Playing to a packed house Thursday at Stanley-Boyd, the Owen-Withee Blackhawks defeated the Gilman Pirates, the final score 40-30, the score tied four times in a hard fought game before Owen-Withee pulled ahead.
Advancing to play the Clear Lake Warriors Saturday at Hudson, the Blackhawks came up short, falling to the Warriors 60 - 38. Blackhawks head coach Josh Jalling reflected on the season following the Saturday game outcome.
“Looking at the season as a whole I'm so proud of this team,” he said. “They improved every single day of the season. We were 6-4 going into Christmas break and finished the season 14-4 after that point. Making it to the Sectional Final game made all the hard work these girls put in all season worth while. Down the stretch I saw this team bond together closer than ever before. The excitement in the girls program is very high and can't wait to continue to see that grow.”
Thanking Reina Arndt in particular for her dedication to the program over four years, Jalling said that when he took over Arndt was a sophomore, and that she was a big reason the program had changed, thanking her for her commitment.
We don't get to where we got without your leadership, he said. “You are a big reason this program has changed and I thank you for your commitment.”
Also bringing Azari Weimer up for mention, Coach Jalling said she had helped the team grow.
“One of the toughest spots for a senior to be in,” he said, saying that in spite not getting a lot of playing time that Weimer’s maturity and leadership had helped the team grow all year. “I respect you so much on how you handled a difficult situation all season with class,” he said.
