WIAA Division 2 Sectional Final: Westosha Central (20-5) vs. Waunakee (23-2), 1 p.m., Saturday, Middleton High School
BURLINGTON – It was one of the most electric atmospheres I have seen in my 10+ years covering high school basketball.
At Burlington High School Thursday night, a massive parking lot that fits a few hundred cars was completely full, and vehicles were parked on the sides of the streets and a good 100 yards behind the lot on a dirt road. The adjacent Gateway Technical College lots on both the east and west of the school were full, along with the front lot of BHS.
Inside, some 1,700 tickets were sold, as the main bleachers were shoulder-to-shoulder and even extra bleachers along each baseline couldn’t fully accommodate the standing-room-only crowd.
Sure, the spring musical was happening at the same time, but the message was clear – the area is desperate for a boys basketball winner, even if it’s not your home team.
We haven’t witnessed anything like what Westosha Central did to Wilmot Thursday night, shellacking them with a 14-0 run early and cruising to a 74-43 victory, since 2009, which was the last time a Southern Lakes Conference team advanced to a sectional final.
“Westosha’s depth is what makes them so difficult to play,” said Burlington head coach Steve Berezowitz. “They have a lot of guys that complement one another. When you add that with the conference player of the year, Tre Williams, you can play multiple ways. That is why you see them play full-court, half-court, man and zone. It is great for our league (SLC). Any time we can get teams this far, it’s great.”
The 2009 Elkhorn team, led by 6-foot-9 center Skyler O’Laughlin, lost in double-OT, 66-62, to Beloit Memorial, in a Division 1 sectional final. The year before, Lake Geneva Badger made it to the state tournament and lost in the first round. Jimmy Merritt was dishing and kicking, Braden Tice was money from three and Kevin Wieters was dunking and controlling the paint at 6-foot-6.
The Falcons will play Saturday at 1 p.m. at Middleton High School in a D2 sectional final, and it will mark the first such occasion in school history. Westosha last made a sectional semifinal in 1996.
#FalconFam gives players energy
On Thursday night, the deafening student sections of Panther red and Falcon maroon filled the stands from the first to last row, the way it should be in high school playoff basketball.
Westosha senior guard Tre Williams, who led all scorers with 22 points, said it was surreal to play in front of such a large crowd, which Burlington Athletic Director Eric Plitzuweit said was one of the largest in the gym’s 10-year history.
“It’s a great feeling,” Williams said. “The crowd helped us a lot, too. It was crazy in here. It was a great environment, and it felt like a college game.”
Sure, the players play the game, but the Westosha and Wilmot student sections are on another level.
Kayla Kerkman, a Central student, was part of the sea of maroon Thursday night and believes the crowd can help throw off an opponent. A prime example was the “Bobby Brenner” chant, a tactic used when the former Wilmot star’s younger brother Kevin was shooting free throws.
OK, it may sound a bit silly, but when a team is 20-5 and has won two straight conference titles, everything matters when developing a winning culture, something the Central program didn’t really have before head coach James Hyllberg took over in 2015.
“Last night was definitely the loudest and most insane gym I’ve ever been in,” said Kerkman. “Our student section is probably one of the most fun to be a part of because we love supporting our team and watching them succeed.”
“I think we help our team because we do tend to get in the other team’s head, and get them to make mistakes. The players do say we help, and during school on game days they’re always saying, ‘Be there tonight to help us out.'”
No answers for Falcons’ onslaught
On the court, Williams scored seven in a row during the 14-0 domination, and Wilmot didn’t even crack the scoreboard until four minutes into the game.
The red-hot Panthers, who upset the 7, 3 and 2 seeds in five days, couldn’t buy a bucket, as long-range threats Latrell Glass and Jeremy Bruton were taken out of the game early.
Combined with another 17-2 run sparked by 10 points from Central guards Jaeden Zackery and Joey Gilliland, it was 36-10 with four minutes in the first half.
The Falcons’ 1-3-1 defense forced 11 Wilmot turnovers and only allowed five field goals in the first half.
It was 44-16 at the half, and 21 was the closest margin in the second half.
Cooper Brinkman added 19 points for Central.
Hyllberg remained humble after the game, saying he didn’t expect such a large margin. Wilmot coach Jake Erbentraut wasn’t surprised, as he sung Central’s praises and called them an ‘outstanding’ team.
“Central is a really good team and they are talented, they are athletic, they play with composure, so it is some combination,” he said.
Youth program, Hyllberg changing culture
A program that has really never made any noise in the SLC has completely turned things around.
Thanks to a successful youth feeder program and the arrival of Hyllberg, the Falcons demand success on the court, and a family atmosphere has everyone working hard for each other.
Zackery hears it in the Central halls and classrooms every day.
“This success for the school is amazing, everyday we have teachers talking to us about the game and how
they will keep watching us and hoping we go a long way,” Zackery said. “I’m telling you, everybody really wishes the best for every single person on this team. Also even when not at school, in the community and around town people are talking about it, saying how they have been seeing the excellence. It’s truly an amazing feeling knowing that many people are watching us and wishing us the best.”
Zackery said Hyllberg has made a big difference in the program.
“He came in with the mindset that we will work hard every day no matter if it’s practice or a game. He pushes us to do the best that we can, and that’s what he wants.”
Team manager Zach Kramer has seen the intensity and desire for winning since day one this season, and he says Hyllberg connects with the guys.
“Coach always likes to keep up the intensity and tries to help each and every one of our guys become better,” Kramer said. “I knew there was gonna be something special about this team, and what we’ve accomplished all season has been truly a blast for me.”
“And what really sticks out to me is that we’re all one big family and we always stick up for each other each and every day on and off the court. I think we’re a great group of guys that never want to give up, and it’s awesome to see how much these guys want to work, and it really has paid off.”
Williams said the family feel is real, and sticking together has led to big things.
“We’re all here for each other, we don’t have little groups or clicks, nothing different from our regular families,” he said.
Williams and the Falcons have won 11 straight games, and he said they have talked about making state. But it will take a near-perfect performance to knock off D2’s No. 4 team, Waunakee.
“We don’t want to look too far ahead,” Williams said. “We have to play our game and play smart. No turnovers, we have play like we played against Wilmot. Playing smart will help us advance.”
Warriors have winning pedigree
Advancing won’t be easy, as the Warriors are the defending Division 2 state runners-up and are 13-1 in their last 14 games.
Much like Westosha’s postseason dominance, Waunakee (23-2) has won its three playoff games by an average of 25 points.
The Warriors captured the Badger Conference North Division at 12-0 and feature leading scorers Mitch Listau at 22.5 points per game and Mason Steffen, who averages 13.9.
Listau is a left-handed 6-foot-3 junior who is a threat from anywhere on the court, as he can shoot from outside and drive to the hoop. He’s received Division 1 college scholarship offers from Elon, Green Bay, Milwaukee, South Dakota State, Toledo and Wright State, according to Wissports.net.
Hyllberg believes the Falcons can succeed, if all the ingredients come together on Saturday.
“We got one day to prepare,” said Hyllberg said. “If we come out, have confidence, make some shots and play defense, our chances are as good as anyone.”
Brinkman agreed, adding the Falcons have to come out determined.
“We just got to play better than them, hustle, I feel confident no matter who we play,” said Brinkman.
Waunakee features three strong guards, and back-court play is perhaps the most important ingredient in high school basketball success.
But Williams, Zackery and Frederick are three guards with size who can all score and defend well. Off the bench, guard Adam Simmons adds a high-energy element on both sides of the floor.
And Brinkman and Lucas Graveley provide size and rebounding, along with Brinkman’s stretch-4 ability as an outside shooter.
Gilliland and Dylan Anderson are solid role players.
One could argue the Badger Conference is superior to the SLC, as the Lakes doesn’t have much of a pedigree in high school boys basketball. DeForest, Mount Horeb, Waunakee, Stoughton and Monona Grove have all reached the state tournament in the last 10 years.
You’d have to go back to 2008 for the last SLC state qualifier and all the way back to 1991 for a state champion (Wilmot).
Yes, the odds are stacked against Central, but the Falcons have beaten Division 1 opponents Kenosha Tremper and Kenosha Bradford this season. However, the Warriors have a more impressive nonconference resume with wins over Franklin, Madison La Follette and Wauwatosa East.
And what about mutual opponents?
There’s only one, Burlington, and Waunakee beat the Demons, 66-34.
Westosha beat Burlington by six in Burlington and lost to the Demons by six in Paddock Lake in overtime.
“Waunakee will dictate how their opponent plays,” said Berezowitz, whose Demons have battled both teams this season. “They are long and athletic and can score in multiple ways. Of course you have to shoot well to beat them, but somehow you have to make them uncomfortable on both ends of the floor.”
The beautiful thing about the postseason is momentum. Who’s the hotter team right now?
Both teams are equally hot, and what could push this one over the edge is the location.
Middleton High School is only 15 minutes from Waunakee, yet it’s nearly two hours from Falcon country.
You couldn’t make this a neutral site at Janesville Craig to even the playing field, WIAA?
In most cases, this would assure a larger crowd for Waunakee, but Westosha easily has the best and most well-traveled student section in the area.
The Falcons’ best chance at victory is another strong start and continued ball-hawking, half-court trap defense to set up fast breaks and take advantage of their athleticism.
Do yourself a favor and make the trip to Middleton tomorrow, as there is nothing quite like high school March Madness with the highest of stakes – a state tournament berth – on the line.
Zackery knows Waunakee is good, but he said the Falcons won’t back down.
“We know they are a very good team, but that won’t stop us from coming out more confident then ever with a high level mentality,” he said. “We just have to keep playing how we’ve been playing and come together as one and play how we know how to. That’s why we have been playing so good. We all came together as a team and got the mindset that we can go farther then many expected.”
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