Lucas Schneider (15) drives for a layup in action against the Petersburg Vikings on Friday, Jan. 10. The Wrangell Wolves won both weekend games in Petersburg.
The Viking is no match for the Wolf, at least by the logic of Southeast high school boys basketball.
The Wrangell High School boys basketball team triumphed over Petersburg in both their matches last weekend. On Friday, Jan. 10, the Wolves won 57-36, following up with a 45-35 win on Saturday, Jan. 11.
The games put Wrangell in the winning column for the first time this season after a tough four-game skid against Metlakatla to open the season. The Wolves currently sit third in Southeast.
Though the Wolves left Petersburg with two wins in hand, head coach Cody Angerman expected a better performance from his team.
"A win is a win," he said. "But we did not put together a very good showing in my opinion. ... There were a couple things I think we did better, but we didn't execute very well."
Offensively, Angerman wants his team to refine some of their set plays.
"Guys are having a hard time remembering plays or executing plays," he said. "And that really hurt us offensively."
On the opposite end of the court, Wrangell's large, physical lineups - featuring players like Kyan Stead and Daniel Harrison - give them an inherent advantage defending the rim, but Angerman believes that a defense is only as strong as its weakest link.
"If you have one person who doesn't do their job, it hurts everybody," he said. "That's why we had guys in foul trouble - you don't do the work, and somebody beats you, and somebody else has to step up."
Though the wins were not without wrinkles, the head coach was especially impressed with one player in particular: Keaton Gadd. The senior has turned into a bit of an exemplary player for Angerman.
"He was kind of the savior for us," the coach said.
In Saturday's game, Gadd's two big fourth-quarter buckets buoyed Wrangell's win, but Angerman said Gadd's impact isn't just limited to game days.
"We've been using him as an example to the other guys: 'Hey, Keaton is going out there and doing his job. If anybody wants to know how to play that position in this press, watch him.'"
You won't have to wait much longer to catch the next stint of Wolves hoops. After a recent scheduling change, the boys team will now play home games on Thursday, Jan. 16, against Haines at 6 p.m. The Friday game will tip off at 7:30 p.m.
"I don't think we can play how we played in Petersburg and come out with wins," Angerman said.
Sentinel reporter Sam Pausman will provide live coverage for both games on the Wrangell Community Group Facebook page.
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