Prep Hoops Wisconsin: News/Notes from across the state

It's a decision made every year in football, but not seen as often in basketball. Low numbers forcing the cancelation of a season. Plainfield Tri-County ran into this situation for boys' basketball a few years ago and opted to play just a junior varsity schedule. The Penguins now have a varsity and JV squad and are competitive again in the Central Wisconsin East Conference. Winter High School, enrollment 64, found itself in a similar situation for the 2025-25 campaign. With just eight players out, administrators from Winter made the difficult decision earlier this week to cancel most of its varsity games, including all of its games in the Lakeland East Conference. "I do think it's in the best interest of our team and players, but it was not an easy decision," Winter coach Shawna White said. "Our community loves its basketball so it was a difficult decision. Our basketball teams provide an identity for our school and city." Of the eight players who are playing basketball at Winter, six are underclassmen. Five seniors graduated off of last year's squad and all five started on that 2-23 squad. White, in her second season as the boys' head coach after also serving as the girls' varsity coach at the school, lost senior [player_tooltip player_id='2952248' first='Aden' last='Arndt'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2140953' first='Logan' last='Hautamaki'] (5-9, 11.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg) to jobs. That left just sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2952251' first='Phoenix' last='Rider'] (5-7, 0.8 ppg, 0.5 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='3022988' first='Isaiah' last='Petit'] (5-11, 0.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg) as the only returning players with any varsity experience. "It came down to numbers but also experience," White said. "We have some kids with very little experience playing basketball. I am hopeful, though, that we will be back as a varsity team next season." The Warriors will play mostly a JV schedule this season with between 10-15 games at that level. They also will play four varsity games, two against Cornell and one each against Lac Courte Oreilles and Butternut. Winter will not play in the WIAA Tournament.   Fait goes off for 52 points in loss to Kingdom Prep Lutheran Catholic Central junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2487657' first='Sam' last='Fait'] (6-4) scored a school-record 52 points Thursday night in a 93-75 Midwest Classic Conference setback to visiting Kingdom Prep Lutheran. The 52 points eclipsed the previous school mark of 51 points, also set by Fait a year ago in a victory over Faith Christian. Through five games, Fait is averaging 33.0 points while shooting 43 percent from the floor, 31 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the foul line. In 54 career games, Fait has scored 1,230 points despite being the emphasis on every opponent's scouting report. Quick Hitters ... Butternut's losing streak reached 70 games earlier this week when the Midgets dropped a 65-22 decision to Mellen ... Superior senior [player_tooltip player_id='2045262' first='Calvin' last='Anderson'] (6-6) set a school record with 42 points in a win over Proctor earlier this week ... Cameron coach Troy LaVallie reached 300 career wins earlier this month when the Comets defeated Ladysmith in Heart O'North Conference play ... Brookfield Central coach Dan Wandrey notched career win No. 200 with the boys' program at the Greater Metro Conference school when the Lancers beat Sussex Hamilton this week ... Assumption senior [player_tooltip player_id='2500891' first='Logan' last='Nystrom'] (5-10) made 10 of 11 shots from three-point range and scored 38 points in a win over Chequamegon. Nystrom made 12 of 13 shots in the game and all four of his foul shots ... Ethan Latimer of Milwaukee Academy of Science pulled down 18 rebounds in a 103-18 win over Milwaukee Lifelong Learning ... Beaver Dam senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2391088' first='EJ' last='Salettel'] (6-3) went over 1,000 career points in a recent victory for the Beavers.

It's a decision made every year in football, but not seen as often in basketball.

Low numbers forcing the cancelation of a season.

Plainfield Tri-County ran into this situation for boys' basketball a few years ago and opted to play just a junior varsity schedule. The Penguins now have a varsity and JV squad and are competitive again in the Central Wisconsin East Conference.

Winter High School, enrollment 64, found itself in a similar situation for the 2025-25 campaign.

With just eight players out, administrators from Winter made the difficult decision earlier this week to cancel most of its varsity games, including all of its games in the Lakeland East Conference.

"I do think it's in the best interest of our team and players, but it was not an easy decision," Winter coach Shawna White said. "Our community loves its basketball so it was a difficult decision. Our basketball teams provide an identity for our school and city."

Of the eight players who are playing basketball at Winter, six are underclassmen. Five seniors graduated off of last year's squad and all five started on that 2-23 squad.

White, in her second season as the boys' head coach after also serving as the girls' varsity coach at the school, lost senior Aden Arndt Aden Arndt 5'9" | CG Winter | 2026 WI and junior Logan Hautamaki Logan Hautamaki 5'9" | CG Winter | 2027 WI (5-9, 11.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg) to jobs. That left just sophomores Phoenix Rider Phoenix Rider 5'7" | PG Winter | 2028 WI (5-7, 0.8 ppg, 0.5 rpg) and Isaiah Petit Isaiah Petit 5'11" | CG Winter | 2028 WI (5-11, 0.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg) as the only returning players with any varsity experience.

"It came down to numbers but also experience," White said. "We have some kids with very little experience playing basketball. I am hopeful, though, that we will be back as a varsity team next season."

The Warriors will play mostly a JV schedule this season with between 10-15 games at that level. They also will play four varsity games, two against Cornell and one each against Lac Courte Oreilles and Butternut. Winter will not play in the WIAA Tournament.