Prep Hoops/Zaleski Sports Teams of the Week (Jan. 13-18)

Mark Miller January 19, 2025 @ 09:44 PM

DIVISION 1 … BELOIT MEMORIAL

Working overtime last week, Beloit Memorial notched a couple of victories to improve their season record to 10-2 overall and 4-2 in the Southern Lakes Conference. The Purple Knights beat former Big Eight Conference rival Madison West 75-74 in overtime on Tuesday before going double overtime to toppled Southern Lakes opponent Badger 81-74 on Friday. Junior guards Amare Hereford Amare Hereford 6'2" | PG Beloit Memorial | 2026 State WI (6-2) and Brock Hodges Brock Hodges 6'0" | PG Beloit Memorial | 2026 State WI (5-11) had huge games in both outings for coach Todd Marks' squad. Hereford, who became the all-time leading scorer in Beloit Memorial history two weeks ago, upped his career point total to 1,193 with a 27-point outing versus Madison West and a 31-point showing against Badger. Hereford is averaging 28.3 ploints, 8.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists, and owns NCAA Division I scholarship offers from Northern Illinois, South Dakota State and Western Illinois. Hodges added 24 points and 10 rebounds against Madison West and 25 points in the win over Badger.

DIVISION 2 ... BROOKFIELD CENTRAL

Brookfield Central sat at 4-5 following losses to Appleton North and Sheboygan North at the Rick Majerus WBY Shootout at the end of December. The Lancers have since found their footing. Coach Dan Wandrey's squad won three games last week and now own a six-game winning streak, a 10-6 overall and a 6-2 mark in the Greater Metro Conference. Brookfield Central beat Wauwatosa West 84-78 last Tuesday, rallying from an 11-point halftime deficit behind the strong play of senior Anthony Rise Anthony Rise 6'0" | CG Brookfield Central | 2025 State WI (33 points, six assists) and juniors Evan Prusko Evan Prusko 6'2" | PG Brookfield Central | 2026 State WI (26 points) and Henry Gruetzmacher Henry Gruetzmacher 6'9" | PF Brookfield Central | 2026 State WI (12 points, 19 rebounds). The Lancers then posted a 30-point win over Wauwatosa East behind 23 points, six rebounds and six assists from Rise along with 20 points and 10 rebounds from Gruetzmacher and 12 points from Nasir Avery Nasir Avery 6'0" | CG Brookfield Central | 2027 State WI . In the Luke Homan Classic at Brookfield Central on Saturday, the Lancers nipped a very good Lakeside Lutheran squad 65-64 behind 21 points from Rise, 19 from Gruetzmacher and 12 from Pursko. Rise, a NCAA Division II recruit for Hawaii Hilo, surpassed 1,000 career points in the win over Lakeside Lutheran.

DIVISION 3 ... STANLEY-BOYD

The Orioles sustained a 51-43 loss to Cloverbelt West-rival McDonell Catholic Central on Jan. 10, but they rebounded in a big way last week, registering a huge league win over Regis along with a non-league triumph over Neillsville to improve to 9-4 under coach Dakota Nichols. Sophomore guard Brenner Myers Brenner Myers 6'0" | PG/SG Stanley Boyd | 2027 WI (5-10) made six straight free throws down the stretch in the win over Regis. The Orioles went on an 11-0 run over the final four minutes to record the win over Regis. In the closing miniutes, sophomore forward Charlie Hoel Charlie Hoel 6'9" | PF Stanley Boyd | 2027 State WI (6-8) had a big three-point play while freshman Josiah Demske Josiah Demske 6'6" | PF Stanley-Boyd | 2028 WI (6-6) added a blocked shot. Senior Logan Gray Logan Gray 6'2" | PG/SF Stanley-Boyd | 2025 WI (5-10) added a steal late in the game for the Orioles. Stanley-Boyd has a big league outing at Bloomer on Tuesday before playing a non-league game Thursday at Medford.

DIVISION 4 ... CLINTON

Clinton earned three wins last week to move above the .500 mark for the season at 7-6. The Cougars turned back Delavan-Darien in Rock Valley Conference play 68-38 before beating Parkview 77-69 in a non-league game played at the FiServ Forum in Milwaukee. Clinton then ended its week with another league win, this time by an 83-81 count over visiting East Troy. Clinton accomplished those victories on three consecutive days. Senior Reagan Flickinger Reagan Flickinger 6'3" | SG Clinton | 2025 State WI (6-3) had a huge week for the Cougars, scoring 20 against Delavan-Darien, 26 against Parkview and then 36 in the overtime win over East Troy. He became the school's all-time leading scorer in the win over East Troy and now has 1,522 career points, surpassing the previous mark of 1,486 set by Cody Risseeuw, a 2013 Clinton graduate. Isaac Kummel added 18 points in the win over East Troy while Jacob Schoonover had 16 against Parkview.

DIVISION 5 ... SOUTHWESTERN

For the second time in the past three seasons, Southwestern left Mineral Point with a huge Southwest Wisconsin Activities League victory over the favored Pointers. Southwestern registered a 79-77 triumph on Friday behind double-digit scoring from four players -- Aiden Keleher Aiden Keleher 6'1" | CG Southwestern | 2026 State WI (21 points), Everett Droessler Everett Droessler 6'0" | CG Southwestern | 2025 WI (18 points), Caden Demuth (14 points) and Austin Furlong (10 points). The triumph avenged an earlier loss to Mineral Point, a 69-49 setback in Hazel Green on Dec. 5. Southwestern also earned a 59-52 SWAL win over Fennimore last week behind 23 points and five assists from Keleher. Southwestern goes out of league this week for a pair of intriguing non-league games against Division 5 powers, playing at Abundant Life Christian on Thursday and at North Crawford on Friday.