The Wakeland girls’ and boys’ basketball teams had fantastic 2026 seasons, with both unfortunately ending with losses to the Memorial Warriors.
The girls finished first in the district with a 13-1 record, closing out their best season to date. While they unfortunately lost 57-58 to Memorial on February 27th, they solidified their status as a strong team to watch in the coming years. When asked about the final game, sophomore Kaia Sanders had one word to describe it: “heartbreaking.”
The Lady Wolverines battled it out all the way to overtime but unfortunately fell one point short.
“The last game was so loud because there were so many people. It was so intense. Everyone was just so excited,” said Kaia.
“The way we played, we are a three-point shooting team, and we didn’t make a single three-pointer or free throw. If we had made one, we would have tied the game. But next year will be different.”
While they look ahead to next year, there are many things to which they can look forward. The Wolverines will move from 5A to 6A, which means an entirely different schedule. “Next year, I’m looking forward to playing new teams.” Said Kaia. “It’s going to be totally different, other schools, and a different atmosphere.”
Both teams are very supportive of each other, with many of the boys’ varsity players showing up to support the girls.
“I felt our girls played really well, and we’re all really proud of them,” said Senior Cedric Thornton.
“Sometimes the ball didn’t bounce our way, but it was still a great game, and unfortunately, we just didn’t come out on the winning side.”
The boys finished 4th in the district with a 9-5 record, making this season one of their best. With the game against Memorial being many seniors’ last game with Wakeland, the last buzzer was very bittersweet.
“We were kind of sad because it was a lot of our seniors’ last game, but we still had a lot of fun, and the crowd was electric,” says Cedric. “I’m looking forward to the future and playing basketball at Prairie View A&M. There’s going to be bigger competition, and I’m going to get to develop and improve my game at the next level.”
The boys’ playoff run this season is a complete turnaround from their 2024 season, in which they finished 6th in district with a 3-10 record. When asked about their improvement, Cedric said, “I’m proud of how far we’ve made it, and I’m excited to see how the team does next year.”
Congratulations to both teams on an amazing season, and best of luck in 6A next year!
