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Sports
By Patrick Browne
IRON RIVER — The West Iron Wykons began their season on Nov. 28 with a loss to the Ishpeming Hematites by a score of 90–41. While the game did not go well defensively, the team’s 41 points were a strong indication they can compete on offense and should see a few more victories than last year.
Newly hired coach Cade Contreras, a social studies teacher with West Iron Middle School, is excited and positive. Accompanying his optimism is a background playing basketball both at the high school and collegiate levels.
A native of Munising, Contreras attended Bay College where he played for two years prior to transferring to Northern Michigan.
“To be honest I didn’t see a lot of playing time while at Bay, but being on the team exposed me to a lot of really strong players and coaches,” Contreras said. “It was a great experience.”
Contreras chose to be an educator, “To make a difference in kids’ lives,” and, when he graduated in 2022, “cast a wide net when I was looking for a job. I knew I wanted to stay in the U.P. because I love the small town feel, the support you get and the fans who support their teams!”
Despite the loss, the Wykons are excited for the season. In their first game Elijah Oberlin picked up where he left off last season, leading the Wykons in scoring and rebounding. Oberlin is a key fixture in the Wykon game while teammates Abel Lundin who chipped in seven, Jonah Holmberg who hit two three pointers and Keenan Dobson-Donati who contributed four points all showed they can score at the varsity level.
“It’s hard to give up 90 points in the first game of the season, but there are a lot of positives,” Contreras said. “Elijah Oberlin scored 21 points and Abel Lundin showed a lot of heart and hustle. He talked to his teammates at halftime and was encouraging everyone!”
The Wykons focus this year reflects their coach’s upbeat personality.
“We are focusing on getting better every day,” Contreras said. “We need to attack the day, work on lessening the turnovers and be stronger with the ball. Eventually things will go our way.”