Teeland girls continue success; Middle school basketball program 45-1 during 2-year span

WASILLA — The Wasilla and Colony high school girls basketball programs can expect another influx of talent within the coming year courtesy of Teeland Middle School.

The Teeland Titans varsity girls basketball program recently capped another stellar year by earning a team title in the season-ending Valley Invitational. The Titans finished the season 27-1 overall, and were perfect against in-state competition. The squad is now a combined 45-1 during the last two seasons.

The Teeland program is no stranger to success. Under the guidance of head coach Ryan Engebretsen, also a teacher at the school, the Titans have captured the Valley Invite in four of the last five seasons. But the 2014 edition of the girls varsity program stands out, Engebretsen said.

“Every one of them can play, all the way down the bench,” Engebretsen said recently.

His team not only has depth, he said, but each athlete has the skill set to succeed at this level and has promising potential for higher levels of basketball. His team finished the season undefeated last season, and that success bled into the 2014 season. It also opened the door for unique opportunities for the 2014 Titans.

In addition to a full in-state schedule, Engebretsen’s team also had the chance to travel to Oregon to face standout middle school programs from the Eugene, Salem and Portland areas. Teeland finished 7-1 in the eight games in Oregon.

“They spend a ton of time in the gym being really committed, and buying into what I demand out of them,” Engebretsen said.

Engebretsen said he received a number of invitations from programs outside of Alaska, eager to include Teeland on their schedule. The dedication from his players fueled Engebretsen’s desire to accept an invitation and plan the trip for his athletes. But without the support of the parents, Engebretsen said the trip would not have happened.

“The parents have been terrific,” Engebretsen said. “There is no booster club. It’s all based on parent support.”

Engebretsen said as soon as the invites came in, the parents were ready to help make it happen.

During the trip Oregon, Engebretsen said his team faced a number of highly-regarded programs. As an additional surprise for his athletes, Engebretsen said he also arranged for his players to catch an NBA game between Portland and Golden State.

The opportunity to travel outside the state is unique for local middle school programs. But the Teeland girls’ team is not the only local program to enjoy great success in recent years. Engebretsen is also the head coach of the Wasilla High School boys program, and sees first-hand how the success of the middle school programs translates to greater success for the local high school teams. As a middle school coach, Engebretsen said, his goal is to put his middle school athletes in the position to have success at the high school level. Teeland Middle School feeds both Wasilla and Colony. Engebretsen said he tries to make sure his athletes can one day contribute to either program.

In addition to ensuring the athletes are fundamentally sound, he said, Engebretsen also aims to help athletes have the confidence to make the transition to high school basketball.

“We want to teach these kids how to play unbelievably hard, and go in with confidence,” Engebretsen said.

Engebretsen has seen Teeland athletes go on to have success at Colony, Wasilla and Palmer. He said it’s also important that the high school coaches have a connection with the middle school program. One of his assistants at Wasilla High, Matt Berg, led the Wasilla Middle School boys program to the varsity championship at the Valley Invite. Engebretsen said having Berg as the head coach of the WMS team helps ensure that the Wasilla Middle School athletes will already know what is expected from them once they enter the Wasilla High basketball program.

Engebretsen said the success of the local middle school teams is a big part of the reason why Valley high school teams routinely compete for region championships and high finishes in the state tournament.

“With all the quality coaching that goes on in middle school, the kids in the Valley are getting a huge advantage over some of the places in the state that don’t have the programs we have in place,” Engebretsen said.