Wawasee Warriors Win Season Opener
November 23, 2016 at 8:46 a.m.
Wawasee Warriors Win Season Opener
By Mark [email protected]
Instead, the Warriors stayed the new course they set for themselves over the summer.
Wawasee was, if nothing else, consistent in its 48-39 season-opening win over visiting Fairfield Tuesday night in the Hardwood Tepee.
The Warriors trailed 7-2 and senior leader Tyler Smith picked up his second foul barely three minutes in to the game. New Warrior head coach Jon Everingham rolled the dice early, leaving Smith in the game. Shortly thereafter, junior center Trevon Coleman picked up his second foul, and Everingham pulled him.
Wawasee opted to go to a ball-control offense, holding the ball for large chunks of time and enabling the Warriors to hold the Falcons without a point in the second period.
“There were other players who had two fouls, and I had to get them out of the game. Tyler is a guy you have to trust,” Everingham said. “Some of the ball control stuff in the first half was because we had three guys with two fouls. We were trying to limp to halftime, and get there without anybody picking up their third foul. Some of it was trying to get Fairfield to come out and get us, and they never really did until late in the game.
“I’ve spent more time talking to this team than any team I’ve been a head coach for. We want to be constant and consistent in the way that we play, whether we’re down 7-2 or up 7-2, we’re going to play the same way throughout.”
During the second quarter, Wawasee went from trailing by one to leading by four midway through the period when Fairfield called timeout. By halftime, the lead was seven, and midway through the third period the lead expanded to 13.
“So often last year they were never in the ball game, We went from a four-point lead to seven, then a 13-point lead,” Everingham said. “And believe it or not, we talked about doing that just yesterday, and the day before. So they had in their minds once we got up four to extend the lead. We just need the confidence to go out and do it.”
Wawasee got balanced scoring, with junior Jairus Boyer hitting all five of his shots from the field for a team-high 13 points, and Coleman finished with 12. Cayden Wagoner hit a buzzer-beating trey before halftime and finished with nine points. Smith finished with seven and Jacob Hand had five points.
Everingham couldn’t say enough about the transformation Wawasee has made in a relatively short time, and the importance of getting off to a good start this season.
“It’s a big deal because we had a game plan of what we wanted to try to do, and then the boys go out and execute the game plan,” he said. “There was such a narrow road to bring the guys and me together, and with what they went through last year with so many losses, and for a new coach to come in, and for it all to come together. This is a big win for us, I’m not gonna lie. It sets us up with some confidence moving in to the rest of our year.
“It was a complete team effort, and that’s what we’re going to have to do to be successful.”
Fairfield’s Luke Stephens finished with a game-high 18 points.
Wawasee will travel to Angola for the Hornets’ season opener on Saturday.
WAWASEE 48, FAIRFIELD 39
F 10 0 15 14 – 39
W 9 8 17 14 – 48
Fairfield – Brady Willard 0-4 0-1 0, Luke Stephens 7-17 4-6 18, Tyshawn Knight 1-2 0-0 2, Jake Oberlin 3-5 0-0 7, Skylar Mast 0-2 0-5 0, Ryan Geer 0-1 2-2 2, Shandon Miller 4-6 2-3 10, Zach Munn 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-35 8-14 39.
Wawasee – Cayden Wegener 2-3 4-4 9, Tyler Smith 2-5 3-4 7, Jairus Boyer 5-5 1-1 13, Jacob Hand 2-2 1-3 5, Bennett Hoffert 0-1 0-0 0, Trevon Coleman 6-11 0-0 12, Tim Conley 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 18-28 9-12 48.
Three-pointers – Fairfield 1 (Oberlin), Wawasee 3 (Boyer 2, Wegener); Rebounds – Fairfield 14 (Miller 4), Wawasee 18 (Smith 5); Turnovers – Fairfield 10, Wawasee 10; Fouls – Fairfield 18, Wawasee 19; Fouled out – Miller, Knight; Records: Fairfield 0-1, Wawasee 1-0.
JV – Wawasee 41, Fairfield 34
Fairfield – Ryan Geer 14, Bentley Miller 5, Colten Cripe 5, Caleb Goeglein 4, Carter Gingrich 2, Skylar Mast 2, Joel Mast 2.
Wawasee – Ryan Edington 20, Bennett Hoffert 8, Zak Linnemeier 5, Aaron Evans 3, Josh Slabaugh 2, Dalton Pearish 2, Damen Conley 1.
Records: Fairfield 0-1, Wawasee 1-0.
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Instead, the Warriors stayed the new course they set for themselves over the summer.
Wawasee was, if nothing else, consistent in its 48-39 season-opening win over visiting Fairfield Tuesday night in the Hardwood Tepee.
The Warriors trailed 7-2 and senior leader Tyler Smith picked up his second foul barely three minutes in to the game. New Warrior head coach Jon Everingham rolled the dice early, leaving Smith in the game. Shortly thereafter, junior center Trevon Coleman picked up his second foul, and Everingham pulled him.
Wawasee opted to go to a ball-control offense, holding the ball for large chunks of time and enabling the Warriors to hold the Falcons without a point in the second period.
“There were other players who had two fouls, and I had to get them out of the game. Tyler is a guy you have to trust,” Everingham said. “Some of the ball control stuff in the first half was because we had three guys with two fouls. We were trying to limp to halftime, and get there without anybody picking up their third foul. Some of it was trying to get Fairfield to come out and get us, and they never really did until late in the game.
“I’ve spent more time talking to this team than any team I’ve been a head coach for. We want to be constant and consistent in the way that we play, whether we’re down 7-2 or up 7-2, we’re going to play the same way throughout.”
During the second quarter, Wawasee went from trailing by one to leading by four midway through the period when Fairfield called timeout. By halftime, the lead was seven, and midway through the third period the lead expanded to 13.
“So often last year they were never in the ball game, We went from a four-point lead to seven, then a 13-point lead,” Everingham said. “And believe it or not, we talked about doing that just yesterday, and the day before. So they had in their minds once we got up four to extend the lead. We just need the confidence to go out and do it.”
Wawasee got balanced scoring, with junior Jairus Boyer hitting all five of his shots from the field for a team-high 13 points, and Coleman finished with 12. Cayden Wagoner hit a buzzer-beating trey before halftime and finished with nine points. Smith finished with seven and Jacob Hand had five points.
Everingham couldn’t say enough about the transformation Wawasee has made in a relatively short time, and the importance of getting off to a good start this season.
“It’s a big deal because we had a game plan of what we wanted to try to do, and then the boys go out and execute the game plan,” he said. “There was such a narrow road to bring the guys and me together, and with what they went through last year with so many losses, and for a new coach to come in, and for it all to come together. This is a big win for us, I’m not gonna lie. It sets us up with some confidence moving in to the rest of our year.
“It was a complete team effort, and that’s what we’re going to have to do to be successful.”
Fairfield’s Luke Stephens finished with a game-high 18 points.
Wawasee will travel to Angola for the Hornets’ season opener on Saturday.
WAWASEE 48, FAIRFIELD 39
F 10 0 15 14 – 39
W 9 8 17 14 – 48
Fairfield – Brady Willard 0-4 0-1 0, Luke Stephens 7-17 4-6 18, Tyshawn Knight 1-2 0-0 2, Jake Oberlin 3-5 0-0 7, Skylar Mast 0-2 0-5 0, Ryan Geer 0-1 2-2 2, Shandon Miller 4-6 2-3 10, Zach Munn 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-35 8-14 39.
Wawasee – Cayden Wegener 2-3 4-4 9, Tyler Smith 2-5 3-4 7, Jairus Boyer 5-5 1-1 13, Jacob Hand 2-2 1-3 5, Bennett Hoffert 0-1 0-0 0, Trevon Coleman 6-11 0-0 12, Tim Conley 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 18-28 9-12 48.
Three-pointers – Fairfield 1 (Oberlin), Wawasee 3 (Boyer 2, Wegener); Rebounds – Fairfield 14 (Miller 4), Wawasee 18 (Smith 5); Turnovers – Fairfield 10, Wawasee 10; Fouls – Fairfield 18, Wawasee 19; Fouled out – Miller, Knight; Records: Fairfield 0-1, Wawasee 1-0.
JV – Wawasee 41, Fairfield 34
Fairfield – Ryan Geer 14, Bentley Miller 5, Colten Cripe 5, Caleb Goeglein 4, Carter Gingrich 2, Skylar Mast 2, Joel Mast 2.
Wawasee – Ryan Edington 20, Bennett Hoffert 8, Zak Linnemeier 5, Aaron Evans 3, Josh Slabaugh 2, Dalton Pearish 2, Damen Conley 1.
Records: Fairfield 0-1, Wawasee 1-0.
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