A win, a loss and a win.
The Wrangell boys basketball team had three vastly different games against three differently matched teams, ultimately winning third place at the Rally at Denali high school tournament in Talkeetna last weekend.
The Wolves took on Birchwood Christian from Chugiak, Susitna Valley from Talkeetna and Hooper Bay from Western Alaska.
Though Birchwood won the tip-off in the first game on Friday, driving the ball into home territory, the team could not score on Wrangell, who put points on the board almost immediately.
It was a strong showing for the first game of the season for Wrangell, whose previous game against alumni players back home had them struggling to keep up.
“I don’t think Birchwood … was the best competition for our boys,” said head coach Cody Angerman. “But it should be noted that (Birchwood is) a 1A school. Not to take anything away from our boys, because they did play well.” Wrangell is in the 2A division, with about 100 students more than Birchwood.
Wrangell kept Birchwood from scoring until late in the period when a Birchwood player was fouled, sinking one of two free throws. The first period ended 17-2, Wrangell.
The squad’s strong passing game was on display during the entire game, with juniors Devlyn Campbell and Jason Hay seeming to know instinctively where to find each other on the court.
Wrangell kept pressure on Birchwood throughout the rest of the match, not allowing their opponents to get many points on the board. Wrangell won 81-13.
The late afternoon game against Susitna Valley was a much different matchup for the Wolves, with the Rams making the visiting team work for every point, leading by almost 10 points for much of the first three periods.
“The second game against Susitna Valley was obviously pretty tough for us. We didn’t play well, didn’t shoot well, and didn’t protect the ball,” Angerman said. The Wolves trailed Susitna Valley 13-4 in the first, 22-14 in the second and 33-25 in the third.
By the beginning of the fourth period, the team seemed to wake up, putting their strengths into action and closing the point deficit. It wasn’t enough and Susitna Valley won, 41-36.
“Even though we lost, fighting back like we did is a good sign that we won’t just give up,” Angerman said. “I think it’s certainly a game we should have won, and sometimes those are tough to accept.”
The loss took Wrangell out of the running for first place in the tournament, but the team still had a chance for third in Saturday’s game against Hooper Bay.
Both teams were strong on defense, hardly giving the other any room to maneuver. By the end of the first half, Wrangell trailed the Warriors, 28-25.
The Wolves were able to turn around their game, eventually over taking Hooper Bay in the third period, increasing their lead by nine points, ending the period 39-30.
Hooper Bay didn’t let up in the fourth period, but Wrangell kept it’s nearly 10-point lead, eventually winning 51-46 to earn third place at the tournament.
“Even though we won, I was not happy with our performance at all,” Angerman said. “I think individually everyone had their moments of good things, but I think there were a lot of bad moments also.”
He said the team has a lot of practice ahead of them to be successful this season.
“I know we are capable of so much more and have some talent on our team,” Angerman said. “Now it’s about capitalizing on those talents.” He’d like to see his team do a better job of handling the pressure put on by opponents and not turning the ball over.
The team’s is scheduled to travel this weekend to play against Metlakatla. Angerman wants his squad to be prepared.
“We have three days to focus on getting ready for Metlakatla. It’s important for us to use our time wisely,” he said. “They are always a good team and playing in Met is always tough.”
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