‘Jays are regional champions

By Casey Krautkramer

Athens senior Sophia Coker grabbed her 1,000th career rebound in Friday’s 6227 WIAA Division 5 regional home win against Loyal. She led the Bluejays with 21 points and nine rebounds against the Greyhounds. On Saturday, Sophia Coker paced Athens with 22 points in its 56-52 upset road win against No. 2 ranked Stevens Point Pacelli in the regional championship. The Bluejays handed the Cardinals only their second loss this season.

The Bluejays, the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, improve their record to 18-9 and now play against the No. 2 seed Pittsville Panthers, 23-4, in a sectional semifinal in Merrill at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 29. Pittsville beat Greenwood, 54-36, in Saturday’s home regional championship.

Athens lost to Pittsville, 52-46, on Feb. 12 in a home regular-season game but the Bluejays were missing a few key players and they also didn’t play well. The winner of Thursday’s sectional semifinal between Athens and Pittsville will play against the winner of Thursday’s other sectional semifinal between No. 1 seed Lena, 25-2, and No. 3 seed Wabeno/Laona at Green Bay Southwest. The sectional championship is at 7 p.m. this Saturday, March 2, in Antigo.

Kathy Luther announced on the loud speaker on Friday while Sophia Coker stepped to the free-throw line against Loyal that she’d just pulled down her 1,000th career rebound on her offensive rebound putback attempt while getting fouled. She achieved the career milestone just one minute, 51 seconds into the regional semifinal.

“It was insane,” Sophia Coker said. “I am at the free-throw line and I hear Ms. Luther over the loud speaker so I turned around and wondered what she was doing, and then she calls my name and I instantly got very emotional about this kind of stuff. Basketball is my passion so I would’ve never been able to accomplish this without my teammates, coaches and all the support from my family.”

Athens head coach Kyncaide Keefe believes Sophia Coker is the first girls basketball player in Athens to achieve 1,000 career points and rebounds.

“She doesn’t know how special this is,” Keefe said after the senior players doused her with ice water when she entered the locker room because it was their last home game. “It’s a huge accomplishment. Maybe down the road she will look back and know it’s pretty cool but right now she is just living in the moment and loving it.”

Three Athens girls basketball players could’ve achieved 1,000 career points this season had senior guard Addison Lavicka not been out with a knee injury. Senior forward Jazelle Hartwig and Sophia Coker have scored over 1,000 career points during this season.

“You don’t see it,” Keefe said about having two players and likely could have had a third player reach 1,000 career points in the same season. “You are lucky to have one and we are lucky to have two and if Addison (Lavicka) would’ve played this season then we’d have three which is literally insane. I mean that’s special right there and it talks wonders about how much of an impact this senior crew has had on the Athens girls basketball program and the legacy they are leaving behind.”

Sophia Coker also led Athens with three blocks in the regional semifinal victory against Loyal and Jazelle Hartwig paced See REGIONAL CHAMPIONS/ page 14

CUTTING DOWN THE NET- It’s a long-standing basketball tradition for teams to cut down the net in the gym where they win either a regional, sectional or state championship. Athens varsity girls basketball players and coaches took turns using a scissors to snip a notch off the net. Head coach Kyncaide Keefe took the last cut and is shown with the entire net.

PHOTO BY TANILLE HARTWIG

REGIONAL TITLE CELEBRATION- Athens varsity girls basketball senior players Jazelle Hartwig, left, and Sophia Coker hug each other on Saturday night after the team’s 56-52 road WIAA Division 5 regional championship win against Stevens Point Pacelli. PHOTO BY TANILLE HARTWIG Regional champions

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the Bluejays with six steals. Senior Sydney Coker led Athens with five assists. Sophomore Sy’Rih Hartwig contributed 18 points and junior Danica Diethelm added 11 points against the Greyhounds.

Sydney Coker led Athens with 10 rebounds and Sophia Coker added nine rebounds in the team’s regional championship win against Stevens Point Pacelli. Diethelm contributed 10 points. Jazelle Hartwig paced the Bluejays with four steals and Sophia Coker had three blocks.

Wildcats fall to Panthers

Edgar’s varsity girls basketball team lost to Pittsville, 66-33, in Friday’s Division 5 regional road semifinal. The Wildcats were the No. 7 seed and the Panthers are the No. 2 seed.

No Edgar player reached double-digit points against Pittsville. Senior Morgan Streveler led the Wildcats with seven points and senior Malana Koehler paced the team with three assists. Senior Taylor Lemmer led Edgar with six steals and senior Maycie Yonker added five steals. Edgar concludes this season with an 11-15 record.

BASKETBALL CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT- The Coker family celebrated senior Sophia Coker obtaining her 1,000th career rebound in the team’s 62-27 WIAA Division 5 home regional semifinal on Friday. Family members pictured, from left to right, are oldest brother Shane Coker, grandfather Bill Rauen, twin sister Sydney Coker, Sophia Coker, mother Jennifer Coker and grandmother Sharon Rauen.

STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER