WCHS - Feb. 10 @ Sunbright

Bulldogs Take Over in Sunbright with Two Big Wins!

It's Feb. 10, 2026, and the Wartburg Bulldogs have entered the final week of their basketball regular season play. They would head to neighboring Sunbright to start the week off on the road.
So far this season, the girls have overperformed expectations coming into this game at 8-12. They had an offseason coaching switch (that really dated back to the middle of last season)... and they've only had six healthy players for a majority of the season. They have worked their tails off - and Head Coach Jen Hendricks has gotten the most out of this squad! They have looked feisty and competitive all season. They played Sunbright mid-January at home and had a very convincing win 50-27. Could the good times continue to roll? Oh yes! The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead and dialed up pressure for the entire game. The Sunbright girls were at a loss for the press of the Bulldogs - and despite having a much larger roster - fell again to the Lady Dogs by a score of 80-40 (their second highest point total of the season). Great job ladies!
Where the girls have overperformed expectations - the boys have underperformed slightly. They are truly a great team - but they have had a few winnable games that got away from them. On the boys' side, any team in the region could win the region. The parity is unlike any year before. The Bulldogs come into this one with a record of 12-10 - and they lost a heart breaker to the Sunbright Tigers a month ago 72-66. They needed a win tonight in a bad way - but those can be hard to come by on the road. The boys have recently gotten back into a rhythm - and they showed it tonight against the Tigers. With physical play in the middle - they frustrated resident Big Man Levi Webb... and they held star point guard Noah Bunch to only 10 points through 3 quarters (he did heat up in the 4th quarter). The Bulldogs had the Tigers' heads spinning with their speed and physicality as they dominated the game. The Bulldogs won by a convincing score of 65-47 - showing potential as they push hard toward the District Tournament.

Here are a few takeaways...

London Wright Takeover Game

I don't know if you'll find a player that has more hustle and joy out of basketball than London Wright. She is gutsy and bold in her play style - and the more physical it gets - the bigger her smile gets. Wright has played some of her best basketball in the last couple of games - putting up a team-high 39 points over that span. With hot shooters like Braylen Melton and Kaylee Ledford - Wright normally isn't a top scorer... But tonight, her 23 points led the Bulldogs... AND her 23 represented personal milestones like 1.) Personal best 2.) First time eclipsing the 20 mark in a game. Great work London! Keep up the momentum!

Call in the SWAT Team!

Three games ago - the Bulldogs took on their nemesis - the Coalfield Yellow Jackets. Coalfield had embarrassed the Bulldogs early in the season - but in round 2, Wartburg exacted their revenge with a very convincing win over their rival. For one Bulldog, it was a wake up game. Daniel Bunch got into early foul trouble - and it seemed like every time he came back in, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time for another foul. Ever since that Coalfield game - Bunch has played like a madman - playing his best game of the season (15 points) against a very tough Oneida team - and tonight, taking on the tallest post player in the district with Levi Webb. Sound the alarm - Bunch gets a new nickname after his recent uptick in play... 21 points over the last 2 games is helpful... but Head Coach Travis Nelson looks at bunch as his "rim protector"... Daniel "SWAT Team" Bunch - we salute you!

Green Bean Bingham is Back!

If you've ever played the popular franchise of NBA 2K basketball games - you are familiar with the shot meter. When you get it just right - the whole shot meter turns green... and that green bean is a welcome sight when you are trying to ice a game! Johnny "Green Bean" Bingham is known for his three-point shooting - and he doesn't mind to pull up for a DEEP three from time to time. In the first half - it looked like Bingham was cold. He attempted a few threes - with none falling... But as resident three-point legend Justin Fritts always says, "If you aren't hot... keep shooting til you get hot"... Bingham came out of the locker room after half time as a different shooter - and he green-beaned three three-pointers. Nothing... and I mean NOTHING... kills the spirit of another team like a few three pointers that widen the gap on the scoreboard by leaps and bounds. Green Bean posted his highest point total of the season with 13 tonight - second only to Ian Robinson's 21.

Crouch Goes Nuclear!

When you observe the two teams warming up... you look at Levi Webb's height - and you know it's gonna be a problem. You look at Daniel Bunch and Noah Ward and know that they are going to have to step it up against the Sunbright Big.... but then when the game gets underway - you see senior Point Guard Evan Crouch box out Webb for a rebound and you say, "Go Evan! Wow!"... but then it happens again... and again... and again... The senior is looking to study Nuclear Engineering in his future, post-high school pursuits... but the Mad Scientist isn't waiting for college to go Nuclear! He made an enormous impact on tonight's game with unexpected strong post play! When I brought this up to Head Coach Travis Nelson, he simply said, "Yeah - that's Evan every game... Something clicked in him about a month ago - and he just decided he was going to do whatever it took to help this team win ball games. He's one of our leading rebounders every game now!"

Hold On For One More Day...

I was told recently that as a team heads toward tournament time - you can expect their rotations to tighten up a little bit. For the girls - every player available IS the rotation!
For the boys however, Head Coach Travis Nelson has a deep roster... It looks like over the last 3 games - seven players have scored... Could that be the tightened rotation heading into tournament time?
I'm hearing the Wilson Phillips song from the 80s in the background... "If you can hooooold on... for one more day... things will go your way... hold on for one more day" ... Who needs some encouragement to "Hold on"?

1. Noah Ward - Hold on... Keep beating and banging down low when called on... Hold on and be ready!
2. Reid Quinney - Hold on Feisty Warrior with the feathered mullet... Your day is coming... Hold on and be ready!
3. Gavin Keathley - Hold on White Chocolate - Keep up the animated energy from the bench - and bring that energy into the game when called on
4. Jack Seay - Hold on Jack - One of the prettiest three point forms on the roster... Keep it warmed up...
5. Junior Varsity Team - Hold on! You have improved SO MUCH all season long! Hold on - hopefully you get another game to show your stuff!
6. Addison Brown - Hold on! I know it's been tough to be injured and rehabbing most of the season. We need you back healthy next year - Hold on!
7. All participants in the half-time shoot outs - Hold on! $900 on the line - and another chance to win it this Friday... Hold on!

Everybody go download Wilson Phillips "Hold On" - and as it plays, sing along and think about those players that are just out of reach from a big role on this deep boys team!