Stratford wins holiday tourney

Tigers down the ‘Jacks, Chargers to take the title

The Stratford varsity boys basketball team has finally found its stride, after starting its season two weeks behind other area squads.

Stratford beat Wausau East and Wittenberg- Birnamwood to capture its home holiday tournament championship last week. The Tigers have won their home holiday tournament every year since it began three years ago.

The Tigers’ first two games this season were postponed, after the team was exposed to a Westfield player who tested positive for COVID-19 after scrimmaging against the Pioneers.

Division 4 Stratford easily defeated Divison 2 Wausau East, 64-50, on Dec. 29 and then dispatched Division 3 Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 48-44, in the holiday tournament title game last Wednesday. Stratford now has a 3-2 record this season, while Wittenberg-Birnamwood falls to 4-5.

Tigers head coach Curt Schmitt is proud of how his team has overcome the adversity of beginning this season “behind the eight ball,” so to speak.

“The kids have fought hard to come back from a delay in the season to get up to speed,” he said. “I like how our defense is playing right now. We need to continue to improve on putting the ball in the basket.”

Senior Jake Skroch and junior Camden Daul led Stratford with 14 points apiece in the team’s opening tournament victory against Wausau East. Junior Zack Seitz added eight points and senior Max Vanderhoof had six. The Tigers shot 43 percent from the floor, on 17 of 39 shooting, against the Chargers.

Daul paced the Tigers with eight rebounds and Vanderhoof with five assists, which is on par with his season average for assists each game. Vanderhoof, Daul and Seitz led Stratford with two steals each.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood nipped Division 5 Bangor, 51-48, in the Stratford holiday tournament semifinal game, in order to advance to play Stratford in the tournament championship. Bangor downed Wausau East, 72-60, in the Stratford holiday tournament consolation championship. Bangor improves its record to 5-1 this season, while Wausau East falls to 1-8.

Stratford senior Cody Miller erupted to score 21 points, which is twice the number of his average points per game, in the team’s 64-50 win against Wausau East. Seitz contributed 10 points, Skroch nine and Vanderhoof seven against the Lumberjacks.

Daul led the Tigers with seven rebounds, followed by Skroch and Seitz with six each. Daul also paced the team with four steals and junior Kaden Griesmer added three. Miller, Daul and Vanderhoof obtained three assists each in the win against Wausau East.

Stratford’s home game against Owen- Withee on Monday was postponed. Stratford blasted Nekoosa, 64-28, on the road Tuesday. Skroch led the Tigers with 12 points in the victory. Seitz added nine points and Keegan Weiler had eight. The Tigers shot 48 percent from the floor on 25 of 52 shooting against the Papermakers.

Caden Bruesewitz paced Stratford with seven assists and Skroch led the team with six rebounds. Seitz and Griesmer paced Stratford with three steals each.

Stratford improves its record to 4-2 overall this season. Next, Stratford plays at 8-1 Athens at 7:15 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 7, in a huge Marawood Conference showdown.

Bluejay boys keep rolling

The Athens varsity boys basketball team won its eighth consecutive game on Monday, 72-61, in a non-conference home tilt against Laona-Wabeno. The Bluejays entered the wissports.net Division 5 coaches poll this week, at No. 9, for the first time this season.

Athens sophomore center Aiden Janke poured in a game-high 30 points and 16 rebounds. Junior guard Cooper Diedrich contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds, and he led the Bluejays with seven assists.

Bluejays senior forward Dayne Diethelm enjoyed a solid overall game with 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Junior Kody Lepak added eight points and seven rebounds, while senior Cobie Ellenbecker had five points.

Athens improves its overall record to 8-1 this season, ahead of its Marawood Conference home game at 7:15 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 7, against 3-2 Stratford.

Athens girls are victorious

The Athens varsity girls basketball team won at Prentice, 63-51, on Tuesday.

McKennzie Schug, Celina Ellenbecker and Kaitlyn Riehle led Athens with 14 points each in the big road victory.

Jazelle Hartwig added 13 points and she paced the Bluejays with 11 rebounds. Elizabeth Van Rixel added nine rebounds. Addison Lavicka and Hartwig led Athens with four steals apiece.

The Athens girls improve to 3-1 in the Marawood North Conference and 5-5 overall this season.

Edgar boys win big

The Edgar varsity boys basketball team destroyed Crandon, 99-30, in a non-conference home game on Monday.

Junior Ashton Schuett led the Wildcats with 16 points in the win, to help Edgar improve its record to 6-2 overall this season.

Schuett was one of six Wildcats to achieve double-digit scoring against the Cardinals. Drew Guden scored 13 points, while Kyle Brewster and Konnor Wolf added 11 points each in the victory against Crandon. Ayden Weisenberger contributed 10 points.

Drew Guden led Edgar with six assists and Everet Brehm had five. Brewster and Schuett paced the squad with six steals each, while Wolf led the team with five deflections.

Edgar held a huge lead against Crandon in many game statistical categories. The Wildcats enjoyed a 34 to four advantage in transition points, 53 to two in points off turnovers, 56 to 12 in points in the paint, 28 to six in assists, 22 to three in deflections and 31 to five in steals.

The Wildcats are ranked No. 9 in this week’s wissports.net Division 5 coaches poll.

Sophomore Logan Baumgartner of Medford won the friendly cousin rivalry against senior Brayden Baumgartner of Edgar on Dec. 29.

He scored a game-high 22 points to help Medford down Edgar, 64-41, at home to stay undefeated this season. Senior Brewster was the lone Edgar player to reach double-digit scoring with 12 points.

CREATING SOME SPACE- Stratford junior forward Zack Seitz muscles his way to the basket against Wittenberg-Birnamwood during last Wednesday’s Stratford Holiday Tournament championship game, which the Tigers won.PHOTOS BY CATHY SEITZ

SEEKING AN OPENING- Edgar boys basketball player Everet Brehm dribbles the ball while hoping to find an opening to drive into the lane against Medford’s stingy defense during a Dec. 29 game. The Wildcats fall, 64-41, to the Red Raiders in Medford.SN PHOTO/MATT FREY