The Madill Wildcats are District Champs. They also won the Lake County Championship.
Gold colored t-shirts commemorating the Lake Country Conference champions shone brightly from the stands on February 14. TShirts celebrating the basketball team sold out before the first playoff game of the season even began.
The Wildcats conquered LCCandwontheirfirstround of the playoffs. Head coach Weiberg said they prepared for the championship the entire season.
“Our expectations for the remainder of the season are the same as they have been all year. Plan, prepare, and compete like a champion.” Weiberg said “Our players like each other and play so unselfishly. You have to be a championbefore youcan ever win a championship.”
Junior Ethan Wilkerson said he cannot remember a time without having basketball in his life and started taking the sport seriously in juniorhigh.He said hecredits basketball with helping form his great work ethic.
“I just love competition. What’s the point of playing if it isn’t difficult,” Wilkerson said.
Senior RJ Morris recounted his basketball journey.
“I started playing basketball since I could walk. I hear stories all the time about me always grabbing a ball and trying to shoot it,” Morris noted. “I stuck with basketball and my first experience with it was in the Upwards league that the church hosts. Someofmyfavoritemoments are beating Byng, which is a tough team.”
This win put us in first in our conference and made it easier to win conference champs,” Morris continued. “Another highlight would be beating Kingston, our rivals, and becoming 9-0 in conference. Beating them made sure we didn’t tie with anyone else. Winning the district championship is a major highlight. Basketball has helped me get through some of the darkest times in my life.”
Morris credits Weiberg and the coaching staff for helping him and the team with more than just basketball.
“Coach Weiberg has done an amazing job teaching us life lessons that we will use in the real world. He has made us see the world in a different perspective,” Morris said. “Basketball teaches you life lessons such as being a leader and a variety of other things. It also helps with being a team player and having to work well with others to accomplish a certain goal. I wanna say thank you to all the coaches for their time andcommitment.CoachGalbreath thank you for telling me what to do in games and helping me out. Coach Wilk thank you for giving me my nickname and pushing me to be better.”
“Finally, to Coach Weiberg, thank you for always believing in me. You have helped me through things you don’t even know about,” Morris continued. “I wouldn’t want any other role model in my life. I am very thankful for you, and I can’t put it into words. Again, thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I am very proud of the way this team has come together and battled this season.”
“We have put in the work every day to get to where we are. I hope we continue to fight no matter what and go out every night and give it our all,” Morris said of the team. “If we do that, the results will take care of itself. Hopefully we can get into the position where we battle for the gold ball.”
“The thought that everyone onmyteamiscountingon me makes me keep pushing through,” Morris continued. “I also want to be the best I can for my team and for the fansthatsupportus.Mynana keepsmegoinginhardgames because I think of what she would want me to do if she was here.”
Brett Weiberg expressed his gratitude to the basketball teamandthecommunity.
“I have been really blessed to be able to coach these young men. They have a heart for coaching and an aptitude for competing,” Weiberg said. “They like each other, and they are very good at not expecting results without putting in the work. I do want to say that we are so appreciative of how supportive Wildcat Nationhasbeen.Ourstudent section and crowd support has been second to none and it is humbling.”