Salamanca’s Lucus Brown embraces teammate Andy Herrick (30) after the Warriors defeated Holland in the Section VI Class C championship basketball game Friday night at Jamestown Community College’s Physical Education Complex. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

The red school bus sat in the parking lot on the backside of the Physical Education Complex on the campus of Jamestown Community College on Friday night, its engine running, ready for its return trip east on Route 86 to Salamanca High School.

And, no, Lucus Brown wasn’t behind the wheel.

But he sure as heck was the driving force that led the No. 4 Warriors to a convincing 70-51 victory over No. 2 Holland in the Section VI Class C championship game before a standing-room-only crowd.

The 6-foot-1 sophomore poured in 32 points, including seven 3-pointers, while teammates Andy Herrick and Cole Hedlund added 14 apiece to send Salamanca (16-7) into the Far West Regional at 1:45 p.m. next Saturday at the Buffalo State Sports Arena against a team from Section V.

“(Brown) was born to do this,” Warriors coach Adam Bennett said. ” … I told him before the game that he didn’t have to be nervous or anxious on a stage like this because he’s earned it through the hard work and effort he’s put in his whole life. He trusted that tonight. The kid is a big-time player, he really is.”

Salamanca’s Andy Herrick drives to the basket for a layup during the first half of Friday’s Section VI Class C championship game against Holland. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

The historical ramifications of the victory were even bigger, considering the last time the Warriors won a boys sectional basketball title was in … 1968.

The best player on that team?

Chuck Crist.

The former Penn State University hoops player and NFL defensive back would have been proud of the effort of his alma mater last night.

Salamanca led 18-9 after the first quarter and 37-20 at halftime, punctuated by Brown’s 3-pointer at the buzzer. Armed with that sizeable lead — it ballooned to as many as 25 points after the break — the Warriors breezed to the win in their first visit to the sectional title game since 2001.

“This championship is the kids,” Bennett said. “I’m just so proud to be their coach. I’m so happy for them that they made history. … For us to do this, especially this group of kids. … I love each and every one of them. They’re so much fun to work with. For us to extend our season and play with one another for however long we get to do it, I’m happy.”

Furthermore, Salamanca appears to be playing its best basketball at just the right time after spending most of the last month trying to get through their Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Conference Division 1 West schedule without the services of Brown, who sat out a handful of games.

“That was the best thing that happened to us,” Bennett said. “I told the guys when it happened that to get to the mountaintop and reach the final destination you have to go through stuff, and they never complained and everybody got after it.”

With Brown back in the lineup — in tandem with a more experienced crew around him — the Warriors have knocked off No. 5 Portville in the quarterfinals, top-seed Randolph in the semifinals and now No. 2 Holland.

“There is not a group of kids in the world that deserve it more than these guys,” Bennett said. “Their effort, intensity and the passion they practice and play with all year long, I couldn’t be more proud of them. They deserve this moment.

“We have such a passionate community and such a rich history in Salamanca. To be able to be the first team to do this in so long is a credit to them and their hard work.”

NOTES: Leading the way for the Dutchmen (17-5), who had beaten Silver Creek in the semifinals, was Jake Galley, who poured in 27 points, but nobody else reached double figures.

SALAMANCA (70)

Isaac 0 2 2, Ross 0 0 0, HayHoag 0 0 0, Hedlund 6 2 14, Brown 12 1 32, HarHoag 2 0 4, AHerrick 7 0 14, Carlson 0 0 0, McLarney 1 1 4, Totals 28 6 70.

HOLLAND (51)

Domanowski-Elias 0 0 0, Anderson 2 0 5, Galley 9 8 27, Bengert 0 1 1, Clothier 1 1 4, Howlett 3 0 8, Wiskup 3 0 6, Totals 18 10 51.

3-point goals — Brown 7, McLarney, Anderson, Galley 2, Howlett 2.

Salamanca 18 19 17 16 — 70

Holland 9 11 16 19 — 51