Leader Staff
As the Shawano Community High School boys basketball team prepares for its WIAA Division 2 regional championship game Saturday against Hortonville, six other teams also will be battling for berths in the Marshfield Sectional.
Hortonville (9-14, 5-13), which defeated Antigo 50-49 Friday, tied for seventh in the Fox Valley Association. Junior 6-foot-2 guard Kyle Witthuhn averages 14 points and 4.4 rebounds per game; 6-foot-3 sophomore guard Ryan Krueger averages 12.2 ppg.
Antigo (15-7, 7-5) finished fourth in the Great Northern Conference, which also was represented in the regional by champion Rhinelander, which knocked Shawano from the tourney last year, and runner-up Mosinee (18-6, 10-2), which ended Rhinelander’s tourney run Friday.
If Shawano wins the regional title, it will open sectional play against either Merrill or Mosinee at 7 p.m. Thursday in Stevens Point.
Here’s a glance at the other regional championship games Saturday.
No. 3 Mosinee (18-6, 10-2) at No. 1 Merrill (14-9, 7-5)
Merrill, which defeated Wausau East 50-33 Friday, tied for second in the Wisconsin Valley Conference behind Stevens Point (21-1, 12-0), the top-ranked team in Division 1. Merrill is led offensively by 6-foot-2 senior guard Chaz Mootz, who averages 18.5 points per game.
Mosinee upset No. 2 Rhinelander (13-12, 11-1) 52-49 Friday and is on a 13-game win streak. Senior 5-10 guard Aaron Maas leads the Indians in scoring with 15.5 ppg.
No. 2 Onalaska (15-8, 9-3) at No. 1 Holmen (14-9, 11-1)
Holmen won the Mississippi Valley Conference, which had three teams in the regional semifinals. Senior guard Andy Hammes leads a balanced scoring attack with 10 points per game. The Vikings rolled over MVC foe Tomah (9-15, 2-10) 62-51 Friday.
Onalaska was second in the MVC to Holmen. La Crosse Central, which Onalaska defeated 56-54 Friday, placed third. Three Onalaska players average double figures in scoring: 6-2 sophomore guard Tyler Hughes, 11.8 ppg; 5-10 sophomore point guard Jalen Zubich, 11.1 ppg; 6-4 senior forward Hoza Wright III, 10.2 ppg.
Onalaska and Holmen split their two regular-season games this season.
No. 2 Menomonie (17-6, 7-5) at No. 1 Rice Lake (18-5, 11-1)
Four-time defending Big Rivers champion Rice Lake (17-5) is considered the sectional favorite by many. Last year’s state runner-up is powered by 6-10 Henry Ellenson, a McDonald’s All-American who has committed to play at Marquette University next year. The Warriors were ranked No. 5 in Division 2 in the final Associated Press poll of the regular season.
Menomonie finished in a three-way tie for second behind Rice Lake in the Big Rivers Conference. Rice Lake swept the teams’ two meetings during the regular season, 59-31 and 60-54. Menomonie junior Nate Stanley, a 6-4 guard, has committed to Iowa to play football. He is the conference’s leading scorer, averaging 18.4 points per game.
The sectional championship game begins at 7 p.m. March 14 in Marshfield.