EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
By Jimmie Kaska, for the Boscobel Dial and Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial
Erin Knowles, Sr., G/F, Boscobel girls basketball
PATCH GROVE — In the 51-year history of the Boscobel High school girls basketball program, there have been some outstanding student–athletes.
Except for the very first girls pioneering the sport in Boscobel when it was introduced in 1972, none can say they accomplished breaking two significant scoring records in one week.
Erin Knowles, a senior on this year’s squad, managed to break not only the career scoring record last week, but in a different game, also broke a 31-year-old single-game scoring record as well.
“I didn’t even know until after the second game that she had set a new single-game scoring record,” Boscobel head coach Erik Kinney said.
On Tuesday, the Bulldogs played at River Ridge, and entering the game, Knowles was one point away from the career record of 1,203 points set by Leah Wacker.
Knowles tied the record on a free throw about four minutes into the game, and then a few possessions later, spun from the high post and put in a one-handed runner to break the record.
“I don’t really know how I felt in the moment,” said Knowles. “I was excited to reach a goal that I had been working for.”
The game at River Ridge was stopped for a couple of minutes to commemorate the achievement, with teammates giving her high-fives and hugs. River Ridge’s crowd gave Erin a standing ovation.
The rest of the night didn’t go so well for the Bulldogs, who suffered a 68–40 non-conference loss at Patch Grove.
Two nights later, the Bulldogs played at Seneca, where Knowles broke Jenelle Glasbrenner’s single-game scoring record of 37, set in 1992, with a 38-point performance in the Bulldogs’ dominating 69–31 win.
“In that game, we were getting open looks,” Knowles explained. “Our team was making great passes and pushing the tempo.”
Maya Baumeister hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points, and Norah Dilley and Kenna Wallin chipped in six points apiece, while Kennedy Seeley scored five for the victorious Bulldogs, who led 42–16 at the half.
The Knowles family has a strong tradition of excellence on the basketball court for Boscobel. Erin’s mother, Cherryl, once held both the career and single-game scoring records for the Bulldogs, and both of Erin’s sisters, Treena and Sarah, were 1,000-point scorers. Her brother Jonah, a sophomore, is a key member of the rotation on this year’s boys basketball team.
“It’s a great accomplishment by Erin, being the youngest of three girls,” Cherryl said. “Her hard work has paid off.”
“Their records and what they did helped me set goals,” Erin said, “and my teammates are always helping me to do my best.”
Coach Kinney said that the whole team can take pride in the records set last week.
“Individual records are great,” Kinney said. “But it takes everyone and a whole team to accomplish these feats.”
“She’s been working hard on her skills in the offseason to help her team,” Cherryl said.
Those skills have helped Knowles become an all-conference player in the SWAL and an honorable mention WBCA all-state player last year. Erin was also named to WisSports.net’s senior award watch list for post players.
“She can play all five positions,” Kinney said. “When you can do that, you can do a lot to help the team.”
Knowles knows that beyond her coach and family, there are plenty of people in the community rooting for the team’s success, as well as her own.
“Everyone’s been supportive and pushing us to do our best,” she said.
Knowles, who was named to the first-quarter high honor roll at Boscobel High School this week, plans to attend Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa next year and play basketball.
The Lady Bulldogs continued their season Tuesday at Southwestern (1–3) and will next host Darlington (4–0) Friday at 7:30 p.m. in a second-straight SWAL contest.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Jaxcyn Berntgen, Jr., F, Platteville girls basketball
The Platteville junior has a career-night by scoring a team-high 24 points on 9 of 12 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in Friday’s 63–52 SWC win at Prairie du Chien. The win helped the Hillmen snapped their four-game losing streak to start the season, and at the same time ended the Blackhawks' 30-game SWC winning streak which dated back to a 2020 loss to Platteville.
Broker Buschor, So., G, Darlington boys basketball
Buschor scored a game-high 23 points on 10 of 16 shooting and posted 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the Redbirds' 87–70 win at Belleville Tuesday night. He also posted a double–double of 10 points and 13 boards in a 73–66 win over visiting Platteville last Thursday night.
Michael Murphy, Jr., G, Lancaster boys basketball
Murphy had a perfect game Monday night coming off the bench to score a team-high 20 points in the Flying Arrow’s 70–38 non-conference win over Wauzeka–Steuben. Murphy was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field, including 6-of-6 from 3-point range. Murphy also had five points and four steals in a 47–46 win over River Ridge Monday, Nov. 27.
Tristan Steldt, Jr., 165 pounds, Wyatt Ahnen, Sr., 190, and Evan Gratz, Sr., 285, Fennimore wrestling
Steldt, Ahnen and Gratz each went 6–0 to win individual titles and combined to score 135 of Fennimore's 277.5 team points to lead the two-time defending WIAA Division 3 Team State champion Golden Eagles to a third-place finish at last weekends' loaded two-day, 33-team Cliff Keen Independence Invitational.
Tucker Schmid, Sr., G, Boscobel boys basketball
Schmid scored a team-high 22 points in last Thursday's 60–54 comeback win over La Farge, after scoring a team-high 20 points with seven rebounds and two assist in last Tuesday's 78–30 blowout victory at Benton last Tuesday night.
Blake Thiry, Jr., 215 pounds, Prairie du Chien wrestling
Thiry went 6–0 at the Howard–Manley Duals in East Troy last Saturday, and had a pin in the second to last match of last Friday's 36–34 non-conference win at Iowa–Grant/Highland dual to put them in position to win the dual with a pin by PdC 285 pounder Jack Simmons in the final match.
Lily Wiegel, Jr., G, Dodgeville girls basketball
Wiegel made four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points in the Dodgers' 66–63 overtime victory at Lancaster last Friday night.
