Three straight regional titles
Edgar girls advance to D-5 sectonals
By Casey Krautkramer
It was fitting Tom McCarty, Edgar varsity girls basketball head coach, handed the WIAA Division 5 regional championship plaque the team won on Saturday night to senior guard Skylee Manecke, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury for the rest of her high school athletic career.
No. 3 seed Edgar built a 31-27 halftime advantage at No. 2 seed Wild Rose and then held on for a thrilling 53-52 regional title victory. Edgar has won three straight regional championships, including another upset win at Wild Rose in the 2020 regional title.
Junior center Reagan Borchardt led Edgar with 13 points and a gamehigh 20 rebounds during Saturday’s win against Wild Rose in the battle of schools with the Wildcat nickname. Sophomore forward Makayla Wirkus added 16 points and 12 rebounds against Wild Rose.
Junior guard Leah Davis sank the go-ahead three pointer, with an assist from senior guard Malia Hoesly, with just over one minute left in the regional title game to finish with 14 points. Junior guard Morgan Schnelle, who replaced Manecke in the starting lineup, led Edgar with three steals.
Borchardt said she and her teammates are happy Manecke, who she said has suffered through a painful shoulder injury for quite some time that has ended both her basketball and softball seasons, was the first player to touch the regional championship plaque. “Skylee has played a huge role on our team; she is our leader and we look up to her,” Borchardt said. “We definitely would not be the team we are now without her. Even though Skylee has not been able to play with us, we can always hear her cheering us on or giving us feedback from the sidelines. As a team, we are just trying to have fun and enjoy every moment we have together; it’s all for Gary (Brewster).”
She is referring to Edgar’s assistant varsity coach, Gary Brewster, who passed away in November. The players are dedicating this season to him.
Edgar, 20-7, now plays No. 1 seed Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, 22-2, in a WIAA Division 5 sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. this Thursday, March 3, at Marshfield High School. The winner will play in the sectional championship at 1 p.m. this Saturday, March 5, at D.C. Everest.
Wabeno/Laona, 20-6, plays against Three Lakes, 17-6, in a clash of Northern Lakes Conference squads on the other side of the sectional this Thursday, Dec. 3. Edgar’s girls basketball team has never played in the state tournament.
Edgar began the regional playoffs by destroying Tigerton, 65-4, last Wednesday in a WIAA Division 5 home quarterfinal.
Sophomore reserve guard Taylor Lemmer had five of the Wildcats’ 30 steals in the large victory. Borchardt led Edgar with 17 points and Davis added 16.
The Edgar Wildcats upended Gresham, 66-59, in a WIAA Division 5 regional home semifinal.
Borchardt led Edgar with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Senior forward Karlin Lipinski and Davis added 10 points each. Lipinski and Schnelle paced the Wildcats with three steals apiece.
