Shawano Leader Sports Headlines
Haffner named CWC-10 Player of the Year
Leader Staff
Leader Photo Gresham Community High School senior guard Christian Haffner topped the CWC-10 in scoring and assists while leading the Wildcats to a 15-3 mark and second place in the league. Haffner, a four-year starter who helped Gresham to 57 victories over the past three seasons, was named the conference’s Player of the Year.
Gresham Community High School senior Christian Haffner has been named the boys basketball Player of the Year and first-team All-Central Wisconsin Conference-10.
Haffner led the Wildcats to a 15-3 mark and second place in the CWC-10.
“Christian probably had a good enough year to win it last year, too, but he’s been a big reason we’ve had the kinds of seasons we’ve had since he’s been here,” Gresham coach Jeff Zobeck said. “He’s a shooter first of all, but over the years he’s developed to where he can get to the basket and score, too.”
Haffner, a 6-foot-1 guard, averaged 24.9 points and 4.9 rebounds for Gresham, whose 15-3 conference mark was good enough for second place. Haffner, whose 449 points in league play were 167 more than the conference’s second-leading scorer, has been at the center of the Wildcats’ 57 wins over the past three seasons.
Gresham sophomore Neal Cerveny was named to the all-conference second team. Cerveny averaged 12.3 points and 3.3 assists as the Wildcats compiled a 21-4 overall mark.
“Neal took a big step for us this year,” Zobeck said. “He’s a good shooter with good quickness who can get to the rim. He’s also a heady player who I can trust guarding the opponent’s best player.”
Senior guards Michael Pecore, of Menominee Indian, and Chase Nueske, of Bowler, were also second-team All-CWC-10 selections. Pecore’s 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists led the Eagles, whose 10-8 record was good enough for a first-division finish, while Nueske was the league’s leading rebounder with 10.8 per game. His 13.4 scoring per game gave him a double-double average for the season.
Honorable mention awards went to Bowler senior Cody Montez (14.1 points per game), Tigerton senior Jacob Minniescheske (league second-best 9.5 rebounds per game) and Marion senior Jared Sawall (15.9 points per game).
CENTRAL WISCONSIN CONFERENCE-10
ALL-CONFERENCE
BOYS BASKETBALL
First team: Josh Schraeder, Port Edwards, senior; Chris Montag, Port Edwards, senior; Jared Joslin, Port Edwards, junior; Tanner Hudziak, Wild Rose, junior; Aaron VandeCastle, Wild Rose, senior; Christian Haffner, Gresham, senior.
Second team: Austin Bunders, Almond-Bancroft, junior; Dylan Bunders, Almond-Bancroft, sophomore; Chase Nueske, Bowler, senior; Michael Pecore, Menominee Indian, senior; Christian Baker, Rosholt, senior; Neal Cerveny, Gresham, sophomore.
Honorable mention: Cody Montez, Bowler, senior; Collin McCarville, Port Edwards, senior; Sawyer Fleming, Rosholt, freshman; Dayton Jones, Tri-County, senior; Kasey Zdroik, Tri-County, senior; Jacob Minniecheske, Tigerton, senior; Jared Sawall, Marion, senior.
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Leader Staff
Bonduel High School junior center Peyton Czarapata was a first-team selection to the All-Central Wisconsin Conference-8 boys basketball team announced this week.
Czarapata averaged 14.6 points and 8.8 rebounds a game for the third-place Bears.
“Peyton played mostly junior varsity last year, so most of the teams didn’t know much about him this season,” Bonduel coach Duke Copp said. “The biggest turnaround for him this season was in his confidence. It’s nice that he’s coming back for another year.”
The Bears landed two on the second team — senior guards Connor Rosin and Colton Dobratz.
“Connor did everything for us,” Copp said of Rosin, a three-year starter. “He sacrificed scoring to pass the ball and play defense. We’ll miss him big time.
“And Colton carried us many times from about mid-season on. He had games of 24, 27 points. We’ll miss his experience.”
Wittenberg-Birnamwood freshman Trevor Groshek’s 10.4 points and 2.4 assists were enough to earn him honorable mention all-conference honors.
Pacelli’s James Gollon, who averaged 30.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in league play, was named the conference Player of the Year.
CENTRAL WISCONSIN-8
ALL-CONFERENCE
BOYS BASKETBALL
First team: Kristian Welch, Iola-Scandinavia, junior; James Gollon, Pacelli, senior; Nate Schmidt, Shiocton, sophomore; Tyler Biadasz, Amherst, junior; Garrett Groshek, Amherst, junior; Peyton Czarapata, Bonduel, junior.
Second team: Braiden Garbe, Iola-Scandinavia, senior; Gavin Braun, Shiocton, senior; Gage Kamp, Shiocton, junior; Dylan Pankow, Weyauwega-Fremont, junior; Connor Rosin, Bonduel, senior; Colton Dobratz, Bonduel, senior.
Honorable mention: Evan Fuhs, Iola-Scandinavia, senior; Matthew Radloff, Manawa, senior; Shane Manthy, Manawa, junior; Colin Jamison, Pacelli, senior; Trevor Groshek, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, freshman; Connor Zblewski, Amherst, senior; Amaziah McCall, Amherst.
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Gary Seymour, [email protected]
Contributed Photo Shawano Community High School freshman Brandon Zoll, who won the silver medal at the Shelly Glover Memorial Race on Jan. 16 in Marquette, Michigan, is the first Shawano athlete ever to compete at the junior championships level of ski racing.
When a 15-year-old boy hears that, on the path he is taking, he’s going downhill — and fast, nearly 100 percent of the time the rest of the discussion does not go well.
To Brandon Zoll, it means job well done.
Zoll, a freshman at Shawano Community High School, is making a name for himself as an elite alpine skier. He recently finished in the top half of an Under-16 competition against the country’s best skiers at the Rocky Central Junior Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; this after winning the silver medal in the Super G event at the Shelly Glover Memorial in Marquette, Michigan, Jan. 16.
Super-G, or super giant slalom, is a speed event, in contrast to the technical events of slalom and giant slalom, wherein skiers must negotiate a series of 50 to 60 gates, 10 to 12 meters apart for the slalom and 24 meters apart in giant slalom.
“The Shelly Glover Memorial was huge,” said Ron Lawrence, a Shawano resident and coach of the Wausau-based Granite Peak Ski Team, of which Zoll is a member. “What he did there was really big. It was the equivalent of a football team winning a state title.”
Zoll is a gifted athlete who played nose tackle for Shawano’s freshman football team last fall, and will high jump and run the 400 for the track team this spring. But ever since the first time he joined his father, Matt, and Lawrence to sample alpine skiing at Michigan’s Norway Mountain, he was irretrievably hooked.
“It’s quite different from everything else I do,” Zoll said. “What I like most about it is the sheer speed. It’s a different state of mind when I’m on the course — knowing that, if I were to fall, I could actually die.”
Sixty miles per hour, wearing no seat belt, with gravity doing its thing — this would indeed be an effective reminder of one’s mortality.
It would also be a fine source of that storied adrenaline rush.
“Brandon has a knack for going fast,” Lawrence said. “He thrives off speed and he’s unshakable when the pressure is on.”
Brandon’s father, Matt Zoll, has coached high school football, basketball and golf at Shawano, and been an assistant coach for the Team Norway ski team for the past five years. When his son joined the Granite Peak Ski Team, dad followed suit, as an assistant coach for the traveling program.
Having a family member on board helps Brandon maintain an arduous practice schedule that involves much time and travel. Brandon also acknowledged the good-hearted nature of his teachers at Shawano for their flexibility in allowing him the wiggle room to complete some of his assignments away from the classroom.
“Often times when you have a promising young skier, the coaches of the national or Olympic ski teams will prefer that the skier not go to college, in order to spend most of their time skiing,” Lawrence said. “It’s an uphill battle to get on a national ski team. It comes down to how much perseverance the skier has. Elementally, they’re still young at 18. There’s that gymnastics philosophy — push you early to get on a team, and if you decide to go to college, it makes it difficult for you.”
Brandon has high hopes for his skiing career — among his next major goals is to qualify for the U-18 national team at Copper Mountain, Colorado. But he’s also an excellent student who plans on going to college to study business.
“Soon I’ll be done with skiing until June, then I’ll go to a camp in Oregon,” he said. “Some mountains there are high enough to where there’s still real snow on them in June. I just want to keep striving to get better. I couldn’t believe I took second place (at the Shelly Glover Memorial). It was very exciting. I’ve loved skiing since I started. So far, this has been my best year.”
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Gary Seymour, [email protected]
In a boys high school basketball season bookended with games against Merrill — a season-opening 54-34 win on the road and a season-ending 43-41 sectional defeat — the high points for Shawano in between those games far outweighed the lows.
After a loss to Seymour on Dec. 12, Shawano established itself as not only one of the area’s premier teams but also one of the toughest places to win. The Hawks won their remaining 12 games at home.
Suffocating defense was Shawano’s calling card, as three times the Hawks held an opponent to less than 30 points — a 62-24 win over Marinette, a 43-21 clipping of Clintonville and the postseason zenith, a 55-28 regional-title win over Hortonville.
The Hortonville win was notable in that it figured to be a close game — which it was until the opening tipoff. A more thorough drubbing could not have been imagined, or expected. Shawano’s 9-0 early lead only kept ballooning.
The whole of the team was greater than the sum of the parts, as you might expect, but there were some impressive parts.
Six-foot-six junior Zeke Gueths was the center of the Hawks’ solar system; his combination of strength and finesse made him the go-to guy in the halfcourt offense, the one who defenses had to make certain to mark. Even with the constant attention, he averaged 12 points and five rebounds a game and was a first-team All-Bay Conference selection.
Gueths, who next season will undoubtedly see even more defenses tailored to stop him, had a double-double in one of Shawano’s other quality wins. He knocked down 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 69-62 win over West De Pere, the conference’s second-place team and a sectional finalist.
Senior point guard Zach Sousek, a second-team all-conference pick, was the Hawks’ quarterback and arguably the heart of the team. Sousek, whose explosive first step and exceptional leaping ability made him a difficult defensive assignment, could have easily scored more than the nine points a game he averaged.
As Shawano coach Chris Kellett noted, though, Sousek is the quintessential competitor, repulsed by losing of any sort. Those kinds of players are the ones you want on your side, and Sousek’s successor at the point next year will have big shoes to fill.
Forward Jack Lacy, another leaper who jumped center for the Hawks, was an honorable mention all-conference choice, averaging about seven points and four boards a game. He is a considerable talent whose best playing days are ahead of him.
If not for an injured quadriceps muscle that kept him out of commission for eight games, senior forward Sajen Knueppel likely would have garnered some type of all-conference mention. His inspired play down the stretch gave Shawano’s opponents one more headache to worry about, and his enthusiasm on both offense and defense was contagious.
Freshman Eric Carl was Kellett’s ace-in-the-hole, and along with Gueths and Adam Bartz, he is a big reason to feel good about the Hawks’ prospects next season. Carl, a 3-point specialist with uncanny range, sank a number of his team-leading 61 3-pointers from far beyond the arc. He hit seven of 14 treys in Shawano’s 61-53 overtime win over Luxemburg-Casco.
Braden Mueller was a steady-rolling backcourt asset, as his 43 assists put him second on the team behind Sousek. His five 3-point field goals helped lift the Hawks to their season-opening win over Merrill.
Bartz, a junior forward, and Dylan Hintz, a senior center, were unsung role players who were effective contributors off the bench. Bartz was the team’s third-leading rebounder behind Gueths and Lacy. Hintz, a court-savvy center who was valuable giving Gueths the occasional breather, hit a remarkable 68 percent of his field goals.
The storybook end to the Hawks’ season, naturally, would have been a trip to Madison, plus two more wins after they got there. Nothing will erase that which they accomplished. It is worth remembering that some schools go four or five seasons without winning a total of 19 games.
Basketball nights at the Shawano gym — from the tight school band, to the clever cheering section, to the dominant home team — were a high-energy soiree, the stuff of great memories. The farther away it appears in the rear-view mirror, the better 2014-15 will look.
HAWKS STATS
Shawano Community High School
2014-15 Boys Basketball Statistics
Name G 2-pt FG 3-pt FG FT Pts Ast Reb
Zeke Gueths 25 88-172 15-37 80-99 301 15 123
Zach Sousek 25 54-109 7-28 87-119 216 65 74
Eric Carl 25 5-14 61-130 12-17 205 20 34
Jack Lacy 25 20-42 38-104 32-44 186 33 102
Sajen Knueppel 17 39-74 6-16 34-51 130 14 40
Braden Mueller 25 4-18 34-111 7-15 117 43 47
Adam Bartz 25 6-17 8-21 12-28 48 24 75
Dylan Hintz 25 15-22 0-0 7-21 37 9 51
Kaden Richards 14 6-11 4-9 2-2 26 3 5 14
Jacob Lacy 8 0-2 5-7 5-8 20 0 3
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Gary Seymour, [email protected]
Photo by Thomas Kujawski The Shawano Community High School student section becomes silent as the Hawks lose, 43-41, in the final seconds of the WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal game Thursday in Stevens Point.
Photo by Thomas Kujawski Shawano Community High School junior Zeke Gueths drives to the basket against Merrill in the WIAA Division 2 Sectional Semifinal game Thursday in Stevens Point. Shawano lost, 43-41.
As endings go, this was the sumptuous gourmet dinner where the seventh course gave you food poisoning.
A brilliant season and a busload of dreams came to a stomach-turning halt Thursday night in Stevens Point when the Merrill High School boys basketball team battled back in the fourth quarter to knock off Shawano 43-41 in a semifinal of the WIAA Division 2 Marshfield Sectional.
Merrill took its first and only lead of the game with 3.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter on a pair of free throws by Chas Mootz, culminating a comeback whereby the Blue Jays erased an 11-point deficit over the final six and a half minutes.
“We had our chances,” Shawano coach Chris Kellett said. “They wanted it more and played harder in the second half. They got to most of the 50-50 balls, and our shots weren’t falling.”
It looked like a blueprint of the earlier meeting between the two teams, when Shawano broke open a close game with deft outside shooting and won going away, 54-34.
This time the Hawks were unable to shift into the put-away gear. At every turn where it looked like Shawano was going to run away with it, the Hawks failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities, and Merrill played tough enough to hang around and make it interesting.
“An absolute dogfight,” was how Merrill coach Kurt Soderberg characterized the showdown. “I’d rather not play Shawano anymore. They’re a good, senior-dominated team, and Chris does a wonderful job with them. We felt like (senior center) Keenan Stellingworth was our only guy who could match up with (Shawano center) Zeke Gueths, and that (Mootz) was our only player who could match up with (Shawano point guard Zach) Sousek. Those are two very solid players.”
Mootz turned in a big defensive play at the close of the second half, as Shawano was playing for a last shot while protecting a 24-15 lead. Mootz made a clean steal from Sousek and drove the length of the court for a layup with 1.2 seconds left that cut Merrill’s deficit to a manageable 24-17.
Still, it looked like all systems go for Shawano, which led 36-29 after three quarters and then 40-29 with 6:24 left in the game on a bucket and two free throws by Gueths (11 points).
Then the Hawks went cold. Sousek’s free throw with 1:16 left would be their final point of the season, and the Blue Jays (16-9) crept back on a basket by Mootz and a 3-pointer and pull-up jumper by Jake Anderson.
“We just couldn’t put the foot down,” said freshman Eric Carl, whose 12 points led Shawano.
A basket by 6-8 sophomore center Jon Gruetzmacher made it 41-39 with :55 left, and Mootz tied it at 41 on an offensive rebound with :07.7 remaining. After a scramble following a tipped pass on the ensuing inbound, Mootz came up with the loose ball, drove to the hoop and drew the foul that put him at the line for the game-winning foul shots.
Lost in the dejection of a second straight season-ending loss at the sectional semifinal was the strong performance by senior center Dylan Hintz, who turned in quality minutes spelling a foul-saddled Gueths.
“Anytime you win 19 games, it’s a great year,” said Kellett, whose team finished 19-6. “I’m proud of all our guys. Our seniors showed great leadership this year and worked hard at every practice. It was a disappointing loss, but it was a very good season for us.”
Merrill (43)
Reissmann 1 2-3 4, Anderson 4 0-1 10, Stevenson 2 0-0 4, Stellingworth 2 0-0 4, Mootz 6 5-9 17, Gruetzmacher 2 0-0 4.
Shawano (41)
Knueppel 1 2-5 4, Mueller 1 0-0 3, Sousek 1 7-10 9, Lacy 0 2-3 2, Carl 4 0-0 12, Gueths 4 3-4 11.
Merrill 4 13 12 14 — 43
Shawano 13 11 12 5 — 41
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Gary Seymour, [email protected]
Photo by Jen Kuhn Shawano Community High School senior point guard Zach Sousek, who scored 12 points in the Hawks’ 55-28 regional championship victory over Hortonville on March 7, is among a throng of Shawano regulars equally adept on the fast break and in the halfcourt offense. Shawano faces Merrill in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal Thursday in Stevens Point.
Dozens of close plays, foul calls, missed and made buckets all factor into the outcome of any basketball game. There are almost as many such variables as there are ticks on the scoreboard clock.
There are also scores of reasons to believe Shawano Community High School will stay on its current hot streak and remain alive in the WIAA Division 2 state tournament. Some reasons are more persuasive than others, of course, and earned the right to appear in this column.
To that end, here is your starting lineup of reasons why Shawano will take the measure of Merrill on Thursday and advance to Saturday’s sectional final.
1. Shot selection: Granted, my perspective is limited in that I’ve only seen Shawano play since late January. Usually, though, if you watch a team long enough, there are the inevitable times a player will try a shot with two or three defenders on him, or throw up an off-balance heave that doesn’t have a snowball’s chance at the equator, or pop away shortly after crossing midcourt because he’d hit his last two and he’s feeling invincible. I cannot recall a single instance where someone in a Hawks uniform let fly one of those attempts so ill-advised that you’re shaking your head and wondering, “What the heck?” or sentiments in that general neighborhood. The way that the Hawks value possession of the ball is a testament to coach Chris Kellett’s instruction, and the players’ execution of it.
2. The crowd they run with: “Cheap baskets” can be something of a misnomer, because the team scoring one often forced a turnover to set it up. Nothing cheap about that. Shawano had a couple of handfuls of easy buckets in its regional-title smashing of Hortonville. The Hawks’ physical, defense-intensive brand of ball might suggest that they are averse to running, which is about a light year or so away from the truth. Jack Lacy and Sajen Knueppel are fast, high-flying forwards whose vertical propulsion often finds them above the rim at the end of a fast break. Both are outstanding finishers who can electrify a gym and turn the momentum of a game. As an added bonus, senior point guard Zach Sousek is as reliable a fast-break finisher as you could hope for in a point guard less than 6 feet tall.
3. The 3-ball: In the Dec. 5 meeting between Shawano and Merrill, won by Shawano 54-34, two Hawks in particular sounded the dirge for Merrill with their 3-point field goal shooting. Can you guess which two? If you said Eric Carl and Sousek, good guess, but wrong. Guard Braden Mueller made five of seven 3-pointers, and Lacy hit three out of four. Literally any of the Hawks who Kellett sends out can get hot from beyond the arc, which spells trouble for opposing pivot men dealing with 6-5 junior Zeke Gueths underneath. Carl, a freshman, leads the regulars this season in 3-point shooting, hitting 46 percent of his treys. Second-best among regulars is Gueths (43 percent), their leading rebounder.
4. Defense rarely slumps: Off shooting nights can happen anytime. Same with ball handling, or passing. But, as is the case in the baseball axiom which holds that basepath speed never goes into a slump, an off night of defense for Shawano is unlikely. Defense in basketball, as my high school coach averred, is 90 percent desire. At Shawano, which has allowed an average of 42 points a game and has given up 60 points just twice this season, there is no shortage of desire. Regardless of how the Hawks may shoot the ball, their D will show up.
5. Intangibles: The verbatim quote escapes me, but I’m pretty sure it was some French guy who said something to the effect of, “There is no greater force in this world than the human soul on fire.” There are about 15 or so such souls at Shawano right now. It is apparent in the body language, the ceaseless hustle and the sense of urgency that even at this point in their young lives, the Hawks are aware — certainly the seniors are — that they might never pass this way again, that this opportunity is of the one-shot variety, and to not grab it with both hands and squeeze would be a regret they are not ready to countenance. No 20-point win this time, maybe, but whether the margin of victory is one point or 40, the Hawks would take it. Take it, they will.
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Gary Seymour, [email protected]
Through simple addition by subtraction, the next football season at Menominee Indian High School became a lot more compelling.
The Eagles signed on to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s eight-man football program, a move that figures to pump new life into the flagging state of affairs the school has endured on the field for the past seven or eight autumns.
“We started talking about going to eight-man football when we had a hard time getting players to show up for practice at the beginning of the 2012 season,” Menominee Indian Athletic Director Chuck Raasch said. “But low numbers have been a problem on and off since 2007.”
There has been no junior varsity football team at Menominee Indian for the past two seasons, due to both low numbers and the school’s having to cancel Monday JV games on account of too many injuries sustained at a Friday or Saturday varsity game.
The injury angle is what makes eight-man football a logical and wise option for smaller schools. Menominee Indian, which finished last football season with a 1-8 record, has an enrollment of 252; there were 23 players in the program last season, grades nine through 12.
“We’re hoping that a more ‘level playing field’-type of interest in football will increase at our school,” Raasch said. “Talking with schools that have gone to eight-man, we learned that there’s a sense of pride that comes with success on the field.”
Two years after its foray into eight-man football, Bowler High School Athletic Director Jeff DePerry left no ambiguity in evaluating its impact.
“Simply and basically, it saved our program,” he said. “We looked at our numbers, and the various safety issues involved in continuing with the 11-man football, and it wasn’t a difficult decision. It was an easy fit for us.”
DePerry, whose school co-ops in the eight-man program with Gresham, underscored Raasch’s point about the continual danger that players at smaller schools face competing against bigger schools with stacked rosters. Low turnout for 11-man football means that players from the lower levels — who ordinarily would not yet be varsity material — would often be called up to the varsity to fill the holes in the roster.
It is not only dispiriting for a 120-pound freshman to get knocked on his back side every play by bigger, more experienced opponents; it is a legitimate health concern, particularly given the spate of concussions the game routinely yields.
Bowler/Gresham went 6-3 in 2013, its first year of eight-man, and qualified for the 8-Player Jamboree. The WIAA divides eight-man football schools into North and South divisions. The jamboree is not a playoff, but an end-of-the-year showcase for the eight-man game featuring teams from the North vs. teams from the South.
“We lost that jamboree game 47-46,” DePerry recalled. “That’s another aspect of the eight-man game that really appeals to the kids — there is potential for a lot of scoring. There are games where teams are scoring in the 70s and 80s. Face it, young kids like to score, and they like to see a lot of scoring.”
A cursory glance at last year’s jamboree results illustrates his point. Two of the four games ended with final scores of 58-40 and 80-32.
“Some games seem to be more up-tempo and high scoring,” Raasch said. “Others are more traditional, with a grind-it-out style. I’m thinking, like with 11-man, you play to your strengths and try to take advantage of an opponent’s weakness.
“Like with any new direction, the reaction has been wait-and-see. But it’s still the same game, just with three fewer players. Once the players got on the field, they liked it.”
Menominee Indian hopes to have enough players for separate varsity and junior varsity teams. The varsity schedule is set — two games against Sevastopol and one each with Gibraltar, Bowler/Gresham, Lena, Green Bay NEW Lutheran, Oneida and Oakfield.
The last game of the year will be against a South Division team with the same won-loss record as Menominee Indian.
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Jason Arndt, [email protected]
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Shawano Community High School swimmers honored Monday at the school’s winter sports banquet included, from left,Rolando Colon, Captain’s Award; Zach Soper, Most Valuable Swimmer, Captain’s Award; James Krueger, Most Improved; Adrian Tetting, Coach’s Award; Jake Klister, Captain’s Award.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Shawano Community High School pom pon team members honored Monday at the school’s winter sports banquet included, from left, Sadie Cummings, Rookie of the Year; Rachel Lohrenger, Most Valuable Player; Kailee Wegner, Coaches Award; Livia Lima, Super Sister Award; Cassie Whitehouse, Most Dedicated.
Thirty-two Shawano Community High School student-athletes received honors Monday at the winter awards banquet at The Gathering.
The annual banquet was sponsored by the Shawano Athletic Booster Club.
Each coach briefly discussed the team’s season and presented awards to the top performers.
It also brought two first-time coaches to the podium, coach Bryon Lammers of the hockey team and wrestling coach Mike Homan.
“We had a trying season, with the loss of our coach in December,” said first-year hockey coach Bryon Lammers. “Not having the numbers, we did well.”
The wrestling team, led by first-year coach Mike Homan, also competed with fewer participants than he would have liked.
Homan noted the Hawks had fewer athletes than their Bay Conference opponents throughout the season. He credited the small team for coming together during the season.
“The team worked pretty hard at practices all season. … Everybody put in a team effort and put in everything they had during the season,” Homan said.
Boys swim coach Walberto Colon, whose team had five swimmers earn first-team Bay Conference honors, told the audience he will cherish the memories he had coaching his son, Rolando.
Zach Soper, who won his second 100-yard backstroke state title, received two awards: Most Valuable Player and the Captain’s Award.
Ryan Koenig, girls basketball coach, credited the team for the marked improvement since last year. The Hawks jumped from five to 10 wins.
The boys basketball team’s season continues Thursday when the Hawks face Merrill in a semifinal game of the Marshfield Sectional in WIAA Division 2 tourney play.
BOYS BASKETBALL
The team elected two most valuable players, Zack Sousek and Jack Lacy. Lacy also was named the defensive most valuable player. Dylan Hintz earned the Mr. Hustle award. Braden Mueller was named the most improved player. Zeke Gueths was honored as Mr. Teammate.
POM PONS
Rachel Lohrengel was honored as the team’s most valuable player. Cassandra Whitehouse was selected as the most dedicated player. Sadie Cummings was the team’s rookie of the year. Livia Lima received the Super Sister Award for supporting her teammates. Coach Stephanie Bendtschneider presented the coach’s award to Kailee Wegner.
HOCKEY
The hockey team’s most valuable player was Brendan Chapman-Jacobs. Blake Stoss was honored as the most dedicated. Zach Alvarez was selected as the most improved player. Sam Boivin received the coach’s award.
CHEERLEADING
Mariah Ruehle was selected by her team as the Most Valuable Cheerleader. McCasalin Gorman received the Spirit of the Hawks Award. Taylor Hodkiewicz was cited as the most improved. Allison Raddant was given Top Girl honors. Kale McHugh was named Beast of the Base.
WRESTLING
Dalton Parson was selected as the team’s most valuable player. He also received the Heart of the Hawk award. Damon Braatz was cited as the most improved. Rashawn Bell was given the coach’s award.
BOYS SWIMMING
Zach Soper was named the team’s most valuable swimmer and received the captain’s award with teammates Jake Klister and Rolando Colon. James Krueger was selected as the team’s most improved swimmer. Adrian Tetting was given the coach’s award.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Megan Klitzke was selected as the Hawks’ most valuable player. Briana Boda received the award for offensive most valuable player. Sara Hokenstad was honored as the defensive most valuable player. Coach’s awards went to Courtney Ainsworth and Courtney Vomastic.
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Gary Seymour, [email protected]
Photo by Jen Kuhn Shawano Community High School senior point guard Zach Sousek, here driving past Hortonville’s Ryan Krueger during Shawano’s 55-28 regional-championship victory Saturday, is among the myriad weapons in coach Chris Kellett’s arsenal as Shawano gears up for a Marshfield Sectional encounter Thursday night with Merrill in Stevens Point.
If a 27-point win in the regional title game wasn’t cause enough for optimism, there is also this morsel.
The Shawano Community High School boys basketball team has already played its upcoming opponent at the Marshfield Sectional — and won by 20, on the road.
In their Dec. 5 season opener, the Hawks drilled Merrill 54-34, which has fueled speculation that Shawano’s push into the postseason will continue unfettered for at least one more night.
Given the many like playoff scenarios that haven’t quite gone to plan, though, a tiny dose of amnesia might be a better approach. That first matchup was literally a season ago.
“There were a lot of unknowns for both teams at that time,” Shawano coach Chris Kellett said. “They couldn’t really prepare for us the way they can now, and we couldn’t prepare for them the way we can now.”
It was a 28-26 game the first time around before the Hawks (19-5) started hitting 3-pointers and gradually pulling away from the Blue Jays (15-9). One of the unknowns to Merrill and coach Kurt Soderberg at that point was Eric Carl, a sharpshooting freshman whose outside game helps open things up for first-team All-Bay Conference center Zeke Gueths.
“They had us spinning,” Soderberg said. “They shot the ball well.”
Soderberg is no stranger to big-time playoff games. His 2011 Merrill squad advanced to the Division 2 state championship game, finishing runnerup to Whitefish Bay.
“We had a couple of superstar-quality guys on that team,” he said. “This team we have now, there are no superstars, but it’s the most depth I’ve had in my eight years coaching here. When we began the season we were pretty vanilla. Now we’re Baskin-Robbins.”
Merrill’s best player is Chaz Mootz, a first-team All-Wisconsin Valley Conference pick who averages more than 18 points a game. Six-foot-five Jake Anderson is an athletic frontcourt player who will present good matchup challenges for Gueths, and Shawano forwards Jack Lacy and Sajen Knueppel.
Merrill’s guard tandem of Scott Wallace and Austin Reissmann have made considerable strides throughout a season marred by a sluggish start and bewildering setbacks.
One of the hard-to-explain defeats was an eight-point loss to a Waupaca squad that went 6-17.
“That was just a bad game,” Soderberg said. “It was right before Christmas break, and we played four games in six days. But we’ve found ourselves now and we’re playing with a lot of confidence. You know, on any given night … we’re talking about 16- and 17-year-old kids here. You watch NBA games, or college games, and those players don’t always do what they’re supposed to do. Things don’t always go to plan. That’s what I love about sports.”
Shawano’s recent hot streak mirrors that of Merrill in that the winning has been done by committee. Guard Zach Sousek, a second-team All-Bay Conference selection, Gueths, Lacy (honorable mention all-conference), Knueppel, Carl and Braden Mueller have all had big moments, and Kellett can look down the bench with confidence that Dylan Hintz, Adam Bartz or Kaden Richards can come in and contribute.
“Zach is a real competitor,” Kellett said. “He doesn’t want to lose at anything — he wants to win every drill we do at practice. It’s been good having him at the point. Really, the most gratifying thing about this season is how everybody has bought into everything that we’re doing.”
Shawano advanced to the sectional semifinal last year before getting ousted by a physical Rhinelander club. This season, and especially of late, it has been the surging Hawks meting out the physical play.
“Our staple has been getting into guys, making them work for their shots,” Kellett said. “The goal all season was the sectional, and we’re excited about being where we are. We’re not going to get too far ahead of ourselves. We’re just going to try and go 1-0 every day.”
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Tickets for the Shawano Community High School boys basketball team’s opening game in the WIAA Division 2 sectional tournament are on sale at the high school.
Shawano opens sectional play against Merrill at 7 p.m. Thursday at Stevens Point Area Senior High School, 1201 North Point Drive, Stevens Point.
Advance tickets are available for $5 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Thursday at the SCHS office, 220 County Road B, Shawano.
A fan bus will be available for high school students only. The cost is $11, which includes the bus ride and game ticket, and must be prepaid in the high school office by 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The fan bus will depart in front of the high school at 5 p.m. Thursday and will return at approximately 10 p.m.
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Gary Seymour, [email protected]
Photo by Jen Kuhn Shawano Community High School’s super sixth-man, Sajen Knueppel, goes flying to the bucket to bank home two of his game-high 20 points Saturday night during the Hawks’ 55-28 regional-title win over Hortonville.
Photo by Jen Kuhn Shawano Community High School senior guard Zach Sousek goes to the base line to knock in two of his 12 points Saturday night during the Hawks’ 55-28 regional-title game rout of Hortonville.
Although caution is always the byword at playoff time, it might be time to get excited.
The Shawano Community High School boys basketball team gave such a thorough account of itself in Saturday night’s WIAA Division 2 regional-title clash that it was hard to leave the gym without thinking big-picture.
The Hawks’ 55-28 dusting of Hortonville was a wire-to-wire blowout that was every bit as lopsided as the final score indicated, and made a believer out of several on the visitors’ bench.
“They’ll win their next game for sure,” Hortonville coach Matt Hintz said. “Shawano has a nice team. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went to state.”
Shawano’s game plan was to thwart the Polar Bears’ outside shooting arsenal, and to say the plan worked is to break new ground in understatement. Arctic was indeed a fitting adjective for the shooting of the Polar Bears, who put up enough bricks to construct a medium-sized cathedral.
Hortonville shot 6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (1 of 17).
“We wanted to chase their shooters off their spots,” Shawano coach Chris Kellett said. “Our team defense was outstanding tonight. We prepped all week to stop their outside shooters.”
Junior center Zeke Gueths (nine points, eight rebounds) got things rolling with a three-point play 40 seconds into the game, and senior guard Zach Sousek (12 points) followed with a 3-point field goal and a three-point play to make it 9-0. Hortonville got three of those back on a bucket by Sam Thompson and a free throw by Charlie Schabo, but Sajen Knueppel’s put-back at the first-quarter buzzer began a 14-0 Shawano run for which Hortonville had no answers.
Shawano, which improved to 19-5 on the season, led 32-13 at half and kept the pedal to the floor all night, giving Kellett the chance to empty his bench in the fourth quarter.
“I was very surprised at how it wasn’t really close,” said Knueppel, who for the second night in a row came off the bench to give Shawano some instant offense and good energy on defense. “We’re confident, but we have to just keep taking them one at a time.”
Knueppel led all scorers with 20 points.
“Sajen hasn’t been starting — although that could change — but he plays starter minutes,” Kellett said. “He’s been phenomenal over the last few weeks.”
Jack Lacy and Braden Mueller turned in solid defensive performances for the Hawks, as did center Dylan Hintz off the bench. Shawano’s defense was so stingy that Hortonville’s leading scorers — Jake Sommers, Ryan Krueger and Charlie Schabo — had five points apiece. The Polar Bears finished their season 9-15.
With the regional crown tucked away, Shawano’s attention turns to its next opponent, Merrill, in the Marshfield Sectional. Merrill (15-9) defeated Mosinee 55-51 Saturday night to advance.
“We’re definitely going to enjoy this (regional title),” Kellett said. “Then we’ll get back to work.”
The Hawks can hope their preparation nets similar results when they play Thursday in Stevens Point.
“We had fun before the game, getting ready, feeling like everything was clicking,” Gueths said. “The defense was really good tonight, and we’re feeling pretty confident, like this (postseason) could be something special.”
Hortonville 3 10 4 11 - 28
Shawano 12 20 10 13 - 55
Hortonville - Breidel 0 1-2 1, Killoren 1 0-0 2, Sommers 2 1-1 5, Witthuhn 1 1-2 3, Thompson 1 0-1 2, R. Krueger 2 0-0 5, Schabo 1 3-4 5, Turkow 2 0-0 4, K. Krueger 0 1-2 1.
Shawano - Jacob Lacy 0 2-2 2, Knueppel 8 2-3 20, Sousek 5 1-3 12, Bartz 1 0-2 3, Jack Lacy 2 0-0 5, Hintz 2 0-0 4, Gueths 2 5-5 9.
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BOYS BASKETBALL
Green Bay NEW Lutheran 56
Gresham 54
The Wildcats led throughout the first 24 minutes and took an eight-point lead into the final quarter, but Green Bay NEW Lutheran applied the defensive clamps and got three big 3-pointers from James Lana (15 points) to overtake Gresham (21-4) in a WIAA Division 5 regional final Saturday.
“Our defense played solid enough to win this game,” Gresham coach Jeff Zobeck said. “That hasn’t always been the case for us this year. But (Green Bay NEW Lutheran) took us out of what we were trying to do in the fourth quarter. Their defense was really disciplined.”
Gresham was led by senior guard Christian Haffner’s 27 points. Neal Cerveny added 10 points for the Wildcats, and Kalen Fischer pulled down 11 rebounds.
NEW Lutheran (14-11), which was led by Noah Gosse’s 17 points, advances to the Oconto Falls Sectional and a showdown with Wausaukee, which knocked off Goodman/Pembine, 48-32.
Gresham’s 21 victories extended a run of outstanding seasons for the Panthers, who won 18 games in both the 2013-14 and 2012-13 seasons.
“I’m definitely proud of this bunch,” Zobeck said. “Not only for this season, but for the two seasons before this, too. We had some really good seniors who we’ll miss, but we’ve got a good core coming back next year.”
Peshtigo 41
Clintonville 37
The Truckers played solid defensively, holding Peshtigo scoreless for the entire second quarter, but dropped their WIAA Division 3 regional title game Saturday despite 14 points and six rebounds from Tyler Peterman.
Nick Hogan and Aaron Morse added eight points apiece and Damon Lorge chipped in with seven for Clintonville, which finished 9-15.
Brendon Thomas had 14 points and Marcus Sharkey added 13 to lead Peshtigo (18-6), which goes on to the Bay Port Sectional to meet Xavier, a 64-57 winner over Freedom.
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Gary Seymour, [email protected]
Photo by JLW Photography Shawano Community High School senior guard Sajen Knueppel goes up high to finish his baseline drive and knock in two of his 14 points as New London’s Hunter Zaddack trails the play Friday night during Shawano’s 60-41 regional semifinal victory.
Photo by JLW Photography Shawano Community High School senior guard Zach Sousek glides to the rack to lay in two of his game-high 17 points Friday night as New London’s Devin Winkler looks on during Shawano’s 60-41 regional semifinal victory.
Part of the charm of postseason, single-elimination high school basketball is also part of the horror, where a middling team on fire can create all sorts of bracket-busting havoc, and one bad stretch can undo a season’s worth of success.
For a hot minute Friday night, the New London High School boys basketball team had the look of a spoiler, as the visiting Bulldogs trailed Shawano by just two points in the third period and seemed to have their game on track.
The Hawks had other ideas, though, and collected themselves in plenty of time to beat back the upset bid and advance to Saturday night’s WIAA Division 2 regional championship game with a comfortable 60-41 win.
Shawano (18-5) advances to Saturday night’s encounter with No. 2-seed Hortonville, a 50-49 winner over Antigo in the other regional semifinal.
“We’re a senior-led team, for the most part,” Shawano coach Chris Kellett said. “There was no sense of panic. It helped when we got a couple of buckets by Eric Carl and Jack Lacy.”
Carl hit a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter, with 1:26 left and then at the :38 mark, to give Shawano some breathing room, turning a 33-31 game into a 39-31 affair, and Sajen Knueppel hit a pair of free throws with one second left to give the Hawks a 10-point cushion going into the final eight minutes.
From there, New London (6-18) would creep no closer than 12 points, as the Hawks pulled away behind Zach Sousek’s 17 points, 14 by Knueppel and 11 each from Zeke Gueths and Carl.
“We didn’t panic,” said Gueths, who was recently named to the first team All-Bay Conference. “In the playoffs, a lot of times it’s the team that’s tougher mentally that wins. Basketball is a game of runs — we always try to expand ours and limit theirs.”
Kellett can go deep into his bench for a lift, as was the case when he called Knueppel’s number. One of the more athletic players in the area, Knueppel is a jumping jack with good quickness and a nice knack for driving to the hoop.
“We’re psyched to be in the regional title game,” Knueppel said. “It’s a different feeling out there, knowing that any game you’re playing could be your last.”
Hortonville, which played in the Bay Conference until this year, has had success against Shawano in the past, a trend the Hawks will try to reverse after the impressive win over New London.
“It was a good high school playoff game,” Kellett said. “It’s the playoffs now — win, or go home. We’ve responded to challenges and adversity well all year. It’s a very, very talented Hortonville team we’ll be facing (Saturday), so we’ll need to make shots and play the way we’re capable of playing.”
New London (41)
Winkler 2 3-4 8, Porath 1 2-2 5, Buelow 1 0-0 3, Thomas 1 4-6 6, Wolf 2 0-0 6, Barrington 3 2-2 8, Kurth 1 0-0 2, Jagiello 1 0-0 2, Bierman 0 1-2 1.
Shawano (60)
Reuter 0 2-2 2, Knueppel 4 6-6 14, Sousek 5 7-8 17, Lacy 2 0-0 5, Carl 4 0-0 11, Gueths 5 0-1 11.
New London 12 7 12 10 — 41
Shawano 18 8 15 19 — 60
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Leader Staff
As the Shawano Community High School boys basketball team prepares for its WIAA Division 2 regional championship game Saturday against Hortonville, six other teams also will be battling for berths in the Marshfield Sectional.
Hortonville (9-14, 5-13), which defeated Antigo 50-49 Friday, tied for seventh in the Fox Valley Association. Junior 6-foot-2 guard Kyle Witthuhn averages 14 points and 4.4 rebounds per game; 6-foot-3 sophomore guard Ryan Krueger averages 12.2 ppg.
Antigo (15-7, 7-5) finished fourth in the Great Northern Conference, which also was represented in the regional by champion Rhinelander, which knocked Shawano from the tourney last year, and runner-up Mosinee (18-6, 10-2), which ended Rhinelander’s tourney run Friday.
If Shawano wins the regional title, it will open sectional play against either Merrill or Mosinee at 7 p.m. Thursday in Stevens Point.
Here’s a glance at the other regional championship games Saturday.
No. 3 Mosinee (18-6, 10-2) at No. 1 Merrill (14-9, 7-5)
Merrill, which defeated Wausau East 50-33 Friday, tied for second in the Wisconsin Valley Conference behind Stevens Point (21-1, 12-0), the top-ranked team in Division 1. Merrill is led offensively by 6-foot-2 senior guard Chaz Mootz, who averages 18.5 points per game.
Mosinee upset No. 2 Rhinelander (13-12, 11-1) 52-49 Friday and is on a 13-game win streak. Senior 5-10 guard Aaron Maas leads the Indians in scoring with 15.5 ppg.
No. 2 Onalaska (15-8, 9-3) at No. 1 Holmen (14-9, 11-1)
Holmen won the Mississippi Valley Conference, which had three teams in the regional semifinals. Senior guard Andy Hammes leads a balanced scoring attack with 10 points per game. The Vikings rolled over MVC foe Tomah (9-15, 2-10) 62-51 Friday.
Onalaska was second in the MVC to Holmen. La Crosse Central, which Onalaska defeated 56-54 Friday, placed third. Three Onalaska players average double figures in scoring: 6-2 sophomore guard Tyler Hughes, 11.8 ppg; 5-10 sophomore point guard Jalen Zubich, 11.1 ppg; 6-4 senior forward Hoza Wright III, 10.2 ppg.
Onalaska and Holmen split their two regular-season games this season.
No. 2 Menomonie (17-6, 7-5) at No. 1 Rice Lake (18-5, 11-1)
Four-time defending Big Rivers champion Rice Lake (17-5) is considered the sectional favorite by many. Last year’s state runner-up is powered by 6-10 Henry Ellenson, a McDonald’s All-American who has committed to play at Marquette University next year. The Warriors were ranked No. 5 in Division 2 in the final Associated Press poll of the regular season.
Menomonie finished in a three-way tie for second behind Rice Lake in the Big Rivers Conference. Rice Lake swept the teams’ two meetings during the regular season, 59-31 and 60-54. Menomonie junior Nate Stanley, a 6-4 guard, has committed to Iowa to play football. He is the conference’s leading scorer, averaging 18.4 points per game.
The sectional championship game begins at 7 p.m. March 14 in Marshfield.
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BOYS BASKETBALL
Gresham 70
St. Thomas Aquinas 47
The top-seeded Wildcats jumped in front 10-0 and held off the visitors the rest of the way behind Christian Haffner’s 24 points and four assists.
Gresham (21-3) earned a WIAA Division 4 regional championship-deciding date Saturday night with No. 2-seed Green Bay NEW Lutheran (13-11), an 83-54 winner over Lena in the other semifinal.
Killian Eggert scored 19 points for Gresham, Neal Cerveny had eight points, seven rebounds and four assists, and James Kasik had seven points and six rebounds. St. Thomas Aquinas finished 12-12.
“It was a good game, but I still don’t think we’ve touched how good we can be,” Gresham coach Jeff Zobeck said. “We’d like to be a little more patient on offense. One of our top goals was to win our regional, so we’re happy to be where we are.”
NEW Lutheran has finished second in the Division 5 state tournament the past two seasons.
“They lost some players from last year, but they’ve got a lot of tradition,” Zobeck said. “(Saturday night) will be a big step for us.”
Iola-Scandinavia 46
Bonduel 40
The Bears’ season ended at 17-7 despite 10 points from Colton Dobratz, nine from Hunter VanderLinden and eight from Peyton Czarapata.
Kristian Welch had a game-high 12 points for Iola-Scandinavia (19-4).
The teams were tied at 19 at halftime, but Bonduel fell behind 32-26 and could only battle Iola-Scandinavia even in the final quarter of the WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal.
Wabeno/Laona 36
Menominee Indian 33
The No. 5-seed Eagles came agonizingly close to upsetting top-seeded Wabeno/Laona but were done in by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Michael Gilpin off a long rebound in a WIAA Division 4 regional game.
Menominee Indian (13-10) led by a point with a half-minute left, but a turnover and two missed short shots opened the door for Wabeno/Laona (20-2) to tie it with a free throw and then win it on Gilpin’s last-second heroics.
Michael Pecore led the Eagles with 14 points and Alphonso Smith added eight in what coach Brandon Frechette called his team’s best performance of the season.
“We did a really good job adjusting to their defensive traps and their pressure,” Frechette said. “And Michael (Pecore) did an excellent job of controlling the game. Someone had to win and someone had to lose, and even though it was a tough loss, I’m very proud of these guys.
“(Wabeno/Laona’s coach) told me they’d seen us play and that they were worried about our speed. It was by far our best first half, and we played well in the second half, too. We can leave with our heads held high.”
Clintonville 36
Wittenberg-Birnamwood 21
Clintonville improved to 9-14 and advanced to a Saturday night WIAA Division 3 regional-title showdown with Peshtigo (17-6) behind a staunch defense and 12 points by Tyler Peterman.
Cory Fraaza and Casey Kerstner had six points apiece for Wittenberg-Birnamwood, which finished the season 4-20.
“It wasn’t the kind of game we wanted to end the season with,” Witt-Birn coach Lon Ebel said. “Clintonville did a nice job of pressuring the ball and we played timid. Although we played a nice game on the defensive end of the floor, we had no rhythm offensively and did not execute.
“I would like to thank my seniors for the last four years they have dedicated to our program. Matty Donnelly, Trevor Stewart, and Tyler Weller were ultimate teammates and are the definition of of a class act. They stood for the core values of our program and we will miss them.”
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Greg Bates, Leader Correspondent
As the time wound down on the game clock, tears started to trickle down the faces of some of the Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School girls basketball players.
It was a realization that their season was over and they would not reach one of their goals — making it to state.
This season had the feel that the Chargers could make their first appearance in the state tournament.
No. 1-seeded Wittenberg-Birnamwood held a two-point lead at halftime of its WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal against No. 2-seeded Xavier, but the Hawks came out gunning in the second half and used a 25-4 run to pull away. The Chargers made a late push, but Xavier scored a 58-40 victory at Freedom on Thursday night.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood, which had won 11 of its last 12 games, finishes the year 22-3.
“It was a great season,” Wittenberg-Birnamwood coach Mike Balliett said. “It was a surprise, because I didn’t think losing Micah (Nier) the first half of the year we could do as well as we did. I didn’t envision we’d have one loss when she came back. … That’s kind of been our trademark, our kids never give up and they always play hard.”
The Wittenberg-Birnamwood players certainly didn’t give up against a strong Xavier (22-4) squad.
The Chargers led 22-20 at halftime, but hit just one field goal in a span of 10 minutes, 47 seconds that stretched into the fourth quarter. Xavier, on the other hand, was 8 for 12 in the third quarter and built a 20-point cushion, 49-29, midway through the final quarter.
The swing in the score and the momentum was in large part to a strong effort on the defensive end by Xavier.
“We have to win that intensity battle and we didn’t get to in that first half. That’s disappointing and our kids usually do,” Xavier coach C.J. Clouthier said. “But that’s why Wittenberg-Birnamwood is a No. 1 seed. They play with a lot of passion and intensity.”
Wittenberg-Birnamwood’s leading scorer on the season, Micah Nier (15.7 points per game), was held to just four points. She hit two shots in the fourth quarter as the Chargers cut their deficit to 13 with under two minutes remaining in the game.
“We made a little bit of a mini run there, but for all intents and purposes the game was probably over by the time we started making that mini run anyway,” Balliett said.
The Chargers’ second leading scorer, Siri Zeinert (11.5), had just five points. Corrissa Konkol was the team’s top scorer on the night with 10 points.
The Chargers hit 37 percent of their shots on the night. The Hawks were 50 percent from the floor.
In a slow first quarter, Wittenberg-Birnamwood led 4-2 before Xavier went up 6-5 going into the second.
The Hawks upped their advantage to 11-7 before the Chargers answered with an 8-3 run fueled by a three-point play from Erika Alwes and a 3-pointer by Taylor Nier to put Wittenberg-Birnamwood up 15-14. Xavier took a three-point lead late in the half, but Wittenberg-Birnamwood closed the half on a 5-0 spurt to make it 22-20.
Xavier, which will play Valders, 43-32 winner over Denmark, in a sectional championship Saturday, took a 39-28 lead going into the fourth. The game was still in striking distance, but a 12-3 run all but ended the game as the Hawks went up 20.
Xavier had four players score nine or more points. Rachel Siciliano, who averaged seven points per game in the regular season, tallied a game-high 15 points.
“They just plain, flat out made plays and we’re not used to seeing that many players with the ability to make plays,” Balliett said.
The loss marked the final game for six Wittenberg-Birnamwood seniors — Micah Nier, Ericka Alwes, Kaitlyn Mahan, Emmi Nievinski, Erica White Eagle and Anna Hartman — who finished 40-9 in their final two seasons.
“Every group of kids that goes through, you hate to lose them,” Balliett said. “You’ve got kids that have just really busted all year long and it’s sad for them, it’s sad for me. I know I’ve got next year and they don’t. I feel sorry for them, but I applaud everything they’ve given to us and the hard work they put into our program.”
Wittenberg-Birnamwood: 5 17 6 12 — 40
Xavier: 6 14 19 19 — 58
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Leader Staff
Shawano Community High School’s Zeke Gueths, a 6-foot-6 junior center, was named to the first team of the All-Bay Conference boys basketball team announced Wednesday.
Shawano athletes also were named to the all-conference teams in girls basketball and wrestling.
Gueths averaged just under 12 points and five rebounds per game in league play for the Hawks, whose 11-5 mark in the league was good for fourth place.
The Hawks’ senior 5-10 point guard Zach Sousek was voted to the second team, and 6-5 senior forward Jack Lacy earned a spot on the honorable mention team.
Cody Schwartz, of West De Pere, was named the conference’s player of the year.
In the girls all-conference voting, Shawano 5-9 senior guard Briana Boda, a driving force behind the Hawks’ best season in 16 years, received honorable mention.
Payton Mix, of New London, was voted the conference’s player of the year.
Shawano wrestlers Wyatt Welch and Dalton Parson also garnered all-league honors. Welch, a junior, compiled an 18-15 record in the 106-pound weight class and qualified for the Green Bay West/Southwest Sectional. Teammate Dalton Parson received honorable mention.
ALL-BAY CONFERENCE
GIRLS BASKETBALL
First team: *Bailey Denis, West De Pere, senior; *Payton Mix, New London, senior; *Jennifer Nehls, Denmark, junior; Cassie Hilbert, Marinette, senior; Hailey Oskey, Seymour, freshman.
Second team: Liz Manns, Oconto Falls, senior; Hannah Stefaniak, West De Pere, sophomore; Britney Petersen, Denmark, senior; Leah Porath, New London, sophomore; Asia Danforth, Seymour, senior.
Honorable mention: Alexis Dorner, Luxemburg-Casco; Alex Cording, Marinette; Zohne LaVelle, Menasha; Jenna Krause, Seymour; Briana Boda, Shawano; Liz Edinger, West De Pere.
(* - unanimous selection)
BOYS BASKETBALL
First team: *Cody Schwartz, West De Pere, senior; *Brayden Wilinski, Seymour, junior; *Jake Zeitler, Luxemburg-Casco, junior; Tyler Johnson, Menasha, senior; Jose Alicea, Seymour, senior; Zeke Gueths, Shawano, junior.
Second team: David Vlotho, Luxemburg-Casco, senior; Emanuel Jenkins, Menasha, senior; Mike Fifield, Oconto Falls, senior; Luke Pannier, West De Pere, junior; Zack Sousek, Shawano, senior.
Honorable mention: Jon Deprey, Denmark; Carson Falk, Luxemburg-Casco; Matt Richmond, Marinette; Nick Thomas, New London; Alex Bucholtz, Seymour; Jack Lacy, Shawano; Connor Konshak, West De Pere; Zack Sanders, West De Pere.
(* - unanimous selection)
WRESTLING
First team: Brock Bergelin, Denmark; Josh Ferk, Denmark; Mason Berceau, Luxemburg-Casco; Dalton Smercheck, Luxemburg-Casco; Garret Ruckdashel, New London; Sam Konitzer, Oconto Falls; Nate Trepanier, Oconto Falls; Dewey Krueger, Oconto Falls; Bennett Temple, Seymour; Alex Everard, Seymour; Bailey Whipple, Menasha; Eric Peters, Luxemburg-Casco.
Second team: Seth Peters, Luxemburg-Casco; Devon Hallet, Luxemburg-Casco; Phil Rasmussen, Luxemburg-Casco; Scott Cook, New London; Tommy Thurber, New London; Austin Wyngaard, New London; Brett Ash, Oconto Falls; Jacob Yatso, Oconto Falls; Kyle Wolf, Oconto Falls; Wyatt Welch, Shawano; Kennan Graef, West De Pere; Josh VandeHei, Luxemburg-Casco; Kyle Routhieaux, Luxemburg-Casco; Cullen Ducat, Luxemburg-Casco.
Honorable mention: Bret Collin, Denmark; Cameron Lemmens, Luxemburg-Casco; Christian Yahnel, Marinette; Nic Moran, Menasha; Andrew Clauss, New London; Kevin VandenLangenberg, Seymour; Dalton Parson, Shawano; Nick Metoxen, West De Pere.
Rate this article: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yetEasy does it for Bonduel boys in regional opener
Gary Seymour, [email protected]
Photo by Jen Kuhn Bonduel High School junior center Peyton Czarapata muscles his way inside to notch two of his game-high 26 points Tuesday night during the Bears’ 79-53 win over visiting Manawa in a Division 4 regional quarterfinal.
Photo by Jen Kuhn Bonduel High School senior Connor Rosin squares up to fire in three of his 22 points Tuesday night during the Bears’ 79-53 victory over visiting Manawa in a WIAA Division 4 regional quarterfinal.
It would be neither fair nor accurate to claim that Tuesday night’s WIAA Division 4 regional quarterfinal between Bonduel High School and visiting Manawa was over and decided after the first five minutes.
Five and a half was more like it.
The Bears were an irresistible force in their playoff opener, racing to an early 17-6 lead and never letting up en route to a 79-53 pasting of the visiting Wolves.
Junior center Peyton Czarapata continued his dominant play underneath, as his 26 points led all scorers, and senior Connor Rosin enjoyed a hot shooting night, dropping in 22 points that included four 3-pointers.
So bereft of suspense was this game that it left fans plenty of time to hoop off to the concession stand for a popcorn, or even ponder brain-teasers like, “How is Bonduel only a No. 3 seed?”
The Bears (17-6), winners of six of their last seven, found themselves centered in an unintended controversy after the seeding committee gave Iola-Scandinavia the nod as the regional’s No. 2 seed, despite the teams’ splitting the season series, with Bonduel winning the first meeting by 15 and losing the second by nine. The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds at the regional drew a bye Tuesday.
“We didn’t think we deserved the No. 3 seed,” senior guard Hunter Berry said. “But we came to win this game and show what we can do. We focused a lot on our fast break at practice, and we had it going tonight.”
Everything was working against Manawa (2-21), including Berry’s high-energy bursts upcourt and his shooting touch from outside. His eight points included two from beyond the arc.
“He’s such a spark plug for us,” Bonduel coach Duke Copp said. “He plays his heart out every time out there. Connor (Rosin) had an outstanding game, too, and our big guy (Czarapata) played another strong game. We’re playing good ball; we just need to have all of our guys hitting their shot — and to stay out of foul trouble.”
There are two ways to look at the rubber match between Bonduel and Iola-Scandinavia, which will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at Iola-Scandinavia. One is that Iola-Scandinavia will be rested and ready to roll — after having eight days off — while Bonduel will arrive travel-weary and recovering from having played three days earlier.
The other perspective is that Iola-Scandinavia will be shaking off more than a week’s worth of rust — after having eight days off — while Bonduel will arrive sharp and game-ready after having played three days earlier.
In other words, it’s the postseason and the tune remains the same as always: you have to beat whoever shows up.
“That’s right,” Copp said. “We like the way we’re playing now. We’ll be ready.”
Manawa (53)
Rohloff 0 1-2 1, Radloff 2 0-0 6, Hass 1 0-0 2, Wilz 6 1-4 15, Langman 6 0-1 12, Manthey 6 2-3 15, Blum 1 0-0 2.
Bonduel (79)
Pedersen 2 0-1 4, Berry 3 0-0 8, Rosin 9 0-0 22, Dobratz 3 0-0 7, VanderLinden 1 2-3 4, Rueckert 2 0-0 4, Ballestad 0 1-2 1, Czarapata 12 1-1 26, Petcka 1 0-0 3.
Manawa 6 17 14 16 — 53
Bonduel 23 13 21 22 — 79
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BOYS BASKETBALL
Gresham 89
Sevastopol 52
The Wildcats (20-3) justified their No. 1 seeding in the WIAA Division 5 regional with a convincing romp led by Christian Haffner, who had 30 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Gresham, which also got 21 points and 10 rebounds from Neal Cerveny and 12 points from James Kazik, advances to Friday’s regional semifinal against St. Thomas Aquinas Academy, a 50-45 winner over Suring in another regional quarterfinal.
Sevastopol, which finished 3-20, was led by Matt Newman’s 21 points and 14 from Jarod Pflieger.
Menominee Indian 68
Oconto 61
The Eagles improved to 13-9 and advanced to a WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal date Friday against Wabeno/Laona behind big nights from Michael Pecore (19 points), Alphonso Smith (15 points, seven rebounds) and Ron Frechette (six rebounds).
Jacob Jarvey led Oconto (12-11) with 23 points.
With the win, Menominee Indian advanced to a Friday regional semifinal at No. 1-seed Wabeno/Laona.
“I feel like the only team that can beat us right now, is us,” Menominee Indian coach Brandon Frechette said. “Obviously, (Wabeno/Laona) is a No. 1 seed for a reason. They’re a good club. But if we’re smart, make good decisions and play with intensity — everyone on and off the bench — we will be tough to beat.”
Rate this article: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yetBonduel’s Tauchen, Sokolski take 4th place at state
Troy A. Bruzewski Leader Correspondent
Photo by Above The Fold Media Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School junior August Peplinski, left, tries to bring down Ramsey Bloy, of Freedom, in the 195-pound title match at the WIAA Division 2 individual state finals Saturday in Madison. Bloy won, 6-4, in sudden victory.
Dan Tauchen and Mitch Sokolski left their mark at the WIAA Division 3 state wrestling finals Saturday.
Both of the Bonduel High School seniors came home with fourth-place hardware, Tauchen in the 160-pound division and Sokolski at 170.
In Division 2 action, Wittenberg-Birnamwood senior August Peplinski couldn’t have been closer to a state title.
Tauchen (46-5), who lost in the semifinal to eventual champion Jaren Roen (45-3), of Riverdale, opened the final day with a 8-0 win over Tony Kontney (40-15), of Rosholt, in a major decision, advancing to the third-place match. There, he faced Cambridge’s Jeremiah Moody, who’d dropped only three matches this season. Moody edged Tauchen for a 7-4 win.
Sokolski also opened with a win, defeating Elliott Ebert (44-8), of Reedsville, in an 8-5 decision. However, that led to a rematch with Luke Nowak (49-6), Iowa-Grant/Highland, who defeated Sokolski 10-5 in the quarterfinal. Though the score was different, Nowak still doubled up on Sokolski, winning a 6-3 decision to take third.
we should add results of the other two bonduel wrestlers who competed on saturday.
In Division 2, reaching the finals of the 195-pound division, Peplinski (53-2) faced the same wrestler who ended his undefeated season not long before postseason competition began.
Peplinski and Ramsey Bloy (49-1), of Freedom, wrestled one of the closest matches of the 2015 state finals, going to sudden-victory. But rather than an avenged loss, Peplinski was relegated to second, as Bloy earned a 6-4 win in sudden victory to claim the state title.
Coach Troy Ostrowski said Peplinski was executing the plan he needed to, though Bloy got through to claim the win late.
“August was doing well,” Ostrowski said. “He was playing to his style – the style he’s run with all year and stuck with it to take the match to overtime.
“Then, we got caught off-guard and what happened, happened.”
Sophomore Alex Peplinski (49-7) added another top-five finish for Wittenberg-Birnamwood, placing fifth in the 170-pound division. After being sent to the consolation round Friday, he opened with an 8-4 loss to Brandon Buechler (42-13), of Wrightstown. Peplinski went to the fifth-place match, where his opponent – Jake Rueth (43-7), of Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal – forfeited the match.
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