Will the Iola-Scandinavia boys’ basketball team win its first-ever Central Wisconsin 8 Conference championship this season?
That remains to be seen, but the Thunderbirds are off to a 2-0 start after posting nonconference wins over Wild Rose and Port Edwards.
The T-Birds opened the 2013-14 season Nov. 19 with a 52-48 win over Port Edwards and followed that up three days later with a 59-40 road win at Wild Rose.
I-S 59, Wild Rose 40
WILD ROSE – The T-Birds outrebounded the Wildcats 38-28 and got 17 points from Connor Lodewegen and 13 from Kristian Welch.
Josh Erickson led Wild Rose with 16 points, while Aaron Vandecastle added 13. The Wildcats also lost Tanner Hudziak to a broken collarbone during the game.
I-S 52, Port Edwards 48
IOLA – I-S held off a late rally from the Blackhawks.
The T-Birds took a 7-6 lead into the second quarter, led 21-14 at halftime and had a 35-29 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
A John Prahl basket gave the T-Birds a 39-29 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Blackhawks eventually cut the lead to 45-42 on Jacob Joslin’s basket with 2:29 to go in the game.
However, the T-Birds scored their final seven points from the free-throw line and the Blackhawks never got any closer.
“We expected some rust, but we knew there were a few things that we could hang our hat on in this game,” coach Sam Bertsch said. “I thought our defense was pretty good and I think our strength is going to be a factor for us throughout the entire season and that showed up in game 1.”
Prahl led the T-Birds with 15 points and came up with eight of his team’s 17 points in the fourth quarter.
“He’s a kid we need to play pretty much the whole game and he needs to keep the pedal down the whole game,” Bertsch said. “You could tell he didn’t have that look in his eyes at times. When he has that look, he’s just dead tired. John’s a third-year starter at point guard. He’s the quarterback of this team and that’s awfully nice to have. You don’t have to teach him too much anymore, it’s just putting him in situations where he’s going to succeed.”
The T-Birds hit 18 of 26 free throws, while Port Edwards hit 12 of 23.
“I like the attempts,” Bertsch said. “I think we’re a physical team and I don’t want to bail out our offense by shooting outside shots. We have to get to the basket and win some games at the free-throw line. That comes from being a physical team and we’re strong enough to do that.”
Besides Prahl, a senior, Bertsch is also counting on seniors Lodewegen and Isaac Lashua; juniors Braiden Garbe and Alec Lund; and Welch, a sophomore.
“I have a lot of experience back,” he said. “We have two guys who didn’t get a lot of time last year. I’m counting on (junior) Evan Fuhs to be a big defensive player and a sophomore, Caleb Loken, played awfully well for us down the stretch and he’s a good ball handler.
“I have a lot of kids to pick from,” he added. “If somebody’s not playing well on a given night, that’s part of being a team. Somebody should be able to pick them up.”
Although the T-Birds’ CWC-8 schedule doesn’t get under way for another two weeks, Bertsch said he has a pretty good idea of what team will contend for a title.
“I think the team that has the big target on its back and it’s no surprise would be Stevens Point Pacelli,” he said. “I know they’re ranked very high to start off the season, their expectations are high and they bring back a lot of kids. Shiocton is another team that’s very athletic. They’re in the state finals for football and a lot of those kids play basketball. I think we can be a factor in this conference with us, Amherst and Weyauwega-Fremont knocking at the door.
“The thing about this conference is you have to show up every night to play,” he said. “It’s darn good conference and there are no easy ballgames. I don’t think we’ve ever finished above .500 or fifth place in the conference. We’re going to try and improve on both of those this year.”
Iola-Scandinavia Boys’ Basketball 2013-14 Schedule
Varsity
Tuesday, Nov. 19 – vs. Port Edwards, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22 – at Wild Rose, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 – at Edgar, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7 – vs. Marion, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 10 – at Bonduel, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 12 – vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14 – vs. Cambria-Friesland, 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 17 – at Stevens Point Pacelli, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 19 – vs. Shiocton, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 27 – vs. Tigerton, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10 – at Amherst, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14 – vs. Manawa, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17 – at Weyauwega-Fremont, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24 – vs. Bonduel, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28 – at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31 – vs. Stevens Point Pacelli, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 4 – at Rosholt, 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 7 – at Shiocton, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11 – vs. Amherst, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14 – at Manawa, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18 – at Wisconsin Valley Lutheran, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20 – vs. Weyauwega-Fremont, 7:30 p.m.
Junior Varsity
Tuesday, Nov. 19 – vs. Port Edwards, 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22 – at Wild Rose, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 – at Edgar, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7 – vs. Marion, 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 10 – at Bonduel, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 12 – vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14 – vs. Cambria-Friesland, 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 17 – at Stevens Point Pacelli, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 19 – vs. Shiocton, 6 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 27 – vs. Tigerton, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10 – at Amherst, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14 – vs. Manawa, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17 – at Weyauwega-Fremont, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24 – vs. Bonduel, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28 – at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31 – vs. Stevens Point Pacelli, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 4 – at Rosholt, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 7 – at Shiocton, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11 – vs. Amherst, 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14 – at Manawa, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18 – at Wisconsin Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20 – vs. Weyauwega-Fremont, 6 p.m.
C Team/Freshman
Tuesday, Dec. 10 – at Bonduel, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 17 – at Stevens Point Pacelli, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 19 – vs. Shiocton, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10 – at Amherst, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17 – at Weyauwega-Fremont, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24 – vs. Bonduel, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31 – vs. Stevens Point Pacelli, 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 7 – at Shiocton, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11 – vs. Amherst, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20 – vs. Weyauwega-Fremont, 6 p.m.
Middle School
Tuesday, Oct. 22 – vs. Port Edwards, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 31 – vs. Rosholt, 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 4 – vs. Wild Rose, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 7 – vs. Plainfield Tri-County, 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 11 – at Amherst, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 14 – at Port Edwards, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 21 – at Rosholt, 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 25 – vs. St. Peter’s, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 26 – vs. Manawa, 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 2 – at Wild Rose, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 5 – at Plainfield Tri-County, 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 9 – vs. Amherst, 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 16 – at Manawa, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 19 – at St. Peter’s, 5:30 p.m.