Madison West Relays

Anthony teases us with the first installment of I Am Sportacus video. Get a taste of what is to come with the first show by the team on April 29th.

Monroe wins Southern Badger

The Monroe boy's basketball team had a tough time with Monona Grove, but the top players came through in the end. Follow the link and read my story on how Monroe joined exclusive company in the Badger conference.



http://host.madison.com/sports/high-school/basketball/article_9345bf2e-22a9-11df-9bb2-001cc4c03286.html

Vander Blue; Not the Only Storyline with the WIAA playoffs approaching

The WIAA boy’s and girl’s basketball playoffs are just a few weeks away, and local conferences are still being decided. In the boy’s Western Six Rivers, Benton is only one half game ahead of River Ridge, with Potosi and Cassville not far behind either. In the girl’s South Central, Westfield and Nekoosa are tied for first. In Big Eight boy’s, Madison East is a game ahead of Madison Memorial, the defending Division 1 state champions, with a final showdown on Thursday. With all the unsure seeding and placement for the WIAA regionals, the local high school basketball fan has plenty to watch for in the final few games in boy’s.

Will Madison Memorial repeat, or will a new champion emerge? Maybe the champion will be Madison East. In Division 2, Southern Badger’s Monroe was state runner-up last year. Will they get back and win for the first time since 2007, or will Madison Edgewood win for the first time since 2002? Maybe Waunakee from the Badger North gets a shot this year? These questions can be repeated for Division 4, with Benton trying to repeat as champions.

On the girl’s side, Middleton and Verona have a shot at making it back to the Kohl Center in Division 1. Undefeated Monroe is a strong contender to win Division 2, while Cuba City is an early favorite to go far in the Division 3 bracket. Potosi was runner-up in Division 4, but the new contender may be the team ahead of them in the Western Six Rivers, River Ridge. These teams provide just a few of the storylines going into the regionals.

In Madison, all eyes will be on Vander Blue and his senior march to getting another championship with the Spartans. Last year he dropped 35 points in the quarterfinals and had a double-double in the championship. He now enters the tournament with Marquette University in his future. How will he respond this year with the extra attention? Memorial’s run may depend on his leadership and if he can make the clutch play when the game is on the line. He has help, but there are many teams capable of winning it all, and Blue may be the ace in the hole to put the Spartans over the top.

In Monroe, the Cheesemakers will need Jamie Armstrong and Ashley Hermanson to lead the team if they want to get back to state. Armstrong and Hermanson were starters for Monroe when they won in 2008, and they were both key in the run bringing the Cheesemakers to the semi-finals last year. They are seniors who played in a championship game, and big pressure situation experience will be a huge plus in this year’s tournament. Monroe needs these two to continue their strong play consistently if they want to play a game at the Kohl Center this year.

The games should be fun to watch down the stretch, and many storylines will fade or begin after the buzzer sounds. If there is one thing we’re sure of, it’s the intensity these teams bring to the court. Whether it’s Armstrong with George Washington University, Blue for Marquette University or Hermanson for the University of Nebraska-Kearney, we are watching future players who may one day play in an NCAA tournament.

Southern Badger far from decided in boy's basketball.

The Southern Badger boy’s basketball season is heating up as it comes down to the final few games. Monroe crushed Fort Atkinson to move a half game in first at 9-2 ahead of Madison Edgewood, who was upset by Oregon to fall to 9-3. The loss by Edgewood did more than drop them out of first, however. It opened the door for another school to sneak into the race, Stoughton.

In what turned into one of the most entertaining games of the night, Stoughton edged Monona Grove 50-48 to move to 8-3 in the conference. However, the Silver Eagles believe Stoughton survived. The Vikings led by 16 points midway through the third quarter, and they were cruising to a win.

When it comes to closing basketball games, the free throw-line becomes important. Stoughton let the Silver Eagles get back into the game by only shooting seven of 19 from the line in the fourth quarter. On the other end, Monona Grove hit 11 of 13 from the line. The Vikings were now in a battle, and even though they led the entire game, the Silver Eagles had the ball with less than five seconds to go and were down two.

Jake Retzlaff drove the lane and came to within five-feet of the basket. He put the shot up, but something was wrong. Tom Speth, who led the team with 13 points, put his hands up and blocked the shot to end the game. A sigh of relief from the Viking faithful followed.

The way they won becomes irrelevant. They won, and they closed the gap in the conference with the season winding down. They have a slim chance of earning a share of the title, but it is a chance nonetheless. The Vikings will play on, and the conference has to wait a few more days to see what team will be the champion.

Girl's Badger conference hoops breakdown; Sauk Prairie and Monroe looking to sweep their way into first-place finishes

Northern Badger

For standings go to: http://prepstats.madison.com/?view=league&view_id=2&sport_id=2

Key games left until WIAA playoffs:

Reedsburg at Waunakee Feb. 12.

Baraboo at Sauk Prairie Feb. 19.

Waunakee at DeForest Feb. 19.

Reedsburg at Baraboo Feb. 26.

Waunakee at Sauk Prairie Feb. 26.

Sauk Prairie controls their own destiny heading into the final few games with a one game lead over Waunakee, who they beat 57-53 at Waunakee on January 16. In fact, the only conference loss for the Eagles came at Baraboo, and they hold a three game lead on them with only four conference games to play (Baraboo only has three left). The biggest game of the conference may come on February 26 when the Waunakee Warriors travel to Sauk Prairie in a game that may decide the conference.

The last those two teams met, senior guard Kelsey Budd, a Bradley recruit, dropped 30 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter and 19 of her team’s 28 in the second half. Waunakee couldn’t get ahead in the fourth, despite sophomore forward Kelly Preston’s 15-second half points. If Waunakee wants to win at the Eagles, they will have to find someway to stop Budd, who has averaged 18.75 points per game in conference play. She has scored double-digit points in all but one Northern Badger game this season.

Southern Badger:

For standings go to:

http://prepstats.madison.com/?view=league&view_id=93&sport_id=2

Key games left until WIAA playoffs:

Monroe at Milton Feb. 12.

Madison Edgewood at Monroe Mar. 5.

The Southern Badger has been a two-team race all season, and the biggest game is tonight with Monroe traveling to Milton in a battle for first place. Milton’s only loss came at Monroe on January 11 with a 45-28 loss. Milton was outscored 28-16 in the second half, and senior forward Jamie Armstrong scored 18 points in a blow out win over the Lady Red Birds.

Milton will need to play much better if they want to knock the Cheesemakers out of first, and it starts with their top scorers. In Southern Badger conference games, junior Liz Eide has averaged 14.3 points per game, senior Amber Davis has averaged 11 and junior Ashley Roherty has averaged 9.1. Against Milton, all three players combined for only 16 points, including the leading scorer, Eide, being held to four. The Lady Red Birds also have to stop Armstrong who has averaged 12.9 points in conference games. She has been the first or second leading scorer for the Cheesemakers in six out of the eight conference games Monroe played.

Stay tuned for girl’s Big Eight and Capitol conference breakdowns coming tomorrow and Saturday respectively.