Resilient Redskins off to successful start
Goulet, Rogers, Siefring back in WHS lineup
WAPAKONETA — One game into the boys basketball season, the Wapakoneta Redskins have shown the ability to be resilient under pressure.
WHS trailed Delphos Jefferson 20-2 in the first 9½ minutes
before outscoring the Wildcats 39-21 to force a 41-all tie at the end
of regulation time Friday. The Redskins took their first lead 39 seconds into the extra session when Zach Rogers drove for a layup before Braeden
Goulet added another layup off a Zac Niekamp steal at the 3:05 mark.
Wapakoneta (1-0 overall) went on to preserve a 50-46 OT win over Delphos Jefferson in the season opener.
Goulet finished with a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Niekamp drained four 3-pointers en
route to a team-high 16 points all in the second half.
Redskins coach Trey Elchert was happy his team recovered to
earn a win, but he knows Wapakoneta
can’t always recover from 18-point secondquarter deficits.
“It was a less than ideal start,” Elchert
said. “We talked after the game and said, ‘In
a lot of ways, it was Jefferson’s night.’ They
started 4 of 4 from 3-point range and we couldn’t throw the
ball into the ocean at that point. We had
some good looks both around the rim and from the perimeter, and couldn’t put the
ball in the hole. We didn’t necessarily come out great, defensively, but late in the
game they were banking in free throws and banking in corner
step back 3’s. It was one of (Jefferson’s)
nights and not ours, but give credit to our kids because they battled back and found a way to win.”
It was a learning experience that the WHS squad went
through in Game 1. it was similar to the
growth Elchert has
experienced from being a rookie varsity head coach last season to the start of Season 2.
“I think, with anything, experience is
beneficial, regardless of your background or the knowledge that you think you have. There is so much that you don’t know until you’re put in situations you have never
been in,” Elchert said. “I have learned a lot after being a head coach for one year, including better ways to improve practices to
keeping players fresh throughout the duration of the year, along with keeping them well-conditioned. I