NIAGARA FALLS, NY. (WKBW) — This week our First Student Super 7 athlete of the week takes us to Niagara Falls High School where we introduce you to Omarion Ralands.
He's a senior on the Wolverines basketball team who went from a two-year starter to sixth man off the bench. It was a demotion on paper, but Ralands put his team first and it paid off in a major way.
"We ended up moving him to the bench for a couple reasons. We thought it'd be the best situation," said head coach Carlos Bradberry. "We didn't know how he'd react to it and to his credit he's bought in. He's been a great teammate."
"At first I didn't like it, but then it made me go harder to prove I should be a starter," Ralands told 7 Sports.
Ralands could've taken his demotion as an insult and walked away from basketball during his senior season, but he did the complete opposite and embraced his new role as the Wolverines six-man off the bench.
“A lot of guys in today’s age would’ve possibly quit. But he’s done the exact opposite," adds Bradberry. "He’s probably one of the most unselfish guys we’ve had probably for the last month of the season.”
But when Niagara Falls faced a tough push from UPrep in last Saturday’s Far West Regional they needed a spark, and Ralands' 11-points off the bench did just that.
"I felt like it was a good win because I’ve been watching our team lose to Rochester for a pretty long time," Ralands said.
So, with a chip on his shoulder he, coach Bradberry and the rest of the Wolverines will gear up for Saturday’s Class AAA state semifinal matchup against Bay Shore, with a spot in the NYSPHSAA Class AAA state championship game on the line.
