Waldoch reflects on Ranger basketball career

Basketball star readies for University of Concordia

Forest Lake’s boys basketball star Owen Waldoch started keeping track of his points on the refrigerator during his freshman year.

“I had a sheet on my fridge and I scored 9 points in that first game. I made a road to 1,000 points type of thing,” he said. He stopped updating it over time, and largely forgot about it until the beginning of this year.

“We found it in the back cupboard or something. I saw that I was within reach [of the boys all-time scoring record] and it was pretty cool,” he said. He also realized he was just 50 points shy from hitting 1,000 career points, which he hit on his 36th point of the game against White Bear Lake on Friday, Dec. 15, the Rangers’ home opener and second game of the season. (Waldoch would amass 44 points in that game alone – a single-game record for Rangers boys basketball.)

“I didn’t believe I’d reach the mark in just two, three games. I was just focused on getting wins at the time,” he said.

Waldoch orchestrated an impressive athletic journey as a Ranger, where the senior was a notable three-year starter under head coaches Dan Cremisino (2020-2021) and Kyle McDonald (2021-present). He played a crucial role in the team’s success this past season – helping lead his squad to a 16-13 overall record en route to the Section 7AAAA title game while averaging a season statline of 22.5 points per game to go along with 14 rebounds and four assists on the year.

It wasn’t until the halfway point of the season where Waldoch saw he was within reach of the all-time boys scoring record for the Rangers.

“Throughout the middle of the season, I kind of looked and saw I was getting close. Of course, you’re always looking at it, but it was just a matter of earning those wins first,” he said.

His offensive game paved the way for the senior icon to accomplish the rare and renowned feat. Waldoch broke the record of 1,446 points on Feb. 21 against East Ridge.

“It was pretty surreal. I always grew up looking at the little stat charts in our books and seeing those marks out in the stands hanging up and all that,” Waldoch said.

He noted that one of his favorite teams to compete against is Suburban East Conference rival East Ridge, the team he played while accomplishing the feat.

“I have a lot of buddies over there at East Ridge. They’re a good, well-run program. But honestly, I can just say that for all of the tough teams that are in our conference. They seem to be able to push us because they might seem a little bigger, faster and stronger than us – so they’re a great test for us to play against. There were a lot of fun games like that,” Waldoch said.

And while his 1,592 career points stand out, Waldoch also holds some hard-won victories as his favorite memories, too.

“Just this season overall was my main highlight, I would say. We had big wins against Mounds View and Maple Grove this year, who are great programs that we knew we could beat. We went out there and got the job done,” he said.

He added that he’ll miss being a Ranger, and has felt a wealth of support during his career.

“There’s nothing like the Forest Lake community,” Waldoch said. “The games, everybody shows up – the student section is always fun to see, especially after growing up in those same stands – it’s always filled with so much energy and it’s a lot of fun. When I got 1,000 points this season or broke the [ all-time] record, they always want the best for you and they support you all throughout.”

And the memories he carries as a Ranger will stay with him, like the Rangers’ win of their playoff game in 2022.

“We upset Centennial that year and it was just so much fun, especially when we all came together like that,” Waldoch said. “But my favorite season was by far this past season, my senior year. As friends, we all grew up playing together and it was a blast to have one last season with them and to perform the way we did.”

Now a Bear

The University of Concordia - St. Paul will soon be home to the Rangers’ hoops star. But not that long ago, Waldoch actually had dreams of a collegiate life smashing baseballs instead of dribbling on the court.

“I played baseball growing up, and then I also played football for one year,” Waldoch said. “I really wanted to play baseball in college – it was always my dream sport. When I got older, I kind of realized that basketball is the way to go and I started to develop some solid friendships and relationships with basketball. So I just started playing basketball. The goal then switched to playing that instead of baseball in college.”

It’s safe to say that the bucket-getter made the right choice, as Waldoch put together a number of key performances in his final season, recording single-game highs of 44 against White Bear Lake, 36 in a conference matchup with Stillwater in early February, and 43 points vs. Cretin Derham Hall later that same month.

The University of Concordia-St.Paul commit amassed a stretch of 20-plus points in seven consecutive games from Jan. 30 to Feb. 21, totaling 12 games with at least 20 points scored or more on the campaign.

“Growing up, I had to choose between the [baseball and basketball.] I truly didn’t know which one I would end up going with, but these last few years, I have grown towards basketball,” he said.

It was his relationship with the coaches at Concordia that opened the door to playing there.

“They let me in and it felt like home – so that’s when I kind of knew,” he said.

As Waldoch can look back on the last four years as a Forest Lake Ranger with a smile on his face, the Golden Bears commit aims to make his mark within another program.

“I know it’s going to be a tough challenge, but I’m ready for it. ... I just think it’s understanding that my role and impact from Forest Lake is going to be completely different now at Concordia. It’s reminding myself to work hard and keep my head on and everything will work out in the end,” he said.