Wolverines lose clash with Titans

Your Wakeland Wolverines were defeated by the Centennial Titans this past Friday night by a score of 60 to 45 in a must win game for both teams to keep their play-off hopes alive. Wakeland's slow start in the first half offensively hindered their ability to overcome a ten point deficit in the second half. Even though the Wolverines shot over 50% for the game, they just didn't get enough opportunities against Centennial's tricky zone. In addition, the Titans hit some crucial shots that broke the back of the Wolverines when they tried to mount a comeback. Head Freshmen Coach Joe Lewis, commented to Star Magazine, "when you don't match the intensity of the opposing team on their own home floor, it's going to be hard to win!" Anthony Grayson led the Wolverines with 10 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Sean Watkins added 9 points and 3 assists. Michael Sullivan scored 10 while Jimmy Wilkins pulled down 6 rebounds. This is the fifth district game in a row that the Wolverines have lost, which brings their overall record to 9-14, along with a 2-7 record in district play. The Wolverines will be back in action this Tuesday night at home against the Cougars of The Colony, so come and support your orange and blue as they look to get back to their winning ways. The Varsity tips-off at 8pm. Go Wakeland!

Photos by Ms. Hernandez

Missed FT's cost Wolverines against Eagles

Your Wakeland Wolverines lost a hard fought battle this past Tuesday night to the Prosper Eagles by a score of 52 to 41. Wakeland went 6-22 from the free throw line for a staggering 27%. From beyond the arc, it wasn't much better because the Wolverines went 1-11 for 9%. However, the Wolverines stingy defense kept them in it all night long, and they found themselves down by two points with two minutes to play. Wakeland tried to keep up with the Eagles, but their offensive struggles proved too much in the end.   Varsity Assistant Coach Marty Tidwell stated to the National Basketball Magazine of Texas, "we're very proud of the way our guys battled, but when you miss 16 free throws during a game..., that's going to be hard to overcome on the road in this district!"  Sean Watkins had an impressive stat line with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Noah Harmon scored 6 points, and grabbed 11 boards. Jimmy Wilkins and Anthony Grayson both added 8 points. The Wolverines have dropped their last four district games, which puts their district record at 2-6 and 9-13 on the year. They will look to get back in the win column against the Titans of Centennial on Friday night at Centennial High School, so come out and support your Wolverines. Tip off is at 8pm!

Photos by Ms. Hernandez

Wolverines can't keep up with Coyotes

Your Wakeland Wolverines lost another hard fought battle this past Friday night to the Heritage Coyotes by a score of 61 to 48. The game was back and forth all night until the 2:30 mark in the fourth quarter, when the Coyotes were able to hit free throw after free throw to seal the deal for their seventh win in a row during district play. Head Coach Brent Benningfield commented to Outdoor Weekly, "its tough when you climb that mountain, get to the summit, and when it doesn't go your way..., its a tough pill to swallow!" Sean Watkins almost tied his record for assists in a game with 10. Anthony Grayson hit the only "3's" for the Wolverines, with three, which brought his point total to 14. Jimmy Wilkins scored 9 and grabbed 7 rebounds. The loss brings Wakeland's overall record to 9-12, and 2-5 in district play. The Wolverines will be back in action this Tuesday at the eagles' nest in Prosper. The Wolverines will start the second round of district play, and will need to win 6 of 7 remaining games to keep their play-off hopes alive. Tip-off is at 8pm, so get there early to support your orange and blue!

Photos by Ms. Hernandez

Raccoons pester Wolverines in OT thriller

Your Wakeland Wolverines lost another close district game this past Tuesday night in overtime to the Frisco Raccoons by a score of 60 to 58. The Raccoons jumped out on the Wolverines in the first quarter of play, 15-7, but the Wolverines rallied together to cut the deficit to just four points leading into the locker room at half. However, the Wolverines revved up their engines in the third quarter and found themselves up by two with only one quarter to play. Wakeland stepped up the defensive pressure in the fourth and caused some untimely turnovers for the Raccoons, but their inability to finish at the rim with light contact came back to haunt them. Frisco hit a three with :20 seconds to go in regulation to go up by two, however under the leadership of Sean Watkins, he calmly hit a jumper from the left elbow to send the game into OT. Once again, it was back and forth in the extra period, which Frisco found themselves up by three possessions with just a little over a minute to play. Wakeland was able to make Frisco turn the ball over once again, and found themselves down by just two with a little over :10 seconds to play. The Wolverines went for it all and set up Raccoon killer, Sean Watkins off a series of screens for the buzzer beater from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, this year, the ball rimmed in and out, which ended in a loss for Wakeland. Varsity Assistant Coach Marty Tidwell commented to the Frisco Insider, "obviously we are bummed about the loss, but our kids stuck with the game plan and played their hearts out, we are extremely proud of them!" Sean Watkins led the Wolverines in scoring with 17 points, 4 steals, and 3 assists. Anthony Grayson added 15 points and 3 assists while Jimmy Wilkins scored 9. Sean Antonelli and Noah Harmon controlled the glass with 5 boards a piece. The loss takes Wakeland's overall record to 9-11, while managing a 2-4 start in district play. The Wolverines have a must win game against district favorite, Heritage on Friday night to finish the first round of district play. It will be Middle School Night during the varsity girls and boys games, so you might want to get there early because it will be standing room only. Go orange and blue!

Photos by Ms. Hernandez

Wolverines nested by Redhawks

Your Wakeland Wolverines were defeated by the Liberty Redhawks this past Friday night by a score of 59 to 49. This is only the second time Liberty has defeated Wakeland in a span of eight years. Liberty has won the last two meetings between the schools and is now 2-16 against the Wolverines. Unfortunately for Wakeland, it came at a bad time because the Wolverines needed a victory to stay in the top tier of the district standings. However, the inability to stop Liberty's reign of terror from beyond the arc and a lack of finishing at the rim and free-throw line proved costly for the Wolverines. Head JV Coach Blake Reedy mentioned, "we knew we were going to miss the inside presence of Noah Westerfield, and it showed in the paint tonight!" Sean Watkins led the Wolverines with 15 points and 4 assists while Jimmy Wilkins added 9 points and 6 rebounds. Matt Hendrix came off the bench to score 10. This brings Wakeland's overall record to 9-10 with a 2-3 start in district play. The Wolverines will be back in action against tollway rival, Frisco on Tuesday. Frisco has a renovated gym, which allows for more fans, so come out and support your orange and blue. Go Wakeland!

Photos by Ms. Hernandez

Little Elm withers against Wakeland

Your Wakeland Wolverines got their second win in district play this past Tuesday night by a score of 82-44 against the Lobos of Little Elm. This was the first time the of the season that the Wolverines put over 80 points on the scoreboard. Wakeland out ran the Lobos from the start by outscoring their opponents by 22 points in the first half. The second half wasn't much different as the Wolverines extended their lead to 40 points by the final buzzer. Freshmen Head Coach Joe Lewis stated to InTouch, "I haven't seen a Lobo clawed like that since the last scene of The Gray!" Matt Hendrix came off the bench to hit "3" threes, which helped him to an 12 point night, which is a career for Hendraix at the varsity level. Sean Watkins led all scorers with 14 points, while dishing out 7 dimes. Anthony Grayson added 11 points while Michael Sullivan came up with 4 steals. The win brings Wakeland's overall record to 9-9, with a 2-2 record in district. The Wolverines will face their cross-town rival, Liberty in their own nest on Friday night, so come out and support your orange and blue!

Photos by Ms. Hernandez

Wolverines get colonized by Cougars

Your Wakeland Wolverines dropped their second district game this past Friday night to The Colony by a score of 60-52. It was a crucial game that the Wolverines needed to win to set themselves up in the top tier of the district standings, however, a lack of defensive intensity and poor shooting plagued Wakeland through all four quarters. The Cougars jumped out to an 18-2 lead in the first few minutes of play due to superb shooting beyond the arc. The Colony went 6-8 for 3pt. land in the first quarter alone, while the Wolverines shot a staggering 5-21 on the entire night. Despite numerous efforts to get things going in the second half, Wakeland just ran out of time during a last minute surge. Freshmen Coach Joe Lewis stated, "tonights poor shooting performance reminded me of a time when I went 0-17 one night in an Intramural game at The Dakotas State University!" Noah Westerfield led the Wolverines with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Sean Watkins added 12 points and 4 assists while Jimmy Wilkins grabbed 7 boards. Anthony Grayson hit 2 "3's" for 9 points. This brings Wakeland's overall record to 8-9 with a 1-2 start in District 9-4A play. The Wolverines will be back in action on Tuesday night in a match-up with Little Elm on Wakeland's own home floor. JV starts at 5, 9th at 6:30, and Varsity will tip-off at 8pm. Hope to see you there. Go orange and blue!

Photos by Ms. Hernandez