Malachi Rogers in a game vs. Rose Hill in December.

By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington boys and girls basketball teams will resume their 2022-23 season Friday night when the Crusaders travel to Clearwater.

These are heady times for the two varsity teams, as both the boys and girls are in the running for an Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Championship (see standings below). Granted, it is early, with only two league games under their belts and eight games to play. Still, there has never been a time when the combined teams were 4-0 coming out of Christmas break.

These next two weeks will be crucial. Wellington girls will be playing a Clearwater team that has fought them tooth and nail for the past two seasons. Undefeated Andale is looming on the horizon.

The Lady Dukes are riding a 31-game winning streak for regular season games, and December was pretty impressive. They have won by double digits in every contest this season and have had five consecutive games with a running clock in the fourth quarter. The Crusaders’ lone “competitive” game came against Class 3A powerhouse Cheney. Wellington still won 50-38 and was comfortably in front for most of the fourth quarter.

Valerie Norwood in a game vs. Rose Hill earlier this season. (Click to enlarge)

But Clearwater will prove to be a challenge. For one thing, the Crusaders rarely play their best game there. Wellington was eliminated in the sub-state championship on a last-second shot in Clearwater in 2020-21. Last season, it had to take the Indians into overtime before winning – the only game in 2021-22 where the Crusaders were in overtime.

So Friday will be a test for the Crusaders.

As far as the boys are concerned, this is some unchartered water they are in – at least for more than a decade. Wellington is 6-1 and picked up big league double-digit wins over Rose Hill and El Dorado. Friday it has a very good chance to go 3-0 with a trip to Clearwater. The Indians have struggled and are 0-5.

If Wellington can get past Clearwater Friday, it will have a HUGE week when it hosts Collegiate on Tuesday and Andale on Friday. Those two teams have traditionally topped the AV-CTL DIV and there is little to indicate that the road goes through there again.

Wellington has never beaten Collegiate in boys basketball. This could be the year. However, the Spartans had three really good freshmen coming to the school program this year.

Both teams are currently ranked in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association poll on December 20. The girls are currently ranked No. 3 in Class 4A while the boys are ranked No. 8.

Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Standings: 

Scores and Schedule ahead:

Boys

Girls

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