Congrats and insight from a Wayland superfan

I received this write up from Michael Kanoza, stepfather of Wayland’s Travis Rader, after the Wildcats’ district semifinal win over Ottawa Hills on Wednesday.  It’s a pretty awesome look into a side of high school basketball we don’t often get to see.  Thanks, Michael!

Wayland dodges the statistics and Ottawa Hills
By: Michael Kanoza

Meeting for the third time this season, Wayland and Ottawa Hills duked it out for the class-A district semifinals on Wednesday. Like Wayland’s previous victory over Caledonia (also a third occurrence) the outcome was not decided until the last two minutes of the game.

Sports fans say it’s statically difficult to beat a team 3 times in a row during one season. The mathematicians say there is no statistical advantage. Wayland has now done it twice this week, and I can tell you that it certainly wasn’t easy.  Caledonia and Ottawa Hills were well coached and prepared, and played as hard as they could to win.  The fact that Wayland has advanced speaks to the character of the team, and their own unshakable will to win.

Wayland beat Ottawa Hills 68-65, thanks to some timely forced turnovers and a few free throws. But the outcome could have been different. Ottawa Hills point guard Devon Ivy played with tremendous heart, trying to break down the Wildcat defense with penetrating moves.  Many of the Bengals’ points came from three pointers, which kept them in the game.

With 30-seconds to play in what had been a close game throughout, Wayland’s Zach Kasper forced a critical turnover on an out of bounds play, sealing the Bengal’s fate. It was the latest in a long line of Wildcats who have risen to the occasion when the moment called for it.  Senior guard Wes Hudson is no stranger to playing his best in big games, and lead Wayland with 18-points.  Kasper added 17-points of his own, and Travis Rader finished with 12.

Having seen all of Wayland’s 22-victories this season, I’ve come to the conclusion that these first two tournament games were made more difficult due to the expectations that come with a 22-0 record. We forget that these are high school kids that have emotions, doubt, aches and pains, and work incredibly hard to live up to high expectations from themselves and others.

And still, there are some who are waiting for Wayland to lose so they can say they were overrated or played a weak schedule. Such is basketball, I guess.  These kids love each other and their coach, just as I am sure Ottawa Hills does, and in the end that’s what matters.

Win or lose in this Friday’s district championship, this is what high school sports should be about; building character and lifelong memories for all of us — students, and athletes.

And parents, too.

Congratulations, young men!

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