FOREST PARK, Ohio — Winton Woods boys basketball coach Mike Pilgrim has every reason to smile this season.
“Our guys are playing real well,” Pilgrim said. “They’re building chemistry. They’re getting to know who they can truly be when it comes to the season and they’re getting to realize what it is to fight through certain adversities that we’ve went through. I can tell they are getting stronger and stronger as the season goes so I am very proud this team. They’re becoming very mature young men.”
The undefeated Warriors are certainly enjoying a special journey. Winton Woods has a 12-0 record for the first time since the 2000-01 season, according to athletic director Jeff Merrill.
The Warriors are excelling at both ends of the floor. Winton Woods, ranked No. 10 in Ohio by MaxPreps, averages 58.6 points and allows just 40.8 points per game.
Two players – seniors Nate Dawson and Dasai Bronson – are in the top three for assists per game in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference.
“I think that just tells you they like each other,” Pilgrim said of the team’s unselfishness on the court. “They like to work with each other. They like to be here with each other. They like to see each other win. And that’s always a mark of a good team and a good program.”
Junior guard Isaiah Mack-Russell averages 23.3 points and 6.9 rebounds.
“We’ve got a great group of guys here looking to defend,” Mack-Russell said. “Love to score the ball as well. A great unit. I’m having a lot of fun with this team.”
Mack-Russell, the grandson of the late former NBA player and NCAA coach Louis Orr, was a Division III second team all-state guard for Toledo Central Catholic in the 2024-25 season.
“The transition has been great,” Mack-Russell said. “From Toledo to Cincinnati – it’s been pretty amazing.”
Dawson, who is committed to play cornerback at Northwestern, averages 11.1 points for the Warriors, who play at Lebanon Friday night and at Clayton Northmont Saturday night.
Dawson said he’s savored every minute of this season journey.
“I’m enjoying it a lot,” Dawson said. “It’s my last season playing basketball. I started four years on the varsity team so it just means a lot to me.”
Defense has always been a staple of the program and this season is no different. Dawson estimates that 75% of practice consists of defense for the Warriors, who were a Division II regional finalist in 2025.
“We’re just really intentional with everything we do,” Dawson said. “Whether it’s the scouting report, whether it’s watching film, whether it’s trying to prevent turnovers in transition. It’s really the little things – that’s what stopped us from getting to the final four last year.”
