Sky's the Limit

If you have seen the Brookfield East girls' offense lying around somewhere, please give basketball coach Tara Schmitt a call.

The Lady Spartans, who were sitting pretty in the Greater Metro Conference race just a week ago with a 4-1 record, have dropped two straight games to West Allis schools, scoring 28 and 35 points in losses to Central and Hale. Tuesday night they have a huge game with first-place Brookfield Central.

What makes East's loss to Hale particularly galling, it snapped a 21-game GMC losing streak for the Huskies, going back to Feb. 10, 2006. Trailing, 36-33, with seconds remaining, Schmitt called time-out, hoping to get a game-tying 3-point attempt from Ashley Yttre. Schmitt also had a back-up plan if Yttre was covered, tossing the ball inside instead and then hoping for a kickback out for another 3-point try.

Yttre was covered, the ball went inside, and instead of kicking the ball back out, the player tossed in a two-point bucket as time expired.

Please keep all sharp instruments away from Schmitt.

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Brookfield Central's Cory Degner, who scored 53 points in wins over Marquette (23) and Menomonee Falls (30), has impressed Tosa East coach Tim Arndorfer.

"If I had to vote for the conference's player of the year - and not take one of my players - I would think it would have to be Cory Degner right now. He does everything for that team."

Forced to play point guard to start the year, Degner runs the offense, hits 3-pointers, drives to the basket, hits free throws and comes through whenever the Lancers need a big bucket. He even finds time to play defense.

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Speaking of the Red Raiders, Tosa East has beaten the last three opponents by 32, 24 and 29 points, using a good defense to get easy offensive points.

But coach Tim Arndorfer and his staff - looking down the road against Brookfield Central and West Allis Hale, as well as to the post-season because the Red Raiders play in the sectional from hell - keep focusing on the half-court offense. Against good teams, Tosa East is going to have to be disciplined enough to score half-court points as well.

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If you know Tosa West girls basketball coach Mike Pietrowiak, he could win a game 50-0 and still find something wrong. But I thought I saw a hint of a smile the other day after the Trojans won their third straight game and fourth in six tries.

Pietrowiak plays only two seniors - Ellen Coleman and Anastasia Williams - a lot of minutes and relies on three sophomores and two juniors most of the time. If the Trojans continue to improve, Pietrowiak will have to work on that smiley face more often.

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Agree or disagree, don't be afraid to let me know.

Until later in the week, remember to always be a hit and have a ball. 

With most athletes off until later this week because of exam week, let's take a look at some highlights from the past week in Brookfield and Wauwatosa prep sports.

Wauwatosa East's 160-pounder Nick Morin became the all-time winningest wrestler in Tosa history by winning four matches last week (103-34). He surpassed Jake Benedict's 102 victories from 2001-05.

DSHA basketball coach Scott Witt felt as if his team lost the Greater Metro Conference title last Friday when the young Brookfield Central Lady Lancers beat the pre-season favorite Dashers, 45-38. "They (BC) have to lose two games and I don't think that's going to happen," Witt said. "I think it's between us and Brookfield East for second place."

The young Lancers only have two seniors in the top seven of their rotation and junior Joana Bielefeld (11.5 PPG) and sophomore Erin Lueder (12.5) are two of the GMC's top players. But that won't stop Dan Wandrey from worrying, because Central's head coach is the GMC's version of Lou Holtz.

Tosa West's Jesse Zeisse was inserted into the starting lineup for Andrea Kwak last week, when Kwak missed a practice. The results worked out great for both girls. Zeisse scored nine points in a win over Greenfield and then Kwak scored 10 in a double overtime win over Whitnall including four in the second overtime.

Brookfield Central handed Wauwatosa East a 53-51 loss on Jan. 15 and pulled into a first-place tie with the state-ranked Red Raiders. A couple things came out of this game. The key to the game was Central's discipline in their half-court offense, as the Lancers didn't fall apart after East rallied from a 10-point deficit. Central ran time off the clock in the final minutes, looking for a lay-up. Unsung hero Mitch Aprahamian was at the top of the key when he whipped a pass to Luke Duckett driving to the basket for a lay-up and the win.

The Central scoreboard had a short circuit (or something), because it went out a few minutes before the start of the second half, in the third quarter and then with two minutes left to play. When East's Tony Walls grabbed a loose ball and called time-out while flying out of bounds there was then a few seconds of controversy over whether the clock expired.

Tosa East's Hannah Weinberg-Kinsey has averaged 11.3 PPG, scoring 16, 8 and 10 points since breaking the middle finger on her shooting hand. She improved her scoring over three points per game. There is no truth to the rumor coach Rob Hamill is thinking of having the rest of his squad wear similiar splints.

After starting the season with 13 straight losses the co-op team of Wauwatosa East/West/New Berlin Eisenhower/West/Whitnall (now that's a mouthful) won their first hockey game, 6-2, over Oconomowc on Saturday.

Wauwatosa East boys basketball team plays three games this week, two against "rivals."

The Red Raiders (6-0, 11-0) travel to Brookfield Central tonight (4-1, 8-3) to face the Lancers, who next to Marquette, are Tosa East's biggest Greater Metro Conference rival. When Tosa East plays the Hilltoppers, it is no secret that there is not a lot of love between the teams (in most sports), despite the politically correct quotes the coaches give out.

But when Brookfield Central and Tosa East meet, there is a rivalry that drips with respect.

"Sure they (Red Raiders) are one of our rivals," said Central coach Mark Adams, who also deals with crosstown rival Brookfield East, "but it is a 'good' rivalry, a 'favorable' one. There is a respect we have for each other."

Usually when you look at the GMC standings every year, it's Tosa East, Marquette and the Lancers battling for the top spot. Thus the establishment of a rivalry with those three teams, more so than with some of the others in the conference.

"Traditionally Brookfield Central always stood out," Tosa East coach Tim Arndorfer said. "I enjoy the excitement of going to Central and them coming here. When you play them the first time, you know you will see them again. Beyond Marquette, Brookfield Central has the competitive history in this conference, always pushing for the top. You want to get the upper hand on your rival. There is great talent coming out of both schools and it (the rivalry) is expanding to other sports."

After battling with George Haas for years, the veteran Adams will be matching wits with Arndorfer this week, something Arndorfer is looking forward to.

 "On a personal level, to coach against someone like Mark Adams, well I'm looking forward to that. I hope to run a quality program like Mark does. They do it the right way."

After facing Central Tuesday and Hamilton Friday, the annual battle of Tosa takes place this year at East on Saturday. Once again, like it or not, this is a game that means more to West than East, but means the most to the city.

Former coaches Haas and West's Brian Rusk started the rivalry again a few years back and it is a fun night and the gym will be packed Saturday night and it doesn't matter that East is on top of the GMC and West is near the bottom of the Woodland Conference North.

It will be West first-year coach Mike Landisch, a coach with ties with both schools, first time on the sidelines running the show for the Trojans.

This is a different rivalry than the Brookfield Central one, but it is a game that should always be played.

Agree with me or not, don't be afraid to comment.

And remember, always be a hit and have a ball.

I had a chance to see West Allis Hale's 54-53 victory over previously unbeaten (in the GMC) Brookfield Central Tuesday night and I think Huskie center Rick Wagner did Wauwatosa East a favor, sort of.

Wagner scored 20 points to spark the Huskies' upset of the Lancers (3-1) and moved Hale into a second-place tie in the Greater Metro Conference behind unbeaten Tosa East (5-0, 10-0). Wthout a doubt, he is the best big man I have seen so far this season.

At 6-foot, 8 inches tall - and I'm guessing at least 250 pounds, Wagner looked imposing, but moved well for a player his size and showed an excellent touch from 8-10 feet. It's not often you see a player of that size have a slam dunk and a 3-point shot in the same game.

He literally took over the game in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of his team's 13 points in the comeback win. He had two more points than Central did and half of his 20 points for the game in the fourth period. Hale coach Scott Pritzl called the win his most important one since he took over as head coach a few years back.

Wagner not only handed Central it's first conference loss to help out the Red Raiders, but with the win, Tosa East coach Tim Arndorfer doesn't have to worry about his team overlooking the Huskies when they come to Tosa Friday night.

Thanks to Mr. Wagner.

How did this happen? In Tuesday's 50-42 win at Waukesha South, the Red Raiders scored zero (0) points in the second period. I wonder what the odds of that were? East should be able to score a basket by accident if the Blackshirts played 10 guys against them. Tony Walls played his first gameof the year for the Red Raiders, scoring one point. Welcome back T.

Feel free to send me your comments and until my next blog...

 Remember to always be a hit and have a ball!

Based on a couple things that happened over the weekend, the Greater Metro Conference race may include more than just preseason favorites Menomonee Falls and Divine Savior Holy Angels.

It looks like the talented Indians (3-1, 6-1) may be without the best player in the league (Janelle Gabrielsen) the rest of the way. The word going around the league this weekend is that Gabrielsen, who was suffering from what was believed to be shin splits, actually has fractures in her ankles, and will have surgery now so she will be able to honor her volleyball scholarship in the fall. The talented Indians will still be a force, but anyone missing a talent like Janelle is losing a lot.

DSHA (3-1, 6-3), the only team to beat the Indians, was stunned in overtime last Friday by a deep Brookfield East team (2-1, 4-4), that has balance, an excellent point guard (Vanessa Brown) and an improving 6-5 sophomore center by the name of Marley Blood. The Lady Spartans need to be more consistent to prove they are a threat, but by beating the deep and talented Dashers, show what they are capable of doing.

Meanwhile on the other side of Brookfield, Central played with seven players and beat West Allis Hale, and took over first place (3-0, 4-3) in the conference. There is no doubt that in Cara Lauritzen, Joana Bielefeld and Erin Lueder, that coach Dan Wandrey can call on three scorers who are averaging double figures. Plus Anna Butzlaff is a solid point guard and Jesse Thomas and Kate Sandstrom add some height to a good front line. The Lady Lancers are athletic, talented but in experienced, so a lot will depend on how fast they learn as the season goes on.

If anyone takes West Allis Central and Iesha Barkley (17.3) and Lauren Hibbard lightly, they will find themselves in for a long night.

And although Hamilton, West Allis Hale and Wauwatosa East has one conference win among them, the Chargers have four players scoring 7.0 or more points a game; the Huskies have sharp-shooting Emily Grayson and the Red Raiders have a solid 1-2 punch in Margaret Panter and Hannah Weinberg-Kinsey, both averaging over 8.0 ppg.

The GMC race may indeed turn into a race with more than two horses.

If you agree or not, don't be afraid to leave a comment.

And always, remember, be a hit and have a ball!