Wallhoffs have Westminster Academy teams poised to make playoff runs, pursue titles
She thought he was
“kind of arrogant” — at first.
Two-and-a-half decades later, Shannon and Ehren Wallhoff are married and part of an intriguing basketball story at Westminster Academy.
Ehren, who is 6-5, was a junior at Stetson University when 5-7 Shannon arrived on a recruiting visit. Later, when both were part of their respective Stetson basketball teams, Ehren walked Shannon home from a social gathering, and the rest is blissful history.
“He kept walking me around, saying he had a class in my building,” Shannon said with a laugh.
Fast forward to present day, and Shannon, 44, is in her 12th season as Westminster Academy’s coach of the girls’ team. Ehren, 47, is in his 18th season as the Westminster boys’ coach. And their eldest daughter, Emma, is the star of the girls’ team, a 5-10 senior guard who has signed to play at Southern Miss University.
Ehren, a Westminster Academy graduate, had held the school scoring record of 2,223 points for about 25 years. But he is now No. 3 on the list, passed up by two of his former players: Zach Scott, now at McNeese State; and Chase Johnston, now at Stetson.
Emma holds the school’s scoring record for girls’ basketball.
As players, Ehren and Shannon were known as shooters.
“I couldn’t jump over a paper clip,” Ehren joked.
As coaches, Shannon can still beat Ehren in a game of H-O-R-S-E — “she can drain 50 three-pointers in a row,” he said. But Ehren has the edge over her in coaching state titles (3-0).
Those state titles came in a row — 2017 to 2019.
This season, Westminster Academy is led by 6-11, 190-pound Ben Middlebrooks, regarded as perhaps the second-best junior in Broward, trailing only Calvary Christian’s Gregg Glenn.
The Lions also have 6-5 junior shooting guard Aidan Abell, who averaged 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds last season; 6-9, 260-pound post Jaylan Carey, whose oldest brother (Vernon) was drafted by the NBA this year; and 6-5 senior forward James Nichols, who averaged 26.5 points last season at Highlands Christian.
As loaded as the Lions are this season, it is that
way throughout Broward County. For 10 consecutive years, Broward has won at least one state title. And for the past seven seasons, Broward has brought back multiple titles.
In 2020, Class 4A Stranahan won its second straight state title, and Miramar took home the 7A trophy. Dillard finished second in 6A, and Pembroke Pines Charter was
the 5A runners-up.
With the 2021 state championships set for March 3-6 in Lakeland, it’s expected that Broward will field numerous contenders: Westminster Academy, Sagemont and Calvary Christian in 3A; Stranahan, North Broward Prep and Pine Crest in 4A; Pembroke Pines Charter (5A); Dillard (6A) and Miramar (7A).