50th anniversary celebration
By Casey Krautkramer
Marathon’s 1973-74 varsity boys basketball team may have lost its first game in the Class C state tournament but it paved the way for the Red Raiders to win a state record three consecutive state championships. Marathon won state titles in the following 1974-75, 1975-76 and 1976-77 seasons.
The 1973-74 Red Raiders were the first Marathon team to play in a state tournament. It lost the state semifinal to McFarland, which won the Class B state championship in the previous season. The WIAA expanded the playoffs to three classes in the 1973-74 season and McFarland won the Class C state championship.
Tom Weinkauf was head coach of the 1973-74 Marathon varsity boys basketball squad. Players on this team were Larry Hurtis, Dale Mroczenski, Billy Rajek, John Lang, Joel Braatz, Larry Heindl, Rod Szymanski, Lloyd Krautkramer, David Nass, Frank Seubert, Randy Krautkramer and Gary Artus. Team managers were Tony Normand and Rodney Loy.
Adam Jacobson, current Marathon var-sity boys basketball head coach, felt it was important to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Rad Raiders boys state tournament team during halftime of Friday’s home 76-27 win against Wisconsin Rapids Assumption.
Coach Weinkauf spoke about how special the 1973-74 team was because its players worked extremely hard to become successful.
“We were 23-0 entering the state tournament and I truly believe that a referee never loses the game for you but they can take away the opportunity to win,” Weinkauf joked. “There were three questionable calls by the referees in our state tournament game against McFarland. Our group of guys were so mad that they got See BOYS BASKETBALL/ page 10
MARATHON’S 1973-74 VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM RECOGNIZED- Marathon’s boys basketball program on Friday celebrated the 50th annniversary of the 1973-74 Marathon varsity boys basketball team that was the first squad in school history to play in the state tournament. Team members, pictured from left to right, are: The late Lloyd Krautkramer represented by his daughter Raven, Dale Mroczenski, John Lang, Rod Szymanski, Joel Braatz, Frank Seubert, Larry Hurtis, head coach Tom Weinkauf, Randy Krautkramer and Gary Artus. Cindy Goldbach, a baton twirler at halftime of Marathon’s 1974 state tournament game, was in attendance on Friday. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER Boys basketball
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beat that they set the tone for the Marathon teams in the next three or four years that if you work and play hard and give everything you have then good things are going to happen.”
Rod Szymanski, who was a key player on Marathon’s 1973-74 state tournament team, remembers his father, Ed Szymanski and his uncle, Alex Szymanski, bringing a bottle of nonalcoholic champagne into the locker room at Wausau West High School to celebrate the sectional championship win with the players.
According to Rod Szymanski, things weren’t always great for Marathon boys basketball.
“One thing that Tom Weinkauf didn’t mention is in his first year or two coaching in 1972, we held the school record for the worst record among Marathon varsity boys basketball teams,” Rod Szymanski said. “We had an 1-18 record so it’s truly remarkable that in two years we went from 1-18 to going to having a 23-0 record going into the state tournament.”
He remembers that his Marathon team had trouble defending McFarland player Bill Pearson who ended up playing college basketball for the Division 1 Wisconsin Badgers. Marathon ended up losing a close state tournament semifinal, 48-45, to powerful McFarland.
Marathon’s current varsity boys basketball squad gave members of the 1973-74 team in attendance on Friday a treat with a lopsided victory against Assumption. Red Raiders senior six foot, 10-inch center Grant Warren slam dunked the basketball twice in the first half against the Royals. He led Marathon with 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
Red Raiders are conference champs
Marathon’s varsity boys basketball team won its third straight Marawood South Conference championship on Monday following the team’s 71-44 road win against Edgar and Stratford’s 51-44 road victory against Auburndale. Marathon still needs to play against Auburndale at 7:15 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 22, at home in its last regular-season game but the Red Raiders have already won the outright conference title.
Coach Jacobson is proud of his team for winning the Marawood South again this season.
“The Marawood South is a tremendous league,” he said. “We are happy to have earned the conference championship, and compete night in and night out with the great competition in our league. Our guys are excited, but hungry for what lies ahead. We know there is still work to be done and improvement to be made. We want to play our best basketball ahead and try to play together as long as we possibly can.”
Warren led Marathon with 29 points and 14 rebounds in the victory against archrival Edgar. Marathon has a 15-0 record in the Marawood South Conference and Auburndale is in second place with a 13-2 record. The Red Raiders are 22-1 overall this season.
Playoffs set to begin
Marathon received a No. 1 seed and first-round bye in the WIAA Division 4 playoffs that start this Tuesday, Feb. 27. Marathon begins the playoffs with a home regional semifinal at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 1, against Tuesday’s winner between No. 8 Colby versus No. 9 Crandon. Edgar was awarded a No. 3 seed and first-round bye in the regional playoffs. Edgar will begin the playoffs with a home Division 4 regional semifinal at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 1, against Tuesday’s winner between No. 6 Iola-Scandinavia versus No. 11 Chequamegon. Should Edgar win its regional semifinal, it would then likely play at No. 2 seed Auburndale in the regional championship.
Stratford received a No. 4 seed in the Division 4 playoffs and will play its first game at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 1, in a home regional semifinal against Tuesday’s winner between No. 5 Washburn versus No. 12 Abbotsford. Should both Marathon and Stratford win their regional semifinals, then they would play against each other in the regional championship at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, in Marathon.
The winners of the likely Edgar at Auburndale and Marathon versus Stratford regional championships would then play against each other in the sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, in Merrill. The sectional championship is at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, at D.C. Everest.
The Athens varsity boys basketball squad received a No. 10 seed in the Division 5 playoffs and will play at No. 7 Prentice in a regional quarterfinal at 7 p.m. this Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Athens ironically also concludes its regular season with a home game against Prentice at 7:15 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 22.
Stratford’s huge win
The Tigers varsity boys basketball team played great team basketball in defeating the Auburndale Eagles, 51-44, on the road Monday.
Stratford head coach Curt Schmidt was pleased with his team’s tremendous effort against Auburndale.
“I thought we played really good team defense and had some clutch baskets,” he said. “It is always good to be playing well at the end of the regular season.”
The Tigers conclude their regular season with a 7:15 p.m. home game this Thursday, Feb. 22, against Assumption. Stratford has an 18-5 overall record this season.
WINNING STRATEGY- Stratford varsity boys basketball head coach Curt Schmidt instructs his team during its 51-44 road win against Auburndale on Monday.
PHOTO BY JENNY CHAPEL
