Photo courtesy of Dan Wagner
VALDERS, Wis. (WFRV) – Senior night is a special time for high school athletes; it’s their last chance to shine in front of their home fans and on Thursday night in Valders, it was extra heartfelt for the girls’ basketball team.
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Valders and Brillion tipped off on Thursday night in a special manner to allow senior point guard Audrey Wagner to score a free basket, as she sadly tore her ACL in a scrimmage during the first week of the season, missing her entire senior year.
Audrey’s father, Dan, served as an assistant coach this season after head coach Eric Otto invited him on for a ‘last dance’ with Audrey, the youngest of the four Wagner daughters.
Dan described the moment that Audrey went down on November 15 as among the most emotional moments of his life thus far, but said that the special senior night send-off was beautiful.
“What was beautiful to me last night was that Audrey stood tall, carried herself with honor and the support for her proved to me that we had raised a daughter we could be proud of,” Dan said.
And while it was unfortunately not the memory they had imagined for a senior night before the season, it was a thrill for Audrey to experience a plan that came together just hours before tip.
“Audrey was thrilled to know that we would be willing to do this for her,” Dan said. “Each layer of it came together either the day before or the day of senior night.”
Photo courtesy of Dan Wagner
Game officials and both head coaches agreed to facilitate the tipoff for Wagner. Dan sent Local 5 footage of the many moments that captured not just a special basket, but a special send-off.
Audrey and her fellow seniors were introduced for the final time in front of the home crowd, and with a big brace on her right leg, she walked over to her dad, made a jump shot motion and hugged him; but that was just the beginning, as it was time for the game.
The tip-off was tossed directly to Brillion, who scored a free basket as agreed, but then the special moment arrived. Anna Olson inbounded it to Zoey Siders, then back to Olson, who passed it to Megan Hochkammer near the paint.
Audrey received the bounce pass from her teammate and put the final touch on her high school basketball career, at least, on the court, with a quick basket.
Then, hand-in-hand with her fellow seniors, Audrey walked off the court straight to Dan, and the father-daughter duo hugged it out in an emotional scene with an uproarious standing ovation from the gymnasium.
Dan told Local 5 that it was a relief for him to see Audrey get a final opportunity to be on the court.
Photo courtesy of Dan Wagner
“Every game day for years, those 5 seniors spent the time between the end of school and the game time together as best friends and to see them walk her off the court was very special,” Dan said.
As a coach, Dan said it was pleasing for the outstanding sportsmanship and respect that the two opponents have for each other. He added that it highlights the thrills of being a high school athlete.
In spite of the unfortunate injury, Dan says there was a silver lining—it gave them some of the most emotional moments of their lives as a father-daughter duo.
“Things like fear as she walked off the court, tears as we learned her fate, relief as she walked on her own and last night, unbelievable joy,” Dan said.
The whole Wagner family lives and breathes basketball, as Dan told Local 5, he’s built a special bond with each of his daughters because of their shared love of the game.
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“With Audrey, she and I will forever cherish the opportunity we had to share this basketball season with one another,” Dan said. “She sits next to my left for every game and coaches just as much as I do. I hope to be her assistant coach someday in the future, boy do I love that girl!”
So, for Audrey and Dan Wagner, while it was far from what they had hoped for on a senior night back before the season, it ended up being not just a special and emotional one, but one that they’ll never forget.
