Edgar has early-season struggles

By Casey Krautkramer

Edgar’s varsity boys basketball team is experiencing ups and downs so far this season.

The Wildcats began this season with two straight losses, which could’ve been contributed to the team having less practice time than its opponents after the Edgar football team won back-to-back WIAA Division 7 state championships. Edgar then won two straight home games against Crandon and Prentice before losing four out of its last five games.

Edgar split its games in the Laona/ Wabeno holiday tournament. Edgar beat Laona/Wabeno, 61-50, on Friday and then lost to Crandon, 71-60, on Saturday.

Zach Paul and Chris Trawicki were Edgar’s varsity co-head coaches for the first time last season. They replaced Dave Huss who resigned after coaching the Wildcats for 10 years. Edgar’s varsity head coaching structure slightly changed this season when Paul become the sole head coach and Trawicki was relegated to assistant coaching duties.

“I wouldn’t say there were many challenges with having co-head coaches last season,” Paul said. “Chris and I both had the same vision and message to the kids. The reason we decided to go the one head coach route was because I felt comfortable taking more responsibility along with Chris being the offensive coordinator for our football team and his time commitment with that. Chris is our assistant head coach and Mitch Skurzewski is our JV coach.”

Paul describes what he learned from being a varsity boys basketball head coach for the first time last season.

“The game of basketball has a lot of momentum swings,” he said. “I need to keep our kids focused and playing hard.”

Edgar lost four starting players from last year’s team to graduation consisting of Karter Butt, Teegan Streit, Brett Baumgartner and Preston Dahlke. The Wildcats finished last season with a 19-7 record after losing to Auburndale in the WIAA Division 4 regional championship.

Senior guard Leyton Schuett is Edgar’s lone starting player back this season. Junior guards Gavin Mauer and Tucker Streit are also top varsity players returning this season.

Newcomers to this season’s Wildcats varsity team are senior forwards Ty Schnelle, Isaac Halama and Zander Chenier; senior center Karen Ristow; junior guard Maverick Butt; sophomore forward Carson Nowak and sophomore guard/forward Kaden Bargender.

Paul outlined the team’s goals this season.

“We want to continue to get better every day, compete and have fun!,” he said. “We were fortunate enough to have an extended football season and win a state championship but it took a week off our basketball season at the start of it. The kids nor the coaching staff would change that but it put us behind the eight ball a bit.”

Edgar currently has a 1-4 record in the Marawood South Conference and is 3-6 overall this season. Edgar hasn’t played against arch-rival Marathon yet this season, thus the Wildcats are still capable of contending for the Marawood South title at the end of this February.

“In order to be in the mix for the Marawood South championship, we need to grow quickly as a team,” Paul said. “We are young but hungry to prove that we belong in the mix.”

Schuett currently leads Edgar in scoring this season by averaging 18.5 points per game. Mauer is averaging eight points per game and Nowak is averaging 7.2 points per game.

Ristow, who stands six feet, eight inches tall, leads the Wildcats in rebounding with 8.7 per game. Nowak is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. Streit leads Edgar in assists with an average of 4.7 per game. Schuett is averaging 2.3 assists per game.

EDGAR VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL - Introducing the 2024-25 Wildcats varsity boys basketball squad. Team members, pictured from left to right, front row: Isaac Halama, Ty Schnelle, Leyton Schuett, Kasen Ristow and Zander Chenier; back row: Dawson Bornheimer, Anthony Trawicki, Gavin Mauer, Carson Nowak, Tucker Streit, Kaden Bargender and Maverick Butt.

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