Julie Kay’s Kitchen repeats as champs in competitive tournament

MEDFORD BASKETBALL CLASSIC

Minocqua-based Julie Kay’s Kitchen successfully defended its championship in the Medford Men’s Basketball Classic Saturday, downing Loppnow’s Sports Bar of the Wausau area 64-50 in the championship game. Julie Kay’s went undefeated in six tournament games, five of which were played in a marathon day of basketball on Saturday at Medford Area Middle School.

The fourth annual tournament drew 16 teams with each squad playing in two preliminary games –– one Friday night and one Saturday morning –– to determine seeding for bracket play, which started Saturday afternoon.

Julie Kay’s Kitchen, Loppnow’s Sports Bar, Jake Schalow Northwestern Mutual and Streingth Sportswear were the only teams to go 2-0 in the preliminary games and earned the top four seeds in the bracketed portion of the tournament. They all won twice to advance to the Final Four.

In the semifinals, Loppnow’s Sports Bar beat Streingth Sportswear 44-37 led by 17 points from 6-5 Sun Prairie alum Brock Voigt and 13 from Marathon grad Carter Hanke. Oliver Barnes of Mosinee had 13 and former Rhinelander standout Owen White had 12 for Streingth Sportswear. Julie Kay’s Kitchen took care of Jake Schalow Mutual 53-32 with Lakeland grad Marquis Johnson scoring 14 points for the winners.

In the final, Jamar Hurdle, a 6-7 forward and Milwaukee Madison graduate, and Joshua Shawanokasic, a 6-4 guard from Shawano, led Julie Kay’s Kitchen with 16 points apiece in their win over Loppnow’s. Jake Gajewski of Newman Catholic led Loppnow’s with 15 points. Hurdle was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Jake Schalow Northwestern Mutual edged Streingth Sportswear 42-37 in the third-place game, getting 14 points from Zach Noreen, a 6-6 forward who hails from Albany, Minn. White scored 18 and Medford’s Peyton Kuhn added 12 for Streingth Sportswear.

The all-tournament teams were as follows: First team: Owen White of Streignth Sportswear, Zach Noreen of Jake Schalow Northwestern Mutual, Jamar Hurdle of Julie Kay’s Kitchen, Brock Voigt of Loppnow’s Sports Bar, Ryan LaCerte of WE Hoops.

Second team: Carter Hanke of Loppnow’s Sports Bar, Osy Ekwueme of Streignth Sportswear, Levi Ewan of the Backroad Basketball Club, Drew Rohde of Joe Frombach Construction, Cade Faber of TSF Construction.

Third team: Austin Edwards of the Backroad Basketball Club, Sean Lewandowski of Precision Dirtworks, Jeffrey Wergin of Julie Kay’s Kitchen, Oliver Barnes of Streignth Sportswear, Mike Birkley of Johnny’s Vapes.

Honorable Mention: Ty Baker of Combined Carpentry, Kamari Baskin of Joe Frombach Construction, Cole Bergatoni of TSF Construction, Darryn Bottlemy of Flagship Pontoons, Cody Bowe of Combined Carpentry, Tyler Enders of the Backroad Basketball Club, Cody Hanke of Loppnow’s Sports Bar, Mike Farrington of Jake Schalow Northwestern Mutual, Peter Fuchs of Joe Frombach Construction, Jake Gajewski of Loppnow’s Sports Bar, Marquis Johnson of Julie Kay’s Kitchen, Braden McKee of Weather Shield, Chris Nash of WE Hoops, Joshua Shawanokasic of Julie Kay’s Kitchen, Mason Stangl of Dixon Greiner Realty, Cameron Wenzel of Streignth Sportswear.

Medford Basketball Classic preliminary results Flagship Pontoons 58, Precision Dirtworks 50

Leading scorers: FP –– Darryn Bottlemy 14, Albert Goerlitz 12, Isaac Sumis 12. PD –– Sean Lewandowski 15, Colton Langiewicz 12.

Combined Carpentry, 57 Backroad Basketball Club 54

Leading scorers: CC –– Cody Bowe 19, Ty Baker 11. BCC –– Austin Edwards 16, Levi Ewan 11.

Dixon Greiner Realty 67, Johnny’s Vapes 61

Leading scorers: DGR –– Mason Stangl 25, Tony Schultz 13, Nate Jakel 10. JV –– Mike Birkley 22, Kyle Davis 20, Joey Northup 11.

Joe Frombach Construction 65, Weather Shield 28

Leading scorers: JFC –– Drew Rohde 26, Peter Fuchs 10. WS –– Anthony Jennerjohn 6, Alex Thiede 6.

Streignth Sportswear 55, Northside Elevator/ Grassland Dairy 35

Leading scorers: SS –– Osy Ekwueme 16, Michael Casper 11, Owen White 11. NE/GD: Luke Olson 10.

Julie Kay’s Kitchen 89, TSF Construction 44

Leading scorers: JKK –– Jamar Hurdle 28, Joshua Shawanokasic 18. TSF –– Cade Faber 15.

Loppnow’s Sports Bar 60, BW Express 27

Leading scorers: LSB –– Brock Voigt 15, Carter Hanke 10, Cody Hanke 10. BW –– Branson Witucki 8.

Jake Schalow Northw. Mutual 46, WE Hoops 44

Leading scorers: JSNM –– Zach Noreen 13. WE –– Chris Nash 15, Ryan LaCerte 13.

Precision Dirtworks 53, Weather Shield 40

Leading scorers: PD –– Sean Lewandowski 22. WS –– Braden McKee 22.

Background Basketball Club 58, Dixon Greiner Realty 48

Leading scorers: BCC –– Levi Ewan 20, Tyler Enders 12, Jeffrey Quednow 11. DGR –– Mason Stangl 17, Rob Seidel 11.

Loppnow’s Sports Bar 55, Johnny’s Vapes 16

Leading scorers: LSB –– Carter Hanke 19. JV –– Jack Bezlyk 8.

Northside Elevator/Grassland Dairy 55, Joe Frombach Construction 54 (2 OTs)

Leading scorers: NE/GD –– Carson Moe 18, Cale Cuddie 12. JFC –– Kamari Baskin 10, Cody Blomberg 10, Peter Fuchs 10, Drew Rohde 10.

Streignth Sportswear 58, WE Hoops 45

Leading scorers: SS –– Owen White 19, Oliver Barnes 14. WE –– Ryan LaCerte 25.

Julie Kay’s Kitchen 47, BW Express 40

Leading scorers: JKK –– Jamar Hurdle 14, Jeffrey Wergin 13. BW –– Gage Turner 15.

TSF Construction 51, Combined Carpentry 40

Leading scorers: TSF –– Cole Bergatoni 20, Cade Faber 14. CC –– Ty Baker 15.

Jake Schalow Northwestern Mutual 41, Flagship Pontoons 24

Leading scorers: JSNM –– Zach Noreen 14. FP –– Darryn Bottlemy 5, Josiah Goerlitz 5, Marlin Pogodzinski 5.

Round of 16 Backroad Basketball Club 52, Northside Elevator/ Grassland Dairy 35

Leading scorers: BCC –– Austin Edwards 17, Levi Ewan 15. NE/GD –– Cameron Brussow 12.

Jake Schalow Northwestern Mutual 54, Precision Dirtworks 45 Leading scorers: JSNM –– Alex Welhouse 12, Mike Farrington 11, Zach Noreen 10. PD –– Tyler Messman 12, Austin Salzgeber 12.

Loppnow’s Sports Bar 64, Weather Shield 40

Leading scorers: LSB –– Brock Voigt 17, Cade Hall 16, Carter Hanke 14. WS –– Braden McKee 10.

Combined Carpentry 50, Joe Frombach Construction 48 (2 OTs)

Leading scorers: CC –– Mason Rudolph 12, Cody Bowe 11. JF –– Drew Rohde 14, Kamari Baskin 11.

Flagship Pontoons 47, TSF Construction 32

Leading scorers: FP –– Josiah Goerlitz 11. TSF –– Cole Bergatoni 13, Cade Faber 11.

Streignth Sportswear 56, Dixon Greiner Realty 28

Leading scorers: SS –– Cameron Wenzel 18, Owen White 12. DGR –– Tony Schultz 10.

Julie Kay’s Kitchen 57, Johnny’s Vapes 48

Leading scorers: JKK –– Jamar Hurdle 19, Jon Wergin 14, Jeffrey Wergin 10. JV –– Mike Birkley 16, Joey Northup 11, Jack Bezlyk 10.

WE Hoops 43, BW Express 40

Leading scorers: WE –– Ryan LaCerte 17, Chris Nash 12. BW –– Justin Witucki 9.

Quarterfinals Streignth Sportswear 60, Backroad Basketball Club 51 (OT)

Leading scorers: SS –– Owen White 22, Osy Ekwueme 12, Cameron Wenzel 10. BCC –– Austin Edwards 18, Tyler Enders 15, Levi Ewan 10.

Jake Schalow Northwestern Mutual 42, Combined Carpentry 27

Leading scorers: JSNM –– Aaron VandenHuevel 13, Mike Farrington 10. CC ––Cody Bowe 6.

Loppnow’s Sports Bar 45, WE Hoops 35

Leading scorers: LSB –– Jake Gajewski 11. WE –– Nic Been 15, Ryan LaCerte 11.

Julie Kay’s Kitchen 61, Flagship Pontoons 36

Leading scorers: JKK –– Marquis Johnson 20, Jamar Hurdle 11. FP –– Albert Goerlitz 13, Darryn Bottlemy 12.