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New Wohler father-son pair reaches top

By Brian Stensaas, Star Tribune, 03/27/11, 12:25AM CDT

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Orono earns school's first basketball title


Orono head coach Barry Wohler and players celebrated their 3A championship at the final horn. Marlin Levison, Star Tribune


Brady Wohler was leading scorer for Orono. Marlin Levison, Star Tribune

Much to the chagrin of tournament personnel, a few of Orono’s players instinctively ran into the student section after the final horn Saturday.

Funny thing, instincts. Sometimes you just get that hunch.

Such was the case for Spartans coach Barry Wohler.

Well before his perma-grin flashed brightly outside Orono’s locker room inside Target Center after stopping Columbia Heights 85-76 for the Class 3A championship, Wohler decided to let his team loose for the final game of the season.

“I felt like I was over-coaching,” Wohler said. “The reins were a little too tight. Let’s get them going after making [it this far] and take the first good available shot.”

Normally, that task falls to leading scorer Jordan Smith. The senior guard put Orono into the championship game with a combined 51 points in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

But Saturday he picked up his third foul with 7 minutes, 32 seconds left in the first half, forcing him to become a spectator.

That’s when Brady Wohler took over and displayed some free-wheeling style.

The junior guard — and coach’s son — scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in that stretch.

He had made only four field goals the previous two games, but peaked at the opportune moment.

“He gets that from his mother,” Barry Wohler laughed.

Actually, probably not.

The title is Orono’s first, but not for Wohler family.

Coached by his father, Jerry, Barry played on the Bird Island-Lake Lillian teams that won back-to-back Class A championships in 1980 and ’81.

Barry also played on state championship football teams there in 1979 and ’80.

Brady watched videotapes of those games growing up, and now has some highlights of his own to add to the collection.

Just as his dad thought might happen all along.

“Orono’s always kind of been a hockey town, but I feel like after this, we can maybe get some basketball pride there,” Brady Wohler said. “It’s great that we can share this experience.”

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