The Wolves varsity team scored decisive victories in their final regular-season games this past weekend as the visiting team against the Craig Panthers. It makes three wins in a row for Wrangell, now at 6-6 for the season.
Craig hosted Wrangell on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24. In the first game, the varsity team won 73-52, and the Wolves scored another win the second night, 76-63.
The junior varsity team also earned double wins against Craig, winning their game on Friday 36-12, and the Saturday game 29-19.
“The lead always felt comfortable in both games,” said head coach Cody Angerman, “Overall, it was a good weekend for us and securing our placement (third seed at regionals) was a good thing for us.”
Angerman said the team knew going into both games not to underestimate their opponents. “Craig does play hard. They’re lacking in a little bit of talent, but they play hard. They’re a lot better than their record shows.”
The top scorers in the first game were juniors Kyan Stead with 20 points, Daniel Harrison at 18, senior Keegan Hanson at 11 points and Boomchain Loucks with 9. Stead and Harrison were again at the top in scoring Saturday, this time Stead had 24 points and Harrison 21, with Loucks contributing 7.
While Harrison ran into trouble with referees and fouled out on both nights, the rest of the team picked up the slack. Angerman also cited the efforts of juniors Trevyn Gillen and Lucas Schneider, as well as Hanson and Loucks. “They never get tired,” he said.
“We had pretty balanced scoring,” he added. “We had contributions pretty much from everybody. You’ve got to carve out your niche and figure out a way that you can contribute and get points.”
Junior Keaton Gadd had been out for a few games due to illness, but he quickly got back into the rhythm of playing, especially on Saturday, contributing vital scoring, rebounds and defense.
On the JV team, the head coach credited sophomores Brody Knecht and Jackson Powers for their contributions, particularly Knecht for his work ethic and leadership on the court. “Fundamentally, he’s super sound,” he said. “He works really hard.”
During Craig’s senior recognition event prior to Saturday’s games, where athletes playing their final home games are recognized and honored by the school and fans, the high school also recognized Wrangell’s seniors, including Hanson who spent much of his high school years at Craig.
The Wolves are the No. 3 seed in Southeast regionals in Sitka; their first game will be against Petersburg on Wednesday, March 6. “Preparing them for regionals is right up my alley,” Angerman said. “I know what (the Petersburg Vikings) do defensively and offensively.”
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