Sky's the Limit

The high school football season officially kicks off Thursday night and in the Brookfield-Wauwatosa area that means Wauwatosa East does the honors, hosting Milwaukee Riverside.

As usual, the Red Raiders have to stay healthy to be effective as coach Tom Swittel has some outstanding skill players to rely on. Quarterback Ethan Harris and wide receiver Barret Powell, one of the best athletes in the area, should make an exciting combination this year. And Tyler Love and Mike Cupertino give Harris someone to hand off to.

The other three local high schools get into action Friday night, with Wauwatosa West hosting Cudahy as new head coach Matt Good makes his debut, playing a Woodland Conference game in the redone Woodland football conference. With Shorewood/Messmer dropping out, there is no longer a North and South Division, just once combined conference.

Which means teams won't play a balanced schedule. For example for the next two seasons, the Trojans won't play Brown Deer or Whitnall.  Sounds like the Big 10, doesn't it.  West's Good summed up the situation the best when he said "It is what it is."

The other new coach in town is Sal Logue, who moves from Brookfield Central to crosstown rival East. Logue, who is a teacher at both schools, will try and rebuilt the Spartans, who were 9-2 four years ago. Logue makes his debut at Waukesha South on Friday. Skylar Holden will start at QB for East (can't go wrong with a name like Sky) and Joey Woppert, the master of intensity, will get a whole lot of touches at running back this season.

Brookfield Central, one of the top contenders in the Greater Metro Conference, opens with Waterford at Central Friday night. Hall of Fame coach Doug Lange has lost all 11 starters on offense last year, but only one on defense. So Central will look for the defense to take control as the offense, behind quarterback Jack Korslin and a solid running back committee, gets its feet wet.

Are you ready for some football?  I am.

Be a hit and have a ball.

This is a down time for high school sports in Brookfield and Wauwatosa, as we take a deep breath before getting ready to cover 45 fall teams. Each of the schools I cover in Brookfield, Tosa and Shorewood have nine sports for the five schools. It is the most difficult time of the year for our staff and we couldn't get through it without the cooperation of the coaches and their staffs, since one reporter couldn't possibly cover 45 teams without help.

So with the high school off, let's look at some area professional sports topics...

Like a lot of people I am so sick and tired of the Brett Favre situation. I am sick of people thinking Brett Favre can decide whenever he wants to play or not play and the Packers should just put everything on hold and welcome him back. Some people have actually said all he has to do is show up on the first day of practice and that should be enough for the Packers. He shouldn't have to go to minicamps or OTA's. People, wise up!The NFL is a business and people need to make decisions and move from there.

I am also fed up with the "fans" (I can't use the word I want to describe these people in a family blog) who say "I will buy a Vikings No. 4 jersey and cheer for Brett to beat the Packers" if the scenario works out that way. Folks, you can do that, but please don't claim you are a Packer fan or even care about the home team. You are a Favre fan, and that's fine, but you no long qualify as a Packer fan. It is not brain surgery.

Here's my favorite one. "I will turn in my Packer tickets if they don't take Favre back."  There's an intelligent comment. There are 50,000 people on a waiting list hoping you do such a thing. Way to threaten the Packers organization. I will tell you what you can do. Come on over to the office and I will buy your tickets. I will be happy to take them off your hands. Believe me, I'm not holding my breath.

It has been a while since a player has been in such a pressure-packed situation like Aaron Rodgers is now. And he can thank No. 4 for that. Here is hoping the real Packer fans have some patience and support the first-year starter.

----

I made a prediction BEFORE the Brewers-Cubs series that the Cubbies would take three of four games from the locals. I was wrong, of course, because they swept the series. As a baseball person (not as a fan) I watched the Cubs hitters work the count, hit to the opposite field, and then watched the Brewers' all or nothing offense.  Manager Ned Yost said the other day, "We are what we are," and they proved it in that series.

Outside of Ryan Braun (.302), JJ Hardy (.288), Corey Hart (.288) and Prince Fielder (.278), no other Brewer starter is hitting above .250. That's pretty sad.

Right now Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly look better than CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and Manny Parra (the rest of the starters aren't worth mentioning). I told someone two weeks before the trading deadline that the Brewers wouldn't make the playoffs if they didn't improve their bullpen - and I was laughed at.

There is a long way to go in this race. All I can say is -  I will be happy to eat crow instead of saying "I told you so."

Remember, always be a hit and have a ball.

Like sunflower seeds in a dugout, here are some things to chew on.

Local Brookfield and Tosa high school teams

• Brookfield Central, by far the best of the local teams, is not going to win the rugged Greater Metro Conference. If pitching is the name of the game, then it will be interesting to see what the Lancers do in the postseason.  Mike Bogard, Ricky Leachy, Mike Mierow and Cale Ross are four decent pitchers and Lee Severson is a good closer. But the key to the Lancers' success will come at the plate. Coach Jeff Bigler will need more offense than Bogard, Severson and Pete Ostergaard can provide by themselves. Someone else has to step up or the fourth-seeded Lancers, who play fifth-seeded Pewaukee July 22, can call it a day.
• Losing has affected the three other teams I cover. Going into Tuesday, Brookfield East was 3-18, Wauwatosa East was 7-22 and Wauwatosa West was 3-19. They would need a postseason miracle to advance too far.
• The stress has affected Tosa West coach Chad Mateske, who was upset over the Lancers' Lee Severson playing all nine positions against the Trojans last week. Right or wrong? Check out my column in the WauwatosaNOW online and paper on Thursday.
• Defense, which I haven't see a lot of this summer, is important to Alex Dati and Zach Stewart of Brookfield East. Check out my story in the BrookfieldNOW online and Thursday's paper for the feature.

Brewers

• With the addition of CC Sabathia, the Brewers should suddenly make the summer a lot more fun. I was part of the 1982 Brewers front office and the excitement of a pennant race is simply amazing. Many highs when you win and many lows when you lose. But enjoy the moment.
• Friend of mine told me the other day that he used to count the days until Packer training camp, but now he doesn't because of the Brewers.
• Jayson Stark of ESPN had an interesting stat. Sabathia and Prince Fielder are the only two players over 270 on the same roster since the White Sox Bobby Jenks and Andrew Sisco (who?). That's based on listed weight, since some teams lie about their larger players. 

Bucks

• As a former PR guy, I felt sorry for the Milwaukee Bucks bringing Richard Jefferson into town for a meeting with the media the same day as the CC trade was announced. That sucks. Jefferson seemed as classy as CC.
• Check out my Mo Williams story in this week's WauwatosaNOW paper and online addition on Thursday. He is coaching a local AAU basketball team and loving it.

Packers

• He's retired, he's not retired, he's retired, he's not retired. I can't even get myself to say his name anymore. I know one thing, he has changed my entire opinion of him from this day forward. I'm happy I'm not blinded like some people are towards their "hero." What a joke he's turned into.
• Unlike a lot of people who ripped Ted Thompson when he was hired, working in a front office of a professional team, I know what goes on behind the scenes and I always felt just give the man time before judging him. He has done a wonderful job hiring a coach and a great job rebuilding a team that Mike Sherman ruined. Now the Thompson haters are trying to make him the bad guy in this whole "I'm retired-I'm not retired" thing. Sad.

Agree or disagree, always remember...

Be a hit and have a ball.

Here are some observations on the four local baseball teams to chew on.

There is no question that Wauwatosa West's talented catcher Zach Bertoni can hit the baseball. But with a young Trojan team looking for leadership on the field, Bertoni needs to take a bigger part.

The local high school baseball teams are starting to get an idea on what kind of season is on the horizon for them with June coming to a close and July just around the corner.

After a slow start - for them - the Brookfield Central Lancers are starting to come around. Central recently had an 11-game winning streak stopped and brought a 7-4 Greater Metro Conference record and a 14-7 overall mark into this week's action.

The Lancers are led by Mike Bogard (Shameless plug: see my feature on Bogie in Thursday's BrookfieldNOW), Lee Severson, Mike Mierow and newcomers junior Pete Ostergaard and freshman Ryan Hinz, the last two seeing their first varsity action this year. These fellows can hit, people.

But what sets Central apart is their pitching. Starters Bogard, Mierow, Cale Ross and Collin O'Gorman were joined Tuesday by Ricky Leach, who returns to the lineup after missing 20 games for breaking the athletic code rules. Leachy will also help the batting attack. And don't forget Severson, Central's cool-headed closer.

The Lancers are two games in the loss column behind Menomonee Falls and one behind Marquette and surprising Hamilton. They have their work cut out for them, but the talent is there.

Brookfield East is still looking for its first conference win, but coach Tim Granger has some talent to draw on. Mark Altenbach, Justin Wagner, Jake Janowski and Kyle Smith give him some mound talent, with consistency being the key word here. And nobody chases down a flyball like center fielder Alex Dati or works harder behind the plate than Zach Stewart. And the ball jumps off the bat of Demetri Tongas.

Wauwatosa East's team, under first-year coach Matt Dahlstrom, has seen tremendous progress last week, topping it off with an outstanding 2-1 win over Central, which snapped the Lancers' 11-game win streak on Monday. While key seniors like Matt Karger, Mike Gouvion and Mike Brown provide steady play and leadership and juniors Eric Woodard and Jake Pipping have been solid on the mound, perhaps the Red Raiders best players are sophomore catcher Tyler O'Brien and pitcher-1B Danny Sayles.

Dahlstrom believes in his team, but how quickly the Red Raiders believe in themselves will be the difference in an OK season and a surprise one.

Wauwatosa West coach Chad Mateske was asking for volunteers to pitch the other day after losing star Spencer Lameka with a pulled left hamstring while running out a double. With a healthy Lameka and Allan Rozanski, Mateske has a solid top two starters. Ben Falk, Chris Anger and little freshman junkballer Zach Podzaline have potential.

If senior catcher Zach Bertoni can provide more leadership behind the plate to go along with his big bat and Sean Akin continues his hitting, the Trojans could win their share of games, They just went through a five game stretch where they averaged eight runs a game.

Plenty of local baseball to watch as summer really begins (this is Wisconsin, remember). So grab your favorite outdoor chair, some sun tan lotion and your favorite (non-alcoholic) drink and go watch these guys play. It's worth your time.

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

NOW On-line editor Mark Maley asked me a while back to write some blogs on the local professional teams. Having worked in the Milwaukee sports media - in public relations for the Brewers for 19 years, as well as a radio talk show host and with CNI the last six years - I thought it was a great idea. People who know me, know I always have an opinion about something.

Since things have finally slowed down, I hope to do more of that with only summer baseball and the Wauwatosa Spartans football team on the schedule for the next few months.

One of the things I have wanted to talk about for some time has been the Milwaukee Brewers' Bill Hall. A few years ago Hall broke in as a utility player and filled in well wherever the Brewers put him - at second base, third base and shortstop - eventually taking over for JJ Hardy when he had surgery. Hall had a fine season, cashed in with a good contract and in order to get his bat in the lineup was moved to center field, where he struggled a bit.

When he made the move, his offense really went down the tube, so this year, the Brewers were hoping to solve two problems and asked Hall to move back to the infield where he was more effective offensively.

Second-year sensation Ryan Braun had struggled in the infield at third base and he was moved to left field, opening up a spot for Hall. While Braun has done an excellent job in the outfield, Hall has been adequate at third base defensively, but once again his offense was so bad against righthanders, he was eventually put in a platoon situation with Russell Branyan at third.

Since there are more righthanded pitchers than lefthanders, that would mean less at bats for Hall, so he asked his agent to ask the Brewers for a trade. When that became public, Hall was immediately booed by the Brewer fans, who have always been sensitive (and rightly so) to players who don't want to play in Milwaukee. Now the fans have nothing to do with Hall's reason for asking for a trade, but the fact that he wants to be traded is all they need to know.

Manager Ned Yost, who seems to be booed for every decision he makes, including the right ones that don't work out, has said he will also try and get Hall at bats against righthanders. So when Rickie Weeks took his annual trip to the disabled list, Hall had a chance to play second base. His hitting struggles continued and he blew some very routine plays which cost the Brewers a game or two.

My point - I am basically fed up with listening to Hall, his agent and some talk show hosts, especially - talking about how unfair the Brewers have been to him.

Two of the best players to ever play the game - Paul Molitor and Pete Rose - one a Hall of Famer and the other one who should be - did way more than Hall ever did for their teams. Rose played second, third, first and the outfield for the teams he played for. Molitor went even further, playing every position but pitcher and catcher - and neither player ever complained about it and their offense never suffered.

The fact is Bill Hall got paid for one very good season. The fact is, Hall got moved around - like Molitor and Rose did - not because his team disrespected him, but because the team felt he was talented enough to make the moves and help the ballclub.

So Billy, Talking Heads and fans included, remember that when someone says the Brewers messed with Billy Hall. If you can hit a baseball, people will find a spot in the lineup for you.

When Bill Hall stopped hitting- at least righthanders - that's when the problem started. 

Now Bill Hall is not Molitor or Rose by any means, but if they can get moved around like a pawn on a chess board, keep their mouths shut and  help their team, there is a lesson to be learned there. 

Bill Hall has been a classy person off the field and in the community. Hopefully he can turn around his struggles on the field as well.

Agree, disagree, drop me a comment.

And remember to always - be a hit and have a ball.

Following Brookfield East's 4-1 victory over a talented Wauwatosa West team in the regional championship at East last Saturday, Trojans head coach Mike Parulski had some high praise for the Lady Spartans.

Parulski praised the Lady Spartans for their adjustments and their offensive talent.

Looking around the Brookfield and Wauwatosa spring sports teams, there are plenty of kudos to toss around. So let's take a look.

BOYS GOLF:  Brookfield Central won the Greater Metro Conference title and Jeff Groose did something no one has done before - earn the conference Player of the Year honors for three consecutive years. Groose made the first-team all-GMC along with teammate Phil Bartel, Brookfield East's Kyle Henning and Wauwatosa's Dane Zachman.

BOYS TENNIS: Brookfield Central and East finished second and third in the GMC and Drew Lied of East at No. 1 singles and Sam Bauwens/Cory Degner of Central at No. 1 doubles are players to watch in the postseason.

GIRLS TRACK: Where do you start? Brook Central and Tosa West girls totally destroyed the conference opponents, as the Lady Lancers won the outdoor title to complete the triple crown this year, winning by 108.5 points. The Trojan girls won the Woodland Conference by 86.5 points, but they just captured their 12th straight conference title. Think about it. No one but West has won the indoor, relays and outdoor titles the last four years. Several of these athletes will do well at state next week. Keep the name Chidera Obasih, a freshman sensation at Central, in mind. The sprinter long jumper has been absolutely remarkable since her first meet this year.

GIRLS SOCCER: Brookfield East is the top-rated team in the state this year, having recently gone 7-0 in the GMC while not allowing a goal in the conference season. Simply amazing considering the GMC is an excellent soccer conference.  Tosa West only suffered one conference loss and regained its Woodland crown this year. East has had great balance, with different people stepping up, while senior captain Ellen Coleman has led the Trojans.

The spring season got off to a slow start because of the lovely spring weather we have in Wisconsin, but the next two weeks will be filled with some action-packed regionals, sectionals and state action and the local teams from Brookfield and Wauwatosa will be right in the mix.

Get more details on all the action in the May 22 BrookfieldNOW and WauwatosaNOW publications.

Always remember to be a hit and have a ball! 

Wauwatosa East star Jake Barnett will play one more high school basketball game and the MACC Fund will benefit from it.

Barnett will take part in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association High School All-Star Basketball Game Saturday, at 10:45 a.m. June 21, at the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse.

Each year, the best of the best, high school seniors from around the state are selected to represent their family, friends, and local hometown fans at the WBCA All-Star Game. This is a charitable event that has raised over a million dollars for the MACC Fund.

 Players need fans to sponsor them in order to raise money for the MACC Fund. Your gift will be tax deductible (MACC Fund Tax Exempt number is: ES16609) and will help to find a cure for childhood cancer. Make your check out to WBCA MACC Fund and mail it to Jake Barnett, 5824 W. Michigan Street, Wauwatosa, Wi. 53213 by Wednesday, April 30. The donation is $10 and indicate the number of tickets you would like with your order.

Some of the state’s top players will play in the game, but if you cannot attend the game, you can still support this effort by placing business ads in the game program, as well as donate whatever you can to further this worthy organization.

The CNI All-Suburban Boys Basketball Team will be featured in this week's BrookfieldNOW and WauwatosaNOW papers and web sites on Thursday and both Brookfield Central Wauwatosa East are well represented.

First of all, Tim Arndorfer was named CNI's Boys Basketball Coach of the Year, beating out some excellent candidates from the area Community Newspapers, Inc. covers.

It was the fourth time a coach from Tosa East was honored, as Arndorfer joins the man he replaced - George Haas - who earned the honors in 2004-05, 1996-97 and 1993-94.

Joining their coach on the team were the one-two combination of Brice Powell and Jake Barnett, who keyed the Red Raiders run to the state championship.

From Brookfield, Central's Cory Degner also earned All-Suburban honors. Degner, who switched from small forward to point guard, averaged over 17 points a game for the Lancers, who also made it to the state tournament, losing to Tosa East in the semifinals.

Detailed features on Arndorfer, Powell/Barnett and Degner highlights this week's sports coverage.

---

As usual spring sports in Wisconsin gets to deal with Mother Nature. Some soccer matches have been played, but mainly indoor track is underway.

The spring schedules are light and won't really pick up for another week or so.

Let's hope they won't have to dig themselves out from the snow and ice when it happens.

---

Always remember to be a hit and have a ball.

Following Wauwatosa East's semi-final victory over Brookfield Central at the state tournament in Madison Friday night, one of the Madison area writers asked coach Tim Arndorfer in a polite way if the Red Raiders were saving their best for last.

Afterall, East beat a tall Eau Claire North team, 50-38, pulling away in the final minutes and then had a grind-it-out 52-48 victory over Central, which played most of the first half without the Greater Metro Conference Player of the Year Cory Degner, who left the game with two fouls with about three minutes left in the first quarter.

"You must have played better in the sectional to beat Custer and King," the reporter asked Arndorfer. Basically, most media felt the only thing delaying giving Madison Memorial the gold ball Saturday night was the game which had to be played beforehand.

The fact was, this Raider team was losing to a Madison Memorial team in a summer league game and then rallied to win. When this was brought up at Friday's press conference, East junior Mike Cupertino answered the question like a pro. "What happened in the summer, has nothing to do with tomorrow night's game."

The Spartans' Jeronne Maymon put on perhaps the best single game performance I have ever seen from a high school basketball player. Like the cliche goes, he did everything but sell popcorn. The 6-foot-5 inch junior scored 33 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and blocked three shots, but by the time the game was over he was exhausted since his teammates sat around and watched his performance.

The Tosa East players knew what they were capable of as the "Team Together" slogan on the back of their T-shirts pretty much summed up the title game. The Red Raiders were a team when it came to breaking the normal devastating Memorial press and playing a rare 2-3 zone which stopped everyone except the manchild Maymon. When coach Steve Collins was asked why Memorial called off the press, his response was simple - "Because they were getting too many lay-ups off it."

The stats showed they were a team also - Jake Barnett scored 15 points and added 7 rebounds; Eric Williams scored 14 points and was 3-for-3 from 3-point range, including perhaps the biggest 3-pointer in Tosa East history that sent the game into overtime; Brice Powell scored 12 points, had 6 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds, including the biggest one of the game which set up Williams shot; D.J. Cupertino came off the bench and played with a bad ankle, scoring 10 points and getting a key steal at the end of the game and Tony Walls, who had 5 points, 6 assists and 3 steals, played the floor game of his life, helping destroy the Spartans trap and press.

But even this impressive performance didn't change some media member's mind when after the game he said, "If these team's played 10 games, Tosa East would only win four of them."

No one will ever know, but Saturday night the Red Raiders won the only one that counted.

***

Agree or disagree, feel free to comment.

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

Some people felt the Greater Metro Conference was down this season, but don't tell that to Wauwatosa East (23-1) and Brookfield Central (18-4). Both the Red Raiders and the Lancers will be playing at the Kohl Center starting on Thursday after winning their sectional championships.

Central had to get by top-seeded Racine Park (19-3) and one of the state's best players in Jamil Wilson in the title game. Cory Degner, the GMC Player of the Year, scored 23 points, but defensive stopper Donne Robbins had the game of his life with 25 points, including six of the team's 12 3-pointers. Wilson was amazing, as he had 37 points, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make the score, 72-68, closer than it was.

The Lancers, who have made seven trips to state in the last nine years, have been there six out of eight times under the guidance of coach Mark Adams and his staff. Central needs to win it's opener against Bay Port, because the Lancers are only 1-5 at state under Adams.

This team had to overcome some things to start the year.

 Brad Nortman, their best big man, decided to punt all winter instead of play basketball (he's going to Wisconsin to kick for the Badgers and is considered one of the top punters in the country); Lee Severson hadn't recovered from ankle surgery; Adams had to find a point guard; and even the coach started the year with hip surgery.

It's a credit to Adams, his staff and his kids that they are in Madison this week.

****

And speaking of credit, a tip of the hat to low-key, media-shy Tim Arndorfer, who took his Red Raiders to state in his first year as head coach and for the first time since 2002.

Tosa East senior starters Brice Powell, Jake Barnett, D.J. Cupertino and Tony Walls are playing like they are on a mission - win the state title for the first time since 1989. These four guys have carried this team down the stretch.

Barnett scored 17 of his 27 points in the first half and then Powell took over in the second half scoring 14 of his 18 points in the 62-60 win over Milwaukee Custer in the sectional semi-finals. Then when King held Barnett/Powell to six points in the first half of the title game, Walls (8) and Cupertino (7) kept the Red Raiders from getting blown out at half, trailing only 29-21.

Trailing, 38-34, going into the final period, Cupertino put on one of the best clutch performances I have seen, as he scored eight points down the stretch, including two huge 3-pointers.

Madison Memorial (21-2), Germantown (22-1) and the Red Raiders are the team to watch in Madison.

***

Just a comment on the type of kid Jamil Wilson is. When Brookfield East's girls team clobbered Racine Horlick in a regional semi-final game, Wilson was in the stands, cheering on the Lady Rebels. At half-time when the Spartanettes dance team did a rap dance, Wilson was cheering them and dancing in the stands.

Three nights later at the Horlick Sectional, following his team's win over West Allis Hale, Wilson showed off his dancing skills again. At half-time of the Central-Racine Case game, the Lancer fans came out of the stands at half-time to dance to the electric slide in front of the bleachers. Wilson then jumped out of the Horlick stands and joined in and the Rebel fans followed. About 150 kids from two different schools were dancing together and having fun. Even the Horlick PA announcer acknowledged the impromptu dance and asked the audience to give them a round of applause.

That, my friends, is what high school athletics is all about.

***

Agree or disagree, post your comments.

***

Follow all the action on BrookfieldNOW.com and WauwatosaNOW.com as I'll be blogging right from courtside.

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

When Sussex Hamilton's sensational sophomore guard Kameron Cerroni (I can't write his name without sensational sophomore in front of it) drained a 3-point shot at the buzzer last Friday to beat Bookfield Central, it took some of the drama out of the Lancers game with Wauwatosa East Thursday night.

Some of the drama.

Instead of playing for the title outright, the Lancers need a victory to share the title. Since the Red Raiders already own a share of the title, they probably like the idea of keeping the whole thing to themselves for first-year coach Tim Arndorfer.

Central won the first game, 53-51, taking a 47-39 lead into the fourth quarter, only to see the Red Raiders press and trap in the fourth quarter and work themselves back into the game, tying the score with two minutes left.

The disciplined Lancers then ran about a minute and one half off the clock looking for a layup and got it when Mitch Aprahamian, standing on the top of the key, turned and drilled a pass to Luke Duckett, who scored on an easy layup for the win.

One of the things that have changed since the last meeting is the improved play of point guard Tony Walls for Tosa East. Coming off a severe knee injury, Walls was all over the floor in win a over West Allis Hale last Friday, getting key rebounds, making key passes and scoring 11 points.

In the first meeting this year Central star Cory Degner scored 17 points and left Walls behind with his quick moves to the basket.

On Central's side, the improved play of Mitch Aprahamian and Aaron Hurley will be a key for the Lancers, not only in this game but in the post-season.

For a detailed analysis of both teams check out the BrookfieldNOW and WauwatosaNOW newspapers where I compare frontcourts, backcourts, benches, coaches and intangibles.

The other battle to watch should be fun and it will happen off the court as the Lancer fans will be bringing their game to Tosatown to take on the energetic Red Raider backers.

Folks, it doesn't get better than this.

Agree with me or not, don't be shy, leave a comment.

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

On back-to-back nights last week, I saw something that really disappointed me. And it had nothing to do with what happened on the basketball court.

Before I say anything, I want to say on the record that I think the Brookfield Central and Wauwatosa East basketball fans are among the best fans that I have had the chance to watch the past six years. Their outfits are creative and their enthusiasm is contagious. Maybe that's why I was disappointed, because the Lancer and Red Raider fans have set high standards in my eyes.

First of all, last Wednesday, the Tosa East boys team hosted Menomonee Falls in a game which was moved from Tuesday because of the cold weather. I couldn't believe what I saw. Not only was it one of the smallest crowds that I have ever been a apart of at a Tosa East boys basketball game, but one of the quietest. I actually counted 61 students in the student section.

It couldn't have been the competition, because Menomonee Falls has the ability to beat anyone in the Greater Metro Conference. In fact, the Indians led the Red Raiders at half-time the first time they played. It took a curious foul call in the final seconds to give Tosa East a chance to win the game in regulation this time around.

I know it wasn't just me, because a high-profile Tosa East official made the comment to me afterwards, "Maybe we're not the place to be any more." 

The next night, I attended the Brookfield East-Brookfield Central girls-boys doubleheader at Central. The stands were not even half full for the girls game, an important GMC battle between the unbeaten Lady Lancers and the desperate Lady Spartans, who needed and got, a huge 39-35 victory.

With two minutes - TWO minutes - left in the game, like clockwork, the color-coded blue and white Central students paraded into the gym as a group. Hello?  Where were you people for the first game? A game which was much more entertaining and more meaningful in the GMC race than the nightcap would be.

With all the cold weather and the re-scheduling of games last week, I'm going to give the students the benefit of the doubt based on their past history.

Or maybe, just maybe, they were home studying.

Agree or disagree with me, but feel free to leave a comment.

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

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.

***

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.

***

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.

***

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.

***

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.