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Girls Basketball La Crosse Finals Announced

By Adam Roberts – 2/18/2021

We now know which girl’s basketball divisions will be determining their state champions this year at the La Crosse Center.

The WIAA announced yesterday, Divisions 2, 4, and 5 will be at the Center next week Thursday through Saturday, while Divisions 1 and 3 will be at the Menomonie Nation Center in Oshkosh. Looking at the list of Coulee Region teams still alive, this means Onalaska, Cochrane-Fountain City, and Bangor could play in the area while Aquinas would have to make the trip east.

Tonight’s sectional semifinal schedule looks like this:

Division 2 – Medford @ Onalaska

Division 3 – Northwestern @ Aquinas

Division 4 – Auburndale @ C-FC (Bangor advances to the sectional final by forfeit)

Bucks Senior VP Alex Lasry Announces Senate Run

By Adam Roberts – 2/17/2021

A member of the Bucks executive team, and son of co-owner Marc Lasry, will make a run at Ron Johnson’s Senate seat in Washington.

33-year-old Alex Lasry announced his intention to run for the seat in 2022 yesterday, marking the first time the Bucks senior VP will run for public office despite some experience in the political world serving as host committee chair for the 2020 Democratic National Convention awarded to Milwaukee last year but largely held virtually.

Lasry was a public voice of support while the Bucks made the decision not to take the floor during their first-round playoff series against the Magic last August after the Jacob Blake shooting, and also made headlines last month for receiving an available COVID vaccine at the senior living center in Milwaukee where his wife’s uncle is a rabbi despite not being in a Wisconsin priority group.

Lasry joins Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson as the only two current candidates vying for the seat next year, though others may join the race in the coming months.

WIAC Spring Sports to Resume

By Adam Roberts – 2/17/2021

The WIAC announced today that it will begin its 2021 spring sports schedule on time.

All springs sports, including baseball, softball, women’s golf, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, and women’s tennis, will return to play this coming March, weather permitting, after their 2020 seasons were interrupted by the start of the pandemic.

In the conference’s official release on Twitter, they said that schedules can also include non-conference opponents and each team will get an opportunity at a WIAC championship. As for possible spectators, those decisions will be made at a later date.

Brewers Sign LHP Brett Anderson to One Year Deal

By Adam Roberts – 2/17/2021

Throughout the week, members of the Brewers staff and roster are making their way down to Arizona for another spring training in the desert. They’ll be joined by another arm after he received an extension yesterday.

The Brewers are adding left-handed pitcher Brett Anderson. ESPN reports the one-year deal is worth 2.5-million-dollars, pending a physical. Anderson could make another one-million-dollars in incentives. The 33-year-old posted a 4.21 ERA in his 10 starts for the Brew Crew last season.

Pitchers and catchers have already reported to spring ball workouts, with the rest of the team set to arrive by tomorrow. The team plays its first spring game February 28th against the White Sox.

Brewers Add OF Derek Fisher

By Adam Roberts – 2/16/2021

When I saw this morning that the Brewers had orchestrated a trade for Derek Fisher, my brain kept telling me “I’ve heard this name before, but I can’t remember where…” It wasn’t until about an hour later that I put two and two together and realized I was confused into thinking this was Derek Fisher the former basketball player and current GM and head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

As for the baseball version, Milwaukee received a former Top 5 prospect when he was in the Astros organization, but who will be competing for reps with the likes of Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain. Fisher has taken 458 big league at-bats with varied success; last season in 56 games with the Blue Jays, Fisher hit .177 with a .295 OBP, seven home runs, and 19 RBIs.

In exchange for Fisher, Milwaukee dealt a player to be named later and cash considerations.

Fiserv Forum To Allow Fans Back Starting Tonight

By Adam Roberts – 2/16/2021

Ever since the pandemic, something has just been a little off with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The magic of their run up until Game Three of the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals hasn’t been recaptured entirely since, and a nearly year-long stretch without fans at their home games likely is a big factor in that. Hopefully starting this week, even just a little bit of that magic, and also extra incentive to win, will be returning to Cream City.

Starting with tonight’s game against Toronto, the Bucks will be allowing fans back into Fiserv Forum in a measured approach coinciding with the team’s home stand beginning tonight. Tonight’s game will allow 250 fans in the north lower bowl of the stadium, with 500 allowed Thursday, 750 Friday, and eventually up to 1,800 for Sunday’s game against Sacramento.

From there, a lot will be determined by Milwaukee County and the Forum itself, but according to the Journal Sentinel if case counts don’t trend upward, the Forum may be allowed to host up to 25% capacity at some point this season.

Fans back at games will be a welcome change for the Bucks, who’s most recent road trip was a less than ideal 3-3 odyssey. As for me, I am still holding out for what plans will be unveiled at American Family Field this season. My Brewers itch is starting to form a rash!

La Crosse Central To Rebrand As “Riverhawks”

By Adam Roberts – 2/16/2021

Central High School has a new identity, after the school board last night announced the change from the “Red Raiders” moniker the school has had for years to the new “Riverhawks” mascot that will be phased in over the next year or so.

A survey sent to students and staff yielded Riverhawks as the most popular choice ahead of the runner-up “Bandits”.

A logo with the Riverhawks text was designed by Games People Play, however the “LC” logo will be retained going forward as well.

Superintendent Aaron Engel has said that any change to a school’s identity will take time, likely a number of years, and the change from “Red Raiders” to “Riverhawks” will be gradual. However, principal Troy McDonald says he hopes to implement the new look for the upcoming spring sports seasons.

Plenty of Wins for Area College Basketball Teams

By Adam Roberts – 2/15/2021

My last post was all about the hearts of Badger fans breaking over the men’s basketball team’s loss to #3 Michigan yesterday. But that doesn’t mean all area college basketball was doom and gloom.

Including games from Saturday and Sunday, area colleges went 5-1 in their games. The UWL men, ranked #14 last week, got revenge for their loss at River Falls with an 83-52 drubbing of the Falcons on the 12th while the women fell on the road 61-54. Meanwhile, Winona State swept action against Concordia-St. Paul Saturday with the women winning a nail-biter 68-67 and the men claiming victory more comfortably 77-58, and Viterbo won 66-54 and 82-66 respectively over Presentation College.

The 4-1 Eagle men next take on Stout up in Menomonie this Wednesday while the ladies will host the Blue Devils at Mitchell Hall. WSU next faces Upper Iowa while both Viterbo units are at Waldorf tomorrow night.

Badgers Down to #21 In Newest AP Poll

By Adam Roberts – 2/15/2021

Many Badger men’s basketball fans were left heartbroken on Valentine’s Day. With a double-digit lead at halftime against third-ranked Michigan that was playing its first game in three weeks, it seemed like love at first sight. But then the honeymoon phase ended, and the lead disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Ultimately, Wisconsin decided to ghost the win they had in their grasp and fell 67-59.

Cringe aside, it was disappointing watching the Badgers drop a double-digit lead to a Top Five team and allow a victory that could have skyrocketed Wisconsin in bracketology forecasts. As a team, the Badgers shot under 40% for the game and gave up 11 offensive rebounds to a team that needs no extra luck going its way.

With the loss, the Badgers fell down to 21st in the newest AP Top 25 today. As I mentioned earlier in my Sportscenter update, it doesn’t get any easier for Wisconsin this week, with #11 Iowa up next on Thursday day and another game aganst #5 Illinois not for beyond that.

Bucks’ Losing Streak at Three Following 114-109 Loss to OKC

By Adam Roberts – 2/15/2021

After Giannis signed the supermax to stay with the Bucks this past offseason, the expectations for the team were instantly raised. To this point in the 2020-21 season, many would say those expectations haven’t been met.

Even before this recent three-game skid, continued yesterday with a 114-109 loss to Oklahoma City, people weren’t very bullish with how the Bucks have been playing this season. Whether it’s their outside shooting, Giannis’s aversion from shooting outside the paint, or the defensive struggles, some wonder if the team has veered off course, with others suggesting the team may already be outside of it’s championship window.

Of course, the team IS still 16-11 and would be the two seed against the Knicks of all teams if the season ended today. The Bucks will be in the Sunshine State to take on the road warriors from Toronto, who are playing in Tampa due to COVID concerns in their home country.