Tigers tame arch rival Wildcats

Stratford in control the entire game

Stratford’s varsity girls basketball team knew the key to beating Edgar was effectively breaking the Wildcats’ full-court press. Although the Tigers committed 21 turnovers, they still persevered in handling the Wildcats’ ferocious defensive pressure in Thursday’s 42-32 home win.

Tigers junior center Lauren Kraus is normally the lone player on her team in double-digit scoring in games this season, but she received more help from her teammates against the Wildcats. Junior forward Ella Heidmann led Stratford with 11 points, followed by junior forward Bailey Linzmaier with nine. Junior forward Tessa Berg and Kraus added seven points apiece.

Kraus is becoming a great player on the basketball court, while her older brother, Derek, continues his career as a NASCAR truck racer. She and her teammates knew they’d need to handle Edgar’s full-court press to get the victory.

“Breaking Edgar’s full-court press was definitely one of our main concerns coming into this game because we felt like if we didn’t do it then it could be a loss for us,” she said. “I felt we broke the press the best we could to get us into our half court offense. Everyone stepped up and I feel Bailey (Linzmaier) scoring more really helped our team, and I feel she needs to keep bringing that because I know she can score; I know she is getting stronger in the post because she’s not easy to guard anymore.”

The Tigers built an 8-0 lead and they never trailed throughout the entire game, even though the Wildcats came close to tying them on several occasions. Kraus’ baseline jumper put the Tigers on the scoreboard and Linzmaier then sank a shot from almost the exact location. Heidmann scored two straight buckets on tough drives to the hoop. She’s not afraid of drawing contact on her way to the basket.

“I just want to get in there and get some points,” Heidmann said. “We had to really put our heads down and work hard, and I feel that was a really well deserved win.”

Edgar first got on the scoreboard six minutes into the game on senior guard Skylee Manecke’s three pointer. Heidmann responded with one of two made free throws and Kraus scored a hoop off a perfect pick and roll with junior point guard Lexie Christopherson to give Stratford an 11-3 advantage.

Later in the first half, Stratford sophomore guard Sailor Kauffman converted a pair of bonus free throws to give the Tigers an 18-11 lead. Edgar kept battling back, however, as junior guard Leah Davis scored five straight points to bring the Wildcats within only one point, 17-18, against the Tigers. Linzmaier gave Stratford a 2317 halftime advantage after sinking a pair of double-bonus free throws with 20 seconds remaining.

Kraus scored an easy bucket to start the second half, but then Manecke of Edgar secured three straight steals. Her first steal resulted in a layup for Davis. Edgar senior guard Malia Hoesly later made a pair of free throws after she was fouled to help the Wildcats cut into the Tigers’ lead at 21-25. Later on, Hoesly drained a three pointer to bring Edgar within two points of the Tigers at 25-27.

Heidmann answered with a trey to give Stratford a five-point lead at 20-23, and then Edgar’s Davis and Menecke both picked up their fourth fouls.

Hoesly’s basket brought Edgar within two points of the Tigers again at 29-31, but Davis fouled out after committing her fifth foul against Linzmaier with five minutes left in the game. Linzmaier made one of the two free throws but junior guard Allison Lindner’s made basket gave Stratford a 3429 lead.

Later on, Manecke fouled out with two minutes, 24 seconds left after fouling Stratford’s Berg, who drained both free throws to give the Tigers a more comfortable 37-29 advantage. Junior Morgan Schnelle became the third Edgar player to foul out of the game with under one minute remaining. She fouled Berg who made one of two double- bonus free throws. Heidmann was fouled and she sank both free throws with 46 seconds left to seal a 42-32 victory.

Stratford won its third straight game to improve its record to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the Marawood South Conference. The young Tigers keep improving since starting slow out of the gate this season. Stratford head coach Tammie Christopherson knew it would time some time for her team to find its groove.

“We are a young team who has five new starters, so it took us a while to get our footing and honestly we couldn’t have started out with a tougher schedule than we had,” she said. “I’ve said all along, this is a team that is going to keep getting better and better and things are starting to fall into place for us a bit, and we are learning from our mistakes and starting to find success, and that’s a positive. I just see a super bright future for this team.”

She enjoyed her team’s two straight non-conference wins against Loyal and Spencer, however it’s always a sweeter win against a Marawood Conference South opponent like Edgar.

“We really wanted a Marawood South win and that’s what we talked about going into this game,” Tammie Christopherson said. “We’ve done some damage in the Cloverbelt and now we want to do some damage in the Marawood South, and everybody knows it’s tough every single night in the conference, so any night we get a win is a huge and the kids are super excited and I am very proud of them.”

Edgar, meanwhile, fell to 5-3 overall and 3-3 in the Marawood South. Stratford was scheduled to play at Colby and Edgar versus Mosinee on Tuesday, after The Record-Review’s early deadline to print this week’s newspaper. Results from Tuesday’s games will appear in next week’s newspaper.

The Wildcats played against the Tigers without one of their promising young stars, sophomore forward Mikayla Wirkus, who has an ankle injury. Edgar head coach Tom McCarty is hoping to have Wirkus back after the holiday break. He said it was also tough to have three players foul out against Stratford.

“We are at the end of December and we still haven’t played a game with our full team,” McCarty said. “It has been hard to build some chemistry and figure out a starting rotation because it seems we have a different six or seven players able to play each night, so that’s been difficult.”

He said Edgar needs to improve on generating points in its half court offense when opponents are successful at breaking its full-court press.

“We knew all along our calling card needs to be our defense, but when we are not generating turnovers we need to get better at generating some offense and that’s what we are still learning how to do and that’s why we are struggling,” McCarty said. “When we are able to turn teams over then we are doing alright, but when we are not, then we are still learning how to play our offense in the half court and that’s what we need to work on.”

Edgar plays in the Northland Pines tournament in Eagle River at 5 p.m. against Ashland on Wednesday, Dec. 29. Edgar will then play against either Northland Pines or Little Chute at 1 or 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30. Stratford plays in the Shullsburg tournament at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29, against Shullsburg. Stratford will then play against either Bangor or Cochrane- Fountain City at 6 or 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30.

GRITTY BALL PLAYER- Edgar sophomore guard Olystra Baumann rips the ball away from Stratford junior Allison Lindner during Thursday’s game in Stratford.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER