Collection: WIAA Division 5 state boys basketball tournament coverage
One dunk would have provided an exclamation point to Hustisford’s 69-35 victory over Chippewa Falls McDonell in the WIAA Division 5 state boys basketball championship game Thursday night in La Crosse.
The Falcons knocked down seven dunks.
That’s the kind of ride it was as the top-ranked Falcons (18-3) earned their first state championship in their first state trip.
Hustisford led for 35 minutes and 26 seconds of the game’s 36 minutes, took a 37-16 halftime lead and scored 44 points in the paint against the Macks (17-5).
A close-up look at all three WIAA Division 5 state games on Thursday, from Lee Newspapers Wisconsin:
LA CROSSE ― Hustisford senior Alex Eggleston doesn’t like to wake up early.
He’d rather catch some Zs for as long as possible.
Thursday, however, the 6-foot-9 center made sure not to miss his alarm, helping the Falcons dominate Wauzeka-Steuben in the WIAA Division 5 state semifinals to advance to the state championship game against McDonell Central Catholic later in the evening.
Eggleston smartly recharged his batteries and came out like a man on a mission against the Macks, helping the Falcons cruise to a 69-35 victory and the program’s first-ever state championship.
“To actually think about a state championship is a dream come true,” Eggleston said, “to say the absolute least.”
His seven blocks against the Macks tied a Div. 5 state record that was previously held by Sheboygan Lutheran’s Sam Dekker and McDonell’s Kyle Cody, who each recorded seven in the 2012 title game. The Falcons finished with 11 against the Macks, which broke the old record of 10 that was set by McDonell in 2016 against Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran.
“I have no idea how to feel about that,” Eggleston said of matching Dekker, a former star with the Wisconsin Badgers who had an NBA career before currently playing in Turkey. “It’s incredible to be able to share a record with a professional basketball player, who played in the state. I don’t even know what to say about that. It’s just unreal to me.”
The Falcons finished the tournament with 15 blocked shots, which broke a state tournament record of 13 in Div. 5, also set in 2012 by Sheboygan Lutheran.
“I think they were even better than we thought they would be, especially defensively,” Macks coach Adam Schilling said. “Their length gave us a lot of issues. They were able to stay home on our shooters when we got in the lane. We haven’t played many teams that are that athletic and big, but they can play offensively too.”
Eggleston came out ready to go against the Macks, scoring 15 points in the Falcons' 26-5 run over the game’s opening 13 minutes.
“That’s exactly what we talked about doing, and coaches can talk a lot,” Falcons coach Otto Hopfinger said. “When players come and play and execute what you want them to do, it’s something special. We had that game plan and they executed exactly like we wanted them to do it.”
Eggleston finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double following a 19-point, 6-rebound performance in the semis.
He wasn’t the only one to have a good night. Senior Dylan Kuehl notched a double-double of his own with 20 points and 11 boards against the Macks.
The Falcons only have two players under 6-foot, and the size and length advantage showed in the title game.
“It’s very difficult to play a team that long and that big,” McDonell senior Logan Hughes said. “It’s hard to get our drive and kicks like we had been doing with success throughout the playoffs and the regular season. Obviously, we just couldn’t match up with their size offensively and defensively.
“It was just a really challenging team to play against.”
The Falcons outrebounded the Macks 39 to 17 and outscored them in the paint 44-14. With both of those stark advantages coupled with the amount of blocked shots the Falcons racked up, the Macks didn’t have an answer.
“It gave us a ton of momentum,” Eggleston said. “Any shot that obviously doesn’t go in, is huge. Any shot we can block to get a fast break going and have a dunk is even bigger because you have to have momentum going in the next possession to hopefully get the same thing going.”
The Macks traded buckets with the Falcons in the final 5:06 of the first half to go into the break trailing 37-16.
Hughes led the Macks with 12 points while both sophomore Eddie Mittermeyer and senior Tanner Opsal had six apiece.
However, since the Falcons seemingly already had a sizeable lead, Kuehl and Eggleston treated the second half like a dunk contest to get the Husty crowd going. Kuehl out-dunked Eggleston, 4-3, but the latter said his last one with 4:07 remaining to extend the lead to 60-29 was the best.
Kuehl got the last dunk of the night to up the lead to 64-32 with 3:14 left, which also got the crowd pumped up.
“We just came out, we had our opportunities and we took them,” Eggleston said. “It was so fun.”
Now it just has to sink in that the Falcons have a first-ever gold ball to add to the school’s trophy case.
“I don’t think it’s going to set in for a while because this feels like a dream to me,” Eggleston said. “I never would’ve thought I would be in the position I am in right now with this team.”
HUSTISFORD 69, CHIPPEWA FALLS McDONELL 35
Chippewa Falls McDonell*16*19*—*35
Hustisford*37*32*—*69
CHIPPEWA FALLS McDONELL (fg-fga ft-fta pts) — Mittermeyer 2-6 0-0 6, Hughes 3-12 5-7 12, Siegenthaler 1-6 2-2 4, Anderson 2-6 0-0 4, Opsal 3-9 0-0 6, Hauser 0-3 0-0 0, Maziarka 0-2 0-0 0, Janus 1-5 0-0 3. Totals 12-49 7-9 35.
HUSTISFORD — Kaemmerer 2-2 0-0 5, B. Thimm 3-4 0-0 7, G. Thimm 2-9 6-8 11, Kuehl 9-12 2-3 20, Eggleston 9-11 1-3 19, J. Peplinski 1-1 0-0 3, B. Peplinski 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 28-42 9-14 69.
3-point goals-attempts: CFM 4-17 (Mittermeyer 2-4, Hughes 1-6, Janus 1-1, Siegenthaler 0-2, Anderson 0-2, Opsal 0-1, Hauser 0-1); H 4-11 (G. Thimm 1-5, B. Thimm 1-1, Kaemmerer 1-1, J. Peplinski 1-1, Eggleston 0-1, Kuehl 0-2). Rebounds: CFM 7-10-17 (Hauser 4, Janus 4); H 8-31-39 (Kuehl 11, Eggleston 11, Kaemmerer 6). Assists: CFM 3 (Hauser 2); H 15 (G. Thimm 6, Kuehl 4). Steals: CFM 12 (Hughes 4, Anderson 4); H 8 (Kuehl 3, B. Peplinski 2). Turnovers: CFM 12; H 17. Blocks: CFM 0; H 11 (Kuehl 3, B. Peplinski 2, Eggleston 7). Total fouls: CFM 16; H 7.
LA CROSSE — They were 105 seconds that made all the difference in the world, in the biggest game in the history of the Hustisford boys basketball program.
And they went so well for the Falcons that the game was quickly relegated to the second most important game in program history because a WIAA Division 5 championship game was suddenly on the horizon.
Hustisford faced an eight-point deficit late in the first half of a state semifinal against Wauzeka-Steuben at the La Crosse Center on Thursday morning, and star senior Dylan Kuehl was going to the bench after picking up his third foul with 1 minute, 45 seconds on the clock.
Instead of folding, the Falcons recharged and hit the Hornets with a seven-point run that paved the way for a big second half and eventual 65-53 victory. The win gave Hustisford a chance to win a championship at its first state tournament.
Chippewa Falls McDonell (17-4) claimed a 67-40 victory over Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran (16-11) in the second semifinal Thursday afternoon to advance to the finals.
“When he got in foul trouble and had to go out of the game, I was a little concerned,” Hustisford coach Otto Hopfinger said. “But we have such good players on our team, and Gavin Thimm took the bull by the horns, and the other guys just followed suit.”
Thimm started the run with a jump shot, and Dylan Kaemmerer followed it up with a 3-pointer. A foul led to two Alex Eggleston free throws, and the eight-point deficit was suddenly 31-30 by halftime.
The Hornets (16-3) had missed out on a chance to extend their lead with Kuehl out of the picture, and that wasn’t going to bode well for the second half.
“Momentum, they got a little back their way,” Wauzeka-Steuben coach Isaiah Okey said. “It was definitely on our side at that point.
“When (Kuehl) went out, some other guys stepped up for them and looked to hit those shots. They knocked them down, and we didn’t expect them to, and that’s huge for them.”
Kuehl and Eggleston each scored 19 points, and both had nine points in the first half and 10 in the second. Kuehl, who is committed to Northern Michigan, added 10 rebounds as the Falcons won their state debut.
Gavin Thimm added 11 points and Blake Peplinski 10 for the Falcons, who shot 60.9% (28-for-46) from the field and hit 17 of 27 shots (63%) in the second half.
Hustisford was able to take advantage of its height in the first half but not like it was able to in the second. The Falcons, who have just two players on the roster who are less than 6 feet tall, got to the rim at will as Wauzeka-Steuben’s perimeter shooting started to fall off.
After making 5 of 11 attempts from the 3-point line in the first half, the Hornets made 2 of 12 in the second. That shooting made a big difference in the first half with four of those 3s answering Hustisford hoops and giving Wauzeka-Steuben a lead.
Kuehl had a steal and dunk in the first half, but Zach Martin responded with a 3 at the other end to give Wauzeka-Steuben an 18-17 lead. Eggleston scored off a nice pass from Peplinski, but Jonah Reichmann hit a 3 at the other end for a 21-19 Hornets advantage.
That didn’t happen in the second half.
The Falcons used two quick scoring bursts to seize control for good and dominated the middle of the second half.
Wauzeka-Steuben made a 3 — Reichmann hit one from the left corner — on its first second-half possession, and Garett Kapinus hit a jumper from the free-throw line to snap a 34-34 tie, but that’s when Hustisford took over.
The Kapinus shot was followed by an 8-0 run. The Hornets then put together four straight points, but that was countered by a 9-0 run that gave Hustisford a 51-40 lead with 8:07 left.
The first run was capped by an alley-oop from Kaemmerer to Kuehl that was tough for Wauzeka-Steuben to overcome.
“I heard (Hopfinger) call Beaver Dam, and that’s when I knew that momentum was coming our way,” Kuehl said of the alley-oop. “As soon as that lob left Dylan Kaemmerer’s hands, I knew I had to go get it and throw it down. It was all momentum from there.”
Wauzeka-Steuben, which was making its second state appearance, kept battling but couldn’t cut significantly into the deficit after the 9-0 Hustisford run.
Senior Gavin Ralph, easily the team’s tallest player at 6-4, scored 17 points to lead the Hornets. He also had six rebounds but had a tough time trying to keep the Falcons from getting good looks in the lane.
“They are so big and athletic, and we obviously aren’t the tallest team,” said Ralph, who will play at Division II Upper Iowa University. “I know we did the best we could, and I’m happy with our team.”
HUSTISFORD 65, WAUZEKA-STEUBEN 53</&hspag4>
Wauzeka-Steuben 31 22 — 53
Hustisford 30 35 — 65
WAUZEKA-STEUBEN (fg-fga ft-fta pts) — N. Martin 3-8 1-2 8, Ralph 7-15 3-3 17, Lomas 1-5 0-0 2, Kapinus 3-3 1-1 8, J. Reichmann 3-9 0-0 9, Z. Martin 2-4 2-2 8, Klema 0-1 1-2 1, I. Reichmann 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-46 8-10 53.
HUSTISFORD — Kaemmerer 1-5 0-0 3, B. Thimm 1-3 0-0 3, G. Thimm 4-9 3-4 11, Kuehl 9-14 0-1 19, Eggleston 8-8 3-3 19, Peplinski 5-7 0-0 10. Totals 28-46 6-8 65.
3-point goals-attempts: WS 7-23 (J. Reichmann 3-5, Z. Martin 2-4, N. Martin 1-5, Kapinus 1-1, Lomas 0-3, Ralph 0-1, I. Reichmann 0-4); H 3-11 (Kaemmerer 1-2, B. Thimm 1-3, Kuehl 1-3, G. Thimm 0-2, Peplinski 0-1). Rebounds: WS 5-10-15 (Ralph 6); H 9-22-31 (Kuehl 10, Eggleston 6). Assists: WS 9 (Ralph 3); H 14 (Peplinski 7). Steals: WS 5 (Ralph 3); H 4 (G. Thimm 2). Turnovers: WS 5; H 9. Blocks: WS 1 (Ralph 1); H 4 (G. Thimm 2, Eggleston 2). Total fouls: WS 14; H 9.
HUSTISFORD – Not very many prep boys basketball teams are left.
In Division 5, only four remain — and they’re heading to Thursday’s WIAA state tournament held at the La Crosse Center, in La Crosse.
Among those four teams will be top-seeded Hustisford and fourth-seeded Wauzeka-Steuben, which will kick off the day with a 9:05 tip in the first of two semifinals.
“They’re a very good team,” Hustisford coach Otto Hopfinger said. “They have a very good player. It’s just like the last team we played where they had a state caliber player.”
Last Saturday, the Falcons (16-3) defeated Monticello, 70-43, and did just enough to contain Peter Gustafson. The senior for the Ponies went off for 24 points against the Falcons, but all the points he scored after halftime were from the free-throw line.
Hustisford assistant coach Rylee Nass said senior Dylan Kaemmerer played very well against Gustafson.
“He was playing the best defense he’s ever played,” Nass said. “He’s great defending, but holy cow did that guy step up.”
Kaemmerer wasn’t the only one who had to defend Gustafson either. Senior Blake Peplinski, who came off the bench when starter Brody Thimm injured his leg, saw time against him as well.
“My main role was to get in No. 4’s face as much as I could, be as annoying as I could and try to shut him down,” Peplinski said. “He had a really great jumper, which was really hard to stop.”
Now, the Falcons will have to defend against 6-foot-4 senior Gavin Ralph, who averages a double-double with 18.8 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. He also averages 5.1 assists a game, in addition to 20 total blocks and 36 total steals.
“This guy may not be quite as good of a shooter (as Gustafson), but he’s very good at distributing the ball and taking the ball to the hole,” Hopfinger said. “He’s one of the best players in the state. Last week we had to stop one of the best players in the state and now we’ve got to stop another one.”
Hopfinger said the Hornets (16-2), who won the Ridge & Valley Conference with an unbeaten 10-0 record, have a plethora of talent behind Ralph as well. Both Caydon Lomas (11.8 points) and Garett Kapinus (11.1) average in double figures.
“He has a good group around Ralph,” Hopfinger said. “They do a good job of cutting to the basket for him. He gets a lot of assists and they’re very good at shooting the 3. We’re going to have to pick up our defense to really shut them down.”
The Hornets are shooting 31% from beyond the arc, with their main threat being Lomas (30-of-77), shooting 39%. Junior Jonah Reichmann (14-of-40) is shooting 35% from downtown and is averaging 6.9 points a game. Kapinus (12-of-40) also has the green light to take 3-pointers and is shooting 30%.
“We’re going to expect the shadow players to even step up,” Hustisford senior Dylan Kuehl said. “We don’t want to overlook any opponent, especially coming this far in a state game. We’re going to expect the best from everybody.”
They’ve shown they can stop teams from shooting from beyond the arc. The Falcons defeated Stockbridge, a heavy 3-point shooting team, 82-28, in the sectional semifinals by holding the Indians to just a couple 3s.
The good news for the Falcons is they may have Thimm back as he’s practiced this week and is planning on playing. He’s excited for it.
“We’re going to go into it and play our hearts out to try to bring home a gold ball for the town,” he said. “We’re not going to give up on anything. We’re going to play every possession out. We’re going to do everything we can to make everybody proud back here.”
The basics
What: The 105th WIAA state boys basketball tournament.
When: Thursday through Saturday.
Where: Divisions 1 and 3 at Menominee Nation Arena, 1212 S. Main St., Oshkosh; Divisions 2, 4 and 5 at La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plaza, La Crosse.
COVID-19 changes: The tournament has been split into two locations, and each division will hold semifinals and the final on the same day. Seating will be limited, there will be one game per session, and COVID-19 safety guidelines will be strictly followed.
Tickets: Tickets, at $13 (plus processing and service fees) will first be offered only through qualifying schools. Unsold tickets will be offered to the general public starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Codes for each game will be required to purchase tickets. For more information, contact Ticketmaster at 1-800-653-8000.
On the Web: Schedules, results and tournament history can be found at www.wiaawi.org/Sports/Winter/Boys-Basketball/Tournament
On the air/streaming: Each game will be televised live on a statewide network including WKOW-TV, Ch. 27, in Madison. Games also will be streamed on the network stations’ websites, on the WIAA.tv portal of the NFHS Network (with subscription), and through the Magic of March app for iOS and Android phones. Post-game media conferences will be streamed on NFHS Network, without a subscription fee.
Last year: There was no state tournament last year, as the WIAA canceled the tournament due to COVID-19 before sectional finals could be played.
History: The first state tournament was held in 1916. The tournament featured one division, went to two enrollment divisions from 1934 to 1935, to three divisions from 1936 to 1939, and then back to one division from 1940 through 1971. It grew to two divisions in 1972, to three divisions in 1974, to four divisions in 1991 and to its current five-division format in 2011. Randolph has the most championships with 10, followed by Beloit Memorial and Whitefish Bay Dominican with seven, Stevens Point with six and Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Lincoln, Milwaukee Vincent and Racine St. Catherine’s with five each.
The lowdown
DIVISION 1
DeForest (16-5), seeded fourth and unranked in The Associated Press state poll, earned its first state trip with a 77-69 victory over Hartland Arrowhead in a sectional final at Baraboo. Coach Craig Weisbrod’s Norskies feature a number of three-sport athletes, some of whom contributed to the Norskies’ 2019 state football championship. The Norskies take an eight-game winning streak to state, following back-to-back losses to Waunakee and Milton. Coach’s son Max Weisbrod, a 6-3 junior guard, scored 27 of his 33 points in the second half of a 77-69 sectional win over Hartland Arrowhead, including six free throws, a rebound and a steal in the final minute. He averages 18.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game and 7.2 assists per game and shoots 87% from the line. Nolan Hawk, a 6-5 junior forward, averages 12.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg.
Kimberly (24-2), ranked first and seeded first, is making its 13th state trip and first since 2007, and is seeking its third state title. Coach Lucky Wurtz’s Papermakers beat Menomonee Falls 78-46 to win their sectional and avenge a regular-season loss to the Phoenix. Kimberly’s other loss was to Neenah in the fifth game, and the Papermakers avenged that loss by beating the second-ranked Rockets in a regional final. Kimberly takes an 18-game winning streak to state. Kimberly’s average victory margin was 27.3 points, with its only single-digit margins coming against Pewaukee in the regular season and Neenah in the regional final. Jackson Paveletzke, a 6-foot-2 junior guard, averages 19.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 6.1 apg. The Papermakers also get 15.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg from 6-11 senior forward Grant Asman and 11.5 ppg and 4.9 rpg from 6-7 senior forward Jackson Dudek.
Wauwatosa East (21-3), ranked third and seeded second, is making its 17th state trip and first since winning its second title in 2008. Coach Tim Arndorfer’s Red Raiders won the talent-packed Greater Metro Conference and had regular-season losses to Sussex Hamilton, Franklin and Waunakee but avenged the Franklin loss in a sectional final after beating Milwaukee Marquette, Brookfield Central and Kenosha Indian Trail in the tournament. Brian Parzych, a 6-2 senior guard and 1,000-point career scorer who’ll play at Northern Michigan, averages 14.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 4.4 apg. The Red Raiders also get 14.1 ppg from 6-5 senior forward Alex Singleton, 12.8 ppg from 6-3 senior guard Jay Hinson Jr., and 11.9 ppg from 6-6 junior forward Leon Bond, who’s being recruited by the University of Wisconsin, Virginia, Marquette, UW-Milwaukee and other Division I programs. Marcus Mbow (6-5, sr., F, 8.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg) is a Purdue football recruit.
River Falls (21-2), ranked second and seeded third, earned its ninth state trip and first since 2005 with a 53-52 win over De Pere in a sectional final. Coach Zac Johnson’s Wildcats lost regular-season games to Eau Claire Memorial and Hudson and take a 14-game winning streak to state. His son, Zac Johnson, a 6-3 senior forward, who signed with Division II Augustana, averages 24.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 3.7 apg, and is the school’s all-time scoring leader. J.T. Dougherty, a 6-9 senior forward, averages 10.4 ppg and 6.0 rpg.
DIVISION 2
Lake Mills (23-5), ranked eighth and seeded third, returns for a second state trip after qualifying in 2017. Coach Steve Hicklin’s L-Cats edged Monroe 56-55 in a sectional final. The L-Cats started 5-4, won 10 in a row, lost for the second time to Lakeside Lutheran, and built an eight-game winning streak to advance to state. Charlie Bender, a 6-3 senior guard and UW-Platteville recruit, earned Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association All-State honors last year and averages 18.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 3.7 apg. Drew Stoddard, a 6-foot senior guard, adds 15 ppg and a team-best 4.3 apg, and 6-4 senior forward Adam Moen, an all-state quarterback, averages 14 ppg and 8.6 rpg.
Pewaukee (25-3), ranked second and seeded second, earned its second state trip and first since a runner-up finish in 2001. Coach David Burkemper’s Pirates take a 13-game winning streak to state, including a four-overtime win over Delafield St. John’s NW. They lost only to Division 1 qualifiers Kimberly and Wauwatosa East, along with Brookfield East. The Pirates beat Wisconsin Lutheran and Brown Deer in sectional play. Milan Momcilovic, a 6-8 sophomore wing, earned Woodland Conference Player of the Year honors, averaging 17.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg and shooting 89% from the line. The Pirates also get 14.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 3.3 apg from three-year starter John Terrian, a 6-4 junior wing; 13.1 ppg from 6-2 junior guard Ashton Janowski, and 10.9 ppg from 6-3 freshman guard Nick Janowski. The Pirates made 18 3-point baskets in a regional win over Wilmot.
Onalaska (18-0), ranked first and seeded first, earned a 10th state trip and first since 2013, and will chase what would be a fourth state title (the last came in 2012). Coach Craig Kowal’s Hilltoppers have won 14 of their 18 games by double-digit margins, with their closest victories coming against Eau Claire Memorial, Menomonee Falls, Caledonia (Minnesota) and Menomonie. Gavin McGrath, a 6-11 senior center and North Dakota recruit, averages 13 ppg and 6.8 rpg. Victor Desmond, who holds an offer from Division II Bemidji State, averages 10.6 ppg and 5.4 rpg.
Appleton Xavier (23-4), ranked ninth and seeded fourth, is at state for the fifth time. Xavier won the Division 3 title in 2017, following runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2016. Matt Klarner’s Hawks lost four of six in an early cold spell but take an 18-game winning streak to state. Xavier gets 17.2 ppg and 11.3 rpg from 6-6 sophomore forward Alex Sherwood, and 6-foot junior guard Charlie Pfefferle adds 15.3 ppg and 6.9 apg. Ray Zuleger, a 6-foot senior guard, averages 11.7 ppg and 5.2 apg. Cal Mares, a 5-10 senior guard, was named Bay Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
DIVISION 3
Racine St. Catherine’s (26-1), ranked first and seeded first, is at state for the seventh time but the first since ending a run of six trips and five championships from 2005-2011. The Angels also won nine WISAA private-school titles before joining the WIAA in 2000. Coach Nick Bennett’s Angels started 18-0 before suffering an overtime loss to Greendale Martin Luther, but have won eight straight since, including sectional wins over Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs and Milwaukee Academy of Science. Tyrese Hunter, a 6-1 senior guard committed to Iowa State, averages 19.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg and is the program’s all-time scoring leader. Kamari McGee, a 6-foot senior guard signed to UW-Green Bay, averages 17 ppg and 7.5 rpg and is a 1,000-point career scorer. And 6-2 junior guard Jameer Barker averages 13.8 ppg and 6.7 rpg.
Hartland Lake Country Lutheran (25-2), ranked second and seeded second, earned its first state trip with a 94-68 win over Delafield St. John’s NW in a sectional final. Coach Mark Newman’s Lightning lost a midseason game to Greendale Martin Luther and have won 13 in a row since then. Luke Haertle, a 6-4 junior forward, was a coaches’ all-state pick last year and averages 25.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and a team-best 4.6 apg. Noah Howard, a 6-foot junior guard, adds 13.1 ppg, 6-3 senior forward Gavin Theis addes 11.3 ppg and 6-3 junior forward John Nehls adds 10.3 ppg.
Hammond St. Croix Central (23-2), ranked sixth and seeded third, earned its first state trip, defeating Maple Northwestern 80-57 in a sectional final. Coach Randy Jordan’s Panthers lost only to Division 1 state qualifier River Falls and Hudson and take an 11-game winning streak to state. Gabe Siler, a 6-foot senior guard averaging 9.7 ppg and 7.7 apg, earned Middle Border Conference Player of the Year honors. The leading scorer is 6-2 senior forward Jackson Pettit (16.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg), a Northwestern-St. Paul (Minnesota) recruit. Kelson Kin (6-3, sr., F) adds 13.8 ppg and 5.9 rpg, and Colin Hackbarth (6-0, jr., G) averages 12.8 ppg.
Wrightstown (24-4), ranked seventh and seeded fourth, is making its first trip to state. The Tigers defeated Brillion 55-54 in a sectional final. Coach Cory Haese’s Tigers lost two of their first three but have won 23 of 24 since, marred only by a second loss to Freedom. Wrightstown is led by North Eastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year Sam Haese (6-3, sr., G, 19.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg). Matthew Hansen, a 6-2 senior guard, adds 14 ppg and 4.5 apg; Jack Van Zeeland adds 13.1 ppg and 3.7 apg, and Minnesota State-Moorhead football recruit Joe Hella adds 10.2 ppg and 8.0 rpg.
DIVISION 4
Racine Prairie (23-3), ranked third and seeded first, earned its first state trip with an 82-77 win at Cuba City in a sectional final. Coach Jason Atanasoff’s Hawks lost two Metro Classic Conference games to Racine St. Catherine’s and suffered a late loss to Somers Shoreland Lutheran, and take a six-game winning streak to state. Antuan Nesbitt, a 6-4 senior wing committed to Northern Michigan, averages 19.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 4.7 apg. Asha Oglesby, a 6-6 sophomore forward, adds 10 ppg and 6.1 rpg.
Oshkosh Lourdes (23-5), ranked seventh and seeded second, is at state for the fifth time. The Knights earned a runner-up finish in 2019. Dennis Ruedinger’s Crusaders started 6-4, including losses to New London, Green Bay Notre Dame, Manitowoc Roncalli and Division 1 state qualifier DeForest. They’ve won 17 of 18 since, losing only to Division 3 qualifier Lake Country Lutheran. Preston Ruedinger, a coaches’ all-state pick and AP All-State third-team pick last year, averages 26.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 6.7 apg. Joshua Bauer (6-0 senior guard/forward) adds 13.7 ppg, Jack McKellips (5-11, sr., G) adds 10.7 ppg and 5.5 apg, and Jack Huizenga (5-10, sr., G) scores 10.5 ppg.
Edgar (23-2), ranked fifth and seeded third, is at state for the fifth time and the first time in 24 years. The Wildcats won the 1997 championship. Coach David Huss’ team lost early games to Auburndale and Medford, but take an 18-game winning streak to state after beating Hurley and Clear Lake in sectional play. Drew Guden (6-1, sr., G) averages 14.7 ppg and 4.2 rpg, and Kyle Brewster (6-1, sr., G) adds 14 ppg. Both are 1,000-point career scorers. Konnor Wolf (6-3, sr., G) adds 9.1 ppg and 4.0 apg.
Onalaska Luther (19-1), ranked seventh and seeded fourth, earned its first state trip with a 46-44 victory over Blair-Taylor in a sectional final. Coach Brad Schaper’s Knights lost a midseason game to West Salem, avenged it later to tie for the Coulee Conference title, and take a 10-game winning streak to state. Gavin Proudfoot, a 6-7 junior forward, averages 15.4 ppg and 8.5 rpg, and 6-3 sophomore guard Isaiah Schachtenberg adds 10.5 ppg and a team-high 2.8 apg.
DIVISION 5
Hustisford (16-3), ranked first and seeded first, earned its first state trip, defeating Monticello 70-43 in a sectional final. Coach Otto Hopfinger’s Falcons lost back-to-back games to Division 4 qualifier Oshkosh Lourdes and Marshall late in the season, but beat Stockbridge and Monticello in sectional play. Dylan Kuehl, a 6-6 senior guard, averages 23.1 ppg and 7.8 rpg; 6-2 junior guard Gavin Thimm adds 14.5 ppg and 5.2 apg, and 6-9 senior forward Alex Eggleston gets 10.8 ppg and 9.0 rpg.
Chippewa Falls McDonell (16-4), ranked fourth and seeded second, qualified for its fourth consecutive state tournament and sixth overall. Coach Adam Schilling’s Macks lost their first two games to Fall Creek and Stanley-Boyd, but have won 16 of 18 since, marred only by two losses to Altoona. McDonell beat Drummond and Turtle Lake in sectionals. Logan Hughes, a 6-2 senior guard, averages 14.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 3.4 apg, and Jake Siegenthaler, a 6-2 senior guard, adds 13.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 3.3 apg.
Green Bay NEW Lutheran/Providence (15-10), unranked and seeded third, is making its first state trip as a co-operative program but earned seven trips and three runner-up finishes as NEW Lutheran. Coach Mark Meerstein’s Blazers lost four of their first five and eight of their first 11, but have won 11 of 12 games heading into state. The Blazers beat Goodman/Pembine and Gresham in sectionals. Marshal Bukowski, a 6-3 senior forward, averages 19.3 ppg and 7.6 rpg, and 6-6 sophomore forward Tristian Lynch adds 11.6 ppg and 5.9 rpg. Elijah Meerstein, a 6-2 sophomore guard, averages 6.8 apg.
Wauzeka-Steuben (16-2), ranked fifth and seeded fourth, earned its second state trip and first since 2011 with a 46-41 sectional victory over Royall. Isaiah Okey’s Hornets lost their second game to Boscobel and their next-to-last game of the regular season to River Ridge in overtime. Gavin Ralph, a 6-4 senior guard-forward and the Ridge and Valley Conference Player of the Year, averages 18.8 ppg and 10.1 rpg, along with a team-high 5.1 apg. He’ll play at Upper Iowa University. Caydon Lomas, a 6-1 sophomore guard, adds 11.8 ppg, and Garett Kapinus, a 5-11 junior guard, averages 11.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg.
— Art Kabelowsky
HUSTISFORD —― What a ride the 2020-2021 prep boys basketball season has been for Hustisford.
The Falcons have something brewing the likes no team in program history has ever been able to do – make it to the WIAA state tournament. Top-seeded Hustisford will play fourth-seeded Wauzeka-Steuben in the Div. 5 semfiinals Thursday morning, with the winner advancing to the title game that night — all at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse — against either second-seeded Chippewa Falls McDonnell Central Catholic or Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran.
“I think for me, personally, something that sticks out is how much these guys love each other,” Hustisford assistant coach Nate LaBombard said. “They love basketball. There’s not a time where they’re not high-fiving; they’re not pumped for one another, and any person would score zero points as long as they got the dub.”
The 14-man roster encompasses all classes, with four seniors, seven juniors, two sophomores and a freshman.
The starting five are seniors Dylan Kuehl, Alex Eggleston, Brody Thimm and Dylan Kaemmerer, and junior Gavin Thimm. Junior Blake Peplinski is the first off the bench, followed by juniors Nathan Newville, Garrett Brugger, Braden Peplinski, Josh Peplinski and Preston Bertz.
Kuehl said all of those guys have been playing together since they could walk, and have been a part of youth leagues since they were really young.
“For a few years – like fifth and sixth grade – sometimes we played against each other because our teams were too big,” Kuehl said. “We know each other’s moves, so we use that to feed off each other.”
“It’s the competitiveness we had back then and we still have it now,” Gavin added about playing one another as fifth and sixth graders. “It’s pushed us every day to keep getting better and winning.”
The winning definitely came this season. After missing a couple weeks to start the season due to COVID-19, the Falcons cruised to a 16-3 overall record and finished second in the Trailways East Conference with a 5-1 record behind undefeated Oshkosh Lourdes — a Div. 4 state qualifier.
“I knew we had a special team as soon as we started the season,” Brody said. “You just knew we had that team dynamic, that family bond. We’ve all been playing together since we were little kids. We just know each other so well.
“We knew where everybody is at all times. We know what everybody’s strengths are and we all play to make ourselves better. We all push each other to make sure we’re playing at our highest level at all times.”
That’s why no one on the team is selfish. Kuehl does a lot of the scoring, averaging 23.1 points and 7.8 rebounds a game. But he is also undoubtedly the leader of the Falcons and brings a lot of flair with his ferocious dunks when the team needs it the most.
Meanwhile, Gavin Thimm and Eggleston complement him with 14.5 points and 10.8 points a game, respectively. Gavin is the distributor on the team, leading with 5.2 assists a game. And Eggleston is a beast down low, leading the team with nine rebounds and an astounding 2.7 blocks a game.
Brody Thimm and Kaemmerer both do a little bit of everything for the Falcons. Brody is fourth on the team with 6.8 points and is an emotional leader, while Kaemmerer averages 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds a game.
“It’s how unselfish they are,” Hustisford assistant coach Rylee Nass said of what surprises him about the team. “Usually on every team there is one or two players that have an attitude or it’s all about me, or I need this to get a scholarship, or I need this to do that.
“It doesn’t matter who scores, it doesn’t matter who plays, whatever five are on the court, that’s the five they’re going to roll with. It doesn’t matter who it is.”
That’s why communication is very easy among the players during games. Brody said it’s been crucial for the Falcons on defense this season.
It helped a tremendous amount,” he said. “Coach Rylee always preached communication, you can never over-communicate. It’s a huge thing and a lot of us are so close that we can say one little thing and we know exactly what we’re talking about.
“If a screen’s coming on defense, whatever we need to run on offense, we can even give little eye signals and that’s enough communication for us. We know what’s going on at all times.”
The Falcons have some of the best size and length of any team in the state, which is why they’re averaging 8.8 steals and 5.1 blocks a game. Not only that, but they’re converting those blocked shots and steals into points the other way. Kuehl (32) and Gavin Thimm (31) lead the team with a combined 63 steals on the season.
“Our defense fuels our offense like crazy,” Kuehl said. “For years, we knew our offense was going to convert. We know our players are going to get the job done on offense, so we’re going to start focusing more on defense. That just makes our offense even better.”
Blake Peplinski takes that mindset to heart, coming off the bench to provide a defensive spark. Sure he averages 6.4 points a game, but he’s third on the team with 6.9 rebounds, and has 25 steals and 12 blocks.
“He doesn’t care if he scores any points,” Hustisford coach Otto Hopfinger said. “He just wants to play great defense and rebound. He knows his role. When you have guys that know their role, they’re going to excel. Not only that, he does score points for us. He gets a lot of important baskets for us. He knows that if he goes out and does his job, then good things are going to happen. He does it really well.”
Added Brody Thimm, “He knows exactly what he needs to do. He knows his job. He does it to the best of his ability. He doesn’t let anybody outwork him while he’s out there. It’s so fun to watch.”
The entire team is fun to watch. According to Jake Falkenthal, Husty’s coach the last eight years before taking this winter off to reduce the chances of exposing his family, and his pregnant fiancé, to COVID-19, all of the Falcons are talented in different ways.
For one thing, they’re very tall – all of the juniors and seniors are 6-foot-1 or taller – and their length is extraordinary.
“They don’t have a lot of guards as other teams have, but their posts are so athletic and can play, handle the ball, and play outside the perimeter,” Falkenthall said. “They’re a different team compared to other teams.
“The fact that they’ve made it to the state tournament, they have to be talked about as one of the best teams that has come through this program.”
HUSTISFORD — Watching Saturday’s WIAA Division 5 sectional final game between the Hustisford and Monticello prep boys basketball teams was bittersweet for Jake Falkenthal.
The former Falcons head coach was elated to watch his team dismantle the Ponies 70-43, earning a trip to the Div. 5 state tournament for the first time in program history. The Falcons will play Wauzeka-Steuben at 9:05 a.m. Thursday in the semifinals.
He just wished he could’ve been there, leading the Falcons.
“We finally knocked that wall down,” Falkenthal said in a phone interview on Sunday night. “For these kids to do that and to do it in convincing fashion on the road, sitting there watching (online), I was nervous watching it. I was nervous for these guys all day. Man, I was so nervous watching this game. It was amazing.
“I wish I could’ve been there. That atmosphere would’ve been great. I told the guys I wish I could’ve been there with them.”
Falkenthal and his family were expecting to have a baby in late December of last year. So before the season began, the family’s doctor recommended to Falkenthal and his fiancé, Athena, that he sit the year out because, Falkenthal said, “it was early with COVID and they didn’t really know how it affected pregnant women and the fetus.”
Additionally, Falkenthal’s other kids were schooled virtually from September until the baby was born Dec. 22., with the family quarantining during that time as well.
“That was the decision we made as a family to be very safe for not only Athena, but also for the baby,” Falkenthal said. “That’s why I had to make the tough decision to step aside this year. It was to do what was right for my family, to have a happy and healthy baby, and also my fiancé to be healthy as well.”
It was a hard decision for Falkenthal, who was the head coach for Hustisford for eight seasons. It was even harder on him when he had to tell his father, Glen Falkenthal, who is also the athletic director at Hustisford High School, and JV coach Otto Hopfinger that he was stepping down for the season.
“When he told me, and I totally understood, I knew it was going to be very hard for him to be able to not put his family first,” Hopfinger said. “In a situation like this, your family has to come first. He needed to take care of that.”
The main concern with Jake stepping down for the season was if the program would take a step back. The Falcons had a lot of talented players on the team and a few moving up to the varsity level, which is why it was suggested Hopfinger, who has been with the program for the last 22 seasons and has been the Falcons varsity girls soccer coach for that same time, take over as head coach.
Before Hopfinger would take over, he also had to talk with his family as well as the players to see if they would be OK with it.
“I had some discussions with them and they felt the same way I did,” Hopfinger said. “They wanted things to stay similar as far as the way the program was operated. Once I knew the players were on board with it, family was OK with it, I said, ‘I’m going to give it a shot.’”
“He’s coached these kids on the JV level,” Falkenthal added. “He knows the program. He knows the system. These kids know him. It would be just an easy fit and a smooth transition.”
While it was a smooth transition for Hopfinger to slide to the head of the table for the program, the season didn’t start off quite like the Falcons hoped it would. The first day of practice was Nov. 23 and the first games in the state were slated for Dec. 1, but once the season began, the Falcons had to quarantine for two weeks and couldn’t play their first game until Dec. 18 against Rio.
The Falcons won that game 60-36, but right after that, a game against Fall River was also cancelled due to COVID-19.
That’s why the Falcons got just two Trailways East Conference games – wins over Horicon (85-55) and Dodgeland (73-24) – before they had to play eventual league champion Oshkosh Lourdes on Jan. 12.
“A couple of us weren’t feeling that great, so we weren’t in that great of shape. I was just a little worried how we were going to come out. We played unbelievable, and I stressed defense at that point, but we hadn’t been playing defense as well as I had hoped up to that point,” said Hopfinger, who saw Hustisford lose 72-67 to Lourdes. “That was my ‘a-ha’ moment because we went up to Lourdes and almost had them beat until the last couple of minutes in the game. We just ran out of gas at the end, but it wasn’t because of effort.”
That loss proved to be a catalyst for the Falcons because they went on an eight-game winning streak until they lost 63-51 to Lourdes on Feb. 6. Five days after that, Husty lost a nailbiter to Marshall, 53-52.
None of Hustisford’s three losses on the year would be considered bad losses, with Lourdes having since qualified for Friday’s Div. 4 state tournament and Marshall, a Div. 3 program, having finished the year 16-8.
And in fact, the loss to Marshall proved to be just the splash of cold water to the face the Falcons needed to propel them to this point.
“We never had (close) end-of-game situations, so we wanted some tough teams at the end of the season,” Hopfinger said of being tested in a way most of the teams they were blowing out weren’t testing them. “We played them well and we should’ve won that game.”
“Nobody could play with us when we play at a high level,” Hustisford assistant coach Rylee Nass added. “When we take plays off, when we don’t show up that day, don’t shoot well, don’t hustle or do the little things right, we get beat. That showed against Marshall. We didn’t play our best game, we got a little sloppy and that’s why (we lost).”
Ever since, the Falcons have been on a mission blowing past teams, and are now 16-3 overall. They took second in the Trailways East at 5-1.
Those tough tests against Lourdes and Marshall as well as the adversity Husty has faced in general have helped the Falcons to state for the first in program history — and in Hopfinger’s first try, to boot.
“After it happened, I was still pinching myself because I could not believe it,” he said. “I could hardly believe it the whole night. The next day reality sunk in when all the different jobs and duties you needed to do to get ready for this started sinking in.”
Falkenthal was feeling some of the same things, albeit minus the job of being the acting coach.
That’s a title he hopes to get back next year, but for now, he, like all of the Falcons’ faithful, is living in the moment.
“Do I plan on coming back next year? Yes, I do. In what capacity that is, I don’t know yet,” he said. “That is a decision that would be happening, or talked about, in the offseason.
“All I’m focused on right now is watching these guys and cheering these guys on to a state championship.”
HUSTISFORD ― The Hustisford prep boys basketball team made it to back-to-back WIAA Division 5 sectional finals seven years ago.
Try as they might, those two talented Falcons teams just couldn’t find a way to get it done either time. Hustisford lost to Young Coggs Prep 75-63 in 2014-2015, then suffered a demoralizing 48-42 defeat against Catholic Central the following year.
Rylee Nass, Peter Maas and Nate LaBombard remember those losses all too vividly, as they bring back some painful memories. Both Nass and LaBombard were seniors in the loss to Young Coggs Prep, while Maas — a year their junior — was part of both teams that advanced to sectional finals.
All three came back this season to work as assistant coaches under current coach Otto Hopfinger, who took over for Jake Falkenthal due to COVID-19-related issues. The new staff saw the Falcons not only reach the sectional final, but claim a 70-43 win over Monticello to earn the program’s first Div. 5 state berth.
“They just talked about how much they wanted it and how they worked their butts off for it,” said senior Brody Thimm, who talked with all three coaches after the Falcons dismantled the Ponies on Saturday. “They just missed it and they said it stayed with them (over the years). That’s why they keep coming back here, because they wanted to see our program succeed. Even back then, they bring that feeling to now to try to make us successful. They have so much passion for the sport and for our community. They want to make sure this school has a legacy left behind.”
Nass added, “It’s nice to get over that hump that we personally haven’t been able to get over it. It’s so nice to finally be (going to state) and hopefully bring home that gold ball.”
Hopfinger said the reason he wanted to bring in this group of assistants, including his son and 2011 Husty alum Michael Hopfinger, was because he needed a coaching staff that had intelligence and passion for the game.
“You’re only has good as your assistant coaches,” Hopfinger said. “It’s just a good blend. … They realized how special it was and how important it was.”
Maas and Nass are both over 6-foot-5, so they work with guys like 6-foot-9 senior Alex Eggleston, 6-foot-6 senior Dylan Kuehl and 6-foot-2 junior Blake Peplinski that handle a lot down low. Meantime, LaBombard took on the role as the JV coach and also worked with guards like Dylan Kaemmerer and Gavin Thimm, Brody’s younger brother.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” LaBombard said. “I’m very thankful for the experience. It’s actually cool because after our last game (against Monticello), Gavin told us, ‘I remember being in the seventh grade and watching you guys in the sectional finals, I’ve wanted that ever since.’
“It’s just dawned on me these last couple of weeks, at one point, we were their role models. They wanted to be like us. They wanted to be in a sectional final. It’s cool for it to come full circle and for us to be around those guys.”
The one thing Maas, Nass and LaBombard agreed on was that while their teams were very talented, they weren’t as focused on defense as the current squad.
The Falcons had some very talented shooters during the 2014-2015 season, including 2016 graduates David Elliott and Ben Rode. Those two led the Falcons in scoring, averaging 16.4 and 15.6 points per game, respectively.
A lot of the Falcons’ damage that season came from beyond the arc. Rode made 71-of-184 3-point attempts while Elliott was 42-of-109 from beyond the arc. LaBombard, who was fourth on the team with 6.8 points a game, made 33-of-97 from downtown.
Nass did most of his damage in the post, averaging 11.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
The Falcons still had Rode and Elliott the following season to go along with Maas, who replaced Nass down low. The Falcons also gained a talented freshman in Justin Kuehl, who was second on the team with 15.4 points per game in 2015-16.
Rode (38.9%), Elliott (38.2%) and Kuehl (38.6%) all shot around 38% from beyond the arc to help the Falcons reach the 2016 sectional finals.
“Our defensive mentality probably wasn’t half of what it is now,” LaBombard said, comparing the two sectional teams to this year’s state qualifier. “The biggest leap from our team to this team was they all bought into defense, first and foremost. The offense came from there. In the past, it wasn’t like that.”
The Falcons had a ton of success during the sectional final runs. They went 22-5 overall, including 16-2 in conference play to tie Horicon for the 2015 Trailways South title. The following year, they went 22-4 overall and 16-2 in the conference to finish as the runner-up to Deerfield (18-0).
The Falcons allowed opposing teams to score 47.1 points per game during the 2014-2015 season, a number that rose to 48.4 the following season. In comparison, this year’s Falcons are holding opponents to 42.2 points per game.
“I remember we had a very talented team. We just didn’t have the tenacity on defense that we do now,” Nass said, noting that the coaching staff has stressed defense all season. “It obviously shows in every game because not a lot of teams put up points against us.
“It’s the most important thing and that’s what was going to get us there, and here we are.”
All three of the assistant coaches with sectional experience said they spent last week giving advice to anyone who wanted it about being in this situation. For instance, Maas said he gave his two cents to players on staying focused for the big game.
“I was trying to make sure the headspace is right, and making sure we’re not looking forward to the opponent we’re going to play,” he said. “We have to respect everybody that’s right here in front of us because they’re going to try to stop us. We need to come out with the best mentality in every single game that we have.”
