Neenah boys basketball championship leads top high school sports stories in 2022
Everything seemed to come together for the Neenah boys basketball team in 2022.
The Rockets overcame early challenges, including the loss of one of their top players, to not only win the Fox Valley Association but traverse a tough playoff road en route to the WIAA Division 1 state championship.
Neenah beat Racine Case 60-52 in the state semifinal before knocking off Brookfield Central 64-52 in the title game at the Kohl Center in March. It was the Rockets' first state title since 1978 and their 28th state appearance. It was also Neenah's fourth title overall (1930, 1975).
More:Neenah whips Brookfield Central to win WIAA Division 1 boys basketball state championship
The Rockets' epic run to the state title was the top high school sports story in the Post-Crescent coverage area for 2022.
Here are 11 other top stories, in no particular order.
Freedom, Kaukauna win softball titles
Winning a state softball championship was a first-time experience for Freedom. For Kaukauna, it was another title to an already impressive trophy case.
Freedom scored a run in extra innings to hold on to a 5-4 victory over Jefferson to win the WIAA Division 2 state championship at Goodman Diamond in Madison. It was the first state softball title for the Irish.
Kaukauna routed Sun Prairie 11-3 in securing a repeat Division 1 title and the fourth in the past 12 years (2017, 2010). The Ghosts have a 51-game winning streak and have a strong nucleus of players returning for a possible three-peat.
WIAA holds first state girls wrestling tournament
The WIAA expanded its roster of sports to include girls wrestling in 2020 and the first state tournament was held in La Crosse in late January. Twelve champions were crowned in various weight classes with New London's Hailie Krueger finishing first at 145 pounds. Sophia Galoff of Brillion was second at 138 with Winneconne's Arial Haemmerle third at 185.
More:First WIAA state girls wrestling tournament 'exciting' experience for athletes
The WIAA updated the logistics of the girls state tournament this past year as well, and it will now be held concurrently with the boys individual state tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison in February.
Prominent girls basketball coaches step down
There were several top girls basketball coaches who stepped away from the sidelines this past season, including three in the Fox Valley Association.
Hortonville's Celeste Ratka, Appleton East's Joe La Chapell and Kimberly's Troy Cullen all decided to step down from their respective head coaching positions. Wrightstown's Mike Froehlke also resigned as head coach of the Tigers' girls team.
The four coaches combined for eight state tournament appearances.
Controversial traveling call mars Neenah, Hortonville sectional semifinal
A controversial traveling call near the end of a Division 1 girls basketball sectional semifinal between Hortonville and Neenah took the spotlight in an unfortunate fashion.
Polar Bears standout point guard Kamy Peppler was called for traveling with 20 seconds remaining in the game on March 3. Hortonville trailed Neenah 62-60 at the time and it appeared the traveling call was questionable. The Hortonville players and bench, including then-coach Ratka, pleaded their case that Peppler was attempting to call a timeout but to no avail. Ratka was whistled for a technical foul in the aftermath and Neenah would eventually prevail 65-60.
Neenah would fall to Appleton East in the subsequent sectional final, an East team that Hortonville had defeated twice in the Fox Valley Association regular season.
Clark, Kaukauna win state wrestling titles
It was championship gold for the Kaukauna wrestling team at the individual and team state tournaments.
The Ghosts had standout wrestler Greyson Clark capture his third individual Division 1 state title, winning the 138-pound championship.
More:No. 1 Kaukauna wrestling team beats Holmen to repeat as the Division 1 state champion
A week later, the Ghosts topped Holmen 35-24 to win their second consecutive Division 1 state team title and sixth title overall.
Xavier wins D2 volleyball championship
The Xavier girls volleyball team was one of the top squads in the state all season and proved it when it mattered most at the WIAA state championships at the Resch Center in November.
The Hawks swept Bloomer in the Division 2 state semifinal before beating Sauk Prairie 3-1 in the championship match, beating the Eagles 25-21, 25-23, 15-25, 25-16.
More:Xavier Hawks capture first WIAA girls volleyball state championship
It was the first WIAA state title for the Xavier volleyball program. Halle Vande Hey led the Hawks with 15 kills in the title match with Madison Daley adding 14 kills and seven digs. Annika Kowalski also had 10 kills and eight digs with Belle Shea contributing 24 digs. Mariah Potter also had 42 assists and 14 digs.
Neenah's Ziebell has breakthrough year
Neenah basketball standout Allie Ziebell took her game to another level her sophomore season. She led the state in scoring for 2021-22 (30.2 points) and also averaged 7.9 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.9 assists.
Her fantastic play led to a No. 5 ranking nationally as a 2024 recruit. Ziebell also competed for a spot on the 2022 USA Basketball WU17 national team during the summer. She had a plethora of Division I offers that included UW-Green Bay, Illinois State, Marquette, UW-Milwaukee, Montana State, Oklahoma, St. Thomas (Minn.), Texas Tech, Toledo, Wisconsin and Xavier. On Dec. 3, Ziebell verbally committed to Connecticut. The Huskies are arguably the nation's top collegiate women's basketball program.
Kimberly football team reclaims state glory
The Kimberly Papermakers climbed back atop the Division 1 state football mountain this past fall. The Papermakers, under first-year head coach Chad Michalkiewicz, beat Mukwonago 34-30 in the state championship game at Camp Randall Stadium in November.
More:Late touchdown lifts Kimberly to Division 1 high school football state championship
It was the Papermakers' eighth state title and first since 2017. That title came on the back end of a five-year title run that included a state-record 70-game win streak.
Stingles, Fritsch and Smith shine at state track
The Stingle family of Shiocton and two area boys throwers won multiple titles at the state track and field meet in early June.
Cade Stingle won Division 3 boys titles in the 110-meter and 300 hurdles, with sister Kendal capturing the 300-meter girls hurdles title.
Hortonville's Ben Smith won the Division 1 shot put and discus titles, and Little Chute's Gavin Fritsch claimed the D2 shot put and discus crowns.
In the team competition, the Kimberly boys team was state runner-up in Division 1 with Freedom the same in Division 2 girls.
Appleton East girls reach state title game
It was 24 years since the Appleton East girls basketball team had been to the WIAA state tournament. That changed in March when the Patriots qualified for the Division 1 state semifinals after beating Neenah 57-36 in a sectional final.
Led by Marquette commit Emily La Chapell, Appleton East beat Brookfield East 44-40 in the semifinals before dropping a 66-47 decision to Kettle Moraine in the state championship game.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Neenah boys basketball title leads top high school sports stories
