By Adam Roberts – 10/13/2020
Action has concluded at the WIAA Girls State Golf Tournament in Kohler. Here’s where things stood at the end of the two-day event:
DIVISION 1 – TEAM STANDINGS
5. Tomah +108
DIVISION 1 – INDIVIDUAL SCORES
DIVISION 2 – INDIVIDUAL SCORES
By Adam Roberts – 10/12/2020
With Badger football due to return in two weeks against Illinois, it can be tough to remember that Wisconsin basketball will return as well, assuming COVID-19 doesn’t alter the plans. For the interim at least, though, one of head coach Greg Gard’s newest pieces will be away from the team.
Freshman guard Lorne Bowman has gone back to his home in Detroit, Michigan to attend to a family matter with the blessing of coach Gard and the Badger program. School officials confirmed the move late Friday, clarifying that Bowman is still a member of the men’s basketball team and will be taking classes virtually at UW.
Bowman was a first-team All State selection last year at St. Mary’s High School, averaging 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. He was a four-star recruit for the Wisconsin program and was ranked 94th in the ESPN Top 100 for the class of 2020.
By Adam Roberts – 10/12/2020
With the ball at the Seahawks’ 6 yard line, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer had a decision to make. Up 26-21 late in the fourth quarter, with his starting running back Dalvin Cook dealing with a groin injury, there were two options on the table: kick the chip shot field goal and go up 8, or try and sink the dagger into the Seahawks’ heart.
The odds would probably suggest kick the field goal, but Zimmer went for it all. And in doing so, he came up completely empty. Running in place of Cook, Alexander Mattison was stopped at the line of scrimmage, turning things over to MVP-candidate Russell Wilson. The former Badger used the opportunity to complete a 13 play, 94 yard drive, capped by a DK Metcalf touchdown with 15 seconds left for a 27-26 win. With no time left to mount a real threat, the Vikings now find themselves at 1-4.
Going over the stats, it really feels like the Vikings gave this one away. They led tome of possession 39:28 to 20:32, had 31 first downs to Seattle’s 18, led in total offense by 135 yards, 201 of which were on the ground, and didn’t allow a single Seahawk third down conversion (0-7 on the night).
But on that final drive, Wilson and Metcalf were electric, going 3-5 on the drive with two critical fourth down conversions; one on 4th and 10 on the first set of downs, and then the exclamation point in the endzone.
Minnesota welcomes the 0-5 Falcons on Sunday, who themselves are without a permanent general manager or head coach this morning following the firing of GM Thomas Dimitroff and HC Dan Quinn.
By Adam Roberts – 10/9/2020
No fans at MLB games this season figured to have a big effect on the books of pro baseball teams this season, and according to a recent report, the Brewers suffered hard this year when it comes to revenue.
The Milwaukee Business Journal reported the Brewers took a huge financial hit with no attendance for games in 2020. The losses are reported to be just more than 178-million dollars. It reports game-day revenue accounts for about 40 percent of total revenue.
Across the league, losses so far are reported to be north of five billion dollars. The Crew’s losses put them slightly above average for the league; the Yankees were at the top of the list with 437 million in losses.
There are, of course, ways a team can make money without fans in attendance, such as from television and radio broadcasting rights and revenue from advertisement partnerships. However, missing out on more and one and a quarter million in the smallest market in baseball certainly can’t be good news. Earlier this year, GM David Stearns said the team budget for 2021 would likely be quite tight.
Fans will be permitted into the NLCS starting next Monday when the Braves and Dodgers meet at Globe Life Park in Arlington Texas; 11,500 socially distanced fans will be permitted at the new stadium.
By Adam Roberts – 10/9/2020
Following in the footsteps of many organizations these days, the Green Bay Packers are eliminating the need for physical cash at Lambeau Field.
Whether it’s because of the coin shortage earlier this year, or simply businesses looking to be more sustainable, many organizations have opted to go cashless in recent years, and a pandemic has expedited that process for many. Once fans are eventually permitted back at Lambeau, the changes will be quite apparent; the only place cash will be accepted will be for fans parking in the Lambeau lots.
Checks also won’t be accepted at the stadium, with conversion stations being placed throughout the facility. Credit/debit payments will be accepted, along with Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Earlier this week, the team announced fans would not be permitted until further notice due to increased COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin, after previously planning to re-admit fans for the November 1st game against Minnesota.
By Adam Roberts – 10/9/2020
Neither Holmen nor Sparta have been able to play a down of football so far this fall due to the restrictive nature of being in virtual instruction.
So perhaps the announcement that both schools will be moving to the alternative fall season shouldn’t be too surprising.
Holmen would have been been playing Onalaska this week in what is yearly one of the best game of the high school football season, while Sparta would have been taking on West Salem. Coincidentally, the Hilltoppers and Panthers will now play each other tonight (6pm on ESPN La Crosse 105.5), while Holmen and Sparta will be looking ahead to the spring of 2021.
It will certainly be a great loss to the area football scene this fall; both teams have been competitive in the Mississippi Valley Conference the last few years, and the Spartans were a score away from defeating Onalaska and winning the whole thing last year.
For now, both programs will join La Crosse Central and Logan, along with several others across Wisconsin, in figuring out how to carry out football in the Wisconsin springtime.
By Adam Roberts – 10/8/2020
You may have missed it amidst the start of the 2020 NFL season and the on-going NBA Finals, but the NHL season wrapped up not too long ago with the Tampa Bay Lightning claiming their second Stanley Cup. What you may also not have known is that the NHL Draft just wrapped up.
Unless of course you are a part of or follow Onalaska hockey.
Carson Bantle, a former Hilltopper and current Madison Capital in the USHL, was selected 142nd overall by the Arizona Coyotes. Fans of the Coyotes were happy with the selection based on Bantle’s size (6’4″, 194 lbs), while locally friends, family, and fans were happy to see someone with Bantle’s work ethic make it to the top of the hockey world.
Bantle scored 49 points (20 goals, 29 assists) for the Capitals last season, and on March 6th set a franchise record for points in a game with five. He was featured on the NHL Network when the pick came in, with analysts praising Bantle’s ability below the circles and his knack for putting pucks on the net.
As of right now, Bantle is supposed to attend Michigan Tech and play hockey there this season should there be a season.
By Adam Roberts – 10/8/2020
A day after waiving wide receiver Reggie Begelton, the Packers are bringing him right back to the organization.
Begelton had been waived by the team yesterday along with linebacker Curtis Bolton, who himself had been on the physically unable to perform list. But with wide receiver depth still an issue for Green Bay, Begelton will be back with the team, this time on the practice squad. The move may seem odd to some, but was likely done by the team as a crafty move to elevate more than two players to the active roster. League rules dictate only two skilled position players can be moved to the active roster each week, and Green Bay had already brought up defensive lineman Billy Winn and linebacker De’Jon Harris from the practice squad for the Falcons’ game.
Green Bay is off until October 18th when they visit Tampa Bay.
By Adam Roberts – 10/8/2020
At the time of this writing, it appears that we FINALLY will have a little more full slate of high school football to cover this week. While schools like La Crosse Central, Logan, Sparta, G-E-T, Holmen, Arcadia, Westby, and others remain sidelined, this week we get back West Salem, De Soto, and all the Minnesota schools as well! It all means there’s more action to look forward to, more games to cover, and more responsibility for John on the Pizza Oven Postgame Show.
I love it.
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WEST SALEM (0-0) vs ONALASKA (1-1) (ESPN La Crosse 105.5, espnlacrosse.com, TuneIn @ 6:45pm)
Every so often, great teams need a reality check, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Last week, the Hilltoppers got one of these checks, with Jerry Sinz and the Edgar Wildcats putting on a defensive display. Anyone familiar with Wildcat football knows that good games against them usually average under 20 total points, and while Ona’s D did a good job of containing Edgar’s offensive weapons, their own weapons were completely stymied by the speedy Wildcat secondary.
In fairness, wideout Hudson Weber did perform well; his four catches for 85 yards reaffirmed to everyone that he will become a top target over the course of the season for quarterback Ayden Larson. Between him, Landon Peterson, and Albert Romero, the offense will grow from this loss, and they get a chance to respond this week against West Salem, a team taking the field for the first time this week. Coach Justin Jehn knows that the first game of the season can be filled with jitters, but West Salem has been something of an anomaly in the world of COVID-19 with steadily holding in-person instruction for the last few weeks. This, according to Coach Jehn, has helped to build team unity in an era of separation. It will interesting to watch the development of junior quarterback Noah LaFleur; there were definitely growing pains throughout the 0-9 season, with LaFleur completing under 50 percent of his passes for 542 yards, three touchdowns, and seven interceptions. But Coach Jehn has confidence in that position, also referring with excitement to sophomore Brett McConkey; at already 6’2″ and 190 lbs, he certainly has a bigger stature than most 15 year old high schoolers in the area. I still think this one goes decidedly to the Hilltoppers.
Prediction: Onalaska 42 West Salem 7
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REEDSBURG (1-1) @ TOMAH (0-1)
The Timberwolves were scheduled to face a formidable opponent in #6 Darlington last week before the COVID bug bit the Redbirds program. This week brings in a Beavers program to EJ McKean that rebounded nicely from a season opening loss to Portage with a completely one-sided win over Sauk Prairie with a 41-6 final score that really should have been 41-0. Tomah’s Justin Gerke has had a couple of weeks to improve and reflect on the loss to Onalaska, and this week he’ll face off against a good defensive challenge; the Beavers through two games have given up just 50 yards through the air. On the ground, Reedsburg was torched by Portage in Game One; the Beavers gave up 230 yards rushing, 215 of which were split between the Portage tandem of Junior Bazaldua and Ethan Bleich. For a chance to win, Tomah needs more production from their own ground game; they amassed just 24 yards on 23 carries against Onalaska.
Prediction: Reedsburg 27 Tomah 20
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AUSTIN, MN (0-0) @ WINONA (0-0)
With no games played this fall yet in Minnesota, we have to look back to last year to see how these first games will unfold. And on paper at least, this one appears to be one of the more one-sided games of the week. You have a Winona team that finished the regular season last year 8-0, was ranked fifth in Class 4A, and probably was a Rocori upset in the state semifinals from winning the whole thing. And then you have Austin, a program that hasn’t had a winning season in over a decade. The Winhawks will have to find a replacement for graduated OL/DL unit Aaron Witt, but the next-man up mentality has guided Winona to four straight state tournaments.
Prediction: Winona 42 Austin 14
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AQUINAS (1-0) @ MAUSTON (2-0)
This game could provide an opportunity for both schools to get some respect from programs and media members statewide. The schools have a common opponent in Viroqua, and each program properly dispatched toe Blackhawks by multiple scores. The Blugold offense led by the trio of Jackson Flottmeyer, Will Cambio, and Joe Penchi were clicking against Viroqua last week, with the sophomore quarterback Flottmeyer getting a number of receivers involved. This offensive diversity gives Flottmeyer plenty of places to go if things start stagnating. Meanwhile, Mauston running back Kraig Armstrong was a workhorse last week against Wautoma (240 yds on 36 carries, 1 TD). He leads the South Central Conference in yards on the ground by a country mile, and has put up triple digits on the ground in both games this season. Ground and pound versus air raid should provide plenty of entertainment.
Prediction: Mauston 34 Aquinas 28
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LUTHER (1-1) @ DE SOTO (0-0)
Talk about a complete about face. Luther, one week removed from a one-sided victory over Boscobel, were stymied right from the beginning against River Ridge. The Knights were outgained 372-44, and the third quarter was particularly rough with two touchdowns against them and a safety in between. River Ridge grinded the clock last week, running 42 times, and the results last week should have the Pirates salivating. Not only are the hungry to finally get a game in this season, but Ev Wick-coached teams loveeee to run; last year they accumulated 2,343 yards and 30 scores on the ground, with Trevor Rebhahn leading the way with 1,615 of those yards and 24 of those scores. The primary rusher this year figures to be senior Jacob Kurszewski (59 rushes, 304 yds, 2 TDs last season). We’ll see how he looks against the Luther D-line, but the odds seem to be in his favor.
Prediction: De Soto 34 Luther 7
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VIROQUA (0-2) @ BLAIR-TAYLOR (1-0)
As referenced above, 2020 has not been kind thus far to Viroqua. The defense has given up 48 points in back-to-back weeks, and now they’ll be tasked with managing Blair-Taylor. The Wildcat’s offense didn’t look super flashy against Whitehall last week, but Cain Fremstad was a solid passer with 145 yards and two scores. Alec Reismann had some big catches and averaged 23.5 yards per catch. Look for the Blackhawks to continue trying to get Nick Schneider touches on the ground.
Prediction: Blair-Taylor 24 Viroqua 6
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MELROSE-MINDORO (0-1) @ ELEVA-STRUM (0-1)
Neither one of these programs had an all-too inspired offense in their opening games. The Mustangs amassed just 66 total yards in a 21-0 loss to Pepin/Alma, and while no stats are available from the Cardinals’ loss to Indy/Gilmanton, I doubt it was much better for them. Mel-Min didn’t have many big games scoring last season either though; apart from their wins over Hillsboro and C-FC, the Mustangs regularly scored less than 14 points and averaged just 16 PPG even with those two big wins. This one has the potential to be a grind-it-out, one-score affair. I’d say it’s a pick ’em.
Prediction: Mel-Min 14 Eleva-Strum 13
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P-E-M (0-0) @ #1 (CLASS 2A) CALEDONIA (0-0) (Saturday, 10/10)
The streak currently sits at 68 wins for Caledonia football. And since they won’t be able to repeat as 2A state champions this year since there won’t be a state tournament, the streak becomes the title defense for the Warriors. The King Dynasty also continues this year; with quarterback Noah King now hoping to play hoops at Kirkwood Community College this season, Eli King assumes the throne. Eli currently has three Division One scholarship offers on his plate, and that number figures to increase this year one season after racking up 952 yards on 53 receptions for 21 scores in 2019. Under center this year for the Warriors will be Isaiah Reinhart, and while filling the shoes of Noah King won’t be easy, Reinhart did get snaps in garbage time last year. Conversely, P-E-M went 2-6 last season and while they didn’t face Caledonia they had a 1-2 record against common opponents.
Prediction: Caledonia 35 P-E-M 6
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WINONA COTTER (0-0) @ HAYFIELD (0-0)
To say times have been tough for Winona Cotter football recently would be putting it mildly. In a situation similar to Boscobel, the Ramblers have been held winless since October 13th of 2017, and last season they scored a TOTAL of 19 points and averaged just over 22 yards of offense per game. Not to say that Hayfield was a dynamite program last year with a 3-5 record, but they were able to put together a pretty solid passing attack with Brady Nelson under center. The torch will be passed to sophomore Ethan Pack this season, but I don’t think it matters much here.
Prediction: Hayfield 28 Winona Cotter 0
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HOUSTON (0-0) @ SPRING GROVE (0-0)
The Lions were able to advance to the 9-man Section 1 semifinals last year, falling to Grand Meadow 24-14. But unlike other teams on this preview, they’ll be bringing back a few of their big weapons from a year ago; both leading rusher Mitch Reynolds and leading receiver Caden Grinde are seniors this year. The only notable turnover on offense will be at the quarterback position, where Isaac Griffin takes over for Chandler Bergrud. Meanwhile, Houston was also bounced in the Section 1 semis last year to top seed LeRoy-Ostrander, and they will lose their top three offensive producers from last year.
Prediction: Spring Grove 28 Houston 14
By Adam Roberts – 10/7/2020
While winter sports officially are scheduled to happen in WIAA schools this year, we’ve become used to news changing on a day-to-day basis this year.
Whatever ultimately happens here in Wisconsin, down in Florida an annual event that has recently featured a few La Crosse Central teams is off.
The 2020 City of Palms Classic will not take place this year due to COVID-19 concerns. It seemed the most likely outcome given travel concerns during a pandemic and all the school from various parts of the country congregating together in one location, but it’s still unfortunate news.
Todd Fergot first took the Red Raiders down to Fort Myers in 2018, where their wins against Brunswick, Georgia and Petal, Mississippi showcased the talents of Johnny and Jordan Davis ahead of the team’s eventual run to the state title game. Central was back in the Sunshine State a year later, and took down South Miami before falling in a close game to Long Island Lutheran and a tough contest against Scotlandville Magnet of Louisiana. The tournament provided the Red Raiders an opportunity to learn from some of the best programs in America and also stamp their name into that book.
The Classic is scheduled to return December 17th through the 22nd in 2021.