NTL BASKETBALL: JOHNSON, BLEILER POWER SAYRE TO FIRST WIN OF SEASON (December 23, 2025)

Valley Sports Report
TIOGA JUNCTION, Pa. — Sophomore Riley Johnson and senior Carter Bleiler combined for 39 points to lead Sayre to its first victory of the season — a 51-44 win over Williamson here Tuesday night in NTL Small School boys basketball action.

"We didn’t play a good game, but we played good enough to win," said Sayre coach Paul Blythe. 

"RJ (Riley Johnson), the young kid, stepped up big again for us tonight," he noted. "It was a good 1-2 punch inside-and-out with him and Carter Bleiler.

"We have a lot to work on, but I’m proud of the energy that we played with tonight and we came home with a win," added Blythe.

The Redskins took control early as Bleiler drained a trio of 3-pointers and scored 11 points, Johnson scored four points, and junior Rommel Suba added a trey in a 20-8 blitz in the first eight minutes.

The Warriors used an 11-6 spurt to close the gap to 26-19 at the half. Sayre's only buckets in the second quarter were 3-pointers by Suba and Johnson.

Johnson scored eight points in the third quarter, and Bleiler canned two more 3-pointers in a 16-12 spurt that gave the Redskins a 42-31 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

Johnson scored seven pints in the fourth quarter, and the Redskins made 5 of 13 attempts from the free-throw line, but it was enough to nail down the win.

Johnson, who connected on 8 of 10 shots from the field, led Sayre with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Bleiler had 17 points on 5 of 6 shooting from behind the arc and four rebounds.

Suba added eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, two assists, four steals, and two blocked shots in the win, while junior Declan Barry added eight boards and four assists, sophomore Riley McGaughey hauled down five rebounds, and senior Dom Mezzatesta chipped in with three rebounds and one blocked shot.

Sayre, now 1-6, returns to action Monday in a non-league contest at Mountain View.

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IN PHOTO: Sayre's Riley Johnson. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.

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