Tigers regroup and prevail

By Casey Krautkramer

The Stratford varsity boys basketball team suffered an excruciating 50-46 road loss to Auburndale on Jan. 17 because it was also starting senior guard Alec Chapel’s final game of his playing career. Chapel informed the team that he needed to have surgery now to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder that he injured during the high school football season, so that he’d be healthy to play football for UW-Eau Claire this fall.

Stratford head coach Curt Schmidt understands Chapel’s reasoning for having the surgery, which went well last week, but it’s also difficult for a basketball team to literally “rebound” during midseason.

“He was our second leading scorer and leading rebounder so it’s a huge loss,” Schmidt said. “Senior guard Caleb Wrensch has taken Alec’s spot in the starting lineup and we are giving junior forwards Brady Berg and Jack Remus more playing time. What people don’t realize about basketball is when you take away a starting player then you feel like you are reteaching everything again because players are in different positions and they need to memorize where they need to be on inbounds and set plays. We are doing our best at trying to coach the kids up to their best abilities.”

So far, so good for the Tigers. Stratford destroyed a solid Phillips squad, 73-35, on Thursday at home and then edged Marathon, 64-62, Tuesday on the road.

Stratford junior guard Brooks Vanderhoof scored 23 points in the win against Phillips. He was efficient on the court by making all six of his two-point field goals, three of his five threepoint attempts and both of his free throws against the Loggers.

“I think that’s by far the best I’ve shot this season,” he said. “Our assistant coach Chandler Schmidt told me at practice the day before the game that I played a lot better in summer league and that he needed to see that type of aggressiveness from me against Phillips, so I just played as hard as I could.”

Berg scored a basket as soon as he entered the game off the bench against the Loggers.

“You need to be instantly ready to go when you are called into the game,” he said.

Stratford senior point guard Drew Bruesewitz added 18 points and Berg had nine against Phillips. Senior forward Kaden Foster and Wrensch led the Tigers with seven rebounds each and Berg added six. Vanderhoof led Straford with three steals and Bruesewitz had two.

Tigers down Red Raiders

Stratford avenged its early-season home loss to Marathon, 62-61, by defeating the Red Raiders, 64-62, Tuesday on the road. The Tigers shot the same amount of free throws, 26, against the Red Raiders on Tuesday as they did in their game on Dec. 17. The difference is that Stratford made eight more free throws against Marathon on Tuesday.

Marathon was on fire shooting the basketball in the first half against Stratford on Tuesday just like it was in the team’s earlier matchup this season. The Red Raiders led by 11 points at halftime during the Dec. 17 game and let the Tigers nearly come all the way back and beat them. On Tuesday, Marathon led Stratford by 12 points at halftime after enjoying an 18-0 run. Red Raiders junior guard Landon Sneider made a trio of three pointers to lead the team with 11 points at the break.

The Red Raiders quickly got into foul trouble at the start of the second half on Tuesday. Sneider and Woelfel each picked up their third fouls early in the second half and were sent to the bench. Stratford’s Bruesewitz kept driving to the basket to get fouled on shots. He scored Stratford’s first five points of the second half on made free throws.

Marathon regained a 12-point lead on sophomore Logan Peters’ made three pointer and senior River Stanecki’s backdoor cut for a basket. Stratford’s Foster later stole the ball and converted a layup to bring the Tigers within seven points for the Red Raiders, but Sneider’s made three pointer put the Red Raiders back up by 10 points. Stratford then went on an 8-0 run fueled by Vanderhoof and junior guard Riley Spindler’s three pointers and Vanderhoof’s steal and layup. Stratford now was only down by two points, 51-49, with four minutes left in the game.

Red Raiders junior guard True Thurs made one of his two free throws after getting fouled on a shot to give the team a 5249 lead. Tigers senior Jett Schoenherr’s layup brought the team within one point, 52-51, of the Red Raiders. Bruesewitz’s basket gave Stratford its first lead, 53-52, since midway through the first half.

Sneider fouled Vanderhoof over the back to give Vanderhoof a pair of bonus free throws which he made to give Stratford a 55-52 advantage. Marathon sophomore guard Ean Shuda responded with a basket to bring the Red Raiders within one point, 55-54, of the Tigers.

Stratford took a four-point lead, 58-54, on Wrensch’s basket and a made free throw after being fouled. Red Raiders sophomore Garrett Bracewell fouled Vanderhoof to give him two double bonus free throws which he made to give the Tigers a 60-54 lead with 32 seconds remaining. Sneider drained a three pointer to bring Marathon within three points, 60-57, against Stratford with 24 seconds left. Wrensch was fouled on the inbounds pass and he made one of two double bonus free throws to give the Tigers a 61-57 advantage.

Marathon senior Cody Radtke fouled Bruesewitz and he made both double bonus free throws to give Stratford a 6357 lead with 17 seconds remaining. Sneider sank his sixth three pointer of the game to bring Marathon within three points, 63-60, with nine seconds left. Stratford had trouble inbounding the basketball when Marathon sophomore Sawyer Berens fouled Wrensch away from the ball to bail out the Tigers. Wrensch made one of two double bonus free throws to give Stratford a 64-60 advan-

See BOYS BASKETBALL/ page 10

PLAYMAKER ON THE COURT - Stratford senior point guard Drew Bruesewitz is shown dribbling the ball down the court during the team’s 73-35 home win against Phillips on Thursday. He can either drive to the hoop to score a basket or get fouled and he can also drain three pointers. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER

LET’S GET HYPED - Stratford junior Riley Spindler, shown wearing the sweatshirt, jumps up to clap hands with senior Kaden Foster after he is introduced as a starting player against Phillips on Thursday.

STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER

Brady Berg

Brooks Vanderhoof Boys basketball

Continued from page 8

tage. Thurs scored a rebound putback before the buzzer sounded to bring Marathon within two points but the game was over and Stratford won, 64-62.

Bruesewitz led Stratford with 22 points and eight assists against Marathon. He converted 11 of 15 free throws for 73 percent shooting from the charity stripe. Spindler, Vanderhoof and Wrensch added nine points apiece in the victory. Vanderhoof paced the Tigers with five steals while Bruesewitz and Foster had three each. Sneider led Marathon with 20 points with six made three pointers in the loss.

Stratford is now in sole possession of second place in the Marawood South Conference with an 8-2 record while Marathon falls to third place with a 7-3 record. Stratford remains one game behind conference leader Auburndale which has a 9-1 record in the Marawood South.

Red Raiders clip Bluejays

Marathon’s varsity boys basketball squad beat Athens, 72-48, on Thursday at home. Bracewell led the Red Raiders with 17 points, followed by Radtke with 11 and Berens with 10. Thurs paced Marathon with eight rebounds and six steals and he also scored eight points.

Athens junior guard Riley Schultz-Becker led the team with 19 points and six rebounds. Senior Brayden Frahmann and sophomore Brock Beaty added eight points apiece.

Marathon lost to Mosinee, 76-54, on Friday at home. Peters led the Red Raiders with 11 points and Sneider added 10. Stanecki paced Marathon with six rebounds.

Athens then lost, 71-49, to Rib Lake at home on Tuesday. Individual Athens player statistics were not available when the newspaper was printed. Athens falls to 2-8 in the Marawood North Conference.

Wildcats win two straight

Edgar six foot, eight-inch senior Kasen Ristow slam dunked the basketball to highlight the varsity team’s 77-51 home win against Abbotsford on Thursday.

Ristow scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the victory. Sophomore Carson Nowak led Edgar with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Gavin Mauer scored 16 points. Senior Leyton Schuett scored 10 points and he paced the team with three steals. Junior Tucker Streit and Schuett led Edgar with five assists each.

Edgar then beat Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, 61-41, at home on Tuesday. Individual Wildcats player statistics were not available when the newspaper was printed. Edgar improves its record to 5-5 in the Marawood South Conference.

THURS ATTACKS THE BASKET - Marathon junior guard True Thurs attempts a layup during the team’s 76-54 home loss to Mosinee on Friday.

STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER

VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL STANDINGS Marawood South

Auburndale 9-1 Stratford 8-2 Marathon 7-3 Edgar 5-5 Assumption 5-5 Newman Catholic 2-8

Marawood North

Rib Lake 8-2

Phillips 6-4

Prentice 5-5

Athens 2-8 Abbotsford 2-8 Chequamegon 1-9