EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Grant Jochum, Jr., G, Southwestern boys basketball
Jochum played the role of hero by hitting the shot of the year in southwest Wisconsin, a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, to lift seventh-seeded Southwestern to a dramatic 60–59 WIAA Division 5 regional semifinal victory over second-seed and host Potosi. Jochum’s pullup trey from the top of the key as time expired gave Southwestern its only lead of the game.
Jochum scored eight of his team-high 17 points in the final three minutes as the Cinderella Wildcats (13–12) outscored the Six Rivers West champion Chieftains 13–4 in the final 2:30 to erase an eight-point deficit. Jochum, who hit five triples in Friday night’s win, made three more Saturday and finished with nine points as the Wildcats knocked off third-seeded De Soto 47–44 to win the regional title. Jochum scored seven points in Southwester’s 48–36 opening round victory over 10th-seed Cassville last Tuesday night.
Jochum and Southwestern will face top-seeded Seneca (22–2) in a D5 sectional semifinal game at Mineral Point tonight at 7 p.m.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Donovan Blevins, Sr., F, Platteville boys basketball
After spending most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble, Blevins erupted for 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to help Platteville finish of SWC rival River Valley 57–39 in Saturday night’s WIAA Division 3 regional final. Blevins, who went 9 of 10 from the field, also became the program’s fourth 1,000-point score with a turnaround baseline hook with three minutes left in the game. Blevins finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds in Friday’s 75–44 regional semifinal victory over Richland Center. Blevins is averaging 20.6 points per game over the last nine contests. Platteville is 8–1 during that span.
Bailey Butler, Fr., G, Black Hawk girls basketball
The freshman standout stuffed the stat sheet in Saturday’s 81–41 WIAA Division 5 sectional final victory over Hustisford, finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds seven steals and a team-high six assists. She also had 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals in Thursday’s 46–22 sectional semifinal victory over Central Wisconsin Christian. Butler and the top-ranked Warriors (27–0) will face Wausau Catholic Newman (21–6) Friday at 9 a.m. at the WIAA Girls Basketball State Tournament at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
Kelsie Goffinet, Sr., Southwestern/Cuba City/Benton
Goffinet placed fifth in the balance beam (9.0), seventh on the uneven bars (8.417), ninth in the all-around (34.967) and 15th on the floor exercise (8.167) at the WIAA Individual Gymnastics State Championships last weekend in Wisconsin Rapids.
Trevor Neuroth, Sr., Trevor Wanek, Jr., Mason Lull, So., Fennimore wrestling
Neuroth, Wanke and Lull each went 2–0 at last Saturday’s WIAA Division 3 Team State Tournament at the UW Fieldhouse in Madison to help the Golden Eagles finish second in Division 3 for the second year in a row. The trio each notched pins in Fennimore’s 46–15 semifinal victory over Random Lanke, then scored Fennimore’s only three victories in 45–13 championship loss to top-ranked Stratford.
Cade Rohrbach, Jr., PG, basketball
Rohrbach had it all working Friday night. The junior point guard scored 17 of his career-high 27 points in Friday’s night’s 75–44 WIAA Division 3 regional semifinal victory over Richland Center. He also grabbed seven rebounds in the win. Then, he scored all 10 of his points in the first half to stake the Hillmen to a 28–12 halftime lead and finished with five assists and four boards in Saturday’s night’s 57–39 regional final victory over River Valley.
