PREP HOOPS 2012-13
B1
CONTACT: Adam Thompson athompson@sheboyganpress.com 920-453-5139
Friday, November 23, 2012
www.sheboyganpress.com
On the prowl
Preseason Formidable Five
Plymouth’s Cory Unger (21) is one of several returning key players for the Panthers this season. PHOTO BY BRUCE HALMO/THE SHEBOYGAN PRESS
Boys 1. Plymouth (20-6 last season) — With 10 returning
letter winners plus a few newcomers from a 20-2 JV team, the Panthers are poised to contend for the Eastern Wisconsin Conference title and a state berth. 2. Oostburg (20-5) — With 6-9 big man Josiah VerVelde protecting the paint and guards Tyler Hartmann and Kortu Josiah on the outside, the Dutch should challenge for the top spot in the Central Lakeshore Conference.
3. Sheboygan North (21-4) — Versatile, athletic sen-
With 10 returning letter winners from last year’s 20-6 team along with newcomers from a JV team that finished 21-1, Plymouth is poised for a breakout season in 2012-13. PHOTO BY GARRETT RENZELMANN/SHEBOYGAN PRESS STAFF
After falling one game short of State a year ago, a loaded Plymouth roster looks to continue to improve
5. Howards Grove (20-6) — Despite losing a large senior
class, junior Austin Edge and seniors David Nennig (who missed last year with an ACL injury) and Garrett Jahnke give the Tigers the talent to compete with the top teams in the CLC.
By Garrett Renzelmann
P
grenzelmann@sheboyganpress.com
LYMOUTH — It may not have necessarily been expected, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less. After falling to eventual state runner-up Kaukauna 59-44 in a sectional final at Fond du Lac, the Plymouth boys basketball team was not ready for its season to be over. “They didn’t want to be done,” head coach Jason Duff said. “I think sometimes, you can get that feel from a team like, they want to win, but if it ended tomorrow life would go on and they’d be perfectly fine with that. It kind of seemed like last year’s team, they didn’t want to think about what would happen if they didn’t get to play anymore.” Entering last season, the Panthers were picked for third in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, behind Two Rivers and Waupun. What Plymouth did instead, was go 12-2 and win the conference title, followed by a deep playoff run that included a thrilling, last-second win at home over Slinger and a tight 61-55 victory over No. 1-seed Beaver Dam in a sectional semifinal. “I think they felt like, they were confident and they believed in themselves in any game that they played,” Duff said. “I think they felt they had a chance against anybody.” But then came Kaukauna, with a trip to State on the line in a packed house in Fond du Lac.
ior guard Ethan Guske leads the way for the Golden Raiders, who also expect big things out of 6-4 freshman Davis Larson. 4. Ozaukee (16-10) — Stephen Street is a force inside, and Andy Richter and Colton Susen give the Warriors a strong backcourt and strong chance for a CLC title.
Girls 1. Oostburg (23-5) — The Dutch made it six straight trips to State last season, and with the talented duo of Maranda Huibregtse and Abby VanStelle back, they look poised to make it seven straight this year. 2. Sheboygan North (20-4) — The Golden Raiders
lost quite a bit of production from a solid group of seniors last year, but newcomers from a JV team that went 20-2 should help North stay near the top of the Fox River Classic Conference.
3. Plymouth (16-8) —
Plymouth coach Jason Duff talks to his team during a timeout against Kaukauna in a WIAA Division 2 sectional final last season. PHOTO BY GARY C. KLEIN/THE SHEBOYGAN PRESS
Early on, Plymouth tried to take away the Ghosts’ low-post game, to which Kaukauna responded by knocking down 3pointer after 3-pointer. In the end, the Ghosts hit seven 3s on the night. “We were just one game away from State,” senior guard Cory Unger said. “We didn’t even think we were going to make it that far even. We were so close, we know we can make it. No doubt last year is going to drive us.” This year, however, the Panthers have expectations. The Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook has them ranked No. 9 in Division 2 to start the season and tabbed the squad with 10
returning letter winners to win the EWC. “Our biggest challenge is handling expectations,” Duff said. “Can we handle success? Can we handle people patting us on the back and saying, ‘Hey you guys are pretty good, you guys going to go to State this year?’” That road to State is littered with obstacles, and difficult ones at that. Plymouth’s nonconference schedule features an impressive mix of solid Division 1 and Division 2 programs along with traditional smallschool powerhouses Oostburg and Randolph. The combined record of the Panthers’ eight non-conference opponents a
year ago was 127-71 (.641 winning percentage). “That was exactly by design,” Duff said. “Every nonconference game was done with a purpose. Even a school that’s smaller, is a school that consistently has a very competitive program. We play Oostburg, we play Randolph, and despite them being Division 3 or Division (5), these guys know they’re going to have to play well to win a game like that.” Past that, Plymouth’s postseason bracket features the likes of Ashwaubenon, Kaukauna, Pulaski, Seymour and West
With first-team All-Eastern Wisconsin Conference player Rachael Cecka back as well as honorable mention All-CLC guard Marissa Grapentine, the Panthers are the early favorites to grab the EWC crown.
4. Sheboygan South (1013) — A strong senior class, in-
cluding three four-year varsity players, should push South near the top half of the FRCC.
5. Howards Grove (25-2) — With six returning letter win-
ners from last year’s state qualifier, Howards should challenge Oostburg for CLC supremacy.
See PLYMOUTH, Page B4
2011-12 Leading Scorers Returning players in bold Boys Name School PPG Sam Dekker SL 32.5 Eric Hartnett Oz 18.8 Zach Van Engen SF 18.8 Brad Prinsen Oo 18.4 Sam Cash NH 18.2 David Esswein Ki 17.0 Evan Rathke RL 16.3 Ethan Guske SN 15.4 Ashton Holzman HG 14.8 Justin Lunde RL 14.3 Tyler Zastrow SL 14.1 Parker Kastelic Pl 14.0
Kollin Neils Devin Yurk Shaq Francis Alex Stecker Taylor Ditter Josh Stecker Taylor Kaboord Mike Davis Bobby Musil Josh Ruppel TJ Obbink Patrick Kroening Jon Herzog Noah Steines Jacob Winkel Logan Armstrong
Pl SN SN Oo SS SC EL HG SF CG CG Oz CG HG Ki RL
13.9 13.9 13.8 13.1 13.0 12.9 12.7 12.3 12.3 11.3 11.3 10.8 10.7 10.5 10.4 10.3
Girls Name School Alexis Lindstrom HG Ashley Scheele SL Maddie Landgraf EL Lauren Salzbrenner SN Erin Schuler Ki Staci Hasler SF Ashley Pfeifer EL Lizzie Janke Oz Alyssa Schmitt CG Allie Paluchniak Oo Nicole Paulus RL CJ Usadel SN Maranda Huibregtse Oo
PPG 17.0 16.0 15.1 14.2 13.8 11.0 11.0 11.0 10.8 10.6 10.3 10.1 10.1
Oostburg’s Abby VanStelle (44) looks to lead the Flying Dutchmen to a seventh straight trip to State this season. PHOTO BY GARY C. KLEIN/THE SHEBOYGAN PRESS