Nate Walpole

SOUTH WHITLEY – First-year head coach Roger Fleetwood isn’t expecting the moon from his Whitko Wildcats. But he isn’t expecting his young team to lie down at the West Noble Boys Basketball Sectional, either.

Fleetwood, who has coached for over 35 years and is closing in on 500 wins (496 as of Feb. 23), knew getting the job at Whitko was going to take some work. Whitko barely had a dozen kids on the program roster come sectionals last season, but has the program numbers healthy again. And don’t look now, but the Fighting Fleetwoods are starting to figure it out.

Whitko lost its first seven games of the season, but were making a lot of progress with a roster where several were in the basketball program for the first time. A 21-point loss to Peru in the Miami County Tournament in December was actually a turning point game, according to Fleetwood.

“That Peru game, we started to turn it around,” Fleetwood stated. “They have two Division-1 players, and we stuck with them. We played pretty good ball. I really think our kids started to gain that confidence in themselves even in a loss like that.”

Whitko won the second game of the tournament against North Miami, its first win of the season and have steadily progressed since.

At the center of the build is sophomore Nate Walpole. Through 20 games, the mega-talented guard led the Wildcats at just over 20 points per game and averages 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game despite being the focal point of most defenses. Walpole came on as a freshmen, but has taken that next step as a sophomore.

“He’s still young as a sophomore and makes some sophomore decisions at times,” Fleetwood said. “But he has a tremendous sense for the game and getting his teammates involved. He still has so much to learn but is already a very good player.”

River West has become a second reliable scorer for the Wildcats. The freshman is scoring over 13 points per contest, but has come on late as his game continues to develop.

Senior Cole Kessie and junior Tanner Gaff have also provided Whitko with scoring touch and plenty of touches on the offensive and defensive ends. Kessie scores about eight points per game, but does so mostly from behind the three-point arc, hitting 41 bombs through 20 games. Gaff more than quadrupled his season scoring average with 18 points against Manchester Feb. 14 and is the team’s leading rebounder at over six per game.

The puzzle is starting to fit for Whitko, and with the right draw in the IHSAA Class 3-A West Noble Sectional, could put together a little run. Whitko will find out right away, having to take on Wawasee in the first game of the tournament, a 7 p.m. Tuesday matchup. The winner will then get Tippecanoe Valley, which drew the bye, at 6 p.m. Friday. Fairfield versus Lakeland and NorthWood Wood versus West Noble comprise the other half of the draw.

Fleetwood noted the sectional is split into two classes, the first with NorthWood, Fairfield, Tippecanoe Valley and Wawasee who are a touch better than the next class with his club, West Noble and Lakeland.

“In Indiana, it all comes down to the draw,” Fleetwood said. “The draw always matters. One night could do in a great team if they have an off night. The top teams feel more pressure to perform. It happens every year in the state. If we get a decent draw and don’t have to see three good teams in a row, who knows.”