White Hawks Beat Delano Again to Secure Section Win 

The atmosphere at the Hawks Nest was electric on March 5, as the Mound Westonka White Hawks faced off against Delano in a highly anticipated rematch. Just five days earlier, the White Hawks had traveled to Delano with hopes of earning a home game in the first round of the section tournament. A hard-fought victory there secured the opportunity to host the quarterfinal game in front of their home crowd.

Delano, led by senior Jake Schultz, came out strong, displaying solid team basketball and knocking down 3-pointers to build an early 14-8 lead. However, the Hawks weathered the storm, regrouping at halftime and coming out ready to battle in the second half. Like the previous game at Delano, this one would come down to the wire. In the end the White Hawks team defense and timely offensive execution helped them pull out a 77-75 victory. Senior captains Cole Drill and Max Kraay led the way in scoring with 20 and 19, respectively.

This victory was a significant win for Westonka in the Section quarterfinals, setting up an exciting semifinal matchup against the No. 1 seeded Benilde-St. Margaret’s Red Knights. 

Hawks Battle Hard but Fall to Red Knights in Section SemiS

On a beautiful sunny Saturday, March 8, the Westonka fan base came out in full force to cheer on the White Hawks as they faced top-seeded Red Knights at Benilde-St. Margaret’s. With a 25-2 record, the Red Knights are widely regarded as one of the top-ranked teams in the state, regardless of class. While the challenge was undeniably daunting, the White Hawks drew inspiration from their unforgettable upset in 2022, when they stunned BSM on the same court with a thrilling comeback victory to keep their state tournament hopes alive.

From the tip-off, the White Hawks showed they were not intimidated by the athletic and highly-acclaimed Red Knights. Mound Westonka quickly built an early 13-8 lead, with Drill making multiple strong drives to the rim and Kraay knocking down key 3-pointers. At the six-minute mark of the first half, the White Hawks were still in striking distance, down 24-20, but BSM managed to close the half with a 10-point advantage, leading 40-30.

As the second half began, the Red Knights’ defensive intensity, relentless rebounding and shotmaking proved too much for the Hawks to overcome. Benilde-St. Margaret’s quickly extended their lead to 20 points, and despite the White Hawks’ continued efforts to battle back, they eventually fell 86-61, ending their season. A positive from this game, Kraay officially becomes the all-time leading scorer in Mound Westonka basketball history. He finishes with 1,505 career points scored.

The game was particularly emotional for the White Hawks, as this year’s roster included 10 seniors, many of whom had been playing together since second grade. For these families, Saturday marked the end of an era in Westonka basketball. The White Hawks and their fans can be proud of their efforts throughout the season and the fight they gave on the court. With a final record of 19-9, the White Hawks’ season came to a close, but their resilience and team spirit will be remembered by all.