Revenge Games Can Be Unpredictable
It's December 5, 2025 - and it is the first night of basketball for Wartburg Central High School since the school broke for Thanksgiving. The last games were against Eagleton with big wins for the Bulldogs across the board... But without any game action for 9 days, would the Bulldogs already have some rust to work off? They travelled to neighboring Oakdale - the pipeline where both Wartburg coaches Travis Nelson and Jen Hendricks transferred from. How would their return to their old stomping grounds go?
The Boys Junior Varsity had their second game action of the season to start the night out. In their only other game this season, the Junior Varsity Bulldogs got beat up by Cumberland County. Tonight's JV game would go the other direction with the Bulldogs looking poised and prepared. A couple of freshmen that looked the part were Jack Seay and Caleb Armes. These two are currently in the incubator getting primed for the much faster High School Varsity pace. They showed skill tonight scoring several. Another standout was Wayne Potter. Despite not playing in a few years, Potter takes the court with a certain intensity. At one point, he had a step on the rest of the floor when teammate Cole Wilson gained possession of the ball. He cried out, "COLE LOOK UP!"... But for a moment, I could've sworn he yelled out, "COBRA KAI!" Sweep the leg Wayne! The Bulldogs took out the Oakdale JV 38-25 - but it could've been much worse.
The second game of the night was where it got interesting. It was nice to see the local American Legion Post come out to post the colors for the singing of our National Anthem before the girls began their game. Head Coach Jen Hendricks has her squad of 6 healthy Bulldogs sitting at (1-2) coming into this one while the Oakdale Eagles are currently at (2-2) on the season. Last season, the Bulldogs struggled mightily against the Eagles with two very lopsided losses. Coming into this one with a new coaching staff and only 6 players dressed out - you could see the Lady Eagles take the court like they had this one in the bag. Much to their surprise, the Lady Bulldogs outscored them in the 2nd quarter (12-11) and tied them in the 3rd quarter (16-16) - going into the 4th only down by 7 points. Unfortunately, the gas tanks started running dry in the final quarter of play - and Oakdale stretched a very close game into a bit of a lopsided victory. While the final was 68-49 - the Lady Bulldogs were VERY IMPRESSIVE and played a close game with tons of fight the whole way through. Considering last year's team put up 41 points in their first contest against Oakdale - it's impressive that this small squad of 6 put up 49. Coach Hendricks has this team on the rise... but there is still plenty of work to do.
In the final game of the night, the Boys Varsity took the floor against Head Coach Travis Nelson's former team. With big wins last year, the Bulldogs came into this one expecting a cake walk - but what they got was a gritty, scrappy team that was determined to win. When Wartburg last played against Eagleton, they looked like they were playing for a championship... They had the Mamba Mentality... But tonight they looked like they were trying to win a scrimmage - and it was Oakdale that had the Mamba Mentality - doing everything possible to win. Oakdale started the game off with a 7-0 lead - and they led the game all the way up until around 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. At that point, the Bulldogs woke up and flipped from being down by 13 to being up by 4 at the end of the 3rd quarter. While the final of 67-53 gives the look of a comfortable win - there were no comfortable Wartburg fans at Oakdale in this game! They found a way to pull off the win and limp home - but they'll need to re-find their mojo before their next games
Below are a few thoughts meant to encourage some of our young athletes that went above and beyond against Oakdale:
The Boys Junior Varsity had their second game action of the season to start the night out. In their only other game this season, the Junior Varsity Bulldogs got beat up by Cumberland County. Tonight's JV game would go the other direction with the Bulldogs looking poised and prepared. A couple of freshmen that looked the part were Jack Seay and Caleb Armes. These two are currently in the incubator getting primed for the much faster High School Varsity pace. They showed skill tonight scoring several. Another standout was Wayne Potter. Despite not playing in a few years, Potter takes the court with a certain intensity. At one point, he had a step on the rest of the floor when teammate Cole Wilson gained possession of the ball. He cried out, "COLE LOOK UP!"... But for a moment, I could've sworn he yelled out, "COBRA KAI!" Sweep the leg Wayne! The Bulldogs took out the Oakdale JV 38-25 - but it could've been much worse.
The second game of the night was where it got interesting. It was nice to see the local American Legion Post come out to post the colors for the singing of our National Anthem before the girls began their game. Head Coach Jen Hendricks has her squad of 6 healthy Bulldogs sitting at (1-2) coming into this one while the Oakdale Eagles are currently at (2-2) on the season. Last season, the Bulldogs struggled mightily against the Eagles with two very lopsided losses. Coming into this one with a new coaching staff and only 6 players dressed out - you could see the Lady Eagles take the court like they had this one in the bag. Much to their surprise, the Lady Bulldogs outscored them in the 2nd quarter (12-11) and tied them in the 3rd quarter (16-16) - going into the 4th only down by 7 points. Unfortunately, the gas tanks started running dry in the final quarter of play - and Oakdale stretched a very close game into a bit of a lopsided victory. While the final was 68-49 - the Lady Bulldogs were VERY IMPRESSIVE and played a close game with tons of fight the whole way through. Considering last year's team put up 41 points in their first contest against Oakdale - it's impressive that this small squad of 6 put up 49. Coach Hendricks has this team on the rise... but there is still plenty of work to do.
In the final game of the night, the Boys Varsity took the floor against Head Coach Travis Nelson's former team. With big wins last year, the Bulldogs came into this one expecting a cake walk - but what they got was a gritty, scrappy team that was determined to win. When Wartburg last played against Eagleton, they looked like they were playing for a championship... They had the Mamba Mentality... But tonight they looked like they were trying to win a scrimmage - and it was Oakdale that had the Mamba Mentality - doing everything possible to win. Oakdale started the game off with a 7-0 lead - and they led the game all the way up until around 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. At that point, the Bulldogs woke up and flipped from being down by 13 to being up by 4 at the end of the 3rd quarter. While the final of 67-53 gives the look of a comfortable win - there were no comfortable Wartburg fans at Oakdale in this game! They found a way to pull off the win and limp home - but they'll need to re-find their mojo before their next games
Below are a few thoughts meant to encourage some of our young athletes that went above and beyond against Oakdale:
Culture Change Underway
The Lady Bulldogs had a tumultuous season a year ago. After a mid-season coaching change and another coaching change in the offseason, the roster ended up stripped to the bare bones. Some players left for other schools while others simply hung up their basketball sneakers for good - leaving new coach Jen Hendricks with a very small roster to work with. But... this squad of six were a very entertaining team tonight. They had no quit, and they fought hard against their Oakdale counterpart. It's tempting for any coach to coach the team you wish you had... but a good coach will coach the team that they actually have. This small group gets a little better and a little more polished every time they take the floor. While they fell to (1-3) tonight on the season, I found myself very proud of what they were doing on the court. This is what culture change looks like - the players are working hard, enjoying themselves, and pushing their opponents to the limit. Oakdale definitely got more than they bargained for tonight.
Girls With The Power
The girls team couldn't have looked as good as they did without some inspiring individual efforts...
1. Kaylee Ledford tied for the team lead in scoring with Braylen Melton - each having 14 points. Ledford went down at one point with a nasty looking injury which I assumed would knock her out for the remainder of the game. But Ledford toughed it out and came back in -showing perseverance and loyalty to her teammates and coach.
2. The aforementioned Braylen Melton recently got the moniker "All Day Bray" for dropping a massive 23 point performance against Eagleton. She came back with another big performance with 14 in this one - and the best 3 of her points came on a buzzer beater to end the 3rd quarter when the Lady Bulldogs needed it most.
3. The last one to get a nod for her performance tonight is Brylie "Red Alert" Basler. The senior didn't get enough time last year to find her rhythm, but this year has been a different story. Basler is making the most of her minutes. She has increased her scoring in every game this season - coming in third on the team tonight with 10 points. She also came 2 rebounds shy of a double-double with her team-leading 8 rebounds. She is tough and is improving every game. Sound the alarm - Red Alert coming through!
1. Kaylee Ledford tied for the team lead in scoring with Braylen Melton - each having 14 points. Ledford went down at one point with a nasty looking injury which I assumed would knock her out for the remainder of the game. But Ledford toughed it out and came back in -showing perseverance and loyalty to her teammates and coach.
2. The aforementioned Braylen Melton recently got the moniker "All Day Bray" for dropping a massive 23 point performance against Eagleton. She came back with another big performance with 14 in this one - and the best 3 of her points came on a buzzer beater to end the 3rd quarter when the Lady Bulldogs needed it most.
3. The last one to get a nod for her performance tonight is Brylie "Red Alert" Basler. The senior didn't get enough time last year to find her rhythm, but this year has been a different story. Basler is making the most of her minutes. She has increased her scoring in every game this season - coming in third on the team tonight with 10 points. She also came 2 rebounds shy of a double-double with her team-leading 8 rebounds. She is tough and is improving every game. Sound the alarm - Red Alert coming through!
Pride Goes Before a Fall (Proverbs 16:18)
When the Oakdale boys came out and scored the first points of the game... no big deal... But then they scored again... and AGAIN! In the movie "The Replacements", Keanu Reaves plays Shane Falco - a former college QB that had an on-field meltdown to the degree of losing his opportunity to continue his career in the pros. Later, when he gets a chance to revive his career - he recounts quicksand moments... When something bad happens... and then you push to fix it, and make another mistake... and then it gets worse and worse. It felt like the Bulldogs were in quicksand for almost 3 quarters tonight. It wasn't an effort issue - they were hustling. It may have been a mindset issue. The Holy Bible tells us that "pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18). I think the Bulldogs were still thinking of how great they played against Eagleton - and that the Oakdale Eagles would simply roll over. The one thing to remember - the scoreboard resets to 0-0 after every game. No matter how well you played last game - or last week - you plan and prepare for the next one like it's your championship game. On the positive note - when you make a mistake or have an off game... the scoreboard still resets - and you start over again next time. Let's shake this one off, be thankful we left with a Win, and prepare like madmen for the next one.
Maximum Overdrive
When the game feels caught in quicksand - you need to find some players that can give you something extra. Paxton Quinney led the team with 18 points - and Ian Robinson still leads the team for the season... that feels like an every game statement. Both players have the ability to slash and score - but they can't do it all - especially when defenses start to key on them.
Daniel Bunch is a player that stepped up in a big way tonight with his soft touch shot. Normally known as a shot blocker/rebounder... tonight he got into foul trouble early trying to contest layups. But when he came back in, he found a soft spot in the middle, and his fellow Bulldogs fed him. He ended up scoring a season-high 14 points - moving him up the leaderboard from 7th on the team to tied for 3rd! Daniel Bunch = Main Character Energy!
Another player that provided a spark was Reid Quinney. Reid has grown and matured over the last couple of years. He can be a real asset - especially with his defensive quicks and nose for the ball. When the Bulldogs needed someone to wake up - Quinney was there to disrupt the Eagles' attempts to get the ball down the court, grab several crucial rebounds, and score a season-high 6 points. Walking out of the Oakdale gym, fellow sophomore Noah Ward, reflecting on the game, said, "Man - Reid had a big part in bringing us back into that one." I'd agree - way to step up when we needed you!
Daniel Bunch is a player that stepped up in a big way tonight with his soft touch shot. Normally known as a shot blocker/rebounder... tonight he got into foul trouble early trying to contest layups. But when he came back in, he found a soft spot in the middle, and his fellow Bulldogs fed him. He ended up scoring a season-high 14 points - moving him up the leaderboard from 7th on the team to tied for 3rd! Daniel Bunch = Main Character Energy!
Another player that provided a spark was Reid Quinney. Reid has grown and matured over the last couple of years. He can be a real asset - especially with his defensive quicks and nose for the ball. When the Bulldogs needed someone to wake up - Quinney was there to disrupt the Eagles' attempts to get the ball down the court, grab several crucial rebounds, and score a season-high 6 points. Walking out of the Oakdale gym, fellow sophomore Noah Ward, reflecting on the game, said, "Man - Reid had a big part in bringing us back into that one." I'd agree - way to step up when we needed you!
Tonight gave us a reminder... Stay Hungry! We have Sweetwater at home on Monday... It's Eye of the Tiger time!
Go Dogs!
