Rivalry carries on in Edgar
By Casey Krautkramer
The fan atmosphere at the Edgar versus Marathon varsity boys and girls basketball games isn’t quite the same as it was in the 1970s and 1980s when the games were played in Edgar’s small gym, which has since been remodeled into the school auditorium. There were small bleachers on each side of Edgar’s west gym with a stage, causing fans from both schools to stand in each corner of the gym to watch those big games between arch-rival schools that are only eight miles apart from each other.
Edgar School District voters passed a $1.8 million referendum on Feb. 15, 1994, for construction of a large gym with a seating capacity of 1,548 people along with a lobby, three additional classrooms and a 6,160 square-foot farm technology shop on the east side of the existing high school building. Edgar voters on Feb. 16, 2010, passed a $7.6 million referendum to address many building needs including the transformation of the small west gym into a 500-seat auditorium.
Although the fan experience isn’t quite the same today as it was in the 1970s and 1980s, the Edgar and Marathon varsity boys and girls basketball players still put their heart and soul into these games. The Wildcats were determined at the start of Friday’s game to beat the Red Raiders. Edgar junior Maverick Butt sank a three pointer to give the Wildcats a 33-32 halftime advantage.
Red Raiders junior Drew Woelfel scored a basket to give Marathon a 34-33 lead to begin the second half. Both teams traded leads in the second half until the Red Raiders went ahead, 53-52, on sophomore Garrett Bracewell’s basket with eight minutes, 39 seconds remaining. Marathon never surrendered the lead again and beat Edgar, 78-63.
Friday was the first time that some Edgar and Marathon varsity boys basketball players like Bracewell, who was on junior varsity last season, got to experience what it was like to play in an intense varsity game between the two arch-rivals. It’s also taken him some time this season to mesh with returning starting varsity players Woelfel and True Thurs who have state tournament experience.
“It’s been a tough experience,” Bracewell admitted. “I didn’t start the year off so great but I’m finally getting some confidence back in my game and we are playing well as a team. Edgar is always physical and ready to battle so it’s always going to be a good game against them.”
Marathon head coach Adam Jacobson explained his halftime message to his team after they were down by one point going into the locker room.
“I told them that we are thankful to only be down by one point at halftime,” he said. “I thought Edgar came out and played with a lot of energy and effort and made a lot of shots so give credit to them. I just didn’t think that we guarded very well and I thought we stood a lot offensively and dribbled the air out of the ball, so I thought we were very thankful to only be down by one point considering some of our execution. I thought we played with great energy and effort but we just didn’t execute very well. Coming off of that we were fortunate to be in the position that we were in so we needed to rebound and take care of the ball. We only had three second-half turnovers and just played a better and more complete second half.”
Woelfel led Marathon with 24 points and nine rebounds in the win against Edgar. Bracewell added 16 points and he paced the team with four steals. Thurs paced the Red Raiders with five assists while adding eight rebounds. Junior Landon Sneider tied with Bracewell for second on the team in assists with three apiece. Sneider contributed 11 points. Edgar individual player statistics were not available.
The Red Raiders improve their record to 6-2 in the Marawood South Conference and 9-4 overall this season while the Wildcats fall to 3-5 in the Marawood South and 5-8 overall. Marathon next plays Edgar at home on Monday, Feb. 24, in their second-last regular season game. Marathon rebounded to beat Edgar after suffering a 72-69 double overtime home loss to Auburndale in its previous game on Jan. 14. Auburndale went to the freethrow line 22 more times than Marathon did. The Eagles made 27 of 34 free throws while Marathon only made five of 12 free throws.
Bracewell explained what he and his teammates learned from their doubleovertime loss. “Try not to get it to overtime; finish it in regular time,” he said. “We need to hit our free throws because our percentage wasn’t great in that game. We need to step to the line and make them.”
Marathon remains in the race to win the Marawood South Conference championship this season. Auburndale sits atop the conference with a 7-1 record followed
See ARCH-RIVALRY/ page 16
A TOUGH BASKET AGAINST THE WILDCATS - Nothing was going to be easy for the Edgar and Marathon varsity boys basketball teams during Friday’s game in Edgar. Red Raiders junior Drew Woelfel takes a tough shot against Edgar junior Tucker Streit and sophomore Carson Nowak in the first half of Marathon’s 78-63 win. Woelfel led Marathon with 24 points and nine rebounds. Red Raiders sophomore Sawyer Berens is pictured behind Woelfel. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
Garrett Bracewell Arch-rivalry
Continued from page 8
by Marathon and Stratford tied for second place with 6-2 records. Marawood South Conference teams play each other twice during the season and they also play one game against each Marawood North Conference squad which also counts toward the Marawood South Conference standings. Marathon’s two Marawood Conference losses are to Auburndale and Rib Lake this season.
Jacobson said his team has put itself in position to win the Marawood South Conference title for the fourth straight season.
“We are just trying to get better game by game and be playing our best basketball in March, however this shakes out,” he said. “We have a lot of nice opportunities ahead of us. Everything is still in front of us and the guys are just excited to keep getting better.”
Red Raider girls win too
Marathon’s varsity girls basketball team beat Edgar, 53-38, on the road Thursday to complete the regular-season sweep against the Wildcats. The Red Raiders girls also found themselves behind, 23-21, to Edgar at halftime but they played much better in the second half just like the Marathon boys did against Edgar on Friday. Marathon also defeated Edgar, 44-26, at home on Dec. 2.
Junior Emma Love led Marathon with 13 points and eight rebounds in Thursday’s victory against Edgar. Junior Emery Borchardt paced Edgar with nine points, seven rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Jorja Knetter paced the Wildcats with four assists.
Marathon head coach Jeff Schneider is pleased with his team’s effort against the Wildcats.
“I am so proud of how the girls stuck together after a rough start against Edgar,” he said. “Many girls stepped up and hit big shots, especially Emma Love with a trio of three pointers. We were really pleased to play well in the second half against a scrappy Edgar team.”
Marathon improves its record to 6-2 in the Marawood South Conference and 11-2 overall this season while Edgar falls to 2-7 in the Marawood South and 6-11 overall.
SOPHOMORE STEALS THE BALL - Marathon sophomore Sawyer Berens (20) swipes the basketball on defense and dribbles the full length of the court against Edgar senior Leyton Schuett for a layup attempt during Friday’s road win against the Wildcats.
STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
