Wheatley delivers in big way for Spartans

By JOHN ROARK

john.roark@register-news.com

WOODLAWN — Co-op quarterbacking in the fall at Sesser-Valier taught Brock Wheatley a lot about taking things into his own hands, and Tuesday night, the Waltonville High School senior converted a bit of that gridiron leadership to the hardwood.

Playing a solid game at both ends of the floor, Wheatley scored a game-high 28 points, made life miserable for every Woodlawn ballhandler and led Mike DeNault’s Spartans to a 69-57 victory at its Jefferson County Class 1A rival in front a standing-room only crowd at Sides Gymnasium.

Last year, Wheatley torched the Cardinals for 30 points in a loss, but this time he was two points short offensively, but was once again worth every penny against Woodlawn.

“I told Brock: ‘If you don’t do anything else the rest of the season just do one thing,’” DeNault said, “’every time you walk out on the court, pretend like that it’s Woodlawn out there lookin’ at you.’ He always gets up for them.”

Wheatley came up big when asked offensively, but it was two defensive moves that helped lift the Spartans (4-1) past the Cardinals (2-2), last year’s 1A runnerup.

With his team ahead 54-48 midway through the fourth period, Wheatley rebounded a missed Woodlawn shot and went the distance for a layup off the right side.

Then on the Cardinals’ next possession, Wheatley picked Kirk Dunbar’s pocket and beat him down the floor for a layup and three-point play that gave Waltonville a 59-48 lead with 3:44 remaining, and Woodlawn never recovered.

“I got an easy steal and layup,” Wheatley said, “and (on taking the rebound) Woodlawn spread the floor and the path to the basket was wide open.”

With starting post defender Gavin Bassett sitting out a game due to a violation of team rules, DeNault knew his team would have to apply pressure against the Cardinals’ guards.

“Once we broke the initial pressure we were able to get shots,” Woodlawn coach Shane Witzel said, “but 19 turnovers plus, you can’t do it. You have to handle the initial pressure.”

That pressure, used against a Woodlawn offense that is currently playing out of position — injured starting point guard Dawson Verhines is expected back Dec. 22 — proved to be the turning point.

In the second period, Woodlawn’s ballhandlers were being forced to play to their strong hand, and Waltonville post defender Luke Stanhouse fronted Cardinals’ center Josh Wiggs and denied the 6-7 pivot time and time again.

“They may have missed Verhines,” DeNault said, “but we also had to defense a 6-7 player with our best defender not playing. They may have beaten us once or twice on the post, but Stanhouse did a great job fronting Wiggs.

“Our five beat their five, and we’ll take it.”

Woodlawn led 15-9 after one quarter, but the Cardinals wound up committing eight second-quarter turnovers, and Waltonville went on a 23-12 spurt — Wheatley had 10 points in the period — to take a 32-27 lead. The Spartans never trailed after Joseph Lewis’ 3-pointer gave his team a 26-24 lead with 2:54 left in the second frame.

The third quarter was played on even terms, with Waltonville holding a 46-41 command after once owning a 40-29 lead.

Stanhouse opened the fourth quarter by putting back a Skyler Witges miss, and Wheatley — who had 11 fourth-quarter points — later added a steal and layup and two free throws, and Stanhouse scored his fourth field goal to make it 54-48, setting the stage for Wheatley’s closing moves.

As it turned out, Wheatley had separate steals down the stretch which fouled out both Dunbar and Cardinals top scorer Casey Hammond.

“Brock is just a big-game player,” DeNault said. “He’s capable and we need that out of him. We don’t need 28, but we need him to press to the basket. I mean, he’s so stinkin’ strong ... there’s not a lot of guards at his level who can guard him.”

Lewis and Witges — considered to be the Spartans’ top scorers — picked up 14 points each and Stanhouse added eight points.

Wiggs had a splendid double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. John Cavender added 12 points, Hammond 12.

“Wiggs played well,” Witzel said. “Our guards couldn’t face up to get the ball to the post. We have to run high-lows and you can make two passes and get a layup. But to get the kids to do that is another thing.”

The Spartans host Carlyle next Tuesday, while the Cardinals play at Mater Dei Friday evening.

“We still have some work to do,” DeNault said. “We’re depending on (Witges) to make one-on-one plays for us, and we have to help each other get shots.”



Waltonville 69, Woodlawn 57

Waltonville 9 23 14 23—69

Woodlawn 15 12 14 16—57

WALTONVILLE (4-1)

Wheatley 7 13-16 28, Witges 4 3-8 14, Stanhouse 4 0-0 8, Compton 1 0-0 2, DJohnson 1 1-2 3, Lewis 4 3-4 14, Askew 0 0-0 0, McCoy 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 20-30 69

WOODLAWN (2-2)

Hammond 5 0-0 11, Wiggs 6 3-6 15, Dunbar 3 1-1 7, McNeil 2 1-2 5, Cavender 5 0-0 12, BJohnson 2 2-2 7. Totals 23 7-11 57

3-point goals — Waltonville 7 (Witges 3, Lewis 3, Wheatley), Woodlawn 4 (Cavender 2, Hammond, BJohnson). Team fouls — Woodlawn 15, Waltonville 24. Fouled out — Dunbar, Hammond. Preliminary: Woodlawn, 44-28.

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