Wayzata Boys Basketball Association

Welcome family and friends of our basketball team. The coaches and players are looking forward to a fun season this year. Please come back to our web page throughout the year, as we will post all team information here, including practices, tournaments, photos and game results and summaries.

Wayzata's 4A team went into the state tourney as the 4th seeded team in 4th grade's highest bracket and had high hopes of doing some damage, especially coming off of back to back championships. While playing the best teams in the state, you could quickly see the high level of talent around the state.

We started off against a Rogers team we hadn't faced before but had some talented big guys. The game was a slugfest from the begining as both teams played to their strengths. Rogers scored inside and Wayzata used pressure defense and transition ball for their baskets. Andrew, Sam and Winston led us to a close 22-21 halftime lead. After discussing defense at halftime, the boys picked up their intensity and jumped out to a comfortable lead. Grant led the way with 13 points, followed by Winston's 10, Andrew's 6 and Sam's 5. When Jacob and Connor scored in the second half, the boys had done it again with everyone on the roster scoring in their 47-37 victory.

Our second game was against rival #5 seed Eden Prairie, who we lost to in the championship game at Andover. We expected a battle and we sure got one. After jumping to a 4-0 lead, the Trojans had trouble containing EP's super guard from scoring or distributing. There seemed to be a lid on our basket as we missed numerous layups that we normally convert. The boys trailed 20-10 at halftime, but were determined to make it a game. Unfortunately, EP felt the same way and never let us back in the game. Kody and Andrew led the way with 8 points each and 8 of our guys scored, including a 3 point bomb from Jack. The final score was 53-35 as we were beaten by a very good EP team. As a matter of fact, EP ended up beating #1 seed Champlain in the semis and #3 Chaska in the finals to take top 4th grade honors in the state.

Our final game was against Brooklyn Park, who we defeated in a very close game early in the year. Both teams liked to pressure each other, so it was like watching each other in a mirror. In another very close game, BP ended up on the top end of the game 37-34. Kody and Winston led the team with 10 each and Sam contributed 7. But the best player for Wayzata this game was Luke, who brought non-stop energy and fiestyness to the game. Even though he didn't score, he contributed in a very important way and showed his teammates the value of working hard whenever he was on the court.

So the boys ended their season on a slightly down note at state, but they should feel great about how they played and grew as players this year. They imporved their skills drastically and the coaches were very proud of how they played as a team. They didn't lean on one guy to carry them through the season and truly played like a team.

Coaches Andre, Wally and Brian were honored to work with your kids this winter!

Our 4A Trojans tuned up for the state tourney in two weeks by winning a 5th grade tourney in St. Louis Park this weekend. Once again there was great distribution by all the players on the team this weekend.

The boys started out against Minnetonka 5 and their half court trap and zone. The boys handled it pretty well and were forced to look for the open man and make the extra pass. Eight of our 9 guys scored, with all of them scoring between 4 and 7 points. In spite of the 8:00 am game, the boys battled hard in their 37-19 opening win.

Wayzata then came out against Buffalo 5 very strong and mixed their defenses effectively. By the time Coach Brian got to the game (coming late from Blake's 8th grade game), the boys had a solid 27-6 halftime lead. I'm not sure, but I think I heard some hissing from the sideline when Coach showed up. But Coaches Andre and Wally did a great job of getting the guys to play well and unselfishly against Buffalo. This time we had all 9 of our guys get into the scoring column, led by Winston's 12, Jack's 10 and everyone else between 4 and 6 points. The boys finished off with a solid 52-14 win.

Before we played in the championship game, there was an exciting moment for the boys when the fire alarm went off and the entire school was evacuated, including the Girl Scout troops who were in the back gym. Someone should have helped the concession people as they burned the popcorn so badly the fire alarm went off! So we eventually got the game started as we played our friends from Wayzata 5C in the championship game. It was a very competitive game from the start, as both teams played very hard. 4A started "on fire" and got very balanced scoring once again with 8 of our 9 guys scoring in the game.The free throw's shot at every practice really paid off for the Trojans, as we drained a season high 14 FT's for the game. Luke and Jack led the way with a smooth 4 FT's each. Luke had his best game of the year with a season high 12 points, followed by Connor's 9, and Jack and Kody's 8 apiece. The boys held on for a 44-30 win against a well coached Sklar-led team.

After reviewing some of our teams stats for the year, their were a couple of amazing stats that jumped out at the coaches. In 8 of our 26 games this year, we have had all 9 of our players score in a game. In an additional 10 games, we have had at least 8 of our guys score in a game. With balance like that it will tough to defend Wayzata in the state tourney. And in a more amazing stat, we now have had every player on our team lead the team in scoring in at least one game. I strongly doubt that any of the other 81 4th grade teams in the state can make that claim.

So the boys will work hard over the last two weeks to prepare for the state tourney in Delano on March 10-11. The best of the best will be there and the Trojans will be ready to give it their best effort!

The Trojans talked this week about finally hosting our own tournament and having some of the best teams in the Twin Cities visit Wayzata. The boys played some of their best basketball of the season, taking home the championship trophy.

Wayzata started out against Elk River and unleashed their speed with a full court press. The boys executed defensively, which led to high percentage shooting opportunities. The Trojans scored a season high 32 points in the first half and never looked back. Grant led a balanced attack with 8 of the guys scoring....in the first half. Grant scored 9 points, followed by 6 from Luke, Andrew, Kody and Cody, 5 from Sam, and 4 from Jack. It was a nice 44-18 win.

The semi-finals had us going against a Chanhassen team, who we had previously beaten by 4 in a very competitive game. Again the boys came out strong and created opportunities through their defense. All 9 guys got into the scoring column in the 54-33 win. Jacob came back strong and had a season high 12 points. Sam played an outstanding all-around game and chipped in 10 points. Grant and Connor scored 8 and Kody chipped in a solid 6 points.

In the championship game, the Trojans faced the very good Chaska Hawks. These teams have battled three times this season with the Trojans having a slight 2-1 advantage. The Hawks are a well-coached team who are one of the best teams in the state. Unfortunately, they are missing one of their best players, due to an injured wrist. Wayzata came out absolutely smoking and executed flawlessly as they jumped to a 14-0 lead. Sam, Connor and Kody got us going with aggressive defense and attacking the basket. The boys took a solid 22-12 lead into the half. Their point guard played valiantly as he kept Chaska in the game, as he scored 20 points for the Hawks. But there was too much teamwork from the Trojans, as they played well down the stretch in their 39-28 victory. Kody led the team with 10 big points, followed by Connor's 8, Sam's 6, Jacob's 5, and Andrew and Grant's 4.

What a great way to send Wayzata into the state seeding’s meeting this week. If the boys play this well, they can compete and beat any team in the state!

The boys took their game to the north suburbs and battled in the Anoka tourney, winning two out of three. We started off against rival Minnetonka and the offense was clicking early. Solid shooting led to an early lead, but the defense was lacking in the high-scoring 28-19 halftime score. Winston was solid, scoring most of his game-high 16 points int he first half. Kody also contributed offfensively with 14 points in the 55-29 win. All 9 players scored in the victory.

The semi-final game was an ESPN Instant Classic as we battled Prior Lake. What a great battle against a team that relies on two very good players. As a matter of fact, those two players score all their points but two. Grant played a monster game offensively and in his battles with their mini-Shaq center. Grant led the team with 16 points and did a great job on D. The boys found themselves down a couple of points at halftime but never let down. Andrew stepped big in the second half in this back and forth game. He kicked in 8 points and showed some great leadership. Sam contributed 5 points and made a big three pointer to cut their lead to 2. Winston did a nice job of driving and drew the 5th foul of the game on their center, with 3 minutesd left. Down 8 points, the boys went at it and tied it up late. Their guard scored a bucket and made a free throw to give PL a lead with a few seconds left. We drew up a play for Sam to make a three pointer, but his buzzer beater shot just barely missed in our 48-45 loss.

The third place game was against Anoka, and the boys brought their A game. Once again we had great scoring distribution, with 8 guys getting into the scoring column. Connor led the way with 12 points, followed by Jack's 8, Winston's 8, Jacob's 7 and Luke's 4. The boys played good defense, allowing only 11 points, and Sam turned in the best pass of the game for one of Luke's baskets. The boys played well in their 49-11 win. We will practice hard and get ready to host the Wayzata Classic. 

Wayzata 4A spent the weekend in Edina, playing three competitive games and made it to another championship game. The boys couldn't quite get over the hump in the championship game against Champlain Park and brought home their third runner up trophy of the year.

The Trojans started off against Chanhassen in a Friday night battle. The first half was a battle against the Storm and we struggled with some of our layups and shorter shots. The halftime score was 12-12 and the boys were challenged to come out strong in the second half with more intensity. They responded well and took control early in the second half. Andrew led the way 12 points and an impressive four free throws made. Luke and Sam kicked in 4 points apiece, and the boys made 8 free throws in the game, including an additional 3 from Grant. The boys handed the Storm a 30-26 defeat.

Wayzata played one of the best teams in the state in Chaska in the semi-finals. Chaska had lost only two games all year (one to Wayzata), but lost one of their best players to an injury the previous week. The game was a defensive gem for both teams as baskets were tough to come by. Looking up at the scoreboard with three minutes left in the half, the Trojans held an amazing 4-0 lead. We were up 9-3, before the Hawks best player banked in a buzzer beater 3, and the lead was cut to 9-6. Once again the Trojans got off to a good start in the second half led by Connor and Winston. Connor led the way with 12 points and Winston had 8. The Trojans pushed their lead to 12 points late in the game before Chaska made a final run by hitting a couple of desperation 3's. The Trojans again hit numerous free throws to help protect the lead, with Connor hitting 4, Grant making 3 and Jacob hitting a pair. The Trojans got a nice 33-29 win.

The Trojans made it to their 4th championship game of the season, this time playing against Champlain Park. The Rebels have played an amazing 40 games this year and have a 37-3 record. The combine talent, good coaching, as well as a zone defense in their gameplan. Another defensive battle was in the cards with Champlain starting off with the first two baskets before Kody answered with a deep two pointer from the corner. The defensive battled continued until Jack banked in a three pointer at the buzzer to cut the Trojans deficit to 12-7 at the half.  In the second half, we struggled against the zone, as it was the first time we had faced one all year. Jack led the way with a team high 5 points, but brought great energy and a never quit attitude to the team. The final of 28-17 gives the Trojans satisfaction of making it to another championship game, but the desire to keep working and getting better.

See you in Anoka this weekend.

The boys battled this weekend in the southern subarbs of Shakopee and took two out three games and came away with third place T-shirts for their efforts.

We started out against Farmington and finally were playing in a tournament allowing teams to press each other full court. The boys came out on fire and quickly built a 16-0 lead. The press was effective and the boys never looked back. Jack led the Trojans very balanced attack with his season high 11 points, including a very impressive left handed layup on a fastbreak. Everyone got into the scoring column with big contributions from Winston (7), Jacob, Sam and Grant (all 6). The boys came out victorious with a 48-15 final.

The Trojans then faced a very good Chaska team in the semi-finals. Chaska has two losses for the entire season with one of those coming at the hands of Wayzata in a very good game earlier in the year. The game was intense from the get go and the lead changed numerous times in the first half. Connor and Andrew led the way in the first half as the Trojans took a 17-15 halftime lead. Chaska came out strong a made a run midway through the second half. The boys didn't take care of the ball well enough and forced some things in a sloppy second half. Chaska walked away with a 38-27 win. Connor led the team with 8 points follwed by Andrew, Kody, Grant, Jacob and Luke, as 8 of our 9 guys scored.

The boys battled back on Sunday in the 3rd place game against Eagan. In another competitive game, the boys played hard in a low scoring first half. A flurry of turnovers by Eagan gave the Trojans a 6 point halftime lead. Andrew, Winston and Grant stepped it up in the second half to give the Trojans some breathing room. Luke was incredibly active on the boards and provided some "interesting" free throws. On the first free throw the shot went about halfway to the hoop, while the second one was a beautiful swish. Loved the smile on his faceas he ran back on defense after the second one. The boys went on to a 33-22 win and take home third place, as all 9 guys got into the scoring column once again.

We are off two weeks before our next tourney in Edina. We have A LOT to work on, as we prepare for a busy month of February.

The Trojans started off their 2012 campaign with a tourney up in Andover and played fairly well, considering they were off for almost a month. They started off with an early game against Anoka and got off to a good start in 2012. With an emphasis on defense and communicating, they slowed down Anoka from running their offense and had a solid 44-16 victory. Seven of the Trojans got in the scoring column, led by Connor and his season high 9 points, followed by Jack and his season high of 8. Andrew chipped in 8 and Winston got 7 for the team. Late in the game coach instructed the boys to get some shots for Luke and Cody. The first possession after the instructions, Connor jacked up a three pointer and made it. Great coaching!

The boys played Eden Prairie A2 in the semi-finals and played one of their better games of the year. Playing in front of a bunch of relatives, Sam started out strong and led the team with 9 points, including an "And 1". Connor also shot well and had 9 points. Overall, Wayzata shot well, including free throws, and led 27-5 at halftime. 8 guys scored and 6 hit at least one free throw, including Luke's 100% from the line. The boys ended with a nice 37-20 win.

Wayzata faced Eden Prairie's A1 team in the championship at the dreaded 8:00 am game. In spite of the urging to get a good night sleep and drink some coffee in the morning, the boys came out of the gates very slow against the talented Eagles. Trailing by 11 late in the half, the Trojans went on a late spurt led by Connor, Kody and Grant's shooting, and cut the halftime lead to 14-17. After a motivational halftime speech, the boys allowed EP to score the first 8 points of the second half and we faced an uphill battle. The boys hit the boards hard led by Luke, Grant and Jacob, to keep the score fairly close. But the boys ended up losing 38-27 to bring home the runner up trophy.

We'll work on some things over the next two weeks and then head to Shakopee and face a loaded field. Looking forward to it!

The Trojans battled this weekend in Chanhassen and saw some of the best teams in the state. The field contained an undefeated team, and teams that have won a total of 8 tournaments so far in this young season. With no gimmees in the field, the Trojans battled to the championship game, but fell just short as we just ran out of time.

The boys led off against a very good Chaska team, on their home court. Chaska has won every game they played this year on their way to three championships. They looked the part early as the Trojans fell behind by 9 points early. Led by strong play from Winston, the boys got back into the game late in the first half, and with a long bank shot at the buzzer by Connor, the Trojans were only down by 5. The defensive intensity picked up and Wayzata finally grabbed the lead with Sam hitting a downtown 3, on his way to a team leading 9 points. Andrew helped extend the lead to 7, but Chaska refused to give up. With the game tied with less then 10 seconds left, Grant fought for a big offensive rebound and put back layup for a 2 point lead. After a desperation 3 by Chaska missed, the Trojans walked away with a thrilling 34-32 win.

The boys woke up early the next morning to face a very good Shakopee team that had also won at least one tourney this year. This time, Wayzata got off to a fast start and an early 9 point lead. With Jack, Kody, and Winston leading us scoring early, the team looked good early. A late rush by Shakopee gave Wayzata a 16-13 lead at the break. With Andrew and Luke knocking down shots and getting rebounds, Wayzata again extended the lead to double digits and finished off the game with a solid 37-26 win. A couple of big stats that occurred which had nothing to do with points, Grant pulled down 10 rebounds and Sam had an amazing 9 steals for the game. Wayzata survived our 19 turnovers and 16 points from Shakopee's big guy.

In the championship game, Wayzata faced Prior Lake and their mini-Shaq of a center. The boys got off to a slow start as their center scored at will, on his way to an amazing 29 points for the game. But a great trait of our squad is resiliency and we fought back behind a well balanced squad to be down only 22-18 at half. With Grant battling hard all game, especially after Luke hurt his knee in the second half, the game went back and forth during a hard fought game.  Clutch baskets by Jacob, Andrew and others were really fun to watch. After Conner knocked down a clutch free throw late in the game and both teams having a chance to win in it in regulation, the game ended up tied at 40. Again we couldn't contain their big man as he scored all 6 of their OT points as the Trojans fell 46-44.

What a great weekend for our boys. This level of competition will certainly make us better over the season and we are still waiting for a tourney to allow us to play to our strength. We are looking forward to seeing Prior Lake again. But for now, we will enjoy the holidays with our familes and jump back into it with a tourney in Andover after the beginning of the year.

The boys got back on the court in Orono and played in a strong 8 team field, including four undefeated teams coming into the tourney.

The boys started out against a good Champlain Park team, who came in with three tourney championships and a 10-0 record. The rules of the tourney stated no full court pressing, putting a premium on half court execution. In a defensive battle, the boys came up short in a 23-15 loss to the taller Rebels. The shots weren't falling Friday night, but we look forward to a rematch sometime during the year.

The Trojans then faced an Edina team they played earlier in the year. The result was similar, as they played well in their 36-16 win. Andrew led the way with 8 points, closely followed by Kody, Jacob and Grant with 6 points each. Grant also chipped in 12 big rebounds. A lot of good passing led to 8 of the 9 guys scoring in the game. 

The boys finished their weekend against rival Minnetonka. They were fired up to play them and had a solid performance with their 55-17 win. All 9 guys scored in a well played game, led by Grant's 11 points ("thank you guards"), Winston's 10, Sam's 9 and Connor's 8 points. Connor also led the way with his best defensive performance of the year, as well as excellent boards from Luke. Jack also played his best game. He had 4 points but his defensive attitude was contagious for the team.

The boys head to Chanhassen for their last tourney before the holidays. They will have to play well, as it looks like a loaded field.

Wayzata's 4A team played in their first tournament of the season and performed quite well in Osseo/Maple Grove, winning the championship and going 4-0. In the 11 team field, the boys showed off some nice basketball skills, as well as a willingness to share the ball.

The Trojans started the season against Brooklyn Park's B team. After Wayzata jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead, BP went into a zone defense. That didn't slow the boys down, as they went on to a 43-12 win. Andrew led the way with 13, followed by Jacob's 6 points. The team had 9 assists with Grant leading the way with 3. Even the injured Sam got into the scoring column without playing, as he claimed the 2 points Wayzata received for a technical foul on BP. Everyone scored, which was great to see!

Saturday morning led off with a matchup against St. Francis.  It helped to have a game under our belt against St. Francis, as the boys won 58-6. The fastbreak was in good form, as the Trojans broke away early. Grant had a big game with 12 points and 10 boards. Again the sharing of the ball was evident and everyone scored for the Trojans, with everyone scoring at least four points!

The afternoon was a battle against Brooklyn Park's A team. The Trojans found themselves down 17-3 and getting outhustled and out executed by BP. Connor helped get us back in the game with all 6 of his points late in the first half, as we went to the break trailing 17-10. It turned into the Winston and Andrew show in the second half to get us back in the game with numerous steals and layups. The press worked and forced turnovers and we fought our way back. The game went back and forth for most of the second half. And with Luke and Grant hitting the boards hard, the Trojans tied the game with two minutes to go. A layup by Andrew and one by Winston gave us the cushion for a thrilling 36-33 win. It was great to see the boys not give up.

In the championship game, the Trojans played on the varisty court for Park Center High School and weren't intimidated by the "big time" court. They jumped all over Edina and cruised to a 49-19 win. Jack and Kody had their best games of the tourney, all through playing good defense. They were asked to shut down Edina's offense and they both did a great job of distracting the Hornets and not letting them run their offense. One-legged Sam also toughed it out and played well. He chipped in 11 big points in the first half including a buzzer beater that brought smiles to the fans in the stands.

Overall the Trojans got off to a great start to their season. Even OMGB travel director and basketball guru, Dave Lutz, commented to Coach Sweeney how well the boys played as a team and shared the basketball. We'll have some turkey this week and prepare for our next tourney at Orono in two weeks.

Congratulations to Andrew for winning the teams One on One Turkey Tournament. He went against Kody in the finals in an exciting tournament held by the 4A team. In spite of some controversial calls by referee Wally and referee Andre, the kids had a blast and are ready for Thanksgiving turkey!

Congrats to the team of Connor, Luke and Andrew with their win in the teams 3 on 3 tourney, just before Christmas break. With gaterades on the line, the intensity and drama were at premiums.

Have a great holiday breaks families!

The Coaches