Marathon’s shooting woes result in state loss
By Casey Krautkramer
Sometimes a basketball team just has an off night shooting the basketball. Unfortunately for Marathon’s varsity boys basketball squad, its worst first half of shooting this season occurred in Thursday’s WIAA Division 4 state semifinal against Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic Academy at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Both teams shooting percentage were low in the first half, but the Red Raiders shot was even lower than the Lancers. Neither team could make a basket until nearly seven minutes into the game when Marathon senior six foot, 10-inch center Grant Warren scored a bucket on a second- chance opportunity in the paint.
Marathon’s biggest lead of the game was only by two points in the first half while Kenosha St. Joseph’s largest lead of the game was 12 points in the second half.
The Red Raiders shot an uncharacteristic three of 17 for 17.6 percent shooting in the first half. Marathon missed all seven of its three-point attempts in the opening half. Marathon was still only down 19-10 to Kenosha St. Joseph at halftime because they completed four of five free throws. The Lancers only made eight of 23 shots for 34.8 shooting in the first half. Kenosha St. Joseph made two of its six three pointers and one of its two free throws in the opening half.
Marathon played much better basketball in the second half by making 11 of 23 shots for 47.8 shooting. The problem was that Kenosha St. Joseph matched Marathon’s 27 points in the second half. The Lancers held off Marathon for a 46-37 win to advance into the state championship on Saturday for the second straight season. Kenosha St. Joseph’s defense held Marathon to well below its scoring average of 71 points per game.
Red Raiders head coach Adam Jacobson explained in the postgame press conference the challenges his team experienced playing against the Lancers. No. 4 seed Kenosha St. Joseph beat the No. 1 seeded team at state for their second straight season. The Lancers also defeated St. Mary Catholic of Neenah, 83-72, in the state semifinal last year.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well enough and we didn’t take care of the ball well enough so give credit to St. Joe’s defense,” Jacobson said. “We struggled to get the ball inside which is obviously a big part of our game plan. It just wasn’t our night. I’m really proud of how the guys played in the second half because they showed who we are.”
St. Joseph head coach Jose Garcia explained his team’s game plan for preventing Warren from getting the basketball. Warren was held to eight points but he did
See STATE TOURNAMENT/ page 20
RED RAIDERS PEP BAND’S GOT THE BEAT- Marathon’s pep band has played good tunes for hoops fans all season, including before and during halftime of Thursday’s varsity boys basketball game at the Kohl Center in Madison. The band is led by Sara Sternberg, who is Marathon’s instrumental music director. Marathon School Board member Beth Martin Seubert commented during last Wednesday’s meeting that she’s heard great comments from people about the school’s pep band this school year. She said the pep band “might be small but it is mighty.” Marathon pep band members pictured, from left to right, are: Nehemiah Mueller with the tambourine, Sam Altenhofen and Piper Skryzpchak playing the trumpet and Halle Laabs with the clarinet.
HUMAN ERASER- Marathon senior six foot, 10-inch center Grant Warren blocks a Kenosha St. Joseph player’s shot in the first half of Thursday’s WIAA Division 4 state semifinal. Warren obtained his normal amount of blocks and rebounds but the Lancers limited his touches in the post so that he couldn’t score many points against them. He will now take his basketball skill set to the next level by playing for Division 2 Michigan Tech next year.
WIN OR LOSE, SHE WILL ALWAYS LOVE HER DAD- Azalea Jacobson, 10, cheers for her father, Marathon varsity boys basketball head coach Adam Jacobson, and his team during Thursday’s WIAA Division 4 state semifinal at the Kohl Center. Although Marathon lost to Kenosha St. Joseph’s, she is still proud of her dad and his team for making it to the state tournament.
AGGRESSIVE SIXTH MAN OFF THE BENCH- Marathon senior guard Andrew Glennon drives the basket on Thursday during the team’s 46-37 loss to Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic Academy in the WIAA Division 4 state semifinal at the Kohl Center in Madison. Glennon swished a three pointer in the second half to finish the game as the only bench player from either team to score in the state semifinal.
STAFF PHOTOS/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
MARATHON SPIRIT SQUAD JAZZES UP THE CROWD- Members of the Red Raiders spirit squad re-energized the crowd at halftime in Thursday’s Division 4 state semifinal. Marathon spirit squad dancers, from left to right, are: Abby Falkowski, Morgan Rohland, Bella Bowe, Alicia Schumacher, Lizzie Clawson, Cassidy Seubert, Katie Annis, Lily Gage and Marissa Kaiser. Sarah Hyzy coaches Marathon’s spirit squad.
TOUGH STATE SEMIFINAL LOSS- Marathon senior Tyler Underwood (14) puts his hands over his eyes in disappointment after his team’s 46-37 WIAA Division 4 state semfinal defeat to Kenosha St. Joseph on Thursday at the Kohl Center in Madison. He walked off the court one last time with his teammates including junior True Thurs (4), sophomore Drew Woelfel (10), junior Blake Kraft in his warmup shirt and senior Cooper Hoeksema (3). Marathon head coach Adam Jacobson said during the postgame press conference that he told the players in the locker room that it’s okay to cry that the journey is over but it’s not okay to cry about the result because they’ve brought so much joy to the Marathon community. State tournament
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grab a game-high 14 rebounds, with 12 of them on the defensive end, along with five blocks.
“Our plan was to front him and be physical with him by pushing him under the hoop and then having backside help,” Garcia said. “When he did get the basketball, then we had our other two guys in our zone defense come down to protect the basket from a Marathon player cutting through the lane. We also wanted to put pressure on the player with the basketball so he’d have a tough time passing the ball in to Warren.”
Senior wing Tyler Underwood led Marathon with nine points. Marathon’s other three starting players scoring points were senior guard Cooper Hoeksema with four, sophomore guard True Thurs with seven and sophomore forward Drew Woelfel with six in the state semifinal loss to Kenosha St. Joseph. Senior reserve Andrew Glennon drained a three pointer in the second half. Hoeksema led the Red Raiders with four steals.
Lancers senior guard Eric Kenesie, who averaged 25 points per game going into the state tournament, controlled the game against the Red Raiders and finished with a game-high 19 points and six assists.
Kenesie holds the state record in all divisions for the 51 points he scored in last year’s semifinal win.
“He is amazing,” Jacobson said. “He is just a maestro with the basketball.”
Despite the state semifinals loss, Underwood treasured the opportunity to spend more time with his teammates on the court.
“Out there we have a different level of brotherhood,” he said. “We all play for each other. We love each other out there and I’m just grateful for the group of guys that I was able to play with. It’s really been a blessing.”
Warren echoed Underwood’s sentiment.
“We are really happy where we ended up and we are really happy that we did it together,” Warren said.
Marathon concludes its special season with a 27-2 record. St. Joseph’s lost to No.
2 seed Mineral Point, 65-64, in the state championship. The Lancers end their season with a 20-10 record after finishing as Division 4 state runners-up for the second straight year.
Jacobson had a great message for his team in the Kohl Center locker room after its state semifinal loss to St. Joseph’s.
“I told the guys that nobody is going to fault their energy and effort,” he said. “We just didn’t execute at a high level today We have a Jack Bennett saying that we write on the board every day and that is, ‘Give it your best and live with it.’ They gave it their best from day one to now and unfortunately it wasn’t our best execution but it had nothing to do with their energy and effort and they can be proud of that.
I told them they can cry as I will myself that it’s over. We all wanted it to continue but don’t for a second cry because of the result. They brought so much joy to their community, themselves, their parents and Marathon’s boys basketball program and there’s no disappointment or shame in that whatsoever.”
YOUNG RED RAIDER FANS EXCITED TO BE AT THE KOHL CENTERMarathon youngsters Embree Pinter, left, and Vanessa Diedrich work together to hold up signs that read, “Go Red” at Thursday’s Marathon varsity boys basketball WIAA Division 4 state semifinal. staffphoto/caseykrautkramer
