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