Wrangell's Lucas Schneider drives the court in action Friday against Petersburg.
After losing two games to Petersburg in Wrangell's homecoming weekend earlier this month, the Wolves' varsity boys basketball team was ready for a rematch during the Vikings' homecoming celebration.
The result was a split, with Petersburg winning the first game, 40-32, on Friday, Jan. 26, while the Wolves came back on Saturday, Jan. 27, soundly defeating their opponents 50-39.
Wrangell's junior varsity team also took home a split, winning Friday 45-35 but losing Saturday 40-31.
"For me, it wasn't just the fact that we won," said Wolves head coach Cody Angerman of the varsity players' Saturday victory. "It's that we actually played well and did it. It wasn't like an ugly win. I was real proud of the boys."
Junior Daniel Harrison was once again the varsity team's top scorer, earning 21 points in the first game (with 8 points at the free throw line) and 17 points in the second.
Too many turnovers and Harrison being the only significant shooter on Friday night hampered the Wolves' effectiveness. Before Saturday's game, the coaches talked with the players and pushed them to take their shots when they had the chance, focus on getting rebounds and limit turnovers.
"It's a matter of getting our other players going," Angerman said. "You can't just be passing up (opportunities to shoot baskets) because who knows when the next one is going to come along?"
As a result, Wrangell had fewer turnovers Saturday and other players on the team stepped up their game, with sophomore Boomchain Loucks scoring 11 points, followed by junior Lucas Schneider with 8 and Kyan Stead with 7.
The Wolves' defense stifled Petersburg, as Wrangell built up a solid lead by the final buzzer. Angerman also felt that senior Keegan Hanson was good for the team's defense. "His hustle and energy bring a lot to us," he said. "For his size, he's a very good rebounder and has a knack for the ball."
For the JV team, freshmen Aadyn Gillen and Jackson Carney as well as sophomore Brody Knecht were among the top scorers, while Ben Houser had three treys on Saturday.
Angerman hailed Carney's contributions to the JV team. "The leadership that Jackson Carney showed was just pretty outstanding to me, especially from a young man that's a freshman," Angerman said. "I think he had 11 points the first night ... probably the reason, I think, that we kept our lead."
According to the coaching staff, the Wolves' next games have been pushed up a day, and Wrangell will host the Haines Glacier Bears on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 1-2.
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