Fight with adversity leads team to state tourney

WASILLA -- In less than a 24-hour span, the Wasilla Warriors played three basketball games. Each, at the time, was their most important contest of the season. A loss in either of the final two would have ended the Warriors' season.

After suffering a dramatic loss to the crosstown rival Palmer Moose, a game-which started at 9:15 Friday evening, the Warriors turned around and won two straight contests in about a seven-hour span to keep their season alive.

Saturday afternoon Wasilla defeated Kenai 59-45 to capture third place in the Region III championship tournament and qualify for the 4A state tournament. Just hours earlier Wasilla knocked off Valley foe Colony 41-36 to move into the consolation finals.

The Warriors, the runners-up in the 4A tournament last season, earn another trip to the state tourney after a season of fighting adversity and searching for a team identity. Wasilla head coach Jason Marvel said mental toughness was the key to the Warriors late success.

Wasilla had a roller coaster season which handed the team early losses to state powers such as Bartlett and East as well as key wins over Colony and Juneau. Last week Wasilla had the unenviable task of facing Palmer and Colony on back-to-back nights. Wasilla nearly handed the Moose their first loss of the region schedule and watched Colony sprint past them the following day. And this weekend Wasilla, yet again, was tested with Palmer and Colony in back-to-back games.

"At the beginning of the year I challenged them," Marvel said. "They were not mentally tough enough. We talked about it the whole year.

"This is definitely the toughest season I've had the privilege to coach," Marvel said. "I say privilege, because I truly believe adversity makes you a better person."

Wasilla, which trailed Kenai by three points at halftime, used a 13-0 run at the beginning of the third quarter and a 9-2 run at the start of the fourth to notch its win over the Kardinals.

During halftime Marvel had little to say to his team, giving his players specific advice, the most important being patience on offense.

"We started running (our plays)," Wasilla junior David Williams said. "We got it into the post, we got good shots."

Williams said Wasilla was able to move the ball around to as many as five players during a possession. He added patience was the key to Wasilla's success, and taking quick shots leads to problems for the Warriors.

Williams, who has evolved into a go-to player for Wasilla in just his first year in the Warrior program, led his squad with 23 points in the contest. Williams scored seven in the win over Colony.

The junior forward was one of three Warriors to receive all-tournament recognition. Williams and freshman point guard Jesse Bean were named to the second team, while junior forward Matt Crane received first-team all-tourney honors.

Rhett Magner and Justin Schwartzbauer each received first team nods for the Knights.