ALEXANDRIA, IN - Wapahani assistant coach Jeff Andrews has seen a lot regarding his son Isaac and basketball. From the first time he dribbled a ball to when he scored his 1,000th point for the Raiders.
This season, he witnessed even more as Wapahani’s leading scorer passed 2,000 points and broke the school's scoring record. Yet in the sectional No. 40 semi-final final round, he saw arguably the senior’s most significant achievement when Isaac passed Muncie Central’s Ron Bonham (2,028 points) to become Delaware County’s all-time leading scorer.
“It was a little bit of a relief,” Jeff said. “He tried not to think about it, but people have been talking about it constantly. It was always on his mind, but I’m glad he got it.
“It reminds me of all the great players that have come through Delaware County, and for him to get it, it’s just awesome.”
While he knew his son could become a great athlete, he didn’t necessarily see this.
“I didn’t know what kind of work he would put in then,” he said. “I knew if he put in the work, he’d be good, but he has exceeded my expectations.”
In the 67-46 win over Wes-Del, Isaac started on a cold streak as he missed the first three shots he took inside ‘The Jungle’ at Alexandria-Monroe High School.
“I was shooting some bricks out there,” Isaac said. “It’s like a curse. When I get close to a milestone, nothing can go in.”
Coming to his aid were the other Raiders as the white and red jumped out to an 11-3 lead after a 9-0 scoring run. However, after knocking down two free throws and a 3-pointer, he needed two points to become the No.1 scorer in the 765.
The record-breaking basket came in the second quarter when he cut inside the paint and drained a jump shot, sending the Wapahani faithful into a frenzy.
“It’s pretty cool,” Isaac said. “Nobody else can say they were the No. 1 scorer in Delaware County.”
Following the basket, the Raiders (22-2) never looked back. They continued to score and the Warriors (9-14) could not answer their opponent's momentum.
History in sectional #40 at Alexandria-Monroe.
— Zach Carter (@ZachCarter85) March 2, 2024
Wapahani senior Isaac Andrews passed Muncie Central’s Ron Bonham and is now Delaware County’s all-time leading scorer.
This basket gives him 2,029 career points. @dn_sports pic.twitter.com/Mnyr024TaG
After the game, Wapahani fans gathered outside the Raiders’ locker room ready to celebrate. However, the scene down the hall was different as the Warrior crowd standing outside Wes-Del’s was quiet. With six seniors on the Warrior’s roster, the team took some time and those six were some of the last to leave the room.
“I’ve played with them my whole career,” junior Josiah Love said. “It’s hard to say goodbye.”
Even though senior Trey Adams had been through this situation during the fall with the Wes-Del football team, it didn’t make the moment any better.
“I love this school and this program,” he said. “It’s been great playing here.”
The last one to emerge from the room was first-year Wes-Del head coach Josh Burkett. As he looked back on the season, he knew he couldn’t have done it without those six upperclassmen.
“Change is always hard with seniors,” Burkett said. “These guys that made it through and dealt with the adversity we had with the change, I’m just so proud of them. I can’t say enough about them.”
Even though the campaign did not end the way they hoped, the future is bright for the black and maroon, according to Adams.
“[Burkett] is going to do really good things here,” he said. “He’s going to turn things around and make Wes-Del really good.”
While the Warriors’ season comes to a close, the Raiders peek at the championship trophy. Wapahani will face Monroe Central on Saturday, March 2. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
Wapahani comes into the game with two sectional wins by a margin of 15 plus points. To Wapahani head coach Matt Luce, the team’s momentum comes down to multiple factors.
“It’s our consistency and our attitudes,” he said. “We have another one that is going to be tough. Three games in four days… It's going to be tough. We play like our best player (Andrews). We’re very consistent and we’re good teammates.”
While their momentum has helped, the Raiders have also found success due to their depth. Andrews led the white and red with 21 points – which gives him 2,043 career points – and was followed by senior Nick Cook with 12. Sophomores Camden Bell and Eli Andrews each added nine.
The Raiders also defeated the Golden Bears 69-53 in the regular season, but to Luce, that does not matter. He is concentrated on taking every game like it’s his team’s last.
“We’re trying to play the right way,” Luce said. “Second of all, we had some younger guys in there that we feel gotta improve. We don’t want to take plays off and relax.
“We want them to know that it’s special to play in a sectional game and to be on Isaac Andrews’, Nick Cook’s, and [senior] Mason Barton’s team.”
Contact Zach Carter with comments at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or on X @ZachCarter85.
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