-
Fans send off the WIC Girls Basketball team. Photo by Kevin Zini
Fans send off the WIC Girls Basketball team. Photo by Kevin Zini
By Patrick Browne
Two weeks ago, when the Lady Wykons entered the Michigan High School Athletic Association Postseason Tournament, no one could have anticipated the Wykons would come just four points from winning their regional championship, beating the No. 2 team in the state and being one of the final eight teams to play for the state championship.
Entering the playoffs, West Iron was ranked as the No. 51 best team in Division Three. As a team which hovered around .500 all year, the Wykons played competitively. In one stretch the team won four consecutive games, but the four games they won were against teams with records similar to their own — not against some of the best teams in the state.
In hindsight it all seems so clear. A team that fought to the finish every game and played their best basketball in the final minutes of nearly every game was bound to make a final stand once the playoffs started. A team with the grit and determination of the Lady Wykons was not going to be eliminated from the tournament without a fight.
After winning their last game of the regular season, the tournament started, and the Wykons quickly defeated Iron Mountain (45–35) and Calumet (52–42) to set up a district championship game against the 40th best team in the state, Westwood. After trailing most of the game, the Wykons came alive and in a thrilling come from behind victory, West Iron won the district championship at home, 59–53.
“The girls never quit even when we were down 10 in the third quarter,” said Coach Eric Shamion after the unlikely victory. “The win meant so much to our program and our community. These kids are great student athletes.”
To continue their season, the Wykons would have to find a way to defeat Harbor Springs, the No. 11 ranked team in the state in the opening round of the Regional playoffs. Behind a masterful defensive game and clutch play from a committed group of seniors, West Iron knocked Westwood out of the playoffs with a 52–47 victory.
“It’s hard to win a regional semifinal game, but our kids dug in and delivered an outstanding performance,” Shamion said. “We had girls hitting the boards, diving for loose balls and making good decisions throughout the game. As a coach you hope your kids play their best basketball at the end of the season and they are.”
The win propelled the team into the regional final.
On March 13, the No. 51 West Iron Wykons suited up to play a game against one of the best in the state, Elk Rapids. The Elks entered the contest ranked No. 2 in the state behind a record of 23 wins and two losses. A win would see the Wykons winning their regional and playing in the state quarterfinals — a loss and the magic of their season would be over.
After four consecutive playoff victories the girls played as they always did, they saved their best when it mattered most. Behind inspired play from their seniors, and an impressive student body which outmatched their opponent by a three-to-one ratio, the Wykons battled for four quarters. They refused to surrender easily and with one minute to go the game was within a single basket.
The Wykons were on the cusp of doing the impossible.
The final minute however, did not go in the favor of West Iron. The team’s gutsy play, their fans and a coach who is one of the best in the area could not lift the team and the final score ended with Elk Rapids winning by four, 47–43.
The spell was broken and the careers of five outstanding seniors who had brought so much school spirit to West Iron County were over.