Defense leads Wasilla boys to win over Kenai

WASILLA — Friday, as he watched from the stands, Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen saw what the Kenai Kardinals could do on the offensive end as the Kards played the Colony Knights at Colony High. Kenai, one of the most veteran-heavy teams in the Northern Lights Conference knocked 10 three-pointers, and nearly knocked off the Knights, the defending NLC champions, on Colony’s home floor.

On Saturday, Engebretsen watched his Warriors shut down those same Kardinals.

Wasilla held Kenai to only nine field goals in the game, and scored a 55-29 win over visiting Kenai at Wasilla High.

“It was phenomenal. I couldn’t have been prouder of my kids,” Engebretsen said of his team’s defensive effort.

Wasilla held Kenai to only seven points in the first quarter and kept the Kards scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter. In the third, after Kenai’s Austin Brazzel drained a three-pointer on his team’s opening possession, the Wasilla defense kept an absolute stranglehold on the Kards.

“We came out at the start of that third quarter, for that 11 to 12 minutes, we were truly dynamic,” Engebretsen said. “We came out in that second half, just locked them up, got engaged. Outside of that three-ball they hit, they had two points for the next 9 minutes, 14 seconds.”

Those two Kenai points were a pair of Garrett Fitt free throws.

“It was one and done, we got every rebound, every loose ball,” Engebretsen said. “We stayed focused, stayed determined.”

Wasilla also held Kenai’s all-conference guard, Josh Jackman, to only five points, all of which came in the first quarter. Engebretsen credited Kobe Brown with the work against Jackman.

“Kobe was a stud today. I really challenged him mentally on the defensive side of the floor,” Engebretsen said. “He did a great job. He’s a great on-ball defender. He’s a phenomenal athlete, and becoming a really solid kid.”

On the offensive side, sophomore Aeron Milliron led the Warriors with 19 points in the win, scoring both inside and out.

“Milliron has really turned it on quite a bit,” Engebretsen said. “With the confidence he’s playing with right now, the sky’s the limit for that kid. As tough as he plays, I’m thrilled to see what he can do this season.”

Milliron sparked the Warriors early, hit a pair of first-quarter three-pointers. He scored eight of his team’s 19 first-quarter points. Milliron hit a trio of three-pointers in the win. Brown added 13 in the victory, and Reilly Devine chipped in 10.

Wasilla (1-0 ) in the NLC continues conference play Saturday against Soldotna at 1:45 p.m.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com

Wasilla boys 55, Kenai 29

Saturday, Wasilla High School

Kenai 7-9-5-8—29

Wasilla 19-8-14-14—55

Kenai (29) — Ivy 1 0-0 2, Brazzel 2 1-1 6, Tr. Landry 1 0-2 3, Jackman 1 2-2 5, Beiser 2 4-4 8, Fitt 1 2-2 4, Beeson 0 1-2 1; Totals: 9 10-13 29.

Wasilla (55) — Brown 4 4-5 13, Headdings 1 2-2 4, Devine 4 2-2 10, Houck 2 3-5 7, Milliron 7 2-5 19, Dobbs 1 0-0 2; Totals: 19 13-19 55.

3-point field goals: Kenai 2 (Brazzel, Tr. Landry); Wasilla 4 (Milleron 3).