Story Created:
Mar 2, 2011 at 12:25 AM EDT
Story Updated:
Mar 2, 2011 at 12:47 AM EDT
NEW YORK MILLS (WKTV) - On Wednesday the NY Mills girls and boys basketball teams will play a doubleheader in the sectionals for the second time in less than a week, this time at Proctor, and both games are against league rivals. The girls will tip-off against Hamilton, the team that defeated them in last year's Class D final, at six, while the undefeated boys face Poland.
Coach Mike Adey's guys are hoping to make another run at a state title and have beat the Tornadoes twice this season, but the Marauders aren't looking past their semifinal matchup.
"We always know that Poland's going to come out and give us a challenge," says senior forward Fred Russ. "They always come to play, they always are thinking they can beat us. We're just going to have to prove them wrong, we're going out to win."
Russ and center Matt Welch are a formidable duo up front, along with Jeff Albright, but just like the state final four squad of a year ago, it will be important for the guards, like J.T. Ross, to play key roles as well.
"We just have to have Fred and Matt do what they do all the time," says Ross. "Have Jacob Kehrli, our wing and Nick Etienne, Addison Wolanin do good shooting and me passing the ball and get assists."
The girls know the challenge that awaits them in the Emerald Knights, having split two games against them this year, including a 47-42 Mills win on February 14th. After holding Madison to just eight points Saturday in the section quarterfinals, the Marauders will need to shut down Hamilton's offense to reach the Aud this weekend.
"Either team can win, we've been focusing on our defense again and communicating," says senior guard and NEWSChannel 2 Athlete of the Week Erica Pendrak. "Our team has come together this year, where there's not just one person that will contribute."
"Just hard defense, up in their face talking, support each other, pick each other up and just go for the win," adds senior forward Kaila Wilkinson.
"It's going to be down to the wire," said head coach Andrea Dziekan. "Jordan Peterson's a great player, we need to stop her. She's got some great outside shooters with the Weeks girls and we need to control that and just play our game is what we need to do."
The girls game is scheduled to tip-off at six from Proctor, with the boys game immediately following.
