Much like the girls squad, Winston’s boys broke through and accomplished something in the postseason that hasn’t been accomplished in some time by just making the North State tournament.
Head coach Justin Childs and a large group of seniors knocked off Starkville Academy at the district tournament in Leake and earned themselves a chance at North State last week. Unfortunately, they ran up against a tough Indianola Academy team and saw the season end with a 61-48 final.
It was a score that wasn’t nearly indicative of the type of game that the Patriots had played against a Colonels team that was far more talented. WA trailed by five points after a quarter before a press began to tinker with IA’s rhythm and the Patriots cut the 18-13 deficit after a quarter to 25-22 at the break.
Indianola was able to wear down the Patriots over the final two quarters and extend the lead a bit as they shot 52 percent from the field for the game and held WA to 34 percent. A lot of those misses were good shots for the Patriots who went 17-for-45 inside 3-point range.
“We got a lot of good looks and they just didn’t fall. They were good shots and we executed offense, they just didn’t fall,” Childs said. “(Indianola) is an athletic group that contested every shot we had. Our guys played their tails off and that’s all that I can ask for.”
In his final game, Nash Vanlandingham led the way with 16 points and 11 rebounds while fellow senior Blake Peterson had 10 points in the game.
Those two were a part of a huge senior class that Childs will miss as much as any that he’s been in charge of over the years. They hold a special place in his heart for helping change the culture at WA with two wins over Starkville Academy for the first time in over 15 years, a district win for the first time in three years and that elusive trip back to a regional tournament.
“This group of seniors has been really special to our program. They’ve done a great job paving the road for continued success after them,” Childs said. “They’ve been good ambassadors for our program and I wish I could have them the rest of my career. They’re really special to me. This has been my favorite team I’ve ever coached in 11 years.”
The page now turns to the next group of Patriots.
Childs has been preparing his junior high system to continue the trend upward and he’ll rely heavily on players like Brantlee Wright and Brylee Wall next season who had plenty of experience this year. After going 16-16 this season, they’re hoping to take the next step as a program in 2019-20.
“We’ve got a good group coming back. We’ve got a lot of size and a lot of talent and playmakers that are ready to take the reins,” Childs said. “We’ve had two successful junior high seniors and I think they’ll be able to pick back up.”
