Blair’s versatility, leadership lands her top spot
With the girls basketball season ending last weekend in Green Bay, it’s time to reflect on a winter to remember.
First off, I have to say congratulations to one of our Southern Lakes Newspapers teams, the Whitewater Whippets, on their first state championship.
Much like the Whippets, the Waterford girls hoops squad enjoyed a special season.
This is my second all-area basketball team, and it features players from Burlington, Waterford, Union Grove and Catholic Central high schools.
Since you’re only talking about 20 starters and around 50 total players, I had to be very careful when making my picks and make sure spots weren’t just given away.
That’s why the following 2015 All-Area Girls Basketball team only has 10 players, five on the actual team and five honorable mention.
These 10 dazzled on the court both individually and as team players. Their skills made teammates better, and their passion for the game was evident.
Waterford received extra-special consideration, and rightfully so. The Wolverines were by far the best team in the area with a 23-3 record, and their senior class was a special group of ballers.
Not only did statistics play a factor in determining who made it, but team record was also huge.
Stay tuned to next week’s Standard Press, Waterford Post and Westine Report for the Boys Basketball All-Area team.
First team
Player of the year
Madison Blair, senior, Waterford
By far the best all-around player in the area, Blair can do it all on the basketball court.
Madison knocked down the big 3-pointers, put the ball on the floor and drove with both hands, passed to the open shooter and rebounded with her length and athleticism.
Blair averaged 16.8 points per game to lead the area, and she helped put the Wolverines on her back to come back and win a Division 2 sectional semifinal game.
Blair added 5.4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.4 blocks and 2.8 steals per contest.
The Southern Lakes Conference player of the year hit 41 percent from beyond the arc, 77 percent from the line and 44 percent from the floor, unheard-of numbers for a high school player.
With 1,262 points, Blair became the all-time leading scorer in school history, surpassing Beth (Greil) Letto.
Madison was the best player on the best team, and she showed it with a smile on her face.
At the same time, she carries a 4.113 grade-point average and is third in her class of 270.
“She was the leader of our team both vocally and by example,” said Waterford coach Dena Brechtl. “Her passion for the game is evident, as she is often one of the first girls to enter the gym and one of the first to leave.”
“Coaching a student-athlete as impressive as Madison has truly been an honor.”
Check out this week’s Waterford Post for a feature story on Blair.
Ellen Stang, senior, Burlington
The only player to average a double-double in Racine County, Stang’s 16 points and 11.8 rebounds per game didn’t always come easy.
The 5-foot-10, relentless Blair never stops hustling on the court. She scratches and claws for every loose ball and often scores amidst a host of opponents down low.
This season, Stang made a huge dent in the record books.
She is the only Demon ever with 300 points and 300 rebounds in a season. Also, Stang was the only Division 1 player to average more than 15 points and 10 rebounds per game.
A first team all-county and all-conference selection, Stang will play in the WBCA All-Star game this summer.
Finally, she finished her storied career as the ninth-leading scorer in Burlington history and the second-leading rebounder.
Stang totaled 15 double-doubles this season, and she scored 20 points or more five times.
“Her athleticism and unmatched work ethic made it impossible to guard her and box her out,” said Burlington coach Mary Parker. “She was willing to do whatever it took to help her team be successful.”
Jenna Bouffiou, senior, Waterford
Second in the area in assists per game with 4.0, Bouffiou was always hitting the clutch 3-pointer and running the offense.
Named first team all-conference, Bouffiou was a stat stuffer with 7.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3.4 steals (led area) and 1 block per game.
Waterford was lethal from three-point range this season, and Bouffiou often found the open shooter with ease.
“She decreased her turnovers per game and had very good control of the game,” said Brechtl. “Her unselfish play is something we’re going to miss next year. Defensively, she always gave her all and caused much havoc on the court for other teams.”
Tiffany Stiewe, senior, Waterford
The hard-charging Stiewe was third in the area with 11.3 points per game, and she has an innate ability to get to the rim and score in traffic.
She also provided 4.2 rebounds per contest.
A second-team all-conference pick, Stiewe suffered a knee injury during the 2014 postseason, but she stormed back to help lead the Wolverines to the sectional final.
Stiewe was an emotional leader on the court during the team’s strong playoff run this season.
“Tiffany was great for us this year,” Brechtl said. “Her ability to get to the rim and score is the best in the area and an aspect that our team benefitted from greatly. Offensively, she could always give us a boost when needed.”
Shauna Malchine, senior, Waterford
One of the better perimeter shooters in the area, Malchine came up with the game-winning layup in the team’s sectional semifinal victory and led the girls in scoring in the sectional final.
A 32-percent shooter from long distance, Malchine could also drive to the bucket with tons of skill. She averaged 9.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per contest.
The Wolverines’ shooting guard ran the floor better than just about anybody.
She was a second team all-SLC selection.
“Shauna is an extremely athletic young lady,” Brechtl said. “She really stepped her game up this year, not just offensively but defensively. Shauna often guarded the other team’s best player.”
Honorable mention
Sara Hartl, senior, Union Grove
The leading scorer on the Broncos this season, Hartl could fill it up from outside better than anyone in the area.
Her 59 made three-pointers were tops in the area and were a Union Grove school record.
Hartl averaged 12.9 points per game.
For her efforts, Hartl earned first team all-conference honors.
Jordan Weidner, senior, Union Grove
We go from the most prolific outside shooter to the top passer in the area.
Weidner was a true point guard for the 20-4 Lady Broncos, dishing the rock to the open player despite fighting through tight windows.
She averaged 9.1 points, good for third on the team, and 4.4 assists, the best mark in the area.
Hartl also tallied 2.3 steals per contest.
A four-year player on varsity, Weidner earned second team all-conference.
Frankie Pettit, junior, Union Grove
Voted by her teammates as Most Valuable Player, Pettit led the Broncos with 203 rebounds, an average of 8.5 per game. That’s the second-best average in the area.
Pettit added 8.6 points per game and led the team in blocks and added 24 3-pointers.
“She was the player on the floor that does everything for us (ie rebound, bring the ball up, post up down low, make 3’s, etc),” said Union Grove coach Rob Domagalski.
Pettit earned second team all-conference honors.
Jessa Burling, freshman, Burlington
Burlington’s version of Scottie Pippen, Jessa did everything for the Lady Demons.
Only a freshman, the 5-foot-7 point guard used her skill and athleticism to drive the ball to the hoop and defend the other team’s best player.
She led the Demons and the area in steals (3.8) and assists (3.2), and was the team’s second-leading scorer with 8.7 points per game.
Burling added 4.6 rebounds per contest.
An honorable mention all-SLC pick, Burling has a bright future.
“Jessa is a tremendous athlete, which makes her a very versatile player,” Parker said. “She can use her size to take advantage of mismatches on the offensive end and to cause havoc for the girl she’s guarding. Her basketball IQ is very high, which is what you need in a point guard.”
Bridget Bittman, sophomore, Catholic Central
The lone Topper on the All-Area squad, Bittman was the quarterback on the floor for Catholic Central.
She led the team in every category except rebounding. Bridget was able to handle the ball, run the offense and put the biscuit in the basket.
Bittman averaged 10.3 points per game, including 33 3-pointers (37 percent) from beyond the arc. She was deadly at the foul line, where she shot 65 percent.
Bittman’s biggest moment was scoring 23 points in the team’s playoff loss, which featured a game-tying bucket with less than a minute to play.
“She provided consistency throughout the season,” said coach Suzy Bittman. “In addition to her skillful offensive output, Bridget plays tenacious, quick defense and was often matched against an opponent’s best player and consistently kept them below their scoring average.”
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