SPASH Boys Advance to Sectionals
The SPASH student section reveled in their light taunt towards the West students, declaring, “You can’t stop him!”
By Ken McKenzie
The SPASH Panthers pulled out a smooth sin on Saturday and are now headed to sectional play.
The boys’ basketball team jumped out to a 19-8 first quarter lead Saturday and used their normal, aggressive defensive focus to create offensive opportunities, posting a 77-49 regional championship win over Oshkosh West. The Panthers now advance to face Neenah in next Thursday’s 7 PM sectional semi-final at Menasha.
The WIAA bracket now yields a rematch of last year’s sectional final won by Neenah, 59-56.
The Rockets advanced past a scare from Fox Valley Association rival as Oshkosh North took them to overtime Saturday before succumbing, 81-71. It was Neenah’s third win over the Spartans this year.
“We played good basketball tonight,” said Coach Scott Anderson of the local winning effort. “Last night (Appleton) East was more of a defensive team; tonight (Oshkosh) West was more offensive and we had to be pretty sharp with our defense. And we played pretty good defense all night.”
Trev Anderson opened the scoring this night off a Joey Hauser pass that found him under the basket for an easy lay in. Blake Johnson followed with a three-point shot from the left corner for the Wildcats only lead of the contest.
Jamison Kryshak hit a trey and Joey Hauser added a soft jumper as SPASH moved ahead 7-3. West’s Jack Gabrielson hit a three-pointer but Hauser then connected on a twisting jumper and Anderson added twin free throws at 3:56 to put SPASH up 11-6.
Ted Kearney kept the ball in play on the offensive end that led to another Anderson score plus one. Johnson hit a floater for West before Sam Hauser then hit from beyond the right arc with the Panthers extending their lead to double digits to end the quarter as Anderson fed the soft lob to Sam Hauser on the inbounds pass for an easy score.
SPASH dialed up rapidly in the second frame as they earned a second chance possession with Anderson delivering with a trey before Sam Hauser added a score at 6:31. When Anderson scored another hoop plus earning the foul shot, the SPASH student section reveled in their light taunt towards the West students, declaring “you can’t stop him!”
Johnson hit two three-point shots that sandwiched a score by Andrew Ruzek on a pretty Sam Hauser assist. Kryshak knocked down another trey for the Panthers from the left corner to push the margin out to 32-14 midway through the second quarter.
West added two consecutive pairs of free throws to narrow the margin back to 14 with Anderson then hitting an elevated jumper at 2:55 for a 34-18 lead. Gabrielson hit for West but SPASH answered quickly and effectively as Sam Hauser hit a right side lane jumper, with his brother Joey Hauser loose on a breakaway for a thunderous jam at 1:09 and a 38-20 lead.
A technical foul issued to SPASH quelled the enthusiasm momentarily as West hit three of four free tosses and awarded possession but then turned the ball over. Anderson then completed the second quarter scoring on twin free throws; a steal for a an easy lay-in and another lay-up inside ten seconds to the half to post the 44-23 halftime lead with Anderson already at 21 points in the contest at intermission.
Joey Hauser found Ruzek with a pass to open the third with Andrew completing the score and extra free toss. Sam Hauser was soon to add another trey and Anderson scored on a lane runner to make it 52-25.
West stumbled with a pair of turnovers on empty trips and SPASH struck again on an Anderson three-pointer from the high right arc, another Ruzek lay in off a Sam Hauser assist and a Joey Hauser sweet three from the top of the key to push to 60-27.
West’s Guenther scored on three consecutive trips, including two treys to close the margin a bit as SPASH sank three of four free throws. Kevin Cottrell hit on a penetrating dribble, spin move and lay-in inside the final half minute of the third for the Wildcats with the Panthers strongly in control at 63-37.
Joey Hauser split a pair of free throws to open the fourth with Anderson connecting on another soft jumper and Ruzek got the ball inside deep, hesitated to avoid defenders and then finished off the glass to push the lead to 28. Anderson and Joey Hauser netted a pair of free throws each and with reserves in the action, senior Jake Erler hit Mack Journell on a sweet back door cut to make it 74-45.
Trevor Kroll scored on a rebound of his own miss for West and Jon Korger added the final points for West with SPASH senior T.J. Schrank hitting his final shot on the home floor at 7.4 seconds to play as he drained the trey to earn the final margin of 77-49.
Anderson led all scorers in registering 32 on the night with Sam Hauser (13) and Joey Hauser (12) each adding in double figures. Oshkosh West put two players in double figures as Jake Guenther hit for 14 points including a pair of threes while Blake Johnson added 11 on three treys.
Everyone has anticipated a SPASH/Neenah rematch for most of this season with the day of reckoning now at hand with Thursday’s impending showdown.
“We’re thankful for the opportunity to advance. We have three days to prepare to try to be at our best next Thursday,” said Anderson.
Oshkosh West finishes the season at 10-14 after a fifth place finish in the FVA at 8-10. With the win, SPASH now has a 23-1 mark on the year.