A banner year for ‘Jays

First conference title since 1950 is in the books

By Casey Krautkramer

Let’s put into perspective the signifi cance of the Athens boys basketball team winning its first conference championship in 71 years this week.

In 1950, Harry S. Truman was the U.S. president, the Korean War began and the Peanuts comic strip with Charlie Brown began publishing in newspapers.

“It’s a surreal feeling because 71 years was a long time ago and for our team to win the first conference championship since then is just awesome.”

Dane Diethelm

Elvis Presley’s music career hadn’t even begun yet until four years later.

The Athens boys basketball team beat Prentice, 68-48, on Monday at home to win the Marawood North Conference championship and place a long awaited 2021 on the banner with the previously lonely 1950 conference title squad on the gym wall.

Juniors Cooper Diedrich, Kody Lepak and Evan Guralski scored Athens’ last five points in the game to give the Bluejays a 20-point victory against the Buccaneers. Diedrich stole the ball for a layup and Lepak’s three pointer was “the dagger” as Green Bay Packers radio announcer Wayne Larrivee commonly proclaims at the end of games. Guralski’s offensive rebound putback sealed the win for Athens and then the celebration began among the players, coaches and fans.

Senior Dane Diethelm stood on the basketball court in awe of what he and

Athens senior

his Athens teammates had just accomplished.

“Oh my God, it’s awesome,” Dane said with a huge smile on his face. “It’s a surreal feeling because 71 years was a long time ago and for our team to win the first conference championship since then is just awesome; I’m so happy right now.”

His senior teammate, Cobie Ellenbecker, pointed to the banner on the north wall in the Athens High School gym and said, “Now I’ll be able to someday tell my kids and grandkids I was on the 2021 Athens boys basketball team that won our school’s first conference championship since 1950. It’s a great feeling because our season will be on the banner for the rest of history.”

His father, Aaron Ellenbecker, is the Athens head varsity boys basketball co-head coach with Jeramie Penney. He didn’t know how successful this year’s team would be after it lost its leading scorer from last season, cen- ter Cameron Ford, to graduation last spring. The team still had talented players coming back this season, but he wasn’t sure how they’d gel together as a cohesive unit.

“I’m just so proud of how hard our players worked in our practices and games this season,” Aaron Ellenbecker said. “During the last couple of weeks our players started looking up at the boys basketball banner in the gym that only had the 1950 team on it as being the one and only to win a conference championship in school history. They said to themselves, ‘wow that’s a long time ago.’” The Athens boys basketball team overcome some adversity this season when the entire varsity coaching staff was quarantined for four games because of COVID-19 contact tracing. Boys basketball parents Todd Diethelm, Mike Wolf, Tom Schaer and Craig Diedrich filled in to coach the squad.

Diedrich led Athens with 22 points in the win against Prentice, while sophomore Aiden Janke added 15 and Diethelm 11. Cobie Ellenbecker chipped in eight points and Lepak had six. Diedrich and Cobie Ellenbecker paced the Bluejays with six assists each. Lepak led the squad with seven rebounds while Diedrich and Janke had six apiece. Diethelm added five rebounds.

Athens improves its season records to 16-4 overall and 9-3 in the Marawood North Conference. Athens won the Marawood North title with Monday’s home win against Prentice because the Bluejays now hold a three-game lead over both the Buccaneers and Phillips Loggers for first place. Athens finishes its regular-season schedule with a home game against Phillips this Thursday, Feb. 11, and an away game against Auburndale this Friday, Feb. 12.

The Bluejays were awarded a No. 2 seed in their WIAA Division 4 regional bracket. Athens has a bye in the regional quarterfinals this Tuesday, Feb. 16, and will play a home regional semifinal on Friday, Feb. 19, against Tuesday’s winner between No. 3 seed Marathon against No. 6 seed Thorp. Should Athens win its regional semifi nal, then it would likely play at No. 1 seed Edgar in the regional championship on Saturday, Feb. 20.