Recently, the Windsor High School basketball team, under the leadership of head coach Jonathan Rakiecki (staff), won the state championship title for the first time in 101 years. This long-awaited win has not only brought joy to the players and coaching staff but also united the school in celebration of this achievement.
For generations, the team’s history has had near misses and heartbreaks. The last time they were able to clinch the championship was over a century ago, a fact that weighed heavily on the minds of the players and the coaching staff. With the heartbreak of last season it was a constant reminder to the team; they used this to turn that heartbreak into motivation, which led them to the state championship.
The journey to the championship was anything but easy. The Wizards and Rakiecki faced numerous challenges throughout this season, including facing 6A teams as a 5A team.
“Our scheduling had been really hard because we are a 5A school, but in a 23-game season we would have only played four games with 5A teams. The rest were 6A teams,” Rakiecki said.
Rakiecki, who has been a coach of the basketball team for ten years, brought a vision for the program that not only emphasized winning but also teamwork and character development. This progam fostered the team to win as a team and lose as a team.
Morgen Sholder (11) said, “He has taught me a lot throughout my seasons on the basketball team, which has not only helped me but the team too.”
Although this championship is a huge accomplishment for Rakiecki and his team, Rakiecki has extended his impact off the court. Over these ten years, Rackiecki has created a culture of discipline, teamwork and sportsmanship, shaping not only the player’s skill, but also their character outside the game.
Rakiecki is also a teacher at Windsor and has influenced many students. Kylie Becker (11), a student of his said, “He taught me a lot in my world history class. He was just really good with his words which made the lectures so much more interesting.”
After the school celebrated the team’s win with an assembly honoring the players and coach Rakiecki, it’s clear that this state championship is more than a win for Rakiecki; it’s another achievement that Rakiecki can add to his legacy as a coach at WHS.
This victory will resonate for generations just as the other one did, inspiring future Wizard basketball players to strive for greatness. This is because of all the work Rakiecki put in while being the head coach for the Wizards.
“I am really proud of our players and our staff. We were able to accomplish something huge for our school, but also for ourselves,” Rakiecki said.
