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UW-MADISON
Jake Falkenthal decided to step down as head coach of the Hustisford boys basketball program before the 2020-2021 season began. Assistant coach Otto Hopfinger took over and proceeded to lead the Falcons to an 18-3 record and was runner-up in the Trailways East Conference race behind eventual Div. 4 state champions Oshkosh Lourdes. Not to be outdone, the Falcons plowed through the Div. 5 postseason and won the state title with a 69-35 victory over McDonell Central at the La Crosse Center. Although the game was a blowout, seniors Dylan Kuehl and Alex Eggelston put on a high-flying dunk show, which made it must-watch television. Eggelston’s seven blocks against the Macks also tied a state record that was previously held by Sheboygan Lutheran’s Sam Dekker and McDonnell’s Kyle Cody, who both recorded seven in the 2012 Div. 5 title game. As a team, the Falcons finished with 11 blocks, which broke a Div. 5 state record of 10 that was set by McDonell in 2016 against Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran. The Falcons had 15 during the state tournament, which broke a Div. 5 state record of 13, previously held by Sheboygan Lutheran in 2012. Kuehl and junior Gavin Thimm were both first-team all-conference players while Eggelston was second team, and senior Brody Thimm and junior Blake Peplinski were both honorable mention. After the season, Hopfinger was named Co-Coach of the Year by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Racine St. Catherine’s coach Nick Bennett, who led the Angels to the Div. 3 state title
Young players aren’t typically the immediate keys to a team’s success, but the Beaver Dam high school softball team said “To heck with that!” this past spring. The Golden Beavers suffered just three losses all season and rolled to their first WIAA Division 1 state tournament appearance since 2004, prior to when most of their key players were even born. Beaver Dam, which finished the year 18-3 overall, topped Oshkosh West, 3-1, in the sectional final to earn their first state berth in 17 years. It was a brief stay for the Golden Beavers as they fell to Sun Prairie, 8-0, in the quarterfinals. Despite the quick state exit, Beaver Dam’s list of successes was long. The Golden Beavers capture a share of their first conference title since 2012 when they split the now defunct Little Ten crown with rival Watertown, going 12-2 to stand atop the Badger North Conference alongside Mt. Horeb. Beaver Dam was also ever present on the league’s all-conference list racking up seven honorees, with all but one set to return in 2022. Among the selections were freshman unanimous first-team honoree Gabrielle Fakes, as well as sophomore Audriana Edwards and freshman Riley Czarnecki. They were joined by second-team picks in senior Haley Allen and juniors Gracie Halfman and Avery Schaeffer, as well as sophomore honorable mention selections Carlee Lapen and Liv DiStefano.
Baraboo’s John Gunderson and Royall’s Nolan McKittrick didn’t let the bitter taste of defeat in 2020 derail their purse of gold in 2021. The pair of seniors capped their high school wrestling careers in style, capturing gold at the WIAA Division 1 and Division 3 individual state tournaments. Gunderson, the Div. 1 182-pound runner-up last year, closed out an unbeaten campaign in style, cruising to the 182-pound championship behind a decision and two pins, including in 2 minutes, 47 seconds over Ashwaubenon’s Connor Ramage in the title match, to become the Thunderbirds’ first individual champion since Taenor Spencer’s 130-pound title in 2001. Meanwhile, McKittrick turned 106-pound bronze into 113-pound gold last season. Contrary to Gunderson, McKittrick grinded out his first career championship, earning a 4-3 decision over Mineral Point’s Lucas Sullivan, becoming the Panthers’ first state champion since Christian Moore earned gold at 220 pounds in 2013.
Among all the high school sports in the area, for some time girls basketball has been the most successful. That trend didn’t slow down one bit this past year, in fact, it got even better. After knocking on the door the last two seasons, Reedsburg and its super talented junior class broke through last season as the Beavers dominated on their way to their first WIAA Division 2 state tournament appearance since 2012. Reedsburg, which finished the 2020-21 season at 20-2, reached the Div. 2 state title game, falling to Green Bay Notre Dame, 68-56. The Beavers have only picked up where they left off this season, starting a perfect 9-0. They’re currently ranked No. 1 in Div. 2 by the WisSports.net coaches poll and senior Mahra Wieman became program’s all-time leading scorer, while senior Trenna Cherney also broke the 1,000-career point mark. The class of the area girls hoops scene, Beaver Dam, meanwhile saw its push for a fourth successive state title come to a close. The Golden Beavers had a roller coaster of a season, starting with losing UW recruit Maty Wilke to a torn ACL just eight games into the season. Beaver Dam still found its stride, finishing the regular season 22-1 before capturing another regional title and later falling to eventual state champion Germantown, 74-54, in a Div. 1 sectional semifinal. While the Golden Beaver, who are 10-2 so far this season, missed out on the big dance, Westfield crashed the state party for the first time in program history. It was a magical season for the Pioneers as they captured a share of their first South Central Conference title since 2010 and won their first regional title since 2011. Westfield continued to roll all the way to state before falling to La Crosse Aquinas, 69-45, in the Div. 3 semifinals to end the year with a 20-6 record. The Pioneers have shown their no fluke this winter, starting the 2021-22 season a perfect 10-0 and are ranked fourth in Div. 4. Randolph nearly punched its ticket to state for the first time in 20 years as the Rockets finished just a game short of the Div. 4 state semis. The Trailways West Conference champs cruised to the regional title and held off Crandon, 52-47, to reach the sectional championship. The Rockets, who didn’t graduate a single player from the 21-5 squad, ran out of fuel however, as they didn’t have an answer for eventual Div. 4 state champion Mishicot, 57-29. The experience has been pivotal so far this year as the Rockets have started the year 13-0 and are the top-ranked team in Div. 5. Meanwhile, Waupun has had early success this season with Abbie Aalsma signing to play for NCAA Div. I Illinois State having been a verbal commit since her sophomore season. Aalsma, who has helped the Warriors, ranked No. 1 in Div. 3 to a 10-0 mark so far, was the East Central Conference’s Player of the Year for a third straight season this past year, as well as garnering Daily Citizen Area Player of the Year honors. Sophomore Kayl Peterson has played just as crucial a role for the Warriors and is making quite an impression at the next level as she currently has offers from Marquette, UW-Green Bay, Toledo, Minnesota and St. Thomas (Minn.) according to WisSports.net.
There have been plenty of deep postseason runs for area football teams in recent memory. Of note, Lodi reached a pair of WIAA Division 4 state championship games in three years, including winning the program’s first state title in 2017, while Columbus, Markesan and Horicon/Hustisford have also made runs to the state quarterfinals or beyond. That combined success reached new heights this season across the entire coverage area as 16 of the area’s 24 11-player football teams reached the postseason. That breadth of participants led to plenty of success as four teams reached at least the state quarterfinals, headlined by Mayville’s run to the Div. 5 state championship game. The Cardinals, who earned a three-way share of the Flyway Conference title, were forced to win four road games to make their first state title game appearance since 2006. The pursuit of gold ended in silver as they suffered a season-ending 28-26 loss to La Crosse Aquinas. Columbus came a game away from joining Mayville in the state championships. The Cardinals, under first-year coach Andrew Selgrad, suffered just one loss via forfeit due to COVID-19 in the regular season and earned a share of the Capitol Conference title and reached the Div. 4 state semifinals before falling to eventual Div. 4 state champion Waukesha Catholic Memorial, 42-19. It was Columbus’ first such appearance since their second state title in 1996. Baraboo made its first-ever state quarterfinals appearance, falling to Div. 3 runner-up Rice Lake, 29-13, while Wisconsin Dells joined them in the Div. 4 state quarterfinals for the first time in 35 years. The Chiefs luck ultimately ran out as their unbeaten season came to an end with a 35-0 loss to Freedom. Markesan meanwhile won a playoff game for the fifth time in six playoff appearances. Among the other qualifiers, a handful of teams ended lengthy playoff droughts. Portage punched its ticket to the postseason for a second straight year since 1998-99, while Poynette returned to the postseason after a seven-year layoff. Necedah returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2014, and the Cards’ rival New Lisbon reached the postseason for the first time since 2016, capping a remarkable turnaround after going 0-7 in the alternate fall season. Speaking of the spring campaign, a number of area teams produced plenty of positive results. Lodi, which made the playoffs this fall, went a perfect 6-0 in the spring season, while Columbus went 5-1 under outgoing coach Calvin Zenz, who departed for Reedsburg, adding another twist to the Cardinals’ magical state semis run in the fall. Mayville went 5-2 in the spring, a precursor of things to come. Along with the team successes, a litany of area players garnered not only all-conference, but all-state and all-region honors. Baraboo senior Luna Larson became the Thunderbirds’ first-ever Large School All-State selection by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association at inside linebacker. Meanwhile, a trio of area running backs earned Small School Honorable Mention All-State honors in Wisconsin Dells senior Matt Getgen, Columbus sophomore Colton Brunell and Mayville junior Blake Schraufnagel. Columbus junior Colin Selk earned Small School Honorable Mention honors at offensive and defensive line, while he was joined by Fall River/Rio senior Gavin Wodill as an offensive lineman selection.
Year in Review: Area's No. 5-1 top stories from 2021
From beginning the year with strict restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to the return of some semblance of normal, 2021 had pretty much everything, far and wide.
From magical state championship runs, first ever state appearances and much more, plenty of people made major headlines in the past calendar year.
Jake Falkenthal decided to step down as head coach of the Hustisford boys basketball program before the 2020-2021 season began. Assistant coach Otto Hopfinger took over and proceeded to lead the Falcons to an 18-3 record and was runner-up in the Trailways East Conference race behind eventual Div. 4 state champions Oshkosh Lourdes. Not to be outdone, the Falcons plowed through the Div. 5 postseason and won the state title with a 69-35 victory over McDonell Central at the La Crosse Center. Although the game was a blowout, seniors Dylan Kuehl and Alex Eggelston put on a high-flying dunk show, which made it must-watch television. Eggelston’s seven blocks against the Macks also tied a state record that was previously held by Sheboygan Lutheran’s Sam Dekker and McDonnell’s Kyle Cody, who both recorded seven in the 2012 Div. 5 title game. As a team, the Falcons finished with 11 blocks, which broke a Div. 5 state record of 10 that was set by McDonell in 2016 against Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran. The Falcons had 15 during the state tournament, which broke a Div. 5 state record of 13, previously held by Sheboygan Lutheran in 2012. Kuehl and junior Gavin Thimm were both first-team all-conference players while Eggelston was second team, and senior Brody Thimm and junior Blake Peplinski were both honorable mention. After the season, Hopfinger was named Co-Coach of the Year by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Racine St. Catherine’s coach Nick Bennett, who led the Angels to the Div. 3 state title
Young players aren’t typically the immediate keys to a team’s success, but the Beaver Dam high school softball team said “To heck with that!” this past spring. The Golden Beavers suffered just three losses all season and rolled to their first WIAA Division 1 state tournament appearance since 2004, prior to when most of their key players were even born. Beaver Dam, which finished the year 18-3 overall, topped Oshkosh West, 3-1, in the sectional final to earn their first state berth in 17 years. It was a brief stay for the Golden Beavers as they fell to Sun Prairie, 8-0, in the quarterfinals. Despite the quick state exit, Beaver Dam’s list of successes was long. The Golden Beavers capture a share of their first conference title since 2012 when they split the now defunct Little Ten crown with rival Watertown, going 12-2 to stand atop the Badger North Conference alongside Mt. Horeb. Beaver Dam was also ever present on the league’s all-conference list racking up seven honorees, with all but one set to return in 2022. Among the selections were freshman unanimous first-team honoree Gabrielle Fakes, as well as sophomore Audriana Edwards and freshman Riley Czarnecki. They were joined by second-team picks in senior Haley Allen and juniors Gracie Halfman and Avery Schaeffer, as well as sophomore honorable mention selections Carlee Lapen and Liv DiStefano.
Baraboo’s John Gunderson and Royall’s Nolan McKittrick didn’t let the bitter taste of defeat in 2020 derail their purse of gold in 2021. The pair of seniors capped their high school wrestling careers in style, capturing gold at the WIAA Division 1 and Division 3 individual state tournaments. Gunderson, the Div. 1 182-pound runner-up last year, closed out an unbeaten campaign in style, cruising to the 182-pound championship behind a decision and two pins, including in 2 minutes, 47 seconds over Ashwaubenon’s Connor Ramage in the title match, to become the Thunderbirds’ first individual champion since Taenor Spencer’s 130-pound title in 2001. Meanwhile, McKittrick turned 106-pound bronze into 113-pound gold last season. Contrary to Gunderson, McKittrick grinded out his first career championship, earning a 4-3 decision over Mineral Point’s Lucas Sullivan, becoming the Panthers’ first state champion since Christian Moore earned gold at 220 pounds in 2013.
Among all the high school sports in the area, for some time girls basketball has been the most successful. That trend didn’t slow down one bit this past year, in fact, it got even better. After knocking on the door the last two seasons, Reedsburg and its super talented junior class broke through last season as the Beavers dominated on their way to their first WIAA Division 2 state tournament appearance since 2012. Reedsburg, which finished the 2020-21 season at 20-2, reached the Div. 2 state title game, falling to Green Bay Notre Dame, 68-56. The Beavers have only picked up where they left off this season, starting a perfect 9-0. They’re currently ranked No. 1 in Div. 2 by the WisSports.net coaches poll and senior Mahra Wieman became program’s all-time leading scorer, while senior Trenna Cherney also broke the 1,000-career point mark. The class of the area girls hoops scene, Beaver Dam, meanwhile saw its push for a fourth successive state title come to a close. The Golden Beavers had a roller coaster of a season, starting with losing UW recruit Maty Wilke to a torn ACL just eight games into the season. Beaver Dam still found its stride, finishing the regular season 22-1 before capturing another regional title and later falling to eventual state champion Germantown, 74-54, in a Div. 1 sectional semifinal. While the Golden Beaver, who are 10-2 so far this season, missed out on the big dance, Westfield crashed the state party for the first time in program history. It was a magical season for the Pioneers as they captured a share of their first South Central Conference title since 2010 and won their first regional title since 2011. Westfield continued to roll all the way to state before falling to La Crosse Aquinas, 69-45, in the Div. 3 semifinals to end the year with a 20-6 record. The Pioneers have shown their no fluke this winter, starting the 2021-22 season a perfect 10-0 and are ranked fourth in Div. 4. Randolph nearly punched its ticket to state for the first time in 20 years as the Rockets finished just a game short of the Div. 4 state semis. The Trailways West Conference champs cruised to the regional title and held off Crandon, 52-47, to reach the sectional championship. The Rockets, who didn’t graduate a single player from the 21-5 squad, ran out of fuel however, as they didn’t have an answer for eventual Div. 4 state champion Mishicot, 57-29. The experience has been pivotal so far this year as the Rockets have started the year 13-0 and are the top-ranked team in Div. 5. Meanwhile, Waupun has had early success this season with Abbie Aalsma signing to play for NCAA Div. I Illinois State having been a verbal commit since her sophomore season. Aalsma, who has helped the Warriors, ranked No. 1 in Div. 3 to a 10-0 mark so far, was the East Central Conference’s Player of the Year for a third straight season this past year, as well as garnering Daily Citizen Area Player of the Year honors. Sophomore Kayl Peterson has played just as crucial a role for the Warriors and is making quite an impression at the next level as she currently has offers from Marquette, UW-Green Bay, Toledo, Minnesota and St. Thomas (Minn.) according to WisSports.net.
There have been plenty of deep postseason runs for area football teams in recent memory. Of note, Lodi reached a pair of WIAA Division 4 state championship games in three years, including winning the program’s first state title in 2017, while Columbus, Markesan and Horicon/Hustisford have also made runs to the state quarterfinals or beyond. That combined success reached new heights this season across the entire coverage area as 16 of the area’s 24 11-player football teams reached the postseason. That breadth of participants led to plenty of success as four teams reached at least the state quarterfinals, headlined by Mayville’s run to the Div. 5 state championship game. The Cardinals, who earned a three-way share of the Flyway Conference title, were forced to win four road games to make their first state title game appearance since 2006. The pursuit of gold ended in silver as they suffered a season-ending 28-26 loss to La Crosse Aquinas. Columbus came a game away from joining Mayville in the state championships. The Cardinals, under first-year coach Andrew Selgrad, suffered just one loss via forfeit due to COVID-19 in the regular season and earned a share of the Capitol Conference title and reached the Div. 4 state semifinals before falling to eventual Div. 4 state champion Waukesha Catholic Memorial, 42-19. It was Columbus’ first such appearance since their second state title in 1996. Baraboo made its first-ever state quarterfinals appearance, falling to Div. 3 runner-up Rice Lake, 29-13, while Wisconsin Dells joined them in the Div. 4 state quarterfinals for the first time in 35 years. The Chiefs luck ultimately ran out as their unbeaten season came to an end with a 35-0 loss to Freedom. Markesan meanwhile won a playoff game for the fifth time in six playoff appearances. Among the other qualifiers, a handful of teams ended lengthy playoff droughts. Portage punched its ticket to the postseason for a second straight year since 1998-99, while Poynette returned to the postseason after a seven-year layoff. Necedah returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2014, and the Cards’ rival New Lisbon reached the postseason for the first time since 2016, capping a remarkable turnaround after going 0-7 in the alternate fall season. Speaking of the spring campaign, a number of area teams produced plenty of positive results. Lodi, which made the playoffs this fall, went a perfect 6-0 in the spring season, while Columbus went 5-1 under outgoing coach Calvin Zenz, who departed for Reedsburg, adding another twist to the Cardinals’ magical state semis run in the fall. Mayville went 5-2 in the spring, a precursor of things to come. Along with the team successes, a litany of area players garnered not only all-conference, but all-state and all-region honors. Baraboo senior Luna Larson became the Thunderbirds’ first-ever Large School All-State selection by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association at inside linebacker. Meanwhile, a trio of area running backs earned Small School Honorable Mention All-State honors in Wisconsin Dells senior Matt Getgen, Columbus sophomore Colton Brunell and Mayville junior Blake Schraufnagel. Columbus junior Colin Selk earned Small School Honorable Mention honors at offensive and defensive line, while he was joined by Fall River/Rio senior Gavin Wodill as an offensive lineman selection.
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