Wolverines take HSAA to school

Your Wakeland Wolverines got back to .500 this past Monday during a matinee game with the Blue Angels of the Home School Athletic Association. Wakeland defeated HSAA by a score of 70-52. The Wolverines jumped out on the Blue Angels 13-7 by the end of the first quarter, and extended that lead to as much as 9 points, but a half court buzzer beater cut Wakeland's lead to just six by half. Both teams stale mated in the third with the Wolverines still leading by six leading into the final quarter of play. However, the Wolverines exploded in the fourth quarter by scoring 27 points and pushing their lead to 18 points by the final buzzer. Noah Westerfield led the Wolverines with 12 points while Anthony Grayson added 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. Jimmy Wilkins and Sean Antonelli both cleaned the glass with 7 boards a piece. Sean Watkins added 6 assists. Head Coach Brent Benningfield mentioned in a post-game press conference, "It was good to see our guys get a win over a quality opponent even though we were a little rusty, we've just had a few practices since the start of the winter break!" The win brings Wakeland's record to 8-8 as they will look to continue their winning streak on the road against The Colony on Friday night as they resume district play. The JV plays at 5pm, the 9th at 6:30, and the Varsity at 8pm. Go orange and blue!

Photos by Ms. Hernandez

Wolverines win clash with Titans

Your Wakeland Wolverines got their first District win this past Friday night over the Titans of Centennial by a score of 45-34. The Wolverines showed no mercy as they jumped out to 19-11 lead by the end of the first quarter due to Sean Watkins hot hand beyond the arc. However, the scoring balanced out in the second quarter with the Wolverines only scoring 5 points and the Titans were able to pull within 6 points by half. Wakeland's defensive pressure took over in the third quarter, which helped the Wolverines pull away with easy transition lay-ups. Wakeland caused Centennial to turnover the ball over 7 times in the third quarter alone. Head JV Coach Blake Reedy commented after the game, "its a huge win for us going into the winter break..., looks like Santa brought us an early Christmas gift!" Sean Watkins led the Wolverines with 18 points, with 12 of those coming from 3pt. land. Watkins also had 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Jimmy Wilkins added 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Noah Westerfield was active with 7 boards, 2 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. The wins puts Wakeland's overall record at 7-8 with a 1-1 start in district play. The Wolverines will be off the next few days for the Holiday break and then will be back in action on Monday, Dec. 30th at home against the Blues of the Home School Athletic Association. The JV will tip-off at 12:30pm, followed by the Varsity at 2pm. Go orange and blue!

Eagles nip Wolverines in district opener

It was a game that was highly touted as the best match-up of all the games in District 9-4A openers, and the Wolverines and Eagles did not disappoint the record breaking crowd. The student section for Wakeland was rocking and rolling all night and definitely gave the Wolverines a home court advantage. The game was back and forth all night, and neither team led by more than 4 points at any point of the game. The Eagles took a 22-20 lead and halftime and it remained just as close into the final seconds. The Wolverines found themselves down by three with just 11 seconds to play in the game and executed a 3pt play to guard Anthony Grayson to perfection. However, the shot rimmed in and out, and despite a tip in by fellow teammate Jimmy Wilkins, the Wolverines fell short by just one point as the final buzzer sounded, 42-41. Head Coach Brent Benningfield stated to the Frisco Courier in a post-game press conference, we definitely played well enough to win tonight, we just didn't hit the big shot we needed to down the stretch." Once again, the Wolverines struggled from beyond the arc by just shooting 21% for the game and a mere 40% from the free-throw line. Noah Westerfield led the Wolverines with 13 points while Jimmy Wilkins added 12. The loss puts Wakeland's overall record at 6-8 on the season with an 0-1 start in district play. The Wolverines will look to even their district record on Friday night as they face-off against the Titans of Centennial. The Varsity will tip-off at 8pm, and look to to get a win before the Winter Break. Go orange and blue!

Photos by Hernandez

Forney ISD Winter Classic

Game #1
Thursday, Dec. 12th at 1:30pm (North Forney HS)
Wakeland 45, Rockwall 70

Your Wakeland Wolverines dropped another game in as many days and fell below .500 for the first time this season. Another poor offensive performance from the Wolverines led to a first round loss against the Rockwall Yellowjackets in the Forney ISD Winter Classic. Wakeland went 19-64 from the floor, which is the second time this season they've shot under 30% for the game. In addition, the big story of the day, was the Wolverines going 3-26 from beyond the arc while their counterparts hit 10 "3's" during the contest. The Wolverines fell behind quickly because of a four point first quarter while the Yellowjackets couldn't miss. Noah Westerfield led the Wolverines in a losing effort with 14 points and 5 rebounds. Wakeland will face a very tough Wylie East team on Friday at noon at North Forney High School. The Wolverines will have to find their offensive fire power if they want to advance in the consolation bracket. Go orange and blue!

Game #2
Friday, Dec. 13th at 12pm (North Forney HS)
Wakeland 51, Wylie East 53

Your Wakeland Wolverines dropped their third game in a row in as many days to the Raiders of Wylie East. East raided the Wolverines pocket on many occasions, which led to easy transition buckets for the Raiders. A lack of focus and intensity were major contributors to the Wakeland loss, which gave Wylie East their first win on the season. Once again, the Wolverines struggled offensively by committing 20 turnovers, and going just 21-68 from the field. Anthony Grayson led the Wolverines in scoring with 13 points while Sean Watkins added 12 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals. The loss brings Wakeland's overall record to 5-7 on the year. The Wolverines will be back in action on Saturday morning at Forney High School to take on the Jackrabbits on their own home floor for the last game of the tournament.

Game #3
Saturday, Dec. 14th at 10am (Forney HS)
Wakeland 76, Forney 33

Your Wakeland Wolverines got back to their winning ways by defeating the Forney Jackrabbits in the last game of the Forney Winter Classic this past Saturday morning at Forney High School. The Wolverines started off hot from the field by scoring 26 points in the 1st quarter, while only allowing 4 points on the defensive end. The rout continued in the second quarter, when Wakeland poured on another 20 points, which gave them a 30 point half-time lead. The Wolverines cleared the bench multiple times to ensure a team victory after a rough 3-game stretch. Jimmy Wilkins led all scores with 17 points, while Sean Watkins and Javante McCoy both added 10 points. Isaac Burt and Michael Sullivan had 8 points a piece. The win puts Wakeland's overall record at 6-7 as they look to get back to .500 with a win over Hwy 380-rival, Prosper at home on Tuesday night. This will be the first district game of the season, so come out and be loud. JV starts at 5pm, 9th at 6:30pm, and the Varsity will tip-off at 8pm. Hope to see you there. Go Wakeland!

Wolverines go "ice cold" at Denton Guyer

Your Wakeland Wolverines dropped their fifth game of the season by losing to the Wildcats of Denton Guyer on Wednesday night by a score of 62-42. It was either the cold weather outside or the week lay-off, but whatever it was, it kept the Wolverines from scoring anywhere on the court. Wakeland found themselves down to the #2 state ranked Wildcats 22-8 at the end of the first quarter. Guyer was "red hot" beyond the arc by hitting 7 of their 10 three pointers in the opening minutes of play. Your Wolverines fought hard all the way to the end, but going 41% from the free-throw line, 17% from beyond the arc, and just 29% for the game just didn't get the job done. Freshmen Head Coach Joe Lewis mentioned, "this is a game of numbers, I firmly believe that these shooting woes WILL NOT continue!" Your Wolverines were led by Jimmy Wilkins, who tallied his third double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Justice Williams came off the bench to score 9 points and Sean Watkins had 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 4 steals. This brings Wakeland's overall record back to .500 at 5-5, as they travel to the Forney tournament on Thursday at 1:30pm to take on the high-octane Yellowjackets of Rockwall High. Hope to see you there. Go orange and blue!

Wolverines slay Dragons for second year in a row

Your Wakeland Wolverines got back to their winning ways this past Tuesday night by defeating the Dragons of Southlake by a score of 59 to 43. Wakeland and Carroll struggled offensively the first quarter, which was evident by the score, 10-6. However, the Wolverines found their groove and extended their lead to 5 by the end of the first half. In the third, the Dragons reigned threes, which helped them tie the game at 33 before going into the last quarter of play. During the fourth quarter, the Wolverines dominated the paint, which increased their lead to double digits and they never looked back. Head Coach Brent Benningfield commented to the Carroll Tribune-Herald, "it was fun to beat Coach Tidwell's alma matter for a second time!" Noah Westerfield led the Wolverines with 10 points and 10 rebounds, which is third double-double on the season. Justice Williams came off the bench to put in a game-high, 14 points. Sean Watkins added 4 steals and Jordan Harris dished out 4 assists. This brings Wakeland's overall record to 5-4. The Wolverines will be hibernating this weekend in preparation for the winter storm, and will be back in action on the road against #2 ranked Denton Guyer on Tuesday, Dec. 10th. Go orange and blue!

Photos by Ms. Hernandez