WARRIORS REGIONAL CHAMPS!

    Before this season began, Winter Warriors head coach Josh Hautamki and assistant coach Curtis DeCora approached their players and asked them to create a list of goals for their 2023-24 campaign.
   “We wanted the kids to set goals because when kids achieve their own goals it creates a greater sense of ownership,” DeCora explained. “I also believe the team is an extension of the community, so by that, the community also shares ownership in conference titles and regional titles. We place a strong emphasis on the kids setting goals . . . and we’re just providing the guidance for the kids to reach those goals.”
   The Warriors came up with four goals: win 20 games, average 80 points per game, win the East Lakeland title and win a regional championship. They were all lofty goals, and some might have scoffed at them given that two seasons ago Winter finished 4-21.
   Last week Winter checked off the last of their four goals when they defeated the Drummond Lumberjacks for a WIAA D-5 regional title on Saturday. It was their first regional title since 1995.
   “It’s great to be here,” Winter High junior Carter Petit said. “We worked really hard for stuff like this. It wasn’t easy, but all the hard work has built up to this point.”

Gilman, 87-48
The Warriors began their postseason journey with a home game against the Gilman Pirates from the Eastern Cloverbelt on Tuesday, February 27. Winter was awarded the third seed, and Gilman, with their 3-20 record, was the 14th seed. Winter wasted little time jumping out in front of their visitors.
CJ Thompson scored off an And-1 and a drive to the rim, Adam Bednorski splashed a three and Gunnar Greuel muscled underneath for baskets. Before long Winter was up 17-8 with 11:54 to play. A pair of free throws from Carter Petit gave Winter a double-digit lead, and the Warriors never looked back, taking a 49-16 advantage into the break.
    That lead allowed the Warriors to go deep into their bench, and all 13 players got a taste of postseason action. It was part of the coaching staff’s desire to manage minutes and keep their starters fresh for a deep run.
   “The Gilman game allowed us some flexibility in testing out our rotation,” DeCora noted. “It allowed us to see how deep we can go into our bench while still being productive.”
   Winter steamrolled through the second half, and Gilman was powerless to stop the Warriors.
   Greuel had a game-high 28 points and 15 boards. Adam Bednorski was an impressive 6 of 8 from three and scored 22 points. Carter Petit added 17 points and a team high seven steals to go with seven rebounds. CJ Thompson tallied 10 points and a game high eight assists. Malte Colliander finished with five points and Logan Hautamaki and Dakota Holm each had one point.

Hurley, 77-52
   It was standing room only on Friday, March 1, as the Warriors hosted the Hurley Northstars in a WIAA D-5 regional semifinal. The energy and intensity could be felt by both teams as fans of each program roared their support – or disapproval.
   “We have seen the gym fill up and that’s been great for us. We’ve had business shutting down for the night just to watch us play, people bringing the whole family,” DeCora observed. “We are starting to see extended community seeing our games. For us that’s a really big positive culture change for us – people want to be a part of what we are doing here.”
   Hurley came into the game with a 15-9 record and offered a stronger test than Gilam two nights before. Carter Petit scored the first two points of the game, but both teams went scoreless through the next few minutes.
   Hurley tied things up at 2-2 and the Northstars went up 8-2 with 13:12 to play. Malte Colliander knocked down a triple to make it 8-5, and Winter began to grind down Hurley with their full-court press.
   “We noticed early on they don’t handle the press very well, and that allowed us to get some turnovers,” assistant coach Curtis DeCora said.
   Hurley led 26-24 at the break, but Winter flipped the script in the second half and opened up with a 14-2 run to take a 38-28 lead. The Northstars did their best to control Gunnar Greuel, but that created opportunities for other Warriors to step up.
   “One of our guiding principles is that we don't rely on one person,” DeCora explained. “We play a positionless style of basketball. I like to call it “equal opportunity offense” and what that does is it allows people like Malte, Adam, Carter and CJ to take opportunities when they see them.”
   Carter Petit took advantage of double teams on Greuel in a big way, scoring a team high of 25 points. Petit had a double-double, pulling down ten rebounds. Malte Colliander and Adam Bednorski each scored 15 points and Greuel finished with nine points and a game high 15 rebounds. Cole Petit chipped in with four points.
   Once Winter got rolling, they never stopped. Winter capped off the second half with a 24-5 run that made it 70-44 with under four minutes to play.  Winter went on to outscore Hurley 51-24 in the second half.
   The victory set up a rematch with the Drummond Loggers, who had defeated Winter in Drummond a few weeks prior to Saturday's regional championship bout. But Winter vowed to be ready this time around.

Drummond, 72-56
   The last time the Winter Warriors won a regional championship was 1995. The last time Winter won a regional championship and conference title in the same year was 1981. In other words, history was on the table for Winter if they could defeat the Loggers in Drummond on Saturday night.
   That had proved a difficult task in the first meeting between the two teams, in which Drummond defeated Winter 61-57 on February 12. It was Winter’s only loss in their last 16 games and both teams boasted identical 19-7 records coming in.
   Winter had not played sharp in their last game and the Warriors were determined to play their brand of attacking, up-tempo offense and defense.
   “We played their style and their pace the last game,” Carter Petit said. “But this game we really made sure to push the pace and play our own game.”
It was close at the start. Both sides turned the ball over more than they attempted shots, but Drummond held a 9-7 lead. Petit tied things up at 9-9 and CJ Thompson attacked to give Winter an 11-9 lead with 11:05 to play in the first half.
   Adam Bednorski and Malte Colliander hit from beyond the arc to give Winter an 18-13 advantage. Carter Petit hit from three, and Gunnar Greuel and Thompson continued to attack.
Winter rallied for a 17-6 run that gave the Warriors a 32-19 advantage. Bednorski then hit back-to-back triples, one with thirty seconds remaining, to give Winter a 47-29 lead. Drummond hit from three at the buzzer to make it 47-32, but the Warriors knew they had Drummond where they wanted them.
“I think that the difference maker in the game was our ability to outwork and outmuscle them,” Gunnar Greuel said afterwards. “We worked so well together as a team, and we had our best game boxing out and hustling. Everyone was on the ground getting the loose balls. Overall, it was a great game.”
   Winter applied the intensity in the second half, and as fouls piled up for Drummond, their offense stalled and gassed out. Winter held the Loggers to just 24 points in the final frame as Thompson, Petit, Bednorski and Colliander rained down shots from all parts of the court.
Petit and Thompson were the one-two punch for the Warriors’ offense. Petit finished with 18 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals. CJ Thompson also scored 18 points to go with his seven rebounds, three steals and two assists.  
    Adam Bednorski collected 17 points and had a team high six steals.  Malte Colliander added 11 points and seven rebounds, along with five assists and two blocks.  Gunnar Greuel added eight points, nine rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
   The victory sends Winter to the sectional semifinal with Owen-Withee in Medford on Thursday, March 7. It’s a game that should be another contrast in styles, and one Winter is eager to play.
   “I am for sure looking forward to Thursday,” Greuel said. “The atmosphere and everything is going to be different and I’m so excited. The team is definitely excited and looking forward to a sectional game because it’s all of our first times being there.”
Winter had four goals at the start of the season, and all four have been achieved. But the Warriors have penciled in a new, fifth goal for the year – a date with state.
   “We worked our butts off to get here, and it’s so awesome to see it paying off,” Petit said. “It feels great to get another game, and the job isn’t done yet.”