world for a few hours.

The Wildcat boys basketball team methodically hammered Hudson 65-43 in front of an electric crowd at home, putting the finishing touches on the first undefeated regular season in Pittsford High School history —a feat that left head coach Mike Burger nearly speechless, and something so big for the community that the team was donning brand new Wildcat shirts with a huge "20-0" on the back by 9:15 p.m.

"It's an exceptional bunch of guys and to me that's what it's about — having the rare privilege of coaching a great bunch of kids who are just extra special in my heart and I probably will never see this again in reality, and I'm going to savor it that much more," Burger said.

"I think a lot of  it had to with the amazing atmosphere we had down here. I mean, it was electric, our community came out big for our kids tonight and supported us. I think we just fed off the energy of this atmosphere."

The band was playing loud and proud for four quarters, it was standing room only in the gym and the Wildcat players rose to the occasion.

Fired up by five quick points from star Garet Lee, off of two steals by the junior forward, the Wildcats jumped out to an early 14-9 lead.

Less than two minutes later, after a Clark Pelham triple followed by a fist pump and a Corey Gamble 3-pointer it was 22-11 and the rout was on. The Wildcats had already experienced a close call earlier this week, in a three-point overtime win over Battle Creek St. Phil, and they weren't about to let the Tigers hang with them.

"I just told everyone 'This is just a regular game, play it like we play any other game' and we came out intense and it shows on the scoreboard," said Pelham, a senior guard who scored 11 points in his final home game.
Pelham said to go undefeated with this group of guys is by far the best thing that has happened to him in his athletic career, but he also realized he has a special place in history for years to come.

"With about 5:00 left in the fourth I looked at the scoreboard and said to myself, they can't come back, we just did it, we did it, 20-0," he said. "We just tied the school record for wins (in a season), we just made history — we are history."

Lee dominated all phases of the game, per usual, with 19 points, nine rebounds, seven steals and three assists, but it was junior guard Seth Weber who signified the progress the team has made over the course of one year.

As a sophomore he admits he was at times unsure, and hardly ever looked for his shot. On Friday he wanted to take the big shots, and almost every chance he had he delivered in the clutch. He was a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and finished with a game-high 21 points to go with four assists.

"He's the leader of this team period. Everything run through Seth, he and I have a lot of important conversations and he's really grown up," Burger said. "He worked, he lifted, you can see it in his game. Sure he gets rattled and has a turnover here or there, but good players will make turnovers trying to make plays....but tonight it seemed like every time Hudson started to make a run Seth made a big basket at just the right time."

Weber credited Burger for teaching him how to settle down and just make plays, while realizing mistakes happen and you just have to play through them. And as for Friday's performance, he said it was the fruits of his labor. as well as a certain optical enhancement.

"At the beginning of the season I wasn't shooting very well and then I started working on my shot, getting more gym time and I just shot all the time, even in sixth hour at school in Advanced P.E. And I got contacts last week and the rim is humungous now," he said.

What also is humongous right now is Pittsford's confidence, after completing a regular season journey that began December 9 unblemished.

Sure they have Class C district play in Hudson starting next Wednesday and Burger said he'll probably start turning his attention to that rather soon, but even he was all about basking in the moment.

"It's just an amazing feeling, I couldn't be more proud of those guys. I mean they work so hard to get where we're at, we put them through heck everyday in practice and they just work so hard and they deserve it," he said. "We play three sports down here and we just expect our kids to play sports at Pittsford, and they do and they learn to depend on each other and it develops this camaraderie...and there's nothing better than winning with your good buddies. It's just an amazing thing, I can hardly express it at this point."

Garrett Schoonover led Hudson with 10 points and Luke Milligan pitched in with eight including a pair of 3-pointers.

The Tigers drew no closer than 16 in the second half.