Warren clutch in Raiders’ win
He hits game winning shot vs. Newman
By Casey Krautkramer
Marathon sophomore center Grant Warren scored the game-winning offensive rebound putback with 15 seconds left on Dec. 21 as Marathon nipped Wausau Newman, 64-63. He also grabbed the defensive rebound on Wausau Newman’s final possession as time expired.
Red Raiders senior guard Noah Gage calmly sank a three pointer to bring the team within one point of the Cardinals with 50 seconds remaining. Then Grant Warren used his tall and lanky six foot, eightinch frame to beat Newman’s players for the offensive rebound and score the game-winning bucket.
“When we were down by four points with 40 seconds to go, our team just made some big plays and I was lucky enough to come up with the last one and finish it so we could take the lead,” Grant, the son of Steve and Pam Warren, said.
Grant Warren is still learning how to use his six foot, eight-inch body to be aggressive in the post. He grew four inches before his freshman season and then two inches this past offseason.
“I was pretty nervous in my first varsity game but I’ve gotten more comfortable, aggressive and confident in my offensive moves,” he said.
Grant Warren continues to hit the weight room so he can add more muscle to his slim frame, to help him maneuver against opposing big men in the lane.
“My older brother Brock was a pretty big guy so if I can get anywhere near his weight then I’d be pretty happy,” he joked.
Marathon played against Newman without a pair of its best players, senior Jaden Koeller and sophomore Tyler Underwood, yet the Red Raiders were still able to hand the Cardinals their first Marawood Conference loss.
Red Raiders sophomore guard Cooper Hoeksema, who normally comes off the bench, kept nailing three pointers against Newman to finish the game with 15 points. He sank two straight treys to give Marathon a 38-23 lead in the first half. Senior forward Ben Robbins’ offensive rebound putback off Hoeksema’s missed shot gave the Red Raiders a 32-26 advantage. Marathon took a 32-28 halftime lead.
Hoeksema ticked the twin with two more straight three pointers early in the second half to give Marathon a 4943 lead. Newman eventually retook the lead, 63-59, on junior Jackson Pfender’s banked three pointer from the top of the key. The Red Raiders scored the final five points for the victory.
Red Raiders head coach Adam Jacobson said it took a complete team effort to outlast Newman. He is proud of Grant Warren becoming a more dominant force in the post.
“He had 11 points and eight rebounds against a very physical Stratford team and Wausau Newman tried to bang him and keep him off the offensive block, and rightfully so, but he’s a very skilled big man with good vision and a nice touch,” Jacobson said. “On that last play, he went and got the ball and put it back in. Cooper came off the bench and knocked down some shots, and he’s another sophomore who has a bright future as well. I thought our guys with experience like Noah Gage, Ben Robbins and Nathan Hanke really stepped up and made plays against Newman, and that’s just a testament of a team that has some experience and they made plays.”
Robbins paced Marathon with 18 points while Hoeksema added 15. Grant Warren contributed 14 points and he led the Red Raiders with 10 rebounds, while Hanke had 11 points.
Marathon rebounded from its first loss of the season, a 20-point home defeat to Edgar, to upend Stratford, 61-55, on Dec. 14. Tyler Underwood led Marathon with 19 points while Jaden Koeller added 17 and Grant Warren 11. Grant Warren paced the team with eight rebounds. Ben Robbins and Koeller led the Red Raiders with four assists each.
“That’s the life in the Marawood South, right?” coach Jacobson said. “Edgar took it to us which is a testament to Edgar, and then for us to respond the way we did I think we are growing and we have a lot of potential yet to continue to grow, and the goal every year is to play your best basketball in March and we just need to continue to try to get to that point.”
Athens basketball
The Athens varsity girls basketball team easily beat Thorp, 61-35, on the road Tuesday to improve its overall record to 8-1 this season.
Senior center MaKennzie Schug and sophomore guard Addison Lavicka led four Bluejays in double-figure scoring with 14 points each. Sophomores Sophia Coker added 13 points and Jazelle Hartwig 10 in the victory against the Cardinals.
Lavicka paced Athens with eight steals and Sophia Coker had six. Lavicka also led the team with three assists. Athens built a dominating 3113 halftime advantage against Thorp.
Athens suffered its first loss this season, 92-70, on the road against Phillips on Dec. 21. Sophia Coker, Schug and Lavicka scored 14 points apiece. Sophia Coker led the Bluejays with 11 rebounds and Lavicka with 11 assists against the Loggers. Lavicka paced the team with three steals.
The Athens varsity boys basketball team dominated Thorp, 83-36, on the road Tuesday.
Junior Connor Sheahan led the Bluejays with 23 points, followed by senior Cooper Diedrich with 20. Sophomore Aiden Janke contributed 18 points and senior Kody Lepak had 12.
Athens improves its overall record to 6-2 this season.
Athens downed Phillips, 69-31, on the road Dec. 21. The Bluejays outscored the Loggers, 42-7, in the second half.
Janke led the Bluejays with 21 points and Diedrich contributed 13 points. Janke pulled down a team high 12 rebounds and Diedrich added eight. Sheahan paced Athens with five steals and Guralski had three.
SEEHAFER GETS READY TO SHOOT FROM DOWNTOWN- Red Raiders junior Mason Seehafer prepares the pull the trigger on a three-point shot against the Cardinals on Dec. 21.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
“I was pretty nervous in my first conference game but I’ve gotten more comfortable, agressive and confident in my offensive moves.” Grant Warren Marathon sophomore
