Rockets earn share of FVA girls basketball crown and other takeaways from the past week in high school sports
NEENAH − It has been more than a decade since the Neenah girls basketball team captured the Fox Valley Association title.
The Rockets ended that drought Friday with their 67-47 victory over Hortonville at Ron Einerson Fieldhouse. The win improved Neenah to 21-1 overall and 16-1 in the FVA and clinched at least a share of the conference crown. A win against Oshkosh North this week or a Hortonville loss over its final two league games will allow Neenah to win the title outright.
Neenah junior Allie Ziebell was sensational, finishing with 36 points including a 16-for-16 performance from the free throw line, in the win over the Polar Bears. Neenah last won the FVA in 2009-10, when it shared the title with Oshkosh West.
The win came on alumni night as the program honored former players in a ceremony before the game. That included Jean Kessler, who was the school's first girls basketball coach and started the program. She was also the school's all-time wins leader in girls basketball until current head coach Andy Braunel passed her recently.
"I almost felt like it wasn’t right," Braunel said about passing Kessler. "She founded the program and she created the program and got them to state. They were runner-up twice, won state once and won conference like six straight years. I shouldn’t pass someone like that. So to (win) with her here, yeah, that’s special."
Ziebell said it was special to get a share of the title with so many former Neenah greats at Ron Einerson Fieldhouse.
“It was super cool with all the alumni being here just to carry on their legacy that they left here and also to see future generations,” she said. “This win was just huge for us and it was a great atmosphere.”
Winneconne's Perry clears 1,000 points
Winneconne's Joey Perry eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career in a 48-46 loss to New London on Jan. 25. The 5-foot-4 Perry surpassed the mark on a jumper from inside the free throw line. She finished with 21 points.
Perry is averaging 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Wolves, who are 10-12 overall and in fourth place in the East Central Conference.
Ghosts lead area teams at wrestling regionals
The Kaukauna wrestling team won a WIAA Division 1 regional title Saturday and crowned seven individual champions.
Lucas Peters (126 pounds), Bryan Winans (132), Greyson Clark (138), Connor Smith (145), Liam Crook (160), Judah Hammen (170) and Drew Wendzicki (182) captured individual titles for the Ghosts.
Kaukauna, which finished with 257 points, will compete in the team sectional at Slinger on Tuesday.
Congrats to Kaukauna Wrestling on winning the 2023 WIAA Regional Tournament today! The Ghosts had 7 individual champions! Up next is the Team Sectional on Tuesday @ Slinger HS. Then next week Sat. is the Individual Sectional @ ON! Way to go, Ghosts 👻🤼♂️💪🏻👏🏻! pic.twitter.com/qCmh8xfKJm
— Kaukauna Ghosts (@KaukaunaGhosts) February 11, 2023
Freedom, Winneconne teams advance in D2: Freedom won the Oconto Falls regional with 306.5 points. The Irish also had seven champions.
Peter Tomazevic (120), Nathan Vande Hey (145), Tucker Brockman (160), Jack Van Rossum (170), Patrick Moore (182), Trent Feucht (195) and Hunter Vander Heiden (285) won titles for Freedom.
Winneconne scored 242 points to win the Portage regional with Brody Hart (138) its lone champion.
Shiocton dominates in D3: Shiocton scored 319 points and had six individual champions at the Weyauwega-Fremont regional.
Mason Demerath (106), Jordan Jahnke (132), Blake Carton (138), Dylan Herb (160), Brad Demerath (170) and Dion Helser (182) won titles for the Chiefs.
Zephyrs make move in Big East
The St. Mary Catholic boys basketball team is one game behind Howards Grove for a share of the Big East Conference lead.
The Zephyrs beat Howards Grove 64-63 on Friday, rallying from a 58-51 deficit with three minutes remaining. Cole Uhlenbrauck had 25 points and 12 rebounds, with Fisher MacKenzie adding 17 points.
Charlie Nackers' basket in the closing seconds proved to be the deciding score.
The win improves SMC to 19-2 overall and 14-2 in the Big East-North, a game behind Howards Grove (19-2, 15-1). SMC finishes its conference slate at Manitowoc Lutheran on Tuesday, at Reedsville on Friday and at home against Hilbert on Feb. 23.
Howards Grove's final three Big East-North games are at Hilbert on Tuesday before back-to-back home games against Mishicot on Friday and Reedsville on Feb. 23.
Livestream preview: Little Chute, Fox Valley Lutheran clash for NEC title
Fox Valley Lutheran travels to Little Chute on Friday in a battle of North Eastern Conference boys basketball heavyweights that will determine the conference champion. USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin will livestream the game with the trio of Brett Christopherson, Ricardo Arguello and Jim Rosandick on the call. Start time is 7 p.m. on postcrescent.com, the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin YouTube channel or on Facebook at facebook.com/postcrescent.
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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Neenah Rockets earn share of FVA girls basketball title
