Division 2 Sectional Breakdown & Predictions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Results from my regional final predictions followed by my overall mark in each division:<br><br><strong>Division 1:</strong> 11-5 (45-11)<br><strong>Division 2:</strong> 12-4 (61-14)<br><strong>Division 3: </strong>6-10 (63-19)<br><strong>Division 4: </strong>13-3 (75-8)<br><strong>Division 5:</strong> 15-1 (93-15)<br><em><strong>TOTAL: </strong>57-23 (337-67) (83 percent)</em><br><br>Breakdown and predictions for the sectional semifinals:<br><br><strong>SECTIONAL 1<br><br>Thursday's Semifinals</strong><br>No. 1 seed Wausau East (18-7) vs. New Richmond (15-12) at Ashland<br>No. 1 seed Onalaska (19-7) vs. No. 3 seed West Salem (19-6) at La Crosse Logan<br><br><strong>Wausau East<br>Coach:</strong> Dan Garrett, 5th year<br><strong>Record at School: </strong>57-69<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>18-7<br><strong>Wisconsin Valley Record: </strong>5-7 (Fifth place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 22<br><strong>Results vs. Rhinelander: </strong>Beat Rhinelander 83-58 on Jan. 3 in Wausau.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2111727' first='Jesse' last='Napgezek'] (6-4, Sr., 22.3 ppg, Mary recruit)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2415737' first='Jaydan' last='Garrett'] (5-11, Sr., 13.8 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2415337' first='Charlie' last='Cayley'] (6-6, Sr., 10.9 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2574631' first='Robbie' last='Angiulli'] (6-7, Jr., 8.1 ppg)<br>Teddy Schlindwein (6-3, Sr., 6.2 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny:</strong> The Lumberjacks defeated Merrill and Menomonie in regional play ... The senior trio of Napgezek, Garrett and Cayley have formed a strong nucleus for Wausau East the past few seasons ... Napgezek missed some games due to illness late in the season, but returned in strong form at the regional level, scoring 28 points against Merrill and 27 against Menomonie ... Napgezek earned unanimous first-team all-WVC honors while Cayley picked up second-team laurels and Garrett honorable mention recognition.<br><br><strong>New Richmond</strong><br><strong>Coach: </strong>Ryan Leis, 5th year<br><strong>Record at School: </strong>59-64<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>15-12<br><strong>Big Rivers Record: </strong>7-7 (Tied for third place with River Falls)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 9<br><strong>Results vs. Wausau East:</strong> Did not play.<br><strong>Top Players: </strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2390415' first='Connor' last='Raleigh'] (5-11, Sr., 15.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2610580' first='Jack' last='Charbonneau'] (6-5, Sr., 13.7 ppg)<br>Rayjobe Amundson (5-11, Sr., 10.1 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2501099' first='Nick' last='Stellrecht'] (6-5, Jr., 9.7 ppg)<br>Aiden Eckert (5-11, Sr., 7.5 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny: </strong>New Richmond accomplished a difficult double at the regional level, beating Big Rivers rival River Falls and Great Northern Conference champion Rhinelander on the road ... Charbonneau is a productive inside player for the Tigers as he uses his size and strength to score near the hoop ... Guard play also is a strength as Raleigh handles most of the point-guard duties and Amundson's versatility on both ends is a major plus for coach Ryan Leis' crew.<br><br><strong>Prediction:</strong> Wausau East can counter Charbonneau in the paint with a big of its own in Cayley, and New Richmond might have a tough time keeping Napgezek out of the paint. The Raleigh/Garrett match-up at point guard should be fun to watch. Both teams have sustained some losses this winter, but both are also capable of playing very well. <em>Wausau East 71, New Richmond 62</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Onalaska</strong><br><strong>Coach</strong>: Craig Kowal, 17th year<br><strong>Record at School</strong>: 326-96<br><strong>2024-25 Record:</strong> 19-7<br><strong>Mississippi Valley Record:</strong> 8-4 (Tied for third place with La Crosse Central)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 23<br><strong>Results vs. West Salem:</strong> Lost to West Salem 79-63 on Feb. 11 in Onalaska.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2117026' first='Ian' last='Kowal'] (6-3, Jr., 15.6 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2430337' first='Broden' last='Steiner'] (6-5, Sr., 13.7 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2405197' first='Tyler' last='Kowal'] (5-11, Frosh., 9.7 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2635698' first='Jack' last='Smith'] (6-4, Sr., 9.1 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2493670' first='Noah' last='Chenault'] (6-2, Sr., 6.5 ppg, UW-[program_tooltip program_id='2076468' first='LaCrosse' last=''] football recruit)<br><strong>Skinny:</strong> The Hilltoppers appear to be playing their best basketball of the season as they enter sectionals with a five-game winning streak after defeating Tomah and Mosinee at the regional level ... [player_tooltip player_id='2117026' first='Ian' last='Kowal'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2405197' first='Tyler' last='Kowal'] are the sons of veteran head coach Craig Kowal ... Both are solid players who compete with desire, basketball smarts and the ability to score and defend ... Steiner is an athletic wing while Smith is a good long-distance shooter.<br><br><strong>West Salem</strong><br><strong>Coach:</strong> Mark Wagner, 4th year<br><strong>Record at School:</strong> 99-14<br><strong>2024-25 Record:</strong> 19-6<br><strong>Coulee Record:</strong> 11-1 (First place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 12<br><strong>Results vs. Onalaska:</strong> Beat Onalaska 79-63 on Feb. 11 in Onalaska.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2388785' first='Kyle' last='Hehli'] (6-0, Sr., 20.9 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2500048' first='Nathan' last='Dillaber'] (6-0, Jr., 12.3 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2430336' first='Nathan' last='Karr'] (6-0, Sr., 12.0 ppg)<br>Carter Pontius (6-6, Sr., 9.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2434284' first='Drew' last='McConkey'] (6-3, Soph., 7.3 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny: </strong>West Salem made 15-of-28 attempts from three-point range in its win over Onalaska a month ago ... Hehli made six triples in that contest and is shooting 42 percent from outside the arc ... Hehli is a four-year varsity performer who has scored more than 1,300 career points ... Dillaber and Karr can also knock down shots from deep ... Pontius and McConkey defend the post well and both also are very good rebounders for the Panthers. <br><br><strong>Prediction: </strong>Two of the premier programs in the Coulee region square off for the second time with the winner advancing to the sectional finals. Onalaska is determined to defend the three-point shot better this time around and is playing at a high level after a few bumps in the road along the way this winter. <em>Onalaska 66, West Salem 63</em><br><br><strong>SECTIONAL 2</strong><br><br><strong>Thursday's Semifinals</strong><br>No. 1 seed Notre Dame (20-6) vs. No. 6 seed Pulaski (16-11) at Ashwaubenon<br>No. 1 seed Slinger (24-2) vs. No. 3 seed Cedarburg (18-8) at Whitefish Bay<br><br><strong>Notre Dame Academy</strong><br><strong>Coach:</strong> Brian Bobinski, 4th year<br><strong>Record at School:</strong> 66-40<br><strong>2024-25 Record:</strong> 20-6<br><strong>Fox River Classic Record:</strong> 13-5 (Second place)<em><br></em><strong>Number of Regional Championships</strong>: 2<br><strong>Results vs. Pulaski:</strong> Notre Dame swept the regular-season series, winning 58-57 Jan. 10 in Pulaski and 77-59 in Green Bay on Feb. 4.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1412884' first='Andrew' last='Rader'] (6-10, Sr., 14.0 ppg, Minnesota-Duluth recruit)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2388798' first='Adam' last='Guyette'] (6-4, Sr., 11.5 ppg, Oshkosh recruit)<br>Drew Siudzinski (6-0, Sr., 10.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2400083' first='Leo' last='Weber'] (6-0, Jr., 9.6 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140873' first='Austin' last='Hendricks'] (6-2, Soph., 7.9 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140868' first='AJ' last='Hendricks'] (6-3, Soph., 6.7 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny:</strong> Notre Dame lost twice to Division 1 power De Pere, but both games were close and not decided until the final minute or so of play ... The Tritons have a strong inside game with Rader anchoring the post ... Guyette can score off the bounce and from the perimeter while Siudzinski and Weber provide quickness, physicality and toughness in the backcourt ... The Hendricks twins are both very good defenders who can also knock down shots.<br><br><strong>Pulaski</strong><br><strong>Coach: </strong>John Polkowski, 2nd year<br><strong>Record at School: </strong>31-23<br><strong>2024-25 Record:</strong> 16-11<br><strong>Fox River Classic Record: </strong>10-8 (Sixth place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 22<br><strong>Results vs. Notre Dame:</strong> Notre Dame swept the regular-season series, winning 58-57 Jan. 10 in Pulaski and 77-59 in Green Bay on Feb. 4.<br><strong>Top Players: </strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2446943' first='Colin' last='Schultz'] (6-2, Sr., 20.1 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2444624' first='Joey' last='Mijal'] (6-4, Sr., 12.0 ppg)<br>Bryce Wotruba (6-0, Sr., 10.9 ppg)<br>Dixon Holewinski (6-5, Sr., 10.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2444613' first='Bohdan' last='Schmidt'] (5-10, Soph., 7.5 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny: </strong>Pulaski went 3-0 this season against Ashwaubenon, a team that finished ahead of the Raiders in the Fox River Classic standings and features Alabama recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1240336' first='Amari' last='Allen'] ... Schultz earned unanimous first-team all-league honors ... Mijal and Wotruba each received honorable mention all-league honors ... Polkowski previously served as the head coach at Green Bay Southwest.<br><br><strong>Prediction:</strong> Beating a team three times in one season is never easy, especially when the opponent is as well coached and disciplined as Pulaski. But Notre Dame has multiple scoring options, very good depth and a big man in the middle with a Division II scholarship in Rader. <em>Notre Dame 65, Pulaski 59</em><br><br><strong>Slinger</strong><br><strong>Coach: </strong>Alex Lavine, 7th year<br><strong>Record at School:</strong> 77-97<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>24-2<br><strong>North Shore Record: </strong>17-1 (First place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships: </strong>8<br><strong>Results vs. Cedarburg: </strong>Slinger swept the regular-season series, winning 61-45 in Slinger on Dec. 10 and 70-57 in Cedarburg on Jan. 31.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'] (6-6, Soph., 22.8 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2398448' first='Joey' last='Kohnen'] (6-4, Frosh., 11.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2874937' first='Bryson' last='Fogle'] (6-1, Jr., 9.5 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2765150' first='Colton' last='Mantz'] (6-4, Jr., 8.5 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1874955' first='Brett' last='Palm'] (5-10, Jr., 8.4 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508415' first='Jude' last='Siikarla'] (6-6, Soph., 5.4 ppg)z<br><strong>Skinny: </strong>Slinger might be a head of schedule by a year or so because of all the youth in the program, but the Kohnen brothers and their teammates have proven they can compete with any team in Wisconsin ... [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'] as recently named Player of the Year in the North Shore while [player_tooltip player_id='2398448' first='Joey' last='Kohnen'] was voted to the second team ... [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'] is the No. 1 ranked prospect in the state's 2027 class while [player_tooltip player_id='2398448' first='Joey' last='Kohnen'] is the top-ranked player in 2028 in the Prep Hoops Wisconsin Player Rankings ... The Owls won the North Shore title by three games over second-place Homestead and Nicolet ... Palm, Mantz and Fogle are experienced players who can drop three-point shots while also defending well on the perimeter. <br><br><strong>Cedarburg<br>Coach: </strong>Nick Mueller, 7th year<br><strong>Record at School: </strong>97-79<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>18-8<br><strong>North Shore Record: </strong>13-5 (Fourth place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 18<br><strong>Results vs. Slinger: </strong>Slinger swept the regular-season series, winning 61-45 in Slinger on Dec. 10 and 70-57 in Cedarburg on Jan. 31.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1544731' first='Logan' last='Zahour'] (6-3, Sr., 20.5 ppg)<br>Owen Hallbeck (6-3, Sr., 11.7 ppg)<br>Griffin French (6-1, Sr., 8.5 ppg)<br>Ryan O'Neill (6-2, Sr., 8.5 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2817257' first='Mitchell' last='Czajkowski'] (5-10, Sr., 8.3 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny:</strong> Cedarburg has won 10 of its last 11 games, including regional triumphs over Port Washington and Nicolet ... Zahour is one of the better players in the state as he combines his aggressiveness with stellar athleticism and solid skill ... Zahour earned first-team all-North Shore honors and has scored more than 1,500 career points ... The Bulldogs have a senior-dominated squad that is peaking at the right time of the season. <br><br><strong>Prediction: </strong>These two teams are about as familiar with each other as you can get having played twice while both competing in the North Shore Conference. Zahour and his senior classmates have had a strong season and beat a very good Nicolet squad in the regional final, but Slinger just seems to find a way behind the strong play of the Kohnen brothers. <em>Slinger 70, Cedarburg 60</em><br><br><strong>SECTIONAL 3</strong><br><br><strong>Thursday's Semifinals</strong><br>No. 1 seed Brookfield Central (19-7) vs. No. 2 seed Wauwatosa West (20-6) at Waukesha North<br>No. 1 seed Mount Horeb (23-2) vs. No. 7 seed Monona Grove (18-9) at Oregon<br><br><strong>Brookfield Central</strong><br><strong>Coach:</strong> Dan Wandrey, 11th year<br><strong>Record at School: </strong>199-77<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>19-7<br><strong>Greater Metro Record: </strong>12-4 (Tied Wauwatosa West for league title)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships: </strong>22<br><strong>Results vs. Wauwatosa West: </strong>Brookfield Central beat Wauwatosa West 84-78 on Jan. 14 in Wauwatosa while West beat Central 65-54 on Feb. 21 in Brookfield.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1272671' first='Anthony' last='Rise'] (6-0, Sr., 25.1 ppg, Hawaii-Hilo recruit)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561913' first='Henry' last='Gruetzmacher'] (6-9, Jr., 14.9 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1258390' first='Evan' last='Prusko'] (6-1, Jr., 12.7 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2641639' first='Nasir' last='Avery'] (6-0, Soph., 6.3 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561915' first='Matthew' last='James'] (6-1, Jr., 4.3 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny:</strong> Brookfield Central got off to a slow start, dropping five of its first nine games ... The Lancers have rebounded well since Christmas as they've gone 15-2 since the slow beginning ... Rise is a NCAA Division II recruit for Hawaii-Hilo and a player who can score from outside the arc, in the lane off the bounce, and from the foul line ... Gruetzmacher is one of the better juniors in the state and is averaging a team-best 9.0 rpg to go along with his 14.9 ppg ... Prusko has improved throughout the season as well for coach Dan Wandrey, who guided Brookfield Central to the 2019 WIAA Division 1 state championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wauwatosa West<br>Coach:</strong> Christopher Newbauer, 5th year<br><strong>Record at School: </strong>83-55<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>20-6<br><strong>Greater Metro Record:</strong> 12-4 (Tied Brookfield Central for league title)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 10<br><strong>Results vs. Brookfield Central:</strong> Brookfield Central beat Wauwatosa West 84-78 on Jan. 14 in Wauwatosa while West beat Central 65-54 on Feb. 21 in Brookfield.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561869' first='Matthew' last='Kloskey'] (6-5, Jr., 22.4 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2288469' first='Jalen' last='Brown'] (6-4, Soph., 22.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1240337' first='Jake' last='Hansen'] (6-1, Sr., 19.1 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1558479' first='DJ' last='Hennings'] (5-10, Jr., 4.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2423561' first='Max' last='Gogin'] (5-9, Soph., 3.8 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny: </strong>Kloskey, Brown and Hansen are considered potential scholarship players at the next level and that talented trio has played up to their lofty status over the past month or so ... <strong> </strong>The Trojans have won 10 straight games, including decisive regional wins over Golda Meir and Milwaukee Lutheran ... Kloskey is an explosive wing while Brown can score from all over the court and plays with huge energy ... Hansen is one of the state's better long-range shooters. <br><br><strong>Prediction:</strong> Wauwatosa West is playing about as well as any other team in the state and beat Brookfield Central by 11 a few weeks ago. Kloskey is a handful off the bounce, Brown can defend and slash to the basket while Hansen is a snipper from downtown. Brookfield Central has a size advantage and one of the better guards in the state in Rise. Third meeting and the rubber match between the Greater Metro co-champs. <em>Wauwatosa West 63, Brookfield Central 57</em><br><br><strong>Mount Horeb</strong><br><strong>Coach:</strong> Todd Nesheim, 17th year<br><strong>Record at School:</strong> 238-141<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>24-2<br><strong>Badger Small Record: </strong>14-0 (First place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 12<br><strong>Results vs. Monona Grove: </strong>Did not play.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561888' first='Josh' last='Manchester'] (6-4, Jr., 31.1 ppg) <br>[player_tooltip player_id='2433100' first='Alex' last='Chapman'] (6-4, Soph., 8.8 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2811286' first='Griffin' last='Hannah'] (6-3, Sr., 8.1 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2388788' first='Zach' last='Maguire'] (6-4, Sr., 8.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2641669' first='Hayden' last='Anderson'] (6-6, Jr., 5.1 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny: </strong>The Vikings swept their opponents in the Badger Small and then beat Rock Valley (Valley Division) champion Monroe in the regional semifinals and league rival McFarland in the regional finals ... Manchester is a dynamic scorer with very deep shooting range and extremely quick hands on defense ... He did get injured during the McFarland contest and his availability for sectionals remains a question ... Chapman, Hannah, Maguire and Anderson can all score and defend, and the Vikings compete with good physicality and unselfishness. <br><br><strong>Monona Grove<br>Coach:</strong> Dan Zweifel, 29th year<br><strong>Record at School: </strong>363-309<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>18-9<br><strong>Badger Large Record: </strong>7-7 (Fifth place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships: </strong>21<br><strong>Results vs. Mount Horeb: </strong>Did not play.<br><strong>Top Players: </strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140876' first='Austin' last='Luchetti'] (6-6, Soph., 15.8 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1529389' first='Trent' last='Rodefeld'] (6-0, Sr., 10.4 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2562069' first='Cal' last='Woerth'] (6-3, Sr., 10.3 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2415497' first='AJ' last='Nelson'] (6-3, Sr., 10.0 ppg)<br>Kaden Conner (6-3, Sr., 4.8 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny:</strong> Few teams in Wisconsin had a tougher road to sectionals than Monona Grove as the Silver Eagles beat Edgewood at home before rattling off road wins over Badger Large co-champion Fort Atkinson in the regional semifinals and Southern Lakes power Elkhorn in the regional final ... Luchetti is playing at a high level and his athleticism, size and aggressiveness around the basket are big assets for long-time coach Dan Zweifel ... Luchetti earned second-team all-Badger Large honors while Nelson, Rodefeld and Woerth picked up honorable mention laurels. <br><br><strong>Prediction: </strong>Tough one to call here since the health of Manchester is unknown entering the game. If Manchester can play, Mount Horeb is the obvious favorite. But he cannot play, losing his 31.1 ppg will be a big hurdle to overcome for the Vikings. The good news for Mount Horeb is they have a few days to prepare for life without Manchester if it comes to that. <em>Mount Horeb 66, Monona Grove 63</em><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SECTIONAL 4</strong><br><br><strong>Thursday's Semifinals</strong><br>No. 1 seed Waterford (23-3) vs. No. 2 seed Whitnall (17-9) at Wilmot<br>No. 1 seed Racine Park (24-2) vs. No. 2 seed Greenfield (23-3) at Elkhorn<br><br><strong>Waterford</strong><br><strong>Coach: </strong>Nick Roeglin, 5th year<br><strong>Record at School: </strong>69-55<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>23-3<br><strong>Southern Lakes Record: </strong>13-1 (First place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships: </strong>7<br><strong>Results vs. Whitnall: </strong>Waterford beat Whitnall 76-55 on Dec. 7 in Waterford.<br><strong>Top Players: </strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561893' first='Caden' last='Gustafson'] (6-3, Jr., 22.4 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1504816' first='Jamison' last='Beesley'] (6-3, Sr., 14.8 ppg)<br>Jayce Brechtl (6-5, Jr., 10.9 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2278489' first='Beau' last='Veit'] (6-2, Jr., 7.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2847615' first='Colin' last='Lepisto'] (5-10, Jr., 6.6 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny: </strong>Beesley is a very good player and will be missed next season, but the remaining core of players at Waterford return in 2025-26. But that's next year. Right now, the Wolverines have their sights set on earning a sectional championship and getting to the WIAA State Tournament for the first time in school history. Gustafson is one of the top long-range shooters in the state as he has made 83-of-218 tries from downtown for 38 percent. Beesley has great strength, court vision and instincts and owns NCAA Division II scholarship offers from Bemidji State, Hillsdale, Maryville and Wayne State.<br><br><strong>Whitnall<br>Coach:</strong> Andrew Wojcik, 1st year<br><strong>Record at School:</strong> 17-9<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>17-9<br><strong>Woodland East Record: </strong>10-2 (Second place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships: </strong>15<br><strong>Results vs. Waterford: </strong>Lost to Waterford 76-55 on Dec. 7 in Waterford.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1300316' first='Myles' last='Herro'] (6-3, Sr., 21.5 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1362736' first='Jack' last='Lutz'] (6-0, Sr., 21.0 ppg, South Florida baseball recruit)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2510585' first='Cooper' last='Markee'] (6-4, Jr., 11.5 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561921' first='Tyler' last='Michalak'] (5-11, Jr., 6.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2400311' first='Max' last='Michalak'] (6-3, Soph., 5.5 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny: </strong>Whitnall has played a brutal non-league schedule and has earned some impressive victories, including wins over sectional-qualifiers Kaukauna, Kimberly and Cedarburg ... The Falcons turned back Waukesha North and New Berlin West in the regionals ... First-year coach Andrew Wojcik relies heavily on his stellar backcourt as Herro and Lutz rank among the top guard tandems in the state ... Lutz, a baseball recruit for NCAA Division I South Florida, can bang three-point shots with the best of them while Herro and Markee also can put points on the board from deep.<br><br><strong>Prediction: </strong>Whitnall may have nine losses, but the Falcons compete hard and can make things difficult for any opponent with their outstanding guard play. Still, Waterford did beat Whitnall by 21 in early December when Beesley was sidelined with an injury. Gustafson poured in 26 points and Brechtl added 20 in that game for Waterford. <em>Waterford 68, Whitnall 64</em><br><br><strong>Racine Park<br>Coach:</strong> Casey Robbins, , 3rd year<br><strong>Record at School:</strong> 57-23<br><strong>2024-25 Record:</strong> 24-2<br><strong>Southeast Record:</strong> 13-1 (First place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 33<br><strong>Results vs. Greenfield: </strong>Beat Greenfield 74-73 on Dec. 28 in Greenfield. <br><strong>Top Players: </strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2493692' first='Jaxson' last='Moss'] (6-7, Sr., 20.7 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1815635' first='Isaiah' last='Robinson'] (6-1, Sr., 15.3 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140997' first='Zare' last='Gwinn'] (6-1, Soph., 14.4 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2398441' first='Cole' last='Betker'] (6-0, Soph., 8.2 ppg)<br>Cameron Betker (6-4, Sr., 6.5 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny:</strong> After losing its season opening game to Racine St. Catherine's 79-70 in overtime, Racine Park rattled off 21 straight wins. Southeast Conference rival Kenosha Bradford ended the winning streak on Feb. 24, but Park has since won three additional games, including regional triumphs over Milwaukee Bradley Tech and Greendale ... Moss is one of the most improved players in the state while Robinson was named the Player of the Year in the Southeast ... Park has stellar quickness, shares the ball and has a difference maker in the post in Moss.<br><br><strong>Greenfield<br>Coach:</strong> Ryan DePouw, 3rd year<br><strong>Record at School: </strong>37-15<br><strong>2024-25 Record: </strong>23-3<br><strong>Woodland East Record: </strong>11-1 (First place)<br><strong>Number of Regional Championships:</strong> 9<br><strong>Results vs. Racine Park:</strong> Lost to Racine Park 74-73 on Dec. 28 in Greenfield.<br><strong>Top Players:</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2403409' first='Mason' last='Stieber-Pinter'] (6-3, Sr., 20.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1874962' first='Dahir' last='Abdullahi'] (5-11, Sr., 17.7 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2733016' first='Azon' last='Juarez-Quinn'] (6-6, Jr., 14.0 ppg)<br>Braydn Seidler (6-4, Sr., 12.3 ppg)<br>Brandon Schlueter (6-4, Sr., 6.0 ppg)<br><strong>Skinny: </strong>Greenfield's losses have come at the hands of Racine Park (24-2), Wisconsin Lutheran (24-2) and Milwaukee Lutheran (14-12) ... Stieber-Pinter gets to the foul line a lot and makes them ... He can also shoot from beyond the arc as can Abdullahi, Juarez-Quinn and Seidler ... The Hustlin' Hawks beat defending WIAA Division 3 state champion Saint Thomas More and Milwaukee City Conference (Blue Division) champion Milwaukee South in the regionals ... Seidler had 20 points to lead Greenfield over Milwaukee South while Stieber-Pinter led the way against Saint Thomas More with 23. <br><br><strong>Prediction: </strong>If the encounter between these two teams is anything like the game back in December when Park won by a point, fans are in for a treat. Both squads like to get the ball up and down the floor so it figures to be a high-scoring game with lots of possessions. One of the toughest sectional semifinal games to call in the state due to how good both teams have performed this season. <em>Greenfield 77, Racine Park 76</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->