Youthful Burlington basketball will lean on stars, Catholic Central shifts offensive focus

Boys Basketball Previews

By Mike Ramczyk

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With a 15-10 overall record and 10-4 mark in the Southern Lakes Conference last season, the Burlington boys varsity basketball team made it all the way to sectionals.

The Demons ran into a more physical, punishing Fort Atkinson squad in the sectional semifinal and were eliminated from the playoffs.

This season, Burlington must recover from the loss of seven seniors, but the Demons welcome back star junior point guard Nick Klug and talented big man Brock Halbach, who stands 6-foot-7.

With only five seniors on the roster and two that received significant playing time last year, Luke Geiger and Liam Safar, Burlington boasts 10 juniors on a squad of guys willing to do whatever it takes to help the team.

“We have some experience back in multiple positions,” said longtime head coach Steve Berezowitz. “We also possess a roster full of kids willing to play any roll to make our team better.”

“In addition, I have a group of kids who are fantastic in the classroom.”

Klug, a first team All-Area and all-county selection as a sophomore, is the team’s leading returning scorer with 15.2 points per game, while Halbach averaged 7.1 and Geiger, an outside shooting threat, added six points.

Daniel Rummler, Dale Damon and Jack Miller join Geiger and Safar as the seniors, and they are joined by juniors Harrison George, Klug, Halbach, Dexter Horn, Ben Golon, Ben McDermit, Drew Pesick, Grant Tully, Sean Safar and Reid Lang.

Berezowitz said the team is working to improve its consistency in “everything we do.”

In terms of conference goals, Berezowitz isn’t putting too much emphasis on a conference title or anything too far down the line.

“We are just excited to compete and grow as a team,” he said.

Berezowitz welcomes assistant coaches Brad Ferstenou, Tom Dummer and Jack Schmidt to the sideline this season.

The Demons open the season Saturday against Mount Horeb at 1:30 p.m. at Burlington High School.

Schedule

(HOME GAMES ALL CAPS)

November – 26: MOUNT HOREB. December – 1: at New Berlin West. 6: MUKWONAGO. 9: WATERFORD. 13: UNION GROVE. 16: at Westosha Central. 27: Honda Holiday Classic at Carthage College vs Kenosha Bradford. 28: Carthage College tourney vs Racine St. Cat’s. 30: at Janesville Craig. January – 3: at Elkhorn. 6: DELAVAN-DARIEN. 7: vs. Waunakee at Just A Game Fieldhouse, Wisconsin Dells. 10: at Greenfield. 13: at Wilmot. 20: ELKHORN. 24: BADGER. 27: at Union Grove. 31: at Badger. February – 9: at Waterford. 14: WESTOSHA CENTRAL. 17: at Delavan-Darien. 23: WILMOT.

Toppers shift focus from inside to outside

How do you replace the All-Area player of the year?

Ben Heiligenthal was a beast down low for the Catholic Central boys varsity team last season, averaging 21 points and nine rebounds and carrying the Toppers to the state championship game.

While it may be impossible to replace that kind of talent, the Toppers only lost two others to graduation and welcome back several key players from their state run.

Senior point guard Aaron Rueber, who averaged 3 assists per game and was the floor leader for last year’s team, leads a list of key returning players including Frank Koehnke, Cole Pankau and Hayden Kempken.

Koehnke is the team’s leading returning scorer at 9.5 points per game.

Third-year head coach Kyle Scott, who is 28-25 overall after last year’s 19-10 mark, said experience at the point guard position and outside shooting will be key strengths for the Toppers this season.

Coinciding with the departures of Heiligenthal and Andy Kempken down low, Scott said inside scoring and rebounding will be key weaknesses.

Scott said the team will look to improve as the season unfolds.

“We should improve as the season wears on and be at our best come playoff time,” Scott said.

Joining Scott on the coaching staff this season will be Dan Meddaugh, Joe Spierenburg, Aimee Reyzer, Gavin Foote and Eric Dostalek.

Other returning letter-winners for the Toppers this season include seniors Austin Neuhaus, Sam McKinney, Bryce Hocking, Josh Muellenbach and Nick Hoffman, along with juniors Chad Zirbel, Tyler Rieck, Jon Pum, Luke Heiligenthal and Charles Robinson.

Catholic Central opens the season Saturday at 7:15 p.m. at Lake Country Lutheran.

Schedule

(HOME GAMES ALL CAPS)

November – 26: at Lake Country Lutheran. 30: HERITAGE CHRISTIAN. December – 6: at Martin Luther. 9: at Kenosha St. Joe’s. 13: at Dominican. 16: PRAIRIE SCHOOL. 17: WILLIAMS BAY. January – 3: THOMAS MORE. 6: RACINE ST. CAT’S. 9: WATERFORD. 10: FAITH CHRISTIAN. 13: RACINE LUTHERAN. 17: UNION GROVE. 20: SHORELAND LUTHERAN. 24: KENOSHA ST. JOE’S. 28: DOMINICAN. 31: at Prairie School. February – 3: at Thomas More. 7: at Racine St. Cat’s. 11: MARTIN LUTHER. 14: at Racine Lutheran. 23: at Shoreland Lutheran.