Boys open season with varsity losses to Petersburg; JV splits 2 games

The Wolves had a rough start to the boys basketball season as they faced the Petersburg Vikings in the high school gym on homecoming weekend. While the junior varsity team split two close games, the varsity squad was soundly defeated both nights.

Both teams lost on the season-opening night Friday, Jan. 5, starting with the JV Wolves who played a tight contest only to fall short by two points against Petersburg, 32-30. The varsity players had a tougher time, as the Vikings won 41-32.

Head coach Cody Angerman said he saw a silver lining in how the varsity boys began to gel at times in their first game. "We did have some moments there, especially in the first night, where I think we definitely had a chance to win," he said.

On Saturday, Jan. 6, the JV team played another close game, earning a hard-fought victory, 32-31. Angerman said they were more successful in using the same tactics than the varsity team, putting pressure on their opponents and capitalizing on turnovers. "Those were big points in the game," he said.

The head coach also assessed that this year's JV players have skill and experience more comparable to the varsity team than in past years. "It makes it a lot easier to work with at practice," he said of the groups practicing together. "That means the kids are all doing the same drills, you know, running through the same plays and can replace each other in positions."

Later Saturday night, the varsity team suffered another loss as Petersburg won by an even greater margin, 57-42.

"They outplayed us," Angerman said. "Sometimes, a team is just better."

Angerman said his players have the potential to be just as good, if not better than Petersburg in a rematch. "It's just a matter of getting all of our guys together."

He also felt that one reason behind the losses was simply a lack of playing time. "Part of it is just we haven't had any games yet, whereas Petersburg has already played at least a few," he said. "It's a big deal to play games and to have that under your belt. ... It definitely helps with your flow a little bit, so I think for us is just a matter of figuring out what it is we need to improve on and bounce right back."

The Wolves will next play at Metlakatla Jan. 19-20.