Wagner Red Raiders: Season Review

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The <strong>Wagner Red Raiders</strong> put together a strong and competitive campaign this season, finishing with 16 wins and coming just one victory shy of a trip to the State Tournament after a hard-fought appearance in the SoDak 16. While the ending fell just short of their ultimate goal, the foundation built throughout the year made it clear—this is a program on the rise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontStyle":"normal","fontWeight":"100"}},"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size" style="font-style:normal;font-weight:100">In this season review, we break down the numbers, highlight key performances, and share player insights from a team that continued to take steps forward. We also sit down for an in-depth Q&amp;A with Head Coach Josh Davies to get his perspective on the season, the growth of the group, and what's ahead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px">With only one senior graduating, Wagner returns a core loaded with experience and potential. Led by star guard [player_tooltip player_id='2132820' first='Jesse' last='Zephier'], supported by a group of quality athletes, and bolstered by an exciting wave of young talent, the Red Raiders are positioned to make serious noise moving forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Make no mistake—Wagner will be the real deal next season.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3560127,"width":"247px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/image_ca7fef.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/image_ca7fef.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3560127" style="width:247px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1842251,"width":"245px","height":"auto","aspectRatio":"1.601995841995842","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1842251" style="aspect-ratio:1.601995841995842;width:245px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Team Stats</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>62.4 points per game, 33.4 rebounds per game,&nbsp;55% 2 point percentage</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Player Stats</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2132820' first='Jesse' last='Zephier'] - 17.5 points per game, 86 assists, 52 steals</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2976821' first='Ky' last='Arpan']- 15.6 points per game, 230 rebounds</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3044405' first='Carlos' last='Galindo']- 15 points per game, 86 assists, 59 steals</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2706232' first='Michael' last='Koupal'] - 179 rebounds, 17 charges taken</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Player Comments with Coach Davies</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2132820' first='Jesse' last='Zephier'] (2027) |6'0 G| -</strong> "<em>He was our point guard, he led us in points scored, he shot the ball well from the outside and worked hard on defense.&nbsp;He is a student of the game and puts a ton of time in.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2976821' first='Ky' last='Arpan'] (2026) |6'1 G| - </strong>"<em>He was our pulse this year; he led by example and was our lone senior.&nbsp;He found different ways to score and worked hard on the boards.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3044405' first='Carlos' last='Galindo'] (2027) |5'10 G| -</strong> "<em>He was our hustle guy; he was our best on ball defender and is extremely athletic.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2706232' first='Michael' last='Koupal'] (2028) |6'1 SF| -</strong> "<em>He was our main presence in the paint, he rebounded well and was an excellent defender, he took a ton of charges and is a tough kid.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leon Fields (2027) |5'11 G| -</strong> "<em>He was great in transition and hit some big shots for us this season.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2957681' first='Colton' last='Zephier'] (2029) |5'7 G| -</strong> He shot the ball well and really improved his defense throughout the season</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2951413' first='Jakhi' last='Tiger'] (2027) |5'7 G| - </strong>"<em>He is extremely athletic and always finds ways to score.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jackson Woods (2030) |6'1 SF| -</strong> "<em>He is an 8^th&nbsp;grader with a strong desire to learn the game and found ways to impact the game in a positive way for us.</em>"&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2508303,"width":"312px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2508303" style="width:312px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">With Josh Davies</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We had a very successful season; we won 16 games and qualified for the SoDak 16.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: What are some of your best memories from off the court?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>All of my favorite memories with this team off the court are at practice, the way they worked and interacted with each other all year.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Can you talk about a time when you and the team overcame adversity?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We trailed at halftime in a lot of our games; we gave up 40 points to Platte and trailed by 9; the boys responded by scoring 48 points in the second half and winning by double digits.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who was your most improved player?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>This team had a lot of players who improved throughout the year, [player_tooltip player_id='2957681' first='Colton' last='Zephier'] stands out as a freshman who really impacted games for us with his shooting ability."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who were a few of your hardest workers?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2706232' first='Michael' last='Koupal'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3044405' first='Carlos' last='Galindo'] were our best defenders, which equals hard work.&nbsp;They shut down a lot of good payers this year; they also had many games where they led us in steals, rebounds and deflections which are stats that implicate hard work during the games.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Can you talk about your seniors?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2976821' first='Ky' last='Arpan'] was our only senior, we can't count the different ways he will be missed, he was our heart and soul, he was always consistent, he was a great teammate, students, and person.&nbsp;Ky led the team in rebounds and in big games he was the guy who stepped up and scored a lot of our points.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who was your top post player?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2706232' first='Michael' last='Koupal'] was our most consistent player inside; he was tough because he worked for rebounds and defended well.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who was your best defensive player and why?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2706232' first='Michael' last='Koupal'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3044405' first='Carlos' last='Galindo'] were our best defenders; they had determination and worked hard at it both on and off the ball.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Were there any memorable buzzer-beaters, upsets, or clutch performances?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2706232' first='Michael' last='Koupal'] rebounded a missed free throw and made a game winning shot as time expired to beat Scotland/Menno.&nbsp;Against Platte-Geddes, we had 3 players combined for 67 points in a big comeback win.&nbsp;[player_tooltip player_id='2976821' first='Ky' last='Arpan'], [player_tooltip player_id='3044405' first='Carlos' last='Galindo'] each scored 24 and [player_tooltip player_id='2132820' first='Jesse' last='Zephier'] had 19.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: What lessons from this season go beyond basketball?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Not giving up, all of our comeback wins show our players that if you just keep working hard, good things will happen for you and your team.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Can you talk about an assistant coach and how they helped the program?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We have great assistant coaches - Riley Kirwan has been coaching with me at Wagner for a long time, he always has good adjustments throughout the game and helps with scouting.&nbsp;Tanner Wince was a volunteer this year and he helped our team attitude immensely; he got players on our bench involved and excited.&nbsp;He helped our team chemistry and made sure everyone knew that their role was important.&nbsp;Sam Matzke helped out and is a great coach in our middle school.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Any last comments/thoughts on the season?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Many fans told me that this high school team was one of the most fun teams they had ever watched play.&nbsp;I believe fans felt that way because our players played hard and very unselfishly.&nbsp;It's fun to watch kids play fast and work hard together.&nbsp;We lost a great senior but have a lot of talent returning and we are already very excited for next season.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontStyle":"italic","fontWeight":"1000"}}} --> <p style="font-style:italic;font-weight:1000">BEST OF LUCK TO THE RED RAIDERS THIS OFF-SEASON!!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1399487,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/SD-1.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/SD-1.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1399487" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->