Sifting through a file given to me by a Wellington school administrator, it’s not hard to figure out our basketball tradition isn’t sterling.
Someone posed a question to me Thursday night, when was the last time Wellington has fielded a state tournament team?
From the information I have, the Wellington girls have never been to a state tournament.
The Wellington boys last qualified in 1956-57 when Left Van Pelt was the head coach for the Crusaders.
We’ve been darn close several times since, but have never been over the hump.
In the past two decade in which I have been part of the local landscape in some capacity, Wellington has been to the sub-state championship game four times — three by the boys and one by the girls.
During the 1994-95 season, Jamie Ybarra took his team with Jesse Cornejo as a senior and his younger brother Nate as a freshman to the sub-state finals, before losing to Kingman, in a game that the Crusaders were screwed over by a Nazi official.
Then Wellington girls advanced to the sub-state championship game in 1997, losing to Campus in 5A.
Coach Jeremy Troutman led Wellington to a sub-state championship game in 2000-01. The Crusaders were 5-18 that year.
Then in 2006-07, Brian Buchanan coach perhaps Wellington’s most talented boys team in the modern era to the sub-state championship game, losing a heartbreaker to Andover Central in overtime.
Now its 2010, and the Wellington girls are going to try it again, Saturday vs. Circle.
I have proudly proclaimed Thursday’s win against Rose Hill, the biggest victory in Wellington girls basketball history. I can’t hype it enough.
But that title could be short lived, if Wellington can beat Circle in the championship. 1957 is a very long time to wait.
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Sifting through a file given to me by a Wellington school administrator, it’s not hard to figure out our basketball tradition isn’t sterling.
Someone posed a question to me Thursday night, when was the last time Wellington has fielded a state tournament team?
From the information I have, the Wellington girls have never been to a state tournament.
The Wellington boys last qualified in 1956-57 when Left Van Pelt was the head coach for the Crusaders.
We’ve been darn close several times since, but have never been over the hump.
In the past two decade in which I have been part of the local landscape in some capacity, Wellington has been to the sub-state championship game four times — three by the boys and one by the girls.
During the 1994-95 season, Jamie Ybarra took his team with Jesse Cornejo as a senior and his younger brother Nate as a freshman to the sub-state finals, before losing to Kingman, in a game that the Crusaders were screwed over by a Nazi official.
Then Wellington girls advanced to the sub-state championship game in 1997, losing to Campus in 5A.
Coach Jeremy Troutman led Wellington to a sub-state championship game in 2000-01. The Crusaders were 5-18 that year.
Then in 2006-07, Brian Buchanan coach perhaps Wellington’s most talented boys team in the modern era to the sub-state championship game, losing a heartbreaker to Andover Central in overtime.
Now its 2010, and the Wellington girls are going to try it again, Saturday vs. Circle.
I have proudly proclaimed Thursday’s win against Rose Hill, the biggest victory in Wellington girls basketball history. I can’t hype it enough.
But that title could be short lived, if Wellington can beat Circle in the championship. 1957 is a very long time to wait.
