WOODWARD — The current seniors on the Woodward-Granger boys basketball team no doubt remember when, as freshmen, the Hawk varsity won all of two games. They can also recall a nine-win sophomore season, and were a big part of the school-history making 15-win campaign last winter.
W-G was a school-best 15-10 in 2017-18, their most wins in 25 years. The season ended in the substate finals, the first trip that deep in the postseason for the Hawk boys since 1986.
Keeping the upward trend moving will be the goal this season for head coach Brent Achenbach’s squad, who finished 9-9 in WCAC play but who avenged two of those losses in the postseason.
“We finished the season well last year, and that was a lot of fun,” Achenbach said. “We won seven of our last 10 and it would be nice to pick up where we left off.”
Half of W-G’s losses last season were by six or less points, and Achenbach hopes those games can be flipped into the win column.
“It is just a lot of little things that cost us in those games, and I am hopeful that as we grow and become more mature the experience we gained last season will turn those close games around,” Achenbach said. “We were very young last year and played a lot of sophomores, and now those guys have a good year behind them. When I look at our schedule I see a lot of games we can win if we play with high energy the whole game and perform at the level I think we are capable of playing at.”
Noah Hoyt is the lead returning senior having scored 238 points (9.5 ppg) while grabbing 78 rebounds and shooting 30-of-37 (81.1 percent) at the foul line.
Junior Keith Braunschweig had 310 points (13.5 ppg) and 93 boards (4.0 rpg). He had 16 blocks and drained 74-of-107 (69.2) at the free throw line.
Junior guard Bryce Achenbach led the team by pulling down 141 rebounds (5.6 rpg) and scoring 290 points (11.6 ppg). He had 145 assists, 17 blocks, 57 steals and was strong behind the 3-point arc, draining 33-of-81 (40.7 percent).
Juniors Reese Jamison (7.7 ppg) and Kaya Bowlsby (5.5 ppg) will also be asked to contribute. Jamison had 44 assists, 40 steals and 92 rebounds while shooting 22-of-54 (40.7) behind the arc, with Bowlsby providing 38 assists and 32 steals.
Pacey Moats and Alex Bice round out the six juniors who return with solid varsity minutes under their belts. Bice averaged 3.7 and Moats 3.2 points per game during their respective sophomore campaigns.
W-G begins their season Nov. 29 with a boys/girls twin set against visiting Martensdale-St. Marys, with a WCAC set scheduled for Nov. 30 at Panorama.
