Raiders hand Tigers their first loss
By Casey Krautkramer
A young Marathon varsity boys basketball squad has taken its lumps to begin this season with tough losses against solid opponents in Eau Claire Regis and Wausau East. Marathon lost a nail biter, 55-54, to Rib Lake on Friday at home but rebounded to beat Stratford by one point, 62-61, in Tuesday’s pivotal Marawood South Conference road game. Stratford was unbeaten and ranked sixth in the wissports. net Division 4 poll before losing to Marathon.
Marathon lost three starting players to graduation from last year’s state tournament team that finished the season with an impressive 27-2 record. The Red Raiders will definitely miss six foot, 10-inch center Grant Warren who broke Cody Hanke’s school career scoring record last season. He is now a true freshman receiving playing time off the bench for Division 2 Michigan Tech this season.
Warren averaged an outstanding 21.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and three assists per game for Marathon last season. He was awarded to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) all-state team for the second straight season.
The Red Raiders also lost talented wing player Tyler Underwood to graduation. Underwood received honorable mention all-state last season. Guard Cooper Hoeksema was the third starting player that Marathon lost from last year’s team to graduation in spring. The team also lost
See RAIDERS HOOPS/ page 14
MARATHON VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL - Introducing the 2024-25 Red Raiders varsity boys basketball team. Players pictured, from left to right, front row are Landon Sneider, Ean Shuda and Wilson Marks; middle row: Garrett Bracewell, Sawyer Berens, River Stanecki, True Thurs and Blake Kraft; back row: Cody Radtke, Logan Peters, Drew Woelfel and Charlie E h I e rt. photo by stacy stubbe Raiders hoops
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bench players Andrew Glenn and Nathan Huebsch to graduation.
It’s not surprising that Marathon got off to a slow start this season considering the amount of talent it lost from last year’s graduating class of seniors. The cupboard isn’t totally empty this season, however, as the Red Raiders return a pair of starting players in junior guard True Thurs and junior forward Drew Woelfel. Other Marathon players who return with experience are senior guards Cody Radtke, Blake Kraft and Wilson Marks, junior guard Landon Sneider and sophomore guard Ean Shula.
Newcomers to the varsity team this season are senior forward River Stanecki, sophomore guards Logan Peters and Sawyer Berens and sophomore forwards Garrett Bracewell and Charlie Ehlert.
Adam Jacobson is in his 14th year as Marathon’s varsity head boys basketball coach. His assistant coaches are Phil Seubert, Chuck Woelfel, Claude Seubert, Alex Blume and Hunter Seubert. Jacobson explains how this year’s team and future squads can attempt to maintain the Marathon boys basketball program’s high level of success.
“Our players need to work hard, have fun and be great teammates,” Jacobson said. “The core standards of our program are a championship work ethic, attitude of toughness, unity, humility and character. Throughout all levels of our basketball program, if we can live by those standards and hold each other accountable to those standards then we will provide ourselves an opportunity to be successful.”
Marathon might only have a 2-3 overall record thus far early this season but the Red Raiders have a 2-1 record in the Marawood South Conference and are tied for second place with Stratford and Wisconsin Rapids Assumption. Auburndale is currently in first place with a 2-0 record in the Marawood South. Jacobson explains the steps this team needs to take if it wants to hang around at the top of the conference and have a shot at winning another Marawood South championship at the end.
“Each time we step on the court, we need to find a way to individually and collectively improve,” Jacobson said. “If we can do that, and become a consistent basketball team night in and night out, that will provide us an opportunity to compete and play our best basketball when it matters most. Now that is not going to be easy because we play in one of the best small school leagues in the state of Wisconsin and our non-league slate will certainly challenge us, but our guys are excited for the challenge ahead and who they can become as we get into March.”
Jacobson explains the type of play that Marathon fans can expect to see from this year’s varsity boys basketball squad.
“Certainly some things will be a little different with the 2024-25 Red Raiders, but a lot will also stay the same,” he said. “Hopefully you will see a team that is passionate about the game of basketball, plays with great effort, plays for each other, values the possession on both ends of the floor, makes the extra pass, takes pride in doing little things that don’t take any talent and is grateful for every opportunity they have to get to represent Marathon and play the game they love with their teammates.”
