Saranac Lake's Zack McCarthy races in on the breakaway and scores as part of a ten-point night. It would be the fourth game of the 2026 Section VII Champions Challenge, featuring the Peru Nighthawks and the #18 Saranac Lake Red Storm as they go after the section big-school title. The Red Storm would come out surging, leading 16-2 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, it would not be much better for the Nighthawk,s as the Red Storm has a 16-6 quarter and takes a 32-8 lead at intermission. When the teams returned for the third quarter, the Nighthawks would find their shot, but the Red Storm were still firing, and they would win the quarter 16-1, taking the 48-22 lead into the fourth. The teams would enter the fourth with the outcome pretty much known, but there would be no let-up in the Red Storm as they would have a 19-10 quarter and secure the 67-32 victory. In the winning effort, Red Storm, Cedar would lead the way with 23 points, as they would go to 20-4 on the season. As for the Nighthawks, Layden Delaronde would lead the way with 10 points, as they would fall to 13-7 on the season, with both teams focusing on the New York State Tournament. Gallery

Peru's Deacon Whitmarsh (3) rises above the rest for the score as part of a seven-point night. Gallery

Northern Adirondack's Emmett LaClair (32) races and rejects the lay in attempt from Bolton's Jacob French (1). It would be the boys' edition of the 2026 Section VII Champions Challenge, and it would start with the Small Schools championship between the #2 Bolton Eagles and the Northern Adirondack Bobcats. The upset-minded Bobcats would come out charging with a 15-8 quarter to jump out on the Eagles. In the second quarter,, the Eagles would taketheir run-and-gunn offense and have a 17-14 quarte,r, but the Bobcats would still have the 29-25 lead at the intermission When the teams return for the third quarter, the Eagles would still be out running the Bobcats with a 17-12 quarter as the Eagles take the 37-34 lead. In the 4th quarter, both teams ran up and down the court, with the Bobcats leading 9-17, but the Eagles won 9-55. In the winning effort for the Bolton Eagles, Sam Foy would have 22 points as they stay undefeated at 22-0. As for the Northern Adirondack Bobcats, Shane Gilmore would drop 23 on the night as they fall to 13-7 as they both get ready Gallery

Bolton's William Hens (11) with the mid-range pull-up jumper for two of his seven points on the night.Gallery

Bolton's William Hen's (11) with the save as the ball is going out of bounds to keep the play alive. It would be the last boys' championship to be settled on the weekend as the #1 Bolton Eagles would meet up with the #2 Wells Wildcats for the Section VII Class D Finals from the Clinton Community College Florence Gym. The Eagles would fly out of the locker room to start the game, with a 17-9 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the tables would turn. The Wildcat offense would get hot and have a 21-10 quarter and take the 30-27 lead at the intermissio Once again though the Eagles would come out of thelocker roomm hot with a 19-11 quarter and take the 46-41 lead into the fourt In the fourth quarter, the Eagles would put the Wildcats to rest with a 12-8 quarter and secure the 60-49 victory and punch their ticket to the New York State Class D Tournament with a 21-point effort from Jaxon Egloff as for the Wells Wildcats there season will come to end as Chase Brooks would have 24 points. Gallery

Wells' Chase Brooks (2) runs down Bolton's Jacob French (1) from behind and gets the block. Gallery

Saranac's Henry Napier (14) slices through the defense and lays it off the window for the score. It would be the last game of the opening day of the Section VII Championship weekend as the #1 Saranac Spartans would meet up with the #2 Saranac Lake Red Storm for the Boys' Basketball Class C Championship. It would be a tight, high-scoringgame to get it started as the Red Storm would have ta19-17 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the game would stay close, but the Red Storm would extend their lead by 1 with a 13-12 quarter and take the 32-29 lead at intermission. When the teams returned for the second quarte,r the Spartans would bringtheire offense with a 22-13 quarter and take the 51-45 lead into the fourth quarter/ Although in the fourth quarte,r the Red Storm would battle back witha 23-17 quarter and force overtime as they would be tied at 68 In the overtime the Red Storm would take control with a 10-5 quarter and secure the 78-73 victory, In the winning effort for the Red Storm Alius Martele would lead the way as they earn there spot in the New York State Class B Tournament as for the Saranac Spartans Carson Duffield would lead the way with 27 points as there season would come to end. Gallery

Saranac Lake's Mik Denkenberger (5) goes in off balance and throws it off the window for the score as they win the title. < href="https://kcphotovideo.zenfolio.com/p856662902">Gallery

Northern Adirondack's Kameron Chinchilla (3) lays it off the window for the score as the Bobcats get the 60-41 victory. It would be the second game of championship weekend at the Clinton Community College Florence Gym, as the #1 Moriah Vikings would be going for their seventh straight championship against the Northern Adirondack Bobcats, who were going for their first title since 2015. It would be a defensive battle to start the game, as the Bobcats would have a low-scoring lead at 6-4 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, both teams' offenses came alive, with Moriah winning the quarter 16-14 and the game tied at 20. When the teams returned for the second haf,th e Bobcats would com e out running, scoring 22-8 in the quarter and taking a 42-28 lead into the fourth quarter In the fourth quarter, the Vikings would do their best to get back in the game, but the deficit would be too much as it would be a 14-13 Bobcats quarter as they secure the 60-41 victory In the winning effort, the Bobcats' Emmett Leclair would lead the way with 32 points as they advance to the New York State Class C Tournamen As for the Viking, theire titlereignn comes toa d at 6 years in a row as Joey Kazio would have 12 points. Gallery

Moriah's Austin Mandy (1) drives down the lane and gets the floater off before the contact from Northern Adirondack's Kameron Chinchilla (3) for the score. Gallery