Listen to what senior guard Anna Butzlaff had to say.
"When we won conference, people said the Greater Metro Conference was down this year. When we won the sectional, people said it was an easy sectional. When we beat Marshfield at state, people said they weren’t that good a team. No, we never got the credit we deserved."
The Lady Lancers finished with a 19-6 record, including a 12-2 mark in the GMC, one game ahead of pre-season co-favorite Divine Savior Holy Angels. They had winning streaks of seven, six and four games and played well to win the sectional, rallying to beat good Franklin and Muskego teams.
In our CNI Girls Basketball Poll, the Lady Lancers worked their way to third and then second after beating Franklin (14-9) and Muskego (16-5), two teams which were ranked ahead of them all year, behind No. 1 Oak Creek (21-4). Even though Oak Creek lost in the first round to the same Oshkosh West team that beat Central, while the Lady Lancers advanced, the Knights (21-4) still edged out Central for the top spot in the final poll, 28 points to 26 points, because of a better record I assume.
After the boys lost at state March 7, instead of staying to watch Saturday’s title game, they voted to come back home and go cheer the girls on.
"Coach (Mark) Adams brought the team back and supported us which I thought was a great gesture on his part. When I got here (to state) six to seven of our boys players were down there in the front row supporting us."
Then Wandrey hit on a sensitive point.
"That means a lot to our kids and we just want everyone to know we play girls basketball at Central too."
Outside of the parents, family members and friends of the girls on the team, not many students know there is a girls team. I realize when there is a conflict with the boys games the girls aren’t going to win because of the Lancers’ success. But the size of the crowd at the state tournament was embarrassing for a school Central’s size.
One of the state tournament television announcers made the comment "That the Lady Lancers don’t travel well." But they didn’t travel well to their own gym this season.
I do want to emphasize this shouldn’t reflect on the parents, family and friends who did show up. The quality was fine, but the quantity wasn’t. But don’t let this take away from an excellent season.
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See a more detailed column and state tournament coverage in Thursday's BrookfieldNOW.
Whether you agree with me or not, feel free to leave a comment.
And always be a hit and have a ball.
