Athens honors state team

Team from 30 years ago has many ties to 2020-21 squad

By Casey Krautkramer

The Athens girls basketball program honored the 1990-91 state tournament team during Thursday’s 61-36 varsity win against Greenwood.

Four Athens varsity girls basketball team players’ mothers were on the 1990-91 Bluejays that remain the only squad in school history to make a state tournament appearance. They are Jennifer (Rauen) Coker, mother of sophomore twins Sophia and Sydney Coker; Kandi (Balz) Lavicka, mother of sophomore Addison Lavicka and Becky (Brice) Van Rixel, mother of senior Elizabeth Van Rixel.

Athens varsity girls basketball head coach Kyncaide (Diedrich) Keefe’s mother, Danielle (Weiler) Diedrich, also played on the Bluejays 1990-91 state team. Kandi (Balz) Lavicka is also the mother of Bluejays varsity assistant coach Briana (Lavicka) Handschke.

Guard Addison Lavicka said after Thursday’s non-conference victory against Greenwood it was neat to give recognition to her mother’s Athens team from 30 years ago that made it to state. She and her teammates also wanted to show alumni in attendance this year’s Bluejays are talented enough to possibly make the school’s next state appearance.

Coach Keefe tells Addison Lavicka and the other players on this year’s team to remember the “sick feeling” they had in their stomaches after losing to Three Lakes in the WIAA Division season.

“It’s a constant reminder that we need to be even better than we were last year in order to make it to state this year,” Allison Lavicka said.

Coach Keefe hopes her 2020-21 squad can learn a few things from the 1990-91 state tournament team.

“I told the girls after the game to pick their brains a little bit about the glory days,” Keefe said. “We are kind of an old school team that plays a 1-31 press, which you don’t see too much of anymore today. We are a very young team so hopefully we’ll get a little confidence booster from the 1990-91 players too.” Sophomore Sophia Coker led Athens with 13 points and 16 rebounds in the win against Greenwood. Junior Alonna Haines and sophomore Jazelle Hartwig added 10 points apiece, while Sydney Coker and Addison Lavicka contributed seven points each. Addison Lavicka was second on the team with 11 rebounds. Hartwig paced the Bluejays with four steals and three assists.

Athens, 9-1 overall, has strung together two straight victories against Thorp and Greenwood since losing, 92-70, at Phillips on Dec. 21. The Loggers forced the Bluejays into committing 44 turnovers in the defeat, which is Athens’ only Marawood North Conference loss this season. Phillips applied a full-court press against Athens until letting up in the second half after having a sizable lead.

“We were just under more control with the basketball against Thorp and Greenwood than we were against Phillips,” Addison Lavicka said. “Phillips’ defense is really good so we were just freaking out and making stupid turnovers.”

Athens also struggled to break the full-court press against last year’s sectional opponents, Suring and Three Lakes. Coach Keefe said the Bluejays need to “turn a weakness into a strength.”

“I told the girls there is no more X’s and O’s I can give them because we’ve tried so many different full-court press breaks, so it’s just their mindset of they need to want the ball and go to the ball,” Keefe said.

She is already looking forward to her team’s rematch against Phillips on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

“I don’t like to say this but we had a few injuries holding us back in our first game against Phillips, so I’m very excited to see Phillips again but this time on our home court,” Keefe said.

Athens boys easily win

The Athens varsity boys basketball team downed Greenwood, 76-34, in the first game of the boys and girls home doubleheader on Thursday.

Junior guard Connor Sheahan erupted to score a game high 29 points for Athens, while senior guard Cooper Diedrich chipped in 13 points and senior forward Kody Lepak had 12. Junior Connnor Komarek contributed nine points and sophomore Aiden Janke had seven.

Sheahan and Janke led the Bluejays with seven rebounds each, while senior Andrew Frick added six. Lepak paced Athens with five steals and Sheahan added four. Junior Nathan Wolf, Diedrich and Sheahan led the team with three assists each.

Athens has a 7-2 overall record this season.

SETTING UP THE HALFCOURT OFFENSE- Athens junior guard Celina Ellenbecker dribbles the ball in the backcourt during the team’s 61-36 home win against Greenwood on Thursday. Ellenbecker is a key contributor on this year’s 9-1 Athens squad.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER