Area athletes take home accolades
Ford, Barten earn all-state recognition
The Stratford varsity boys basketball team would’ve surely liked to have been given a shot at winning the school’s first WIAA Division 4 state championship, but the Tigers were forced to settle for being the only undefeated basketball team amongst the boys and girls in school history when their season was prematurely cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senior center Ben Barten was a major part of Stratford’s 24-0 season, and he was awarded WIAA Division 4 first team all-state honors for his tremendous effort. Barton also was a unanimous Marawood South Conference first team selection and he garnered the Marawood South Conference coplayer of the year award with Auburndale senior Cooper Weinfurter.
Curt Schmidt of Stratford was awarded the Marawood South Conference coach of the year. Barten led Stratford’s squad in many basketball statistical categories. He averaged 15.3 points per game and scored a total of 351 points this season, and he also grabbed a total of 208 rebounds and blocked 19 shots.
Joining Barten as Marawood South Conference unanimous first-team selections are Weinfurter of Auburndale, Tigers point guard Chandler Schmidt and Edgar junior point guard Drew Guden. Marathon senior wing Clarke Mouw, although not unanimous, still landed a spot on the Marawood South Conference first team.
Chandler Schmidt, the Stratford head coach’s son, led the Tigers with 128 assists and he was third on the team with an average 10.2 points per game while scoring a total of 245 points this season.
Stratford senior Dawson Danen made second team all-conference by averaging 8.5 points per game while scoring 203 total points, hauling down 97 rebounds, 30 assists and 15 blocks. Tigers senior Teddy Redman and junior Max Vanderhoof received honorable mention all conference this season. Stratford senior forward Vaughn Breit was snubbed of any all-conference recognition this season, despite being second on the Tigers team with an average of 11 points per game for a total of 263 points scored and 150 rebounds. Brett led the team with 31 blocks this season.
Trio of ‘Cats all-conference
Edgar junior point guard Drew Guden was awarded unanimous firstteam all-Marawood South Conference this season after leading the Wildcats in nearly a handful of basketball statistical categories. Guden paced Edgar with scoring an average of 13.3 points per game to amass 307 total points this season. He also led the team with 71 assists and 22 blocks, which is an amazing feat for a guard.
Wildcats junior guard Kyle Brewster received second team All-Marawood South Conference honors, after he was second on Edgar’s squad by averaging All-conference
12.5 points per game for a total of 299 points, 55 assists and 11 blocks. He led the Wildcats with 71 assists. Edgar senior guard Kaleb Hafferman and junior guard Austin Dahlke both received honorable mention all-conference honors.
Three Raiders also all-conference
Marathon senior wing Clarke Mouw, who’ll be playing college basketball in 2019-20 at Division 3 St. Norbert College led the Marathon Red Raiders in a few basketball statistical categories. He paced Marathon with 146 rebounds, 92 assists and 23 steals. Mouw was second on the team with an average of 13.5 points per game and total of 314 points.
Red Raiders sophomore guard Jaden Koeller received second-team all conference by leading the team with an average of 15.6 points per game and 374 total points this season. He was second on the team with 119 rebounds, which is great production from a guard.
Marathon juniors Matt Vande Boom and Brock Warren were named Marawood-South honorable mention all conference.
Ford leads Athens foursome
Senior center Cameron Ford was awarded both WIAA Division 5 honorable mention all-state and was a unanimous Marawood North Conference first-team selection this season.
Ford led the Bluejays with an average of 20 points per game for a total of 480 points this season. He also paced Athens with an average of 13 rebounds per game for a total of 313, and he led the team with 20 blocked shots. Ford was second on the Bluejays with 53 steals.
Ford graduates as one of the best players to wear the colors of Athens, finishing his career as a member of the first Bluejays squad to win a WIAA D-5 regional championship.
Ford further cemented his last legacy last year when he scored 1,000 points over the course of his career. Ford finishes his prep career with 1,502 points.
Athens sophomore point guard Copper Diedrich, although not a unanimous selection, also garnered all-Marawood North Conference first-team honors.
Diedrich led the Bluejays with 91 assists and he was second on the team with an average of 16.6 points per game and 399 total points, and also 112 rebounds.
Senior guard Javon Penney and junior forward Dayne Diethelm each enjoyed breakout seasons and received honorable mention all-conference honors.
