WHS boys finish third at state

April 3, 2005

JEREMIAH BARTZ/Frontiersman sports editor

ANCHORAGE - Luke Schafer and his Wasilla High School basketball teammates were truly Warriors. Not because of the logo on their uniform, but their drive on the court.

Bruised like prizefighters, Schafer and his teammates battled through a grueling double-overtime contest to claim a 56-53 victory over East Anchorage and third place in the First National Bank Alaska Schools Activities Association 4A state tournament Saturday at the Sullivan Arena.

Schafer played nearly all of the game's 32 minutes, despite having to leave the court early in the first period with a cut above the eye. He resembled a boxer leaving the ring, as blood drained from a slash above his

right eye.

Bandaged, Schafer returned to help lead the Wasilla charge.

"I'd fight through anything for this team. Any other player on this team would do the same thing. We're like brothers," Schafer said. "You can't find a closer group of guys."

The Warriors fought through, although it may not have been their best overall effort of the season.

"It was very ugly," head coach Jason Marvel said. "East played us well. We couldn't hit free throws, they couldn't hit free throws."

Despite hitting just 13-of-30 free throw attempts in the second half, Wasilla nailed the freebies when needed, and Jesse Bean and Matt Crane each hit baskets in the second overtime to prevail.

With just 10 seconds remaining in the second overtime and Wasilla up by a single point, the Warriors drew the foul and junior guard Brad Hobbs stepped to the line. Until that point, Hobbs, like his Warrior teammates, struggled at the line, hitting just 1-of-6 attempts. But with the game on the line, Hobbs drained both of his attempts and gave his Warriors a three-point lead.

East guard Jamaal Siah missed a pair of three-pointers at the other end in the T-Birds' final attempt to tie the game.

Bean started the Warrior roll at the beginning of the second overtime with a deep three from the corner. Crane capped the five-point Warrior run with a layup off a quick pass from Schafer.

Just as they had throughout the tourney, Crane and Bean rose to the occasion when Wasilla needed a key bucket. Crane finished the consolation final with a game-high 22 points, hitting 8-of-16 shots from the floor.

Bean nailed a pair of key three-pointers and scored 14 points.

The Warriors also needed solid play from their bench to get past the T-Birds. Starters Sam Schafer and Robbie Champion fouled out during regulation. Reserve Jeremiah Collins came off

the bench, and though

he didn't hit any shots from the field, he played a key role in running the Warrior formations.

"It was huge. I am very proud of him," Marvel said. "He's a sophomore with very little varsity playing experience."

Wasilla rebounded to grab third-place in the tournament after suffering a heart-wrenching 42-41 loss to Valley rival Colony in the state semifinals.

While the Warriors fell just shy of their second trip to the state title game in three years, ending the season with a win helped ease some of the pain.

"This team, we've had great memories either way. But this definitely makes us feel better," Schafer said. "We wanted to fight through this together. We've accomplished something together."