JRG Sports Buzz

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Waukesha West shines at sectional swim meet

MUSKEGO – Waukesha West/Catholic Memorial’s girls swim team showed out on the stage for the state tournament on Saturday afternoon.

The Wolverines won seven of 12 events during the 2021 WIAA Girls Division 1 Swimming Sectional. West/CMH finished with a final team score of 379, which was 44 points ahead of second place Badger Co-Op. Two of the three relays went to the Wolverines as well as five individual events. West/CMH also finished with a bang, winning the final three events of the meet.

“Mentally, we have been preparing for it for a long time,” Wolverines’ coach Christian Niven said. “We know how to come together as a team. We’ve been utilizing what we’ve been doing in practice. It started from the first day of practice. We’ve got a couple more to go, but we did great.”

Junior Victoria Brostowitz of CMH was arguably the top swimmer for the winning team. She took first in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke with victorious times of 2:03.79 and 1:02.05, respectively. She also was on both relay winners, teaming with sophomores Olivia Wanner and Elizabeth Beam on the 200 medley and 400 freestyle. The 200 medley team finished in 1:43.13 and the 400 free team won with the only time below three and a half minutes at 3:29.79.

“Most importantly, we just had the energy,” Brostowitz said. “I felt like, starting with the relay win, we started off with good energy and that carried over into all the other events.”

Sophomore Karlie Marusik was on the 400 free squad and took first in the 200 individual free at 1:53.19. Wanner clocked 51.32 for her top finish in the 100 free and just missed winning the 50 free by .03 seconds. Beam won the 100 backstroke with 56.92, barely edging teammate Marusik by .08.

Senior Claire Wright, the fourth member of the 200 medley relay squad, took third in the 200 individual medley.

Waukesha South/Mukwonago finished two points behind Badger for third at 333. The Blackshirts had no winners but had two second-place finishers and two third-place relay squads. Senior Logan Wilson was of those runner-up placers, as she finished five and one-half seconds behind Brostowitz in the 200 individual medley.

Another senior, Brianna Corro, finished second in the 500 free. South had four of the top six finishers in that event.

Sophomore Talia Nettesheim took third in the 100 butterfly and was on the 400 free relay team with Wilson, junior Ellie Wilber and freshman Audri Ditch. Nettesheim, Wilber and Ditch were the other three 500 free standouts for South/Mukwonago.

“Our goal was to finish in the top two,” South/Mukwonago coach Blaine Carlson said. “We lost a bunch of close races. It was a two-point meet. That was the difference. There were four, five, six races that we got touched out by a couple-hundredths and that’s the difference.”

The host school was fourth with 312 points and had two event winners. Senior Sydney Miller finished the 500 free in 5:09.97 for the top spot.

“Sydney Miller exceeded my expectations,” Muskego coach Heidi Szczupakiewicz said. “We all had goal times for her and she smashed all of them. She is a hard worker and it paid off. She’s finally up there where she needs to be.”

The Warriors shined in the 100 fly, as they had the top two finishers and the only two swimmers to complete the event in less than one minute.

Junior Kate Larsen took first at 57.55 seconds and freshman Melena Glysch was second at 59.08.

“I got all my flyers in the top 8,” said Szczupakiewicz of the 100 fly. “We were fly-heavy this year and I was nervous about putting them all against each other, but it really worked out that they all got podium.”

Emilie Rochon took second in the 1-meter dive for Muskego. Glysch, Miller and Larsen, along with sophomore Carley Miller, were on third-place 200 medley relay and second-place 400 free relay teams. Larsen and Miller took second and third, respectively, in the 200 individual free. Junior Olivia Block was third in the 500 free.

Waukesha North/Kettle Moraine took eighth at the sectional with 102 points. The Northstars top finish was in the 100 fly, where senior Caroline Johnson took fifth and finished less than one second behind Nettesheim. Junior Makenna Gardner was 10th in the 50 free.

Badger Co-Op had three first-place finishes. Wylde Chupich was the top diver, sophomore Sailor Whowell clocked the best 50 free and the Badgers won the 200 free relay.

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Germantown wins field position battle, locks up Brookfield Central

GERMANTOWN – Germantown’s offense did not have its best game for homecoming, but it capitalized when it was time.

The Warhawks scored two second-half touchdowns off good field position and the Germantown defense contained Brookfield Central’s offense throughout Friday night’s 21-3 Greater Metro Conference victory. Junior quarterback Henry Kelley scored a rushing touchdown and threw a scoring pass to give Germantown positive momentum heading into the playoffs.

“It’s a total team effort,” Warhawks’ coach Jake Davis said. “Offense wasn’t having their best game. We knew Brook(field) Central was going to come in with stout defense. Everybody else needed to step up. Our special teams did. Our defense did and it was nice to see that. It’s always tough competition, no matter where anyone is at in this conference.”

“The field position was obviously a concern,” Lancers’ coach Joel Nellis said. “Without two field position swings, we were in a position where hopefully, it is still a 3-0 game. I’m not going to take anything away from them because they are a good football team. Jake Davis has always been a great coach. We didn’t capitalize when we had opportunities.”

Germantown had a promising drive after forcing a three and out. Kelley completed two passes to get into the red zone. However, the drive stalled as the Lancers’ defense forced a turnover on downs.

Brookfield Central put together a long, run-dominant drive to strike first. Junior running back Drew Edmond had three carries for 24 yards and a fumble forward on a fourth-down run earned the Lancers a first down at the Warhawks’ 29. The Germantown defense held serve in the red zone and senior kicker Tanner Wallen drilled a 26-yard field goal.

“When you see the flex the first time in a game, it’s different from anything you prepare for,” Nellis said. “I think we did a really good job jumping on them early.”

After forcing a three and out near the Central goal line, the Warhawks struck first. Junior receiver Micheal Ubert fielded a punt on the left side and broke right for a 31-yard scoring return.

“We didn’t get the kick that we wanted or the coverage that we needed,” Nellis said.

The offense took advantage of a muffed punt to build a 14-3 Germantown halftime lead. After recovering the dropped ball at the Lancers’ 37, Kelley found fellow junior receiver Will Van Fossen, who wrestled the ball away from a defender for a 37-yard scoring catch.

“Our duo with Henry and Van Fossen is a heck of a duo,” Davis said. “We know we’ve got a good chance when we put that ball up in the air and those guys connect. That’s something we like to go to when we can.”

The Warhawks recovered a fumble deep in Brookfield Central territory on the Lancers’ first second half possession. However, they came up empty after a missed field goal.

Germantown had two more chances with excellent field position and finally capitalized to begin the fourth quarter. After forcing a turnover on downs at the Central 20, Kelley later punched in from two yards out on a fourth down keeper.

“I think it came down to me looking those guys in the eye and telling those guys that we’re going to punch this in and get it done,” Davis said. “They looked back and I knew it was going to happen.”

The Lancers sustained a long final drive that took up nearly the rest of the fourth quarter. Brookfield Central converted three fourth downs, including a 25-yard pass down the right side from senior quarterback Robert Bloom to fellow senior receiver Davis Peacock. However, the Warhawks had two sacks and a tackle for loss on the drive and eventually forced a turnover on downs at the Germantown 14 to clinch the victory.

Before the game, Germantown enshrined three members into its Wall of Fame. Dana Maschman, a girls volleyball and basketball coach during the 1970s and Rich Anderson, a longtime softball coach, were inducted, as well as Becca Murray, a 2008 Germantown graduate and 2021 ESPY winner for Best Athlete with a Disability in Women’s Sports. Murray, a wheelchair basketball player, was a Paralympian in 2008, 2012 and 2016.

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Hartford boys volleyball controls match at Homestead

MEQUON – Hartford’s boys volleyball team started fast and finished strong all night on Wednesday.

The Orioles got off to significant leads in their North Shore Conference match at Homestead and held off all Highlanders’ rallies in a 25-16, 25-18, and 25-21 sweep. Hartford did not trail at any point during the match and led by as many as 12 points.

“I think they did just that,” said Orioles’ coach Terry Wick of his team’s early momentum. “They didn’t get down on themselves. There wasn’t frustration when Homestead made runs. We knew they were going to and just kept playing.”

“It was pretty disappointing the way we played tonight,” Homestead coach Matt Savage said. “Before we came in, I was pretty confident that we could have taken them down based on the way we played against Cedarburg on Monday. Unfortunately, that didn’t pan out. We had some trouble getting our game together. It was a tough one tonight.”

The Orioles streaked to begin the first set. Senior Nigel Litts had two kills and fellow senior DJ Sericati planted an ace to get Hartford to a 12-5 lead. Junior Carter Block lived up to his last name with a block and senior Drew Hoffmann had a kill to extend the advantage to 17-6.

Homestead made a rally after the Orioles extended their lead to 12. Senior outside hitter Zane Jacobsen had three kills and senior Evan Endres had a kill and an ace to key a 7-0 flurry.

“That was a little bit closer to how I expected us to play the whole time,” Savage said.

Hartford regained a rhythm to close the first set. Hoffmann and Sericati each had kills to close out the nine-point victory.

“To come back from it after they made their run was just a mentality that we were going to win,” Wick said. “The belief that we’re playing to win and not playing not to lose. We just relied on the basics that we’ve been working on.”

The second set started just like the first with the Orioles coming out strong. Junior Tim Lepien served an ace and three kills produced an early 5-1 Hartford bulge.

Junior Owen Otto was a key player for the Orioles in the second set. He had five kills and a block and helped Hartford maintain a lead between three and eight points the rest of the way.

“I just go in there with confidence just knowing I was going to play good and wanting to put the ball down,” Otto said.

The Orioles finished with a seven-point win to take full control.

“We just kept pushing and playing and made it our win,” Wick said.

Hartford continued its momentum early in the final set. Two aces from senior libero Owen Drinan and two kills from Block helped build an early 6-2 lead.

The Orioles built a five-point lead on two occasions down the stretch. Otto was a big factor again with three kills during this period.

“Owen (Otto) is just a really good player,” said Wick of Otto. “He is a smart player and is in the right positions. He hits well, he sets well, he serves well. He really is a very complete player and he helped carry us.”

However, the Highlanders made a run to eventually tie the set. Senior Eli Weinrich spearheaded this flurry with three kills as Homestead made a 7-2 spurt to tie the set at 19 and force a Harford timeout.

A team effort led the Orioles to a strong finish to end the match. Otto had two more kills and Lepien had a block.

“I think it’s our determination; that we really wanted this one,” Wick said.

“We just were having trouble running our offense,” Savage said. “Our passing wasn’t there, so when you can’t pass, you can’t swing. We were just giving Hartford a lot of free balls and easy opportunities to score points.”

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West Bend West makes two comebacks, takes match over West Bend East

WEST BEND – West Bend West’s girls’ volleyball team was down but never out.

The Spartans, after falling short in their first comeback attempt in the second set of their match win against intra-school rival West Bend East, rallied to win both the third and fourth sets after starting the match with a victory. West won with scores of 25-23, 20-25, 25-19 and 26-24.

“As a coaching staff, we told them they needed to continue to pass the ball to the best of their ability and for our setters to keep the offense as quick as possible,” Spartans’ coach Debbie Butschlick said. “By doing that, we were able to keep East kind of off guard at times and we were looking for the kill.”

“They played a great game and so did we,” Suns’ coach Trisha Kutchera said. “We were confident in our hits and confident in our plays. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get the kills we wanted to. In the end, it was a great match.”

West got off to a fast start in the opening set. Senior middle Leah Nagel and senior setter Kelsey Corbett each had two kills to lead the Spartans to an 8-3 advantage.

East came roaring back to take a 9-8 lead on six straight points. Junior Maya Haug keyed this spurt with two kills and a block.

Both teams played evenly over the next few minutes before West gained some momentum late. A team effort led by two kills from freshman outside hitter Kylee Altendorf got the Spartans out to a six-point bulge at 22-16.

East had one final push thanks largely to some spikes out of play from West. However, one of those spikes out happened because of a hustling dig by Suns’ junior Paige Harter as she was running out of bounds. East cut the lead to one twice, but West senior right side hitter Hannah Helmbrecht earned a kill to end the first set and a 25-23 Spartans’ win.

“We were playing to win at all costs,” Butschlick said.

The Suns got off to a fast start in the second set and held off a furious West comeback to even the match. Junior Lilly Bandle was the big key for East with five kills, two blocks and an ace. East led by as many as 13 points.

The Spartans made a furious run after trailing 20-7. Senior setter Isabelle Sternig led the comeback with four kills and a block. West got within four after Sternig’s final kill of the set, but Suns’ sophomore Briana Schauble ended the Spartans’ flurry with a kill to win 25-20.

“I think we just wanted to come back a little bit more,” Kutchera said. “When we lost the first set, we wanted to come back and win it, and we did. We had a lot of great blocks, our serving was spot on and our defense was there.”

East got off to another fast start in the third set. An ace and kill by Bandle helped the Suns build a 7-3 lead. The Suns maintained their momentum for the next few rallies and two kills by Bandle put their lead back to four at 13-9.

West built its momentum after that. Sternig had two kills and Corbett planted an ace to help force a tie at 16 apiece. The Spartans then took their first lead of the set and never looked back. Two kills apiece from Nagel and sophomore right side hitter Clara Corbett led West to a 25-19 triumph for a 2-1 match lead.

“I think it was super fun,” Sternig said. “It was definitely a very tough match. At the end of the day, we pulled it out. We played our hardest.”

The fourth set followed the same suit as the previous two as East started well again. Two kills from Bandle helped the Suns get to an early 5-2 advantage. A block by Schauble and kill from junior Payton Schmidt extended the lead to 11-6.

East held a steady lead between two and five until West rallied. Two kills by senior middle Rory Griffin and a kill each from sophomore outside hitter Lindsay Sandleback and Clara Corbett. Griffin also had an ace to get the Spartans within one. West proceeded to score the final three points to earn the match victory on a kill by Altendorf and ace from Sternig.

“She knows how to run our offense,” said Butschlick of Sternig. “She’s been running the offense for four years now. She knew what we needed to be able to score. We just told her to go with her instinct, keep it fast and we’ll get points no matter what.”

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Muskego rolls over West, spoils Wolverines’ homecoming

WAUKESHA – Hunter Logan helped Muskego maintain its momentum and Sam Steuber was key in the Warriors’ second half roll.

The senior (Logan) and junior (Steuber) Muskego running backs combined for five touchdown runs and the Warriors spoiled Waukesha West’s homecoming with a dominant 42-14 Classic 8 Conference victory over the Wolverines on Friday night. Muskego maintains its three-way tie with Arrowhead and Mukwonago atop the league, as both the Warhawks and Indians won.

“I’m just really proud of the kids,” Warriors’ coach Ken Krause said. “We had a great week of practice. They believe in what’s going on. We have lots of goals and we accomplished one tonight, which was making the playoffs. It’s not easy to do in the Classic 8.”

West did not score in the second half against a stingy Warriors’ defense that intercepted two passes that turned into 14 Muskego points. The Wolverines are now 2-5 with a 2-3 record in conference play.

“I thought our guys came out and battled, especially in the first half,” West coach Steve Rux said. “I thought we executed our game plan the way we wanted to. If we kept it close throughout, I thought we’d have a shot at the end. We just didn’t have enough in the second half. They’re a good football team and very well-coached. The Wing T is difficult to stop, but I was really proud of the way our offense played.”

Both teams punted to begin the game. On West’s second possession, Warriors’ junior defensive back Logan Lawonn picked off a pass near midfield and a subsequent Wolverines’ unsportsmanlike penalty set Muskego up beautifully at the West 31. Two plays later, senior quarterback Dylan Krause, the coach’s son, hit fellow senior tight end Jeff Conner 25 yards to paydirt on the right side.

“I think Dylan Krause is one of the best quarterbacks in the state,” Ken Krause said. “When he gets his opportunity to throw, he’s very smart, very accurate and very intelligent. He’s a special player.”

The Wolverines responded with a seven-plus minute drive to knot the score. Junior running back Jack Watke had two runs for 15 yards before fellow junior quarterback Brady Foster got going after a fourth-down conversion. Foster rolled out for a 21-yard strike to junior tight end Adam Sobczak before running a 16-yard draw to get inside the Muskego 5. Brandon Bedalov, another junior tight end, caught a 5-yard scoring pass to cap off West’s long responsive march.

Two of the Warriors’ senior backfield weapons helped the road squad respond instantly. Carson Holman gave Muskego great field position with a 32-yard kickoff return and then broke a 55-yard scamper to the left to get inside the Wolverines’ 10. Logan finished the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run to the right.

Foster kept his rhythm and led West on another sustained trip downfield on the ensuing possession. He completed two passes for 35 yards, including a 29-yard pass to open senior receiver Brady Wilde down the right side to the Warriors’ 2. Senior running back Ryan Paar finished the drive with a two-yard score.

“Brady has done that throughout the course of the year,” said Rux of Foster. “He makes really good reads throwing the football and he’s able to do it with his legs. There’s a reason why he’s a junior captain.”

Logan took over to give Muskego a seven-point halftime lead. He caught a quick pass to the left from Dylan Krause and rumbled 23 yards before scoring on a 15-yard run to the right. “I’m just running hard,” Logan said. “Of course, we’ve got to thank the offensive line. They were doing a great job. Pulling the guard and just hitting people. Smashmouth football.”

Dylan Krause hit a 46-yard bomb down the left sideline to junior tight end Louis Schwabe on the first drive of the second half. Steuber punched it in from three yards out to double the lead a few plays later to begin the second half dominance.

West had a big kickoff return to start in Muskego territory but turned the ball over on downs. Steuber took over with runs of 10 and 39 yards before punching it in from three yards out again.

“Every day, throughout the summer, we were working every day,” Steuber said. “Eight hours a day, we do great. Props to the offensive line because without them, I can’t be doing the things I do now.”

Senior defensive back Elliot Maringer thwarted a promising West drive with an interception and returned it 45 yards to set the Warriors up for another score. Logan had a 15-yard run and Dylan Krause hit Schwabe with a 26-yard pass to the Wolverines’ 7. Steuber later scored his third touchdown with a 2-yard burst up the middle. Dylan Krause hit Conner for a 2-point conversion to conclude the scoring.

“We have a four-back attack that includes our quarterback,” Ken Krause said. “If you try to take one piece of the offense, we have other guys that can do a really good job. Credit to the offensive line. It starts with the line with Coach (Eric) Hetzel, Coach (Collin) Smith. Those guys have been with me for 14 years.”

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West Bend West and East soccer plays to deadlock

WEST BEND – Franklin Kunfira almost had the game-winner for West before a hand ball call.

The West Bend West boys’ soccer team’s sophomore forward scored the go-ahead goal for the Spartans mere seconds after intra-school rival West Bend East tied the score with just less than ten minutes to play. However, as time expired, West was called for a hand ball on a free kick from midfield that forced a penalty kick. Suns’ senior forward Payton Fox cashed in, as he found an open spot in the left side of the net to produce a 2-2 tie.

“It was a good game on both sides,” East coach Meghan Danaher said. “The seniors were really motivated to get out there and get this win, get this tie, whatever they needed. They haven’t won a conference game in 5-6 years, and this is really what was driving them tonight. It’s been great to see their progress.”

“I didn’t think we played really well,” Spartans’ coach James Danaher, Meghan’s uncle, said. “With ten seconds left and them having a free kick on their half of the field and they got a penalty out of it. I really don’t know what to say. Bizarre.”

West began the first half with an offensive flurry as it nearly scored in the first three minutes. Four minutes later, the Spartans cashed in the lone score of the half when senior forward and team captain Bryce Rupnow took a lead pass from sophomore midfielder Beckham Heller and drilled a shot past East junior goalkeeper John Pfaff.

“That was a great goal,” James Danaher said. “Bryce did well. Got himself into position, took a good first touch and put it away.”

East had its lone shot on goal of the half three minutes later when West sophomore goalkeeper Jimmy O’Connell saved a long free kick from East senior midfielder Vincent De Ceuster.

“We really needed to talk through it at half,” said Meghan Danaher of creating more chances. “We corrected it in the second half. We were expecting some speed up top, so we needed to match the transition.”

The Spartans had a few more chances to extend the lead throughout the rest of the frame. Pfaff made two key saves in the 28th and 38th minutes off shots from Rupnow and Kunfira.

“We had multiple chances and were wasteful in front of the goal,” James Danaher said. “Should have put the game away in the first half and didn’t do it.”

The second half began with a few West scoring chances, but none of them found the back of the net. De Ceuster was impactful defensively for the Suns, as he stopped two potential shots, the latter of which was a fast-break opportunity.

East finally found an offensive rhythm near the end of the game and capitalized. After O’Connell saved a shot with his head from senior forward Payton Fox, junior forward Alex Cabrera fired through a shot in the middle off a corner kick feed by junior midfielder Josh Stehly to tie the game in the 70th minute.

“It was an excellent cross from Josh Stehly,” Meghan Danaher said. “This is the stuff we work on every day at practice. We work on being aggressive in front of the net and making sure we follow through.”

The Spartans responded instantly with the go-ahead goal. Kunfira got in front of the pack, took a pass, and dribbled up the middle before firing a shot into the back of the net on the left side.

“I watched and made the right run to score,” Kunfira said.

“He did a good job and finished the ball well,” James Danaher said. “On that occasion, he broke through, had a great first touch and put it away. It was a really nice finish.”

East had two opportunities to tie the game after that before the last second. A last-second free kick was blocked, and West appeared to have won, but the hand ball call gave Fox his opportunity.

“I just went straight up to my teammates, my co-captains and I asked them if they trusted me,” Fox said. “They did. I just picked a corner and just put it there. Nothing was going to stop me in that moment.”

“We had all trust in Payton,” Meghan Danaher said. “He takes all of our penalty kicks. One of the best players on the team. There was no doubt in any of our minds that he was going to sink it for us.”

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Hamilton shows out on her night, leads Hartford over Slinger

HARTFORD – Riley Hamilton delivered again for Hartford’s girls’ volleyball team on her big night.

The Orioles’ senior outside hitter was honored for reaching the 1,000-kill milestone during an earlier match this season and was recognized for being No. 2 on the all-time kills list at Hartford. She also was instrumental in her team’s 20-25, 26-24, 25-10, 25-27 and 15-8 home North Shore Conference match victory over rival Slinger on Tuesday night.

“It’s really like an honor,” Hamilton said. “Especially with this group of people. They’re my family. To have them be able to celebrate this night with me was really awesome.”

“Leader by example,” said Hartford coach Shannon Klink of Hamilton. “She has never given us a reason to not put her on the court from freshman on. She encourages the girls, she believes in them and herself. She is just the true meaning of a captain. That’s not just by her stats, but by her leadership skills.”

Slinger opened the game with a big flurry by scoring the first seven points. Junior outside hitter Emerson Alton had three kills during this stretch and senior setter Elise Gillen added two aces.

Hartford took the momentum after that and cut the lead to one on three occasions but could not tie or take the lead. Hamilton, who was honored for her contributions to the Orioles near the middle of the set, had two kills along with junior outside hitter Joelle Melsheimer. Hamilton reached the milestone on Friday, September 17 at the Charger Challenge Tournament against Kimberly.

The Owls took over down the stretch and held on. Freshman outside hitter Isabella Metke keyed the late stretch with two kills and a block. Alton also had two kills to give Slinger a 25-20 opening set win.

“Our serve-receive wasn’t what we wanted it to be, so we couldn’t get our middles involved the way we would like,” Owls’ coach Chelsea Vetterkind said. “I put a little extra pressure on our pins, but I know we’re going to fix that heading into the weekend.”

The second set was extremely close, as neither team ever held an advantage of more than four. Slinger started strong with two kills by senior setter Lucia Breuer.

Hartford junior outside hitter Sloane Freitag later had two kills of her own to give the Orioles a 13-12 advantage. Hamilton was also key for the home squad with six kills. Melsheimer later recorded her fourth kill of the set, and the Orioles were sitting pretty with a 22-18 advantage.

The Owls had one more run, scoring the next five points on three kills by senior outside hitter Isabella Horwath. However, Hamilton’s final kill and a block from senior setter Paige Broker put Hartford over the top, 26-24, to tie the match.

“We just did our jobs,” Klink said. “Sometimes, we tend to focus too much on what the other team is doing. We just simplify it. Fundamentals and tangibles is what we always preach.”

The Orioles kept their momentum going into the third set, as they eventually built a 10-point advantage and rolled from there. Hamilton was all over the court for the home squad, recording seven kills during this run. She finished with 10 kills and a block, including the set-clinching kill. Hartford had four blocks as a team and junior outside hitter Tess Freitag landed an ace. The Orioles rolled to a 25-10 third set win to take the match lead.

Slinger took a stand in the fourth set, which was close all the way through. However, the Orioles held the lead throughout most of it until the end, when the road squad rallied to force a fifth and final set. Senior middle Courtney Kirley had two kills and junior middle Taylor Nolte had two blocks to help Hartford build an early 10-6 lead.

The Owls made a run to tie the game with a team effort, as sophomore outside hitter Melia Johnson, junior outside hitter Kaitlyn Pankau and Alton each had kills.

Hartford then built an 18-14 lead behind two kills from Hamilton and Broker. Johnson and Pankau keyed Slinger’s late rally, as each had two kills to help the Owls come back from a 20-17 deficit to win 27-25. Johnson and junior middle back Madeline Metke had consecutive kills to clinch the victory.

“Our girls are talented and I have confidence in all of our hitters at the front row,” Vetterkind said. “When the passes are there, we are unstoppable and they showed that late in the match.”

Hartford got off to a dominant start in the final set by taking a 10-4 lead. Hamilton had three more kills during this frame and Kirley had a kill and a block.

Madeline Metke led Slinger back to a two-point game with three kills as part of four unanswered points. The Orioles then scored the last five after a timeout. Kirley had one more block and kill. Melsheimer ended the match with a kill.

“We made sure that we were in control and we said in the timeout, ‘We know how to pass. We know how to hit and we know how to set. We’ve just got to be able to stay calm and know that we’ve got it,’” Hamilton said.

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Schopp shines, Kettle Moraine knocks off West

WALES – After Kettle Moraine fell behind, Nolan Schopp took over.

The Lasers’ bruising junior running back scored the last three touchdowns of Kettle Moraine’s 40-27 victory over Waukesha West on a rainy Friday night and finished with four total scores. Schopp immediately tied the game with a 97-yard kickoff return after West took its only lead before catching his second touchdown pass and running in the clincher.

“It was mainly my (offensive) line,” Schopp said. “We struggled at the beginning of the year, but they got out there and gave me holes to go in. On kickoff, we worked on just running up the middle, using our blockers and scoring.”

“He’s a special player,” said Lasers’ coach Matt McDonnell of Schopp. “That doesn’t even include what he did on defense. I think he is one of the best players in the conference and he’s just a junior. I can’t say enough good things about him. He is a dude.”

Schopp’s second touchdown came after a stop following the big return. Junior quarterback Chase Spellman had a 12-yard run before finding Schopp on a 46-yard strike on the right side to give the Lasers the lead for good.

“I thought our guys played their tails off,” Wolverines’ coach Steve Rux said. “We knew that to beat a good team like Kettle Moraine, we had to make a lot of things go right. I thought we hung in there and made some big plays. We sustained some drives offensively and were able to score. It’s just difficult to be able to tackle those big backs. Kettle Moraine is well coached and they’re a very talented football team.”

Spellman had a 27-yard run on the next Kettle Moraine drive. Schopp later took a handoff on the left side and stiff armed a Wolverines defender before rumbling for 28 yards and the last score.

“I just tried to get him past me as much as I could,” said Schopp of his final run. “Once I got by, there really wasn’t much left.”

“It was a lot of fun,” McDonnell said. “It was an emotional game on both sides. We knew it was going to be competitive and back and forth. Credit to them for bouncing back and obviously proud of our kids for how they responded and played with heart throughout the entire game.”

West had a promising drive going with two passes for 29 yards. However, the Lasers’ defense stiffened and forced a turnover on downs at the Kettle Moraine 31. The Lasers then struck right away when Spellman found sophomore receiver Drew Wagner wide open down the left sideline for a 69-yard scoring strike on the first play from scrimmage.

Kettle Moraine doubled its lead after forcing a three and out and getting the ball in Wolverines’ territory. Spellman had two runs for 25 yards and found Wagner again for a score that was negated by offsetting penalties. Schopp later took a shovel from Spellman in for a touchdown from seven yards out.

“Our offensive line led us,” Spellman said. “They played really good. Despite the conditions, I thought we played really well. I think we’re going to be a scary team.”

Junior quarterback Brady Foster then got West’s offense going. He found senior receiver Brady Wilde twice for 37 yards. The Lasers had two costly penalties on the drive, including an encroachment that gave the Wolverines a first down on fourth down. Foster hit open senior receiver Ben Cook on the right sideline for a 26-yard pass to paydirt.

Spellman hit another big play on the next drive when he found diving junior receiver/defensive back Samuel Noel, who made a diving catch on the right side for 40 yards. After converting a fourth down on a quarterback sneak, Spellman hit a crossing Noel for a 14-yard touchdown.

The Wolverines had three fourth down conversions to cut the lead to seven going into halftime. Foster found senior running back Jason MacIntyre on the right side for 21 yards for the second of those before another Lasers’ encroachment put the ball at the Kettle Moraine 11. The Bradys then hooked up again when Foster hit Wilde on the right side of the end zone.

“Brady Wilde has worked so hard, runs really disciplined routes and finds a way to get open,” Rux said. “Brady Foster is a warrior in the way that he plays. He makes plays with his feet and throwing the football.”

West stopped the Lasers to begin the second half and continued its offensive rhythm. Wilde and MacIntyre caught 10 and 16-yard passes, respectively, before a controversial pass interference call put the Wolverines at the Kettle Moraine 29. Foster then tossed a back shoulder lob to Cook, who made a great catch at the left pylon to tie the game.

“Ben Cook had an incredible game tonight,” Rux said. “I’m just really proud of our receivers.”

Junior linebacker Brady Grisar had two sacks that helped set up West’s next drive deep in Lasers’ territory and the Wolverines’ first lead. Foster converted another fourth down on a 28-yard strike to junior tight end Brandon Bedalov. MacIntyre later punched it in from six yards out.

[jrgsportsbuzz]

Pewaukee gets strong service and net play, knocks off Ike

NEW BERLIN – The phrase “hit them where they aren’t” is usually applied to baseball. However, it also worked for Pewaukee’s girls volleyball team.

The Pirates landed 18 aces in their 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 Woodland Conference 3-1 match victory at New Berlin Eisenhower on Tuesday night. Senior setter Katie Gund and freshman libero Ashley Hutter led the tactical service attack for Pewaukee.

“That’s been one big focus at practice is not trying to serve right at someone,” Pewaukee coach Tommy Jonas said. “Kind of serving it either shorter or deeper or left or right of them. I was really excited to see that happen in match play.”

“We have a very young team, especially in our back row,” Lions’ coach Jackie Pasholk said. “I think remaining confident and wanting the ball and going back to fundamentals and following the ball in. It’s knowing what they’re capable of and consistency in the back row.”

Pewaukee got off to a fast start with two 4-0 runs that helped build a 10-6 lead. Hutter had a kill and two aces to score three consecutive points during the second of those runs. Sophomore defensive setter Chloe Bulacan also had an ace during the first run.

Ike took off on a 12-4 flurry to take an 18-14 advantage. Freshman middle hitter Megan McDowell led this charge with two kills, an ace and a block. Fellow freshman outside hitter Maddie Kowske had two kills as well.

Hutter continued her master service to get the Pirates back to a 19-19 tie by placing two aces. However, the Lions closed out the first set with another ace by McDowell and two kills from junior outside hitter Lexi Bugajski.

“I think a big thing for us this year is family,” Pasholk said. “It’s a big focus. We have each other’s backs this year. This team knows how to win and they don’t give up, no matter what the score is. We worked really hard on coming back and we do a lot of drills like that in practice.”

The home squad continued its momentum into the second set as they got out to a 10-6 lead. Bugajski had two kills during the stretch.

Pewaukee came back to eventually take a 15-13 lead behind two kills from sophomore outside hitter Danielle Kopacz. Hutter also had another ace. Kopacz also had two more kills and a block down the stretch to help the Pirates even the match with a 25-23 set win.

“Dani, No. 26 and (senior middle) Megan (Zielsdorf), No. 25, have been kind of solid and a rock for us up there at the net,” Jonas said. “It was nice to see Megan get some more sets. We’ve been trying to get her more and more, so it was nice to see her get those opportunities and use them.”

Pewaukee’s swagger kept going in the beginning of the third set. Two aces from Kopacz and a block and kill from senior setter Cora Riffle got the Pirates out to a 6-1 lead. The road squad maintained a lead throughout nearly the whole set after that. Five kills by Zielsdorf were key in building a 19-15 advantage.

Ike then made a move and took back momentum with an ace and kill from senior setter Natalie Holzhauer. The Lions forced a timeout after a 5-0 flurry that gave them a 20-19 lead.

The road squad took charge from there. Gund was instrumental in getting Pewaukee its first set lead, as she had two aces and a kill to lead a 6-point spurt that ended a 25-20 set victory.

“I was just staying really focused and taking deep breaths and making sure that my form is really good,” Gund said. “And supporting my team. We all work really well together and in practice, and it translates here.”

Both teams were competitive to begin the fourth set, playing to a 6-6 tie. However, the Pirates eventually built a 14-10 lead after senior defensive setter Lindsay Simicih and fellow senior setter Gabby Winzenreid combined for three aces. Kopacz and Zielsdorf combined for four kills and a block during this flurry.

Pewaukee built a 20-14 lead before the Lions made one final push. Kills by Kowske and Bugajski and an ace from senior middle hitter Katelyn Nee cut the Pirates’ lead to 22-21. However, Gund finished the match the same way she finished the third set by planting two aces to end all hopes of an Ike comeback.

“I think we have good senior leadership between Katie and Cora,” Jonas said. “They’ve been on the team now for three to four years and they’re pretty good at keeping everyone even keeled. We’re a little bit younger, but we don’t play like it.”

[jrgsportsbuzz]

Ringwall, Ike defense star in National Avenue rivalry

NEW BERLIN – Max Ringwall was the only offense needed in the New Berlin rivalry

The New Berlin Eisenhower senior running back/defensive back scored three touchdowns, breaking for a longer distance each time as the Lions dispatched New Berlin West for the National Avenue trophy on Friday night, 21-0. Ringwall’s 222 yards on 14 carries along with a stout front seven led by senior defensive end Matthew Shields keyed Ike’s first win of the season while the Vikings drop to 0-5.

“In practice, we talked about converting what we do in practice over to games,” Ringwall said. “I don’t think we’ve done that well the past couple weeks. I think we’re a lot better team than we’ve showed the first four games and tonight, that’s what we showed on the field.”

“I’m happy for the guys,” Lions’ coach Matt Kern said. “This has been a grind of a first month of the season. Losing wears on everybody, so I think to get the first one and have it in a crosstown rivalry game. They’ve worked hard and I’m glad they can get a reward here tonight.”

“Obviously, Ringwall is a really outstanding player and he busted a couple big ones,” West coach Ben Chossek said. “We had some things going at times but weren’t consistent enough and they made big plays when they needed them. Congratulations to them.”

West had a promising drive with its option attack to open the game but was stopped on downs at the Eisenhower 22. Both teams exchanged punts after that.

The Lions scored the only touchdown of the first half early in the second quarter. Senior running back/defensive back Max Ringwall was the featured back in a run-dominant drive. He had runs of six and five yards before finding a hole up the middle and darting for a 35-yard score. Junior quarterback Matthew Collicott also had an 11-yard run during the possession. The touchdown accounted for Ike’s first points in four weeks after three consecutive shutout losses.

“We talked a lot this week about establishing the line of scrimmage and getting our run game going,” Kern said. “Max is certainly a big part of that. He’s our best playmaker. I think scoring first was a big emphasis. We haven’t scored the previous three weeks, so I think we wanted to get something on the board early. Once we did, that gave the guys some confidence.”

Shields sacked Vikings’ senior quarterback Sam Susek to thwart a promising drive into Lions territory.

Penalties were a key factor in the first half, as both teams combined for nine. West committed five infractions while Ike had four. “We have to keep our hands in,” said Chossek of his team’s penalties. “Had some holding things. Get our body into good position. We’ll have to look at the film to see how they happened, but those were costly for sure.”

Ringwall got loose again to double the lead on the first possession of the second half. He had a nine-yard run before sprinting down the left side for a 45-yard touchdown. Junior running back/linebacker Adison Tevz had an 11-yard carry on the drive.

“Coming out at half, it’s a one score game and anybody’s game at that point,” Kern said. “We put a big emphasis on that first drive and trying to get the lead up to two touchdowns.”

Both teams traded punts after that. The Vikings then had their most promising drive of the game early in the fourth quarter, advancing to the Lions’ 24. However, junior linebacker James Jegier forced a fumble that Ike recovered to keep West off the board.

Ike put the game away off the turnover. Ringwall had a 13-yard run to begin the drive, but the Lions faced a 3rd and 16 after a false start penalty. Ringwall picked up the 16 plus 61 more down the left sideline for a 77-yard burst to paydirt for his and the game’s final score.

The Vikings completed the lone pass of the game in the last two minutes when junior quarterback/linebacker Troy Blawat found fellow junior receiver Drew Weis for 13 yards on the left side. Blawat led West with 80 rushing yards.

“We were able to play so well because we were able to work together,” said Shields of the Ike defense. “We worked as a family and I felt good that game because we all did our best.”

[jrgsportsbuzz]

Guckenberger shines in Waukesha South rivalry comeback

WAUKESHA – Dylan Guckenberger had the game of his life on one of Waukesha’s biggest sports stages and two huge penalties helped make sure it resulted in a win.

The Waukesha South senior wide receiver caught four touchdown passes from junior quarterback Tak Tateoka, including an insanely incredible one-handed 10-yard touchdown catch in the back corner of the end zone and an 83-yard bomb. Oh, and those two catches came in the fourth quarter and led the Blackshirts to a 35-31 comeback victory over intra-city rival Waukesha North after the Northstars held a 10-point advantage with just over three minutes to play.

“We just don’t quit,” South coach Darnell Wiltz said. “We believe. It’s part of changing the culture and changing the program and we’re doing that. All these kids believe. They believe in themselves. I love all my kids and they all know it. It’s going to take a bit, but we’re going to get there.”

Tateoka had a crucial fourth down run and an 18-yard strike to sophomore receiver Tyler Williams before Guckenberger’s unreal catch.

“I was on the back side of that play,” Guckenberger said. “It was kind of a broken play. Our quarterback was rolling out and I just tried to find room. The corner of the end zone was where it was at. I tried to go up with one hand because my other hand was not in play. I kind of tipped it to myself and then got two feet in. It was a pretty throw and I just made a great catch.”

North recovered the ensuing onside kick. However, a decision to pass resulted in an interception near the goal line. Three plays later, Guckenberger got loose down the right sideline and Tateoka threw a perfect lob for the long, game-winning score.

“Dylan has been doing that since I was a freshman when I first met him,” said Wiltz of Guckenberger. “That’s what Dylan does.”

Northstars’ junior quarterback Jonah Friede led a drive that resulted in a 25-yard touchdown pass that would have been the winner. However, a questionable holding call negated the play and North was also called for unsportsmanlike conduct on the play. The ensuing hail mary fell incomplete.

“It comes down to big plays,” Northstars’ coach Vince Sciano said. “We thought we had one at the end. Unfortunately, it was called back for holding. There are plenty of other things that go into it. I kind of questioned it a little bit, but there are plenty of other plays that we could have had that we just didn’t execute.”

North forced a three and out and a short South punt gave the Northstars the ball in Blackshirts territory. Friede took charge from there with two scramble runs for 24 yards before finding senior running back/linebacker Payton Frehner for a two-yard touchdown pass on the right side.

The Blackshirts got into North territory after a 29-yard fake punt direct snap run by senior running back Giancarlo Williams. However, the Northstars ended the threat on the next play when senior cornerback Spencer Robertson intercepted a pass in the end zone.

South cashed in on its next possession. A North late hit penalty following a first down put the ball in Northstars’ territory and Williams darted up the middle for a 41-yard scoring run two plays later.

Junior linebacker Jacob Stachowiak later recovered a fumble at the Blackshirts’ 44. A 13-yard physical run by sophomore running back Aiden Zirbel and 17-yard leaping catch from junior tight end Joe Cesarz put the ball in the red zone. Zirbel later punched it in from two yards out.

South junior running back/returner Johnaye Harris found a seam up the right sideline on the ensuing kickoff for a 58-yard return. Tateoka and Guckenberger took charge from there, as they hooked up for two passes for 31 yards, including a 15-yard back shoulder touchdown catch to tie the score going into the break.

Zirbel took over on the first second half possession. He had two carries for 48 yards to get into South territory. After a run and short pass got the ball inside the Blackshirts’ 20, Zirbel finished the drive with a 16-yard cutback burst up the middle to give the Northstars a 21-14 lead.

“Aiden Zirbel, for playing sophomore, playing the Classic 8 varsity football, that man is going to do great things for this program,” Sciano said. “Hard worker in practice, great grades in school. He is going to be a future leader of this football program.”

Tateoka and Guckenberger hooked up again to re-tie the score. Three runs for 35 yards by Williams and a 13-yard pass from South’s big connection got the ball deep into North territory. The two then hooked up on another back shoulder toss to paydirt, this one for 28 yards on the right side.

“Dylan is just a great athlete,” Tateoka said. “Our line protected well. They came in clutch when it mattered. Me and Dylan, we are a great connection. We’ve been working all summer and it paid off today.”

Zirbel caught a 29-yard screen pass on the next possession and a pass interference call on South put the ball in the red zone. Friede later found a leaping Robertson in the back of the end zone to give the home squad the lead again.

North extended its lead on its next drive after a big pass to junior running back Julius Krummenacher and an 18-yard run by Zirbel got into South territory. Senior kicker drilled a 29-yard field goal after the drive stalled.

[jrgsportsbuzz]

Slinger gets late run to win tough match with West Bend West

SLINGER – Having that last burst of energy is often what carries a team to a volleyball match victory

Slinger’s girls team went on a late run of the fifth and deciding set of their home North Shore Conference match victory over West Bend West. The Owls scored five of the last six points to earn a 15-10 set win after the Spartans took the previous two sets 25-16 and 25-18, respectively. Slinger won the first two sets with both ending with a 25-22 final score.

“We’ve been focused since I came on board on our non-tangibles,” Owls’ coach Chelsea Vetterkind said. “Our communication, our confidence, the support of one another, and I think they really showed that today in how they persevered and took control of what they could.”

“It was a very good match on both sides,” West coach Debbie Butschlick said. “Both played hard between the setting and digging. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”

Slinger had the early momentum in a nip and tuck first set. The Owls jumped out to a 7-3 lead with two kills from sophomore Melia Johnson and a block and an ace from junior Emerson Alton.

West went on a 7-2 run after that with a block and kill from senior Leah Nagel and two aces by junior libero Megan Spaeth.

Neither team led by more than three the rest of the set. Slinger junior Madeline Metke and sophomore Addison Lietzau each had three kills. Johnson landed a kill to end the set and a three-point Slinger win to open the match.

“It really comes down to this team trusting one another, being confident in the skills that we’ve been working on in practice,” Vetterkind said. “We’ve been hitting our serve-receive hard and our approach is getting our foot to the ball. That really made the difference.”

Both teams played evenly through the early part of the second match, as they were tied at nine apiece before Slinger went on a run. Senior Rory Griffin had two kills for the Spartans during this stretch. Alton had a block and kill on the other side.

The Owls jumped out to a 14-10 lead with the help of an ace from Johnson and a block by Lietzau. Two more kills from Alton helped Slinger eventually push their advantage to six.

West had one final push and got to within two on a block and kill by Griffin. However, Alton ended the match with another kill for a victory by the same score as the first set.

“They believe, they love each other, and they’ve been showing up every day ready to work for each other,” said Vetterkind of her players.

The third set began in a similar fashion to the second, as both teams were eventually tied at eight. Griffin had a block and a kill for West while Alton had three kills for Slinger.

A balanced team effort helped the Spartans eventually build a 20-14 advantage. Two kills by freshman Kylee Altendorf and a block and kill each from sophomore Lindsay Sandleback and senior Isabelle Sternig helped build the lead that carried West to a 25-16 victory. Fellow senior Hannah Helmbrecht finished the set with a kill.

“We just said that we play to win,” Butschlick said. “We just go 110 percent no matter what. We just found some energy inside of us and we said we’re not going to go down this way.”

Like the previous two sets, both teams were in a dead heat to begin the fourth set. Johnson was dominant early for the Owls, as she recorded a block and two kills during a stretch where both teams played to an 11-11 tie. Griffin had a kill, ace and a block to lead the Spartans during the frame.

West took control with a five-point run that built an 18-12 bulge. Griffin continued to assert herself during the flurry with three kills. She later finished the game with a kill to force the deciding set.

“What we wanted to do was make sure we were in the right positions when we were digging,” Butschlick said. “We didn’t do that the first two sets, so we adjusted the third and fourth to make sure we were in the correct positions based on where the hit was coming from. That sparked the energy to keep us playing harder.”

Two kills by Alton and two blocks from freshman Isabella Metke helped the Owls open a 6-1 advantage in the final set. Sternig led a Spartans’ comeback with a kill and a block to tie it. She also had a kill to cut the lead to 10-9 before Alton and junior Molly Noel each had aces to boost Slinger to the finish.

“We just cleared our minds, brought our energy out like the first game, brought it down to 0-0 and we competed so hard,” said Johnson of the winning set.

[jrgsportsbuzz]

Senior captain scores two, leads West Bend West over Kewaskum

KEWASKUM – Kewaskum was without its starting goalkeeper in the first half on Tuesday night, and West Bend West’s boys soccer team took full advantage.

The Spartans got two goals and three total points from senior captain midfielder Henry Danaher as the Indians were playing without junior netminder Carter Curtin in the opening 40 minutes. Kewaskum created a few scoring chances throughout, but West kept play in the attacking zone for the majority of their 4-0 non-conference road victory, outshooting the Indians 11-3.

“I thought it was a great game,” Spartans’ coach James Danaher, Henry’s father said. “It was an all-around effort. I thought Henry really stepped up offensively in the first half and took the opportunities.”

“We have a lot of respect for West and their program,” Kewaskum coach John Kenworthy said. “He’s (James Danaher) got a good team and they’re playing well. We like to play them to give us a benchmark against a quality team. We had a situation where we were playing a freshman keeper, and it’s a challenge for a young man to take. He did pretty well. I’m proud of how we did.”

West established control offensively in the first ten minutes. The Spartans had a close header attempt miss in the 3rdminute before taking the lead early. Sophomore midfielder/forward Beckham Heller was in the right place at the right time, as he recovered a kick in the air from Henry Danaher and scored in front of the net on the left side after Kewaskum freshman goalkeeper Riley Kuehl jumped to try and deflect the air ball from Danaher.

“I think it was a team effort,” Henry Danaher said. “We possessed it really good. We’ve been working on that the last two games, so we were just able to play our game and score goals today.”

Henry Danaher doubled the lead five minutes later when he took a pass from freshman midfielder Cal Baker on the right side and drilled a shot in the left side of the net.

“We’ve been waiting for that for a couple years from him,” James Danaher said of Henry. “He’s a possession-oriented player who wins a lot of tackles and distributes the ball. He’s now starting to take the next step in scoring goals and making assists.”

The senior captain continued his offensive dominance in the 35th minute when he fired in a free kick from the middle to produce a 3-0 halftime lead for West.

“Henry Danaher is a beast,” Kenworthy said.

Kewaskum had two scoring chances in the last four minutes of the first half, but Spartans’ sophomore goalkeeper Jimmy O’Connell turned them away.

Junior forward Tyler Roney added to the Spartans’ lead three minutes into the second half when he took a pass close to the net in the middle from senior captain forward Bryce Rupnow and booted one past Kuehl. It was Roney’s first ever varsity goal.

“He (Rupnow) did a great job of turning the player, got around the back, perfect ball and Tyler was right there,” said James Danaher of the final goal. “I’m super excited for him (Roney).”

Curtin, who came in at halftime, kept West from converting multiple scoring opportunities down the stretch. He had four saves during a 10-minute stretch midway through the second half.

The Indians had two shots in the second half, but neither of them was on goal.

“In the back, we were super controlled and composed,” said James Danaher of his defense. “We’ve developed a new style of play and our backs our playing wide. They had some really fast, quick players and we were able to isolate them, possess the ball around them and move forward.”

“Our offense didn’t quite get going today,” Kenworthy said. “We’d been doing pretty well. They have a great group through the middle.”

[jrgsportsbuzz]

Taylor gets big catch, two picks to seal OT Kewaskum win

KEWASKUM – Kewaskum had to scrap and claw to stay undefeated and Damareyon Taylor made the difference on both sides of the ball.

The senior wide receiver/defensive back caught a 15-yard touchdown pass on the first possession of overtime to help secure a 21-14 East Central Conference victory over Kettle Moraine Lutheran on Friday night. Taylor also had two interceptions and two catches of more than 20 yards in the fourth quarter.

“I had a bad first half with a dropped pass, but it’s all about looking to the future, trying to make another play and keeping your head in the game,” Taylor said. “I saw they had two high so my quarterback gave me the bender route over the middle between the safeties. He threw me a perfect ball.”

“Absolutely incredible,” said Indians’ coach Steve Tennies of Taylor. “You look at those catches that he made. What a phenomenal athlete. He is a great football player. I can’t imagine anyone in the state had a better game than Damareyon Taylor.”

A highlight-reel one-handed 38-yard catch by senior wide receiver/defensive back Benjamin Butler converted a 3rd and 20 and got Kewaskum into the red zone. However, senior kicker Andrew Bolek’s potential game-winning 30-yard field goal hit the left upright. Taylor got his second pick in the final seconds of regulation.

The Indians’ defense held the Chargers on their overtime chance to move Kewaskum to 3-0.

“There was a whole lot of emotion,” Tennies said. “Emotions were good, they were bad. We were low, but we’re a tight-knit group and we found a way to get back on the high and that went through overtime.”

“I was really proud of our guys,” Kettle Moraine Lutheran coach David Kren said. “We had a great week of practice and we said that we’ve just got to play a complete game. It’s the first time all year that we have. These guys are football players and they know what it takes. They kept grinding in this game and gave us a chance to win.”

Kewaskum took advantage of an interception in Chargers’ territory by senior defensive back/running back Gavin Schwantz on its second possession. Senior quarterback/defensive back Matthew Buechel bought time in the pocket and hit junior running back/linebacker Hunter Loser on a 27-yard pass over the middle. Buechel then had a 16-yard read option run before fellow senior running back/linebacker Max Melzer scored from six yards out.

“We’ve seen it now and the two games prior to this,” said Tennies of Melzer. “Max is a heck of an athlete and he doesn’t go down easily. He’s got a great sense of balance.”

Melzer struck again two possessions later. He had two runs for 17 yards before busting off a big play to double the lead. He took a toss to the left then broke to the right and evaded a tackle down the right sideline for a 53-yard scoring scamper.

“It all goes to the team,” Melzer said. “The team blocked perfectly and were there for every play that I made. At the end, I just had to execute to make it happen.”

Kettle Moraine Lutheran established its big play running attack after that. Senior running back/linebacker Brandon Kabelowsky had a 28-yard run into Indians’ territory before fellow senior running back/defensive back Benjamin Zylka had a 34-yard run to the Kewaskum 2. Kabelowsky finished the drive with a dive up the middle.

The Chargers hit on a big pass and big run play to tie the score. Junior quarterback/defensive back Matthew Thistle hit senior receiver/defensive back Mason Knueppel over the middle for 26 yards. On the next play, Zylka bolted left for a 21-yard scoring run.

“We run the offense in a way where we grind it out and all of a sudden, we’ll pop a big one,” Kren said. “Those were big for us. Those guys ran hard tonight. I give them a lot of credit for how hard they ran and we took advantage of something we saw a little bit.”

Neither team generated any momentum for most of the third quarter. Kettle Moraine Lutheran ended the quarter with a big play when Thistle hit junior wide receiver/defensive back Jack Netzel for 29 yards and a Kewaskum personal foul added 15 yards to it. However, the drive stalled and Thistle missed a 25-yard field goal.

The Indians then had their own promising drive go for naught. Two passes from Buechel to Taylor and Butler combined for 53 yards. However, an interception at the Chargers 2 by senior defensive back/receiver Spencer Stern kept the score tied.

Two runs for 40 yards by Kabelowsky got Kettle Moraine Lutheran out of the shadow of its goal posts, but Taylor picked off a pass a few plays later to set the home squad up for the winning drive.

Before the game, senior team manager Matthew Buss had a 30-yard touchdown run on an exhibition play.

[jrgsportsbuzz]

Buechel scores four touchdowns, Kewaskum outlasts Campbellsport

KEWASKUM – In a battle of explosive offenses, Kewaskum had a couple more strikes.

The Indians had a big kick return and two receptions for scores by senior receiver/defensive back Benjamin Butler and two rushing touchdowns of 25-plus yards to outlast a 40-30 big play battle with Campbellsport on Friday night. Kewaskum senior quarterback/defensive back Matthew Buechel accounted for four touchdowns with two runs and the two passes to Butler to help the home squad capture the Kettle Moraine Trophy.

“Heck of a game on both teams part,” Indians’ coach Steve Tennies said. “I’m just so happy for my guys. We’re still trying to find out what kind of team we are and we’ve won two different ways. I feel real good about what these guys are doing and who they’re becoming.”

Kewaskum exploded to start the game. Buechel fired a 27-yard dart over the middle to fellow senior receiver/defensive back Damareyon Taylor on the first play of the drive. Two plays later, Buechel rolled left on a quarterback keeper run and scampered 41 yards to paydirt.

“Matt is one of our captains,” said Tennies of Buechel. “He’s a senior quarterback who is doing a phenomenal job. It’s not easy to do what he did tonight.”

Campbellsport responded with their flex bone offense rushing attack. Gardner ran for 50 yards on the Cougars’ first drive, including a 30-yard run down the left sideline before scoring from five yards out. Senior tight end Cullen Beisbier caught a two-point conversion pass.

Senior running back/linebacker Max Melzer gained 18 yards on a shovel pass from Buechel after Buechel escaped a sack. Buechel later dropped a perfect back-shoulder pass on the left side to Butler for a 14-8 advantage.

The road squad then brought in its passing game. Junior quarterback Mitchell McCarty tossed a short pass left to fellow junior running back Cole Kaehne, who turned it into a 28-yard gain. Gardner had a 20-yard run and a touchdown called back on holding before McCarty later hit Kaehne again for a 9-yard touchdown on the right side. Gardner ran in a two-point conversion.

The Indians then got a stop after a turnover on downs inside the Cougars’ 5 and capitalized. Buechel, after two runs for 31 yards, hit a wide-open Taylor with a 24-yard strike on the right side to the Cougars’ 10. Buechel then scored on a 5-yard read option and Melzer added a two-point conversion run for a 22-16 Kewaskum lead at halftime.

“I think our coach put in a very good game plan today,” Buechel said. “Our head coach made sure we were all on the same page before the game and we all practiced really hard this week. We went full pads on Thursday, which we usually don’t do. We knew that we had to put in a lot of work and I had a lot of good blocks by the offensive line today and a lot of good blocks by the wide receivers. Runs like that can’t happen without them.”

Both teams combined for three touchdowns on three plays in a 30-second stretch near the middle of the third quarter.

Buechel and Butler hooked up again to extend the Indians’ advantage four minutes into the second half when Butler caught a 3rd and long pass on the left side and made two tacklers miss on his way to the end zone.

“Damareyon Taylor made a great block that allowed me to get through,” said Butler of the big pass. “When I got through, I broke those two tackles but without Damareyon Taylor, I probably would have been down.”

Gardner picked up where he left off in the first half when he took the first play on the ensuing drive 80 yards. Butler then returned the following kickoff 85 yards up the middle.

“The kickoff return team made that gap for me and I just took off,” said Butler of his runback.

All three scores featured missed two-point tries.

“Ben Butler is a heck of a player,” said Tennies of Butler. “He does a lot of little things that aren’t as explosive, but we watched him on film last week and thought, ‘What a phenomenal game he had,’ even though he didn’t score the touchdowns. Tonight, he did that and had the explosive plays.”

Gardner later capped off a run-only drive at the end of the third quarter with a 16-yard burst down the left side. He then punched in a two-point try.

Melzer scored the knockout punch on a 27-yard burst up the middle with four and a half minutes to play.

“What unbelievable balance that kid has,” said Tennies of Melzer. “He looked like he was going to go down there like three or four times right before the goal line. That’s just a senior wanting to put a cap on the game and he certainly did.”

[jrgsportsbuzz]

Monona Grove unleashes aerial assault in opener

WEST BEND – Surrendering big passing plays can bury a team in a game quickly.

West Bend East could not stop Monona Grove’s high-powered air attack on Friday night, as the Silver Eagles scored four touchdowns on passing plays of 30 yards or longer in their 35-14 victory over the Suns. Senior quarterback Casey Marron connected with junior receiver/kicker Cuinn Larsh twice for a combined 149 yards on two first-quarter touchdowns. Marron threw five touchdown passes in total.

“Early on, we gave up some big plays, spotted them 21 points,” East coach Jeff Rondorf said. “Offensively, whether it was a dropped pass or a penalty, we just couldn’t sustain a drive. We had two opportunities in the second quarter, and we have to take advantage of those opportunities. They just made some big plays and we didn’t.”

“When we played in the spring, we saw a lot of individuals that we knew coming back this fall had a lot of explosive potential,” Monona Grove coach Brandon Beckwith said. “We are an explosive football team. That’s what we do and it was awesome to watch.”

The Silver Eagles unleashed their explosive passing game after three combined scoreless possessions. After an East turnover on downs deep in Monona Grove territory, Marron found Larsh wide open down the right side, who broke right for a 66-yard touchdown to open the scoring.

After a holding call wiped out a big Suns play and derailed a promising drive, Marron struck again. He took advantage of prime field position and hit junior receiver/defensive back Eddie Rivera over the middle for a 30-yard scoring strike.

“He’s another junior that we’re trying to get our eyes on this year,” said Beckwith of Rivera. “He was a junior varsity player in the spring. We saw a lot of potential out of him.”

The Marron-Larsh connection struck again after an East punt pinned the Silver Eagles at their own 5. Two plays into the drive, the pair hit on an 83-yard pass down the right sideline to give the road squad a 21-0 lead to end the first quarter.

“Cuinn Larsh was one of those guys that was not a question mark, but a guy that we know has got great potential,” Beckwith said. “He’s an unbelievable kid. We’re happy for him when he gets that job done and makes those explosive plays. What a night for him.”

Monona Grove had a holding call end a promising drive and the Suns responded. Junior quarterback Peyton Fountain delivered a big play of his own when he found fellow junior receiver Nate King down the right sideline, who made a highlight reel one-handed catch in airtight coverage and sprinted for an 80-yard touchdown.

“We expect him to make those types of plays,” said Rondorf of King. “He’s athletic and makes them in practice. It was just another great play by him.”

East senior safety Mason Bublitz intercepted a pass and returned it to Silver Eagles territory on the ensuing drive, but the Suns had a turnover on downs. East nearly scored on the final drive of the half but could not get to the end zone before halftime.

“I felt that if we could have gone into halftime 21-14, it would have been a little bit different game,” Rondorf said.

Marron continued his aerial attack in Monona Grove’s first second half possession. He hit three short passes, the last of which was a 43-yard blitz-breaking bubble screen to senior receiver Tyler Dahlhauser on the left side. Dahlhauser picked off a pass later in the third quarter.

Grant Dahlhauser got in on the action later in the quarter. After Marron hit junior receiver Brady Voss for two passes to get in the red zone, Tyler’s twin brother scored on a 14-yard laser from Marron.

The Suns scored once in the fourth. Fountain hit three passes, including a 35-yard lob to senior receiver Nick Taylor. Junior running back Colton Kress finished the drive with a 5-yard run up the middle.

“It’s hard to simulate that type of speed in practice,” said Rondorf of Monona Grove’s passing attack. “Our kids didn’t adjust to it. I thought after the first or second time they got beat deep, they would play off. They have to adjust quicker. Cannot wait until the fourth quarter.”

[jrgsportsbuzz]

FROM OBSCURITY TO CHAMPIONS

How two raw, unknown prospects lifted the Bucks to the top

On July 20, 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks took home the Larry O’Brien Trophy after defeating the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the 2021 NBA Finals. One superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and star sidekick Khris Middleton, as well as two-way combo guard Jrue Holiday, formed a trio that finally broke through under head coach Mike Budenholzer after years of postseason disappointments for Milwaukee. However, the development of Antetokounmpo and Middleton over the past eight years has been most instrumental in the Bucks’ first ring in 50 years.

Antetokounmpo was a raw, obscure prospect from Greece who was considered a major reach as the 15th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft. Middleton was a supporting piece in a 2013 trade with the Detroit Pistons that sent “Bucks in Six” originator Brandon Jennings to the Motor City in exchange for guard Brandon Knight and himself.

2013-14: Two rail-thin youngsters on a bad team

Jennings may have started a prophecy with Bucks’ fans with his outlandish, tongue-in-cheek prediction of the 38-44 Bucks matchup with the top-seeded, defending champion and LeBron James-led Miami Heat, but he and fellow guard Monta Ellis both wanted out of Milwaukee following the inevitable sweep. The trade of Jennings and Ellis’s decision not to re-sign led to a mass exodus of players and a ragtag team thrown together for 2013-14.

Milwaukee surprised many when they drafted Antetokounmpo, a very green 18-year-old prospect without a lot of game tape but whom some experts saw tremendous upside (spoiler alert, they were right). However, he had ample opportunities to develop during his rookie season in which the Bucks finished with a league-worst and franchise-worst 15-67 record. He was obviously not fully ready for the rigors of the NBA but displayed many flashes of his endless potential.

Middleton became a key piece of the Bucks’ rotation almost right away during the team’s lone season under former Atlanta Hawks’ coach Larry Drew. He showed his potential as a two-way wing who could score from anywhere on the court, but his game, while more developed than that of Giannis, still needed a lot of work.

The Bucks may have been a dismal team in 2013-14, but it had what eventually became the foundation for a bright future in those two skinny prospects with untapped, overlooked upside.

2014-15: New ownership, new coach, secured future

The 2013-14 on-court product was bad enough, but there was also much speculation on the team’s future in Milwaukee. Former Wisconsin senator Herb Kohl was still the team’s owner and was desperately looking for buyers that would guarantee the team’s future would remain in the city. That issue was solved at the end of the season when two hedge fund investors from New York, Marc Lasry and Wes Edens, purchased the team. Lasry and Edens were impressed with Milwaukee and saw an opportunity to build a winner.

There also was pressure from the NBA to build a new arena to replace the Bradley Center because of its lack of amenities compared to other arenas in the league.

New coach Jason Kidd, a recently retired point guard who came to the Bucks after one year coaching the Brooklyn Nets, was instrumental in helping the team plead its new arena case on the court. Giannis and Middleton took huge steps forward as players, rookie Jabari Parker looked up to his billing as the No. 2 pick of the 2014 draft before losing the majority of his rookie season to a torn ACL, and other players stepped up to help produce a surprising 41-41 season and No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks lost in six to the third-seeded Chicago Bulls.

The unexpected improvement and Parker’s addition helped secure support from around the state for a new arena. Lasry and Edens pledged $200 million of their own fortune and Kohl added $100 million from his. From there, then-Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and the state legislature passed a bill securing the public funding needed for the new facility currently known as the Fiserv Forum.

2015-16: A step back

Milwaukee’s drastic improvement in 2014-15 not only was instrumental in locking up the team’s future in the city but fostered high expectations for the team the next season. However, despite continued improvement from the two big guns, the Bucks had a very disappointing 33-49 season. Parker spent a lot of the season getting his groove back following his knee injury. Michael Carter-Williams, a point guard acquired in a trade that jettisoned Knight, was very disappointing. Big ticket free agent center Greg Monroe was instrumental offensively but was a liability on defense. The team was also missed some of the veterans who helped the team to its surprising success the previous year.

2016-18: Signs of future success, end of Bradley

2016-17 looked similar to the previous season for most of it. The Bucks were 22-30 a bit more than halfway through. Kidd then tried a new wrinkle. The team had a glaring weakness at point guard and Giannis was given a point forward role, which was instrumental in developing the facilitating part of his game that became key in his future dominance. Antetokounmpo broke through in general, as he earned his first NBA All-Star appearance and was voted the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Parker also showed signs of stardom, averaging 20 points per game before suffering another ACL tear. However, Middleton came back from a hamstring tear the same game that Parker went down, which helped the team absorb the loss of Parker and play much better down the stretch. Milwaukee finished 42-40 and earned another No. 6 seed and lost in six games again, this time to the third-seeded playoff nemesis Toronto Raptors.

In the offseason, general manager John Hammond took the same job with the Orlando Magic, giving way to current GM Jon Horst for 2017-18. The Bucks remained around .500 for much of their last season in the Bradley Center before the team made a drastic move. Kidd was fired 45 games into the season, with top assistant Joe Prunty taking over for the rest of the year. Giannis took another step into becoming a full-blown superstar, Middleton had his first season averaging 20+ points per game, and the Bucks finished with a 44-38 record. However, an improved Eastern Conference caused Milwaukee to slip to the No. 7 seed and into a matchup with the second-seeded Boston Celtics. Both teams defended the home court the entire series, with the Bucks losing in seven games.

2018-19: New arena, new success, Giannis’s first MVP

Milwaukee opened Fiserv Forum with an absolute bang in 2018-19. The Bucks hired another former Hawks coach in Budenholzer, who ushered in a system that allowed the team to run much more in transition and look for open 3-pointers and dunks. This new offensive philosophy made the Bucks the most potent offensive team in the league, with Giannis becoming unstoppable in the open floor and allowing Middleton to thrive on the perimeter. Brogdon, the 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year, became one of the better shooting guards in the league before losing over 30 games due to injury. Bledsoe utilized his strength and quickness on both ends of the floor as he was one of the league’s top penetrators at the point and, along with Antetokounmpo, was a first-team All-NBA Defensive team honoree. 7-foot free agent signee Brook Lopez filled the center spot, earning the nickname “Splash Mountain” because of his ability to knock down 3-pointers and was a disruptive force in the paint defensively, averaging over two blocks per game. All of this led to a breakthrough season as the Bucks finished with the best record in the NBA at 60-22.

Giannis averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 assists per game and shot a career-high 57.8 percent from the field in 2018-19. This earned him his first NBA Most Valuable Player award along with his third consecutive All-Star selection.

The unprecedented success continued into the 2019 playoffs. Milwaukee made mincemeat of the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons with a sweep in which they outscored them by a combined 85 points. The fourth-seeded Celtics shocked the Bucks with a 22-point shellacking at the Fiserv in Game 1 of the next series, but Milwaukee responded by winning the next four games to set up a matchup with the second-seeded Raptors for an NBA Finals berth.

Milwaukee stormed out of the gates against Toronto, winning the first two games, including Game 2 in dominating fashion. However, the Raptors switched their defensive philosophy to build a “wall” in the paint to stop Giannis’s penetration and force the Bucks’ perimeter players to beat them. This led to a huge turnaround, as the Bucks went cold from 3 and had a tough time dealing with Toronto’s increased physicality on both ends of the floor. Raptors star two-way forward Kawhi Leonard carried the load on both ends, scoring at will on the Bucks’ defense and admirably defending Antetokounmpo despite his size disadvantage. Leonard, along with surprise bench contributors Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell, led Toronto to four straight victories and a six-game victory over Milwaukee. The Raptors went on to defeat the Golden State Warriors in the Finals for their first ever championship.

2019-20: Bubble blues, another MVP for Antetokounmpo

The Bucks appeared to be on a revenge tour following the disappointment against the Raptors in 2019-20. Milwaukee won 53 of its first 62 games before the season was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Giannis earned his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance and averaged nearly 30 points per game en route to his second consecutive MVP honor. Middleton, after seeing his scoring average dip to 18.8 points for 2018-19, returned to the 20-point club in 2019-20. Bledsoe continued to produce well on both ends at the point, but his ill-advised decisions and intermittent inefficiency began to irk fans who began to question his ability to be a point guard for a championship team.

Milwaukee lost its final three games before the league (and the world) was shut down, which proved to be a sign of things to come. The Bucks, with Middleton and Giannis not having much, if any, basketball activity during the lockdown, simply were nowhere near the same dominant team from the first part of the season. Milwaukee went 3-5 in the eight regular season games in the NBA Bubble in Orlando, Fla. However, the team still finished with the best record in the NBA for the second consecutive year. The early-playoffs dominance did not repeat itself. The Bucks sent the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic packing in five games after losing Game 1 but did not look anywhere near as stellar as expected in doing so. The fifth-seeded Heat took full advantage of the Bucks’ lethargy, as they jumped all over Milwaukee to a 3-0 series lead. The Bucks, playing without Antetokounmpo, managed to squeak out a Game 4 victory before losing in Game 5 and putting a premature end to what many fans and analysts thought could be a championship season.

2020-21: THE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Bucks previous two playoff disappointments labeled them a regular season team that could not handle the pressure of the postseason. Milwaukee looked to change that perception by doing what many fans wanted after the 2020 playoff disaster, as they jettisoned the underachieving Bledsoe to New Orleans along with two future first round picks and two more first round pick swap rights for Holiday in a four-team trade. Pressure was mounting on the Bucks to build a team capable of winning a championship in order to persuade Giannis to sign a supermax contract extension to stay in Milwaukee, which prompted the Bucks to make a few roster moves in the offseason, which included the acquisitions of high-energy power forward/center Bobby Portis Jr. and sharp shooting guard Bryn Forbes. They nearly acquired shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic in a trade, but the deal was botched, which prompted Budenholzer to play third-year guard Donte DiVincenzo at the 2, who was initially part of the trade for Bogdanovic.

Milwaukee’s regular season success level declined a little as the revamped roster took its lumps attempting to gel. Giannis and Middleton continued their Batman and Robin attack on opponents, but needed to adjust playing with a different backcourt, Holiday in particular. Antetokounmpo was used to being a primary ballhandler in previous seasons, but Holiday’s presence forced Giannis to spend more time in the post, where he could be much more effective in a half court offense. Middleton benefitted a lot from playing with Holiday and Giannis on the block, as he was able to diversify his game offensively and had two teammates who could set him up from inside and out. He also greatly improved his shot creating abilities in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. DiVincenzo looked to be a breakout player offensively early in the season, but his offense regressed late. However, his energy on defense and loose balls was big for the Bucks all season.

The team eventually figured out how to play together and finished strong for a 46-26 record, good for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks opened the playoffs in style, getting huge payback on the sixth-seeded Heat with a sweep, including dominant victories in the last three games after a Game 1 that went into overtime where Middleton knocked down a jumper in the final seconds that broke a 107-107 tie.

In the next round, the Bucks faced their toughest test against the second-seeded and star-studded Nets. Brooklyn featured a trio of all-world players in forward Kevin Durant and guards Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Brooklyn, despite losing Harden to a hamstring injury in Game 1, looked to be too much for Milwaukee with dominant victories in the first two games.

The series returned to Milwaukee for the next two, where the Bucks jumped out to a huge lead but had to gut out an 86-83 victory in Game 3 after a clutch shot by Holiday before comfortably winning Game 4 to even the series. Irving suffered an ankle injury in the fourth game.

The Bucks took their momentum back to Brooklyn for the first three quarters of Game 5 and got out to a 17-point lead. However, a historic 49-point triple double performance from Durant keyed a huge Nets comeback that resulted in a 114-108 victory.

Milwaukee returned home and won Game 6 to force the decider in Brooklyn. The Bucks made a couple key mistakes that nearly ended their season, but Durant’s long-distance shot to end regulation was on the three-point line, which forced overtime instead of giving the Nets a one-point win. Giannis and Middleton hit two clutch shots in the overtime period to give the Bucks a 119-115 Game 7 victory to advance. Harden returned for the last three games of the series but was nowhere near full strength.

Milwaukee faced a surprise matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals against fifth-seeded upstart Atlanta. The Hawks gave the Bucks a rude welcome in Game 1, as star guard Trae Young dropped 48 points to lead the underdogs to a two-point victory.

The Bucks responded in the next two games, with Middleton scoring 20 of his 38 Game 3 points in the fourth quarter of that game, and Milwaukee appeared to be on its way to a five-game victory. However, Atlanta came out firing and the Bucks were flat to begin Game 4 and disaster nearly struck. Giannis hyperextended his left knee in a gruesome scene early in the second half of the series-tying game. The injury was not as serious as it appeared, but the Bucks had to get to the NBA Finals without their superstar. This proved to not be an issue, as four players dropped 20+ points, including 33 from Lopez, in a Game 5 victory in Milwaukee. The Bucks then went to Atlanta and withstood a late Hawks rally to give the team its first six-game series victory since Jennings’ proclamation.

Awaiting the Bucks in their first Finals appearance since 1974 were the Western Conference’s No.2 seed, the Phoenix Suns, who were led by their own star trio in shooting guard Devin Booker, future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul and center Deandre Ayton. That trio got off to a fast start, with double digit victories in the first two games. Paul dropped 32 points and dished out nine assists in a 118-105 Game 1 win, while Booker added 27 points and Ayton had 22 points and 19 rebounds. Giannis countered Ayton with 20 and 17 in his return from injury and Middleton led the Bucks with 29. Middleton and Holiday were both cold in Game 2, which allowed the Suns to take a 2-0 lead despite Antetokounmpo returning to superstar form with 42 points. Wing Mikal Bridges gave the Suns another scoring threat in Game 2, dropping 27 points in a 118-108 victory.

Milwaukee responded emphatically in Game 3 with a 120-100 victory behind 41 and 13 boards from Giannis and 21 points and 9 assists on efficient shooting from Holiday. Game 4 was much tighter, as Phoenix held the lead for the majority of the game. Booker returned from a bad Game 3 with a 42-point barrage. However, Middleton had his Finals breakout, as he dropped 40, including countless clutch buckets during Milwaukee’s fourth quarter comeback. Giannis made sure his teammate’s offensive exploits translated into a victory with one of the best defensive plays in Finals history when he rotated to block a dunk attempt on an alley-oop from Booker to Ayton that preserved a two-point lead with one minute to play. The Bucks eventually won, 109-103 to even the series.

The Suns looked to have their mojo back for Game 5 in the early going with a 37-21 lead after a hot-shooting first quarter. However, the Bucks changed their defensive strategy and began to shoot better in the next two quarters, turning that 16-point deficit into an eventual 14-point fourth quarter lead. However, Phoenix had one final push behind a 40-point Booker performance. However, all three of the Bucks’ trio was dialed in, as Giannis, Middleton and Holiday had 32, 29, and 27 points, respectively. Holiday came up with another huge defensive play when he stripped Booker while the Bucks had a one-point lead in the final seconds and threw a lob to Antetokounmpo, who dunked and was fouled to help secure the 123-119 victory and get Milwaukee within a win of its first championship since 1971.

Back at the Fiserv for Game 6, the Bucks appeared primed to roll after the first quarter with a 13-point lead. However, the Suns tightened up defensively and Paul got hot to help Phoenix outscore Milwaukee by 18 in the second. Giannis channeled a Michael Jordan-like mentality and took matters into his own hands in the second quarter and throughout the second half, as he dropped 50 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked five shots and surprisingly knocked down 17 of 19 free throws. Middleton, despite struggling to find open shots, knocked down a crucial shot and two free throws to give the Bucks an eight-point lead with less than a minute to go, and the Bucks coasted from there to send Milwaukee into a frenzy. Antetokounmpo was awarded NBA Finals MVP honors for his efforts.

STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM NOW WE HERE: MJ and Pip 2.0?

The 2021 championship was the culmination of eight seasons worth of work to bring the Bucks not only to relevance, but to the promised land. After years of mediocrity and roster building for playoff appearances, the Bucks drafted Antetokounmpo and traded for Middleton. No one at the time, not even anyone closely affiliated with the franchise, could have imagined what those two players would eventually produce. Giannis and Middleton, combined with optimistic new owners, a new arena and a rejuvenated fan base, produced the best result any NBA franchise can achieve. The cultivation of the two stars is somewhat reminiscent of the Bulls’ development of Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the 1980s that eventually produced six championships the next decade under head coach Phil Jackson. It remains to be seen if Giannis and Middleton can duplicate that level of dominance under Budenholzer, but 2021 and the years leading up to it certainly bode well for the future of the Milwaukee Bucks.