Under the direction of Stephen Dale, the Saint Paul’s basketball Wolves have been perennial contenders for the state championship since his start as the head coach in 2016.
This year, the Wolves are looking as if they’re not only a contender, but they look to be the team to beat.
Through nine games played, the Wolves are 7-2 with a schedule that Coach Dale explained is “probably the toughest non-district schedule we have ever played since I have been here.” When asked if this team has lived up to his preseason expectations, Coach Dale said that they are “exceeding our expectations so far.”
The Wolves have worked hard to improve and reach this level of success. Although the whole team constantly improves, Coach Dale highlights three players’ improvements since last season. He expressed that “Junior Reece Seicshnaydre has really taken a step forward as far as his ability to score. I would say that senior Blake Davis has taken a step forward with his defense and leadership. I would say Andrew Zibilich, the senior, has become a more consistent shooter.”
Andrew Zibilich’s improvement in shooting has turned him into a highly impactful player for the Wolves’ offense. His shooting was on proper display in the matchup versus East Jefferson, in which Zibilich shot 8-10 from deep and scored 26 points to lead the Wolves to a resounding 81-48 victory.
As the season pushes forward, the Wolves are poised to reclaim their district title and enter the playoffs as a contender for the Louisiana Division I Basketball State Championship. Coach Dale is confident in his team’s abilities saying, “If we can continue to get better a little bit each game, we should definitely be one of those teams in the mix of it come March.”
This season has been exciting and provides numerous reasons for optimism as the Wolves enter the heart of the season with their district schedule. If the Wolves are blessed with good health and continue their hard work, they should undoubtedly be among the teams vying to play in the Cajun Dome in March.