Perseverance pays off for Wykon boys

WIC freshman, Jasiah Parker #00 powered through L’Anse defenders to make his layup shot.

By Patrick Browne
IRON RIVER – There are moments in a school’s history which should be immortalized, so everyone from incoming freshmen to graduating seniors know what a school stands for, and that values professed in writing are embodied in real people and in real moments. One of those stories came on Friday, Feb. 16 in which the Wykon boys basketball team, after losing over 20 home games in a row, gathered on a bitterly cold winter night to try again for a win. 

The temperature was a bitter cold 5 degrees. The sky was as dark as midnight, with the game scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Twenty minutes before the jump ball nary a soul other than the scorekeeper, a couple of workers and a photographer were in the gym. No one saw a need to arrive early as the boys had not won a home game in two years. Seating would be plentiful and the parking lot certainly wouldn’t be filled.

Ten minutes before the jump a handful of spectacularly dressed homecoming teens entered the gym and took up seating in the student section. It was homecoming and despite the howling winds blowing out of the north, they were going to celebrate.

With five minutes to go parents, grandparents and a few additional students wandered into the gymnasium and took their seats. The crowd stood for the National Anthem. The players were introduced, tepid applause were offered and the West Iron Wykons prepared to take on the Purple Hornets of L’Anse.

After losing over 20 home games in a row, after winning just once last season and once this season, a group of intrepid West Iron boys took the court and everyone settled in to watch another defeat. It was at this moment the unthinkable happened. The West Iron boys, who had been beaten and battered game after game for two years, decided they had had enough. 

The jump ball went to West Iron as Elijah Oberlin tipped the ball to his teammate. After a missed shot, Oberlin tipped the ball in and the Wykons were up 2–0. Freshman Nathan Camps dropped in a three-point shot on the next possession. The Wykon defense held and Oberlin sank a two pointer. Wykons up 7–0. 
With the Wykons scoring, a crowd began to gather and the student section took up the charge. A nervous energy was palpable. 

The first quarter ended with the Wykons scoring a remarkable 25 points to L’Anse’s 10. The first half ended with West Iron up 53–16. A lead of this size had not been seen for years and, although logic dictated a 37-point deficit could not be overcome, the faithful fans of West Iron had seen stranger things happen.

As the teams emerged from halftime, the Wykons showed no signs of slowing. The boys scored 20 points in the third quarter to L’Anse’s four and WIC Coach Caden Contreras subbed in his reserves for the remainder of the game. The heroic effort which put the Wykons up 73–20 after three quarters was going to bring home the first home victory in two years.

The mystical energy of the night continued when seldomly-used Ian Modert threw up what appeared to be an impossible three point shot and it went straight through the net. The student section erupted the Modert beamed. 
With the victory, the team had done what many had given up believing was possible. The boys did not surrender to doubt. They did not stop taking practices seriously. They put their heads down, kept working and for their faith and grit, they were rewarded: Wykons 79; Purple Hornets 31.

Contreras beamed after the win. 

“Our guys came out with intensity, which is something we’ve been working on, he said. “We played very hard and I was thrilled with the effort.”

Freshman Nathan Camps led the Wykons with 28 points followed by Elijah Oberlin with 26, Jasiah Parker with six, Abel Lundin with seven, Keenan Dobson-Donati with four, Eric Casari with two, and “Miracle” Modert with one unbelievable and unforgettable three-point shot.

On Feb. 19, the Wykons took on AD Johnston/Bessemer (6–12) on the road and brought their newly found swagger to the contest. The Wykons bested Bessemer 37–35 for their third win of the season. 

Confidence poured forth from the team as they held the line for their second consecutive game. Elijah Oberlin scored 18 points and freshman Jasiah Parker nine, including three free throws when the game was on the line. 

Contreras and his coaching assistants, Steve Nelson and Grant Papineau, have worked tirelessly to bring the Wykons back to life. 

“We have played two gritty games,” Contreras said. “It was a good experience for our guys and I was ecstatic with their efforts. We’re continuing to build the confidence and hopefully these wins, coming later in the season, are signs for what is to come next season.”