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MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U CO-GAME OF THE WEEK (Boys Basketball): Boscobel 84, Shullsburg 83 (3 OT)
Schmid, Davis lead Boscobel boys to wild triple overtime win over Shullsburg
Molldrem
Senior Justis Molldrem converts a layup during Boscobel's 84–83 triple overtime win over Shullsburg. (photo by Wendi Stitzer)

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM CO-GAME OF THE WEEK (Feb. 7–14)
BOYS BASKTBALL: Boscobel 84, Shullsburg 83 (3 OT)

By Jason Nihles, Boscobel Dial / The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times

Schmid, Davis lead Boscobel boys to wild triple overtime win over Shullsburg

BOSCOBEL — Boscobel outscored visiting Shullsburg 9–8 in triple overtime to pull out a wild 84–83 non-conference victory last Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs (4–16, 2–9 SWAL) led by as much as 17 late in the first half after a lay-up by junior Tucker Schmid.

Schmid scored 15 of his 26 points to help Boscobel build a 36–21 halftime advantage.

The Bulldogs still led by 12 at 53–41 with just over six minutes left in regulation after a 3-poiner by Hunter Gunderson.

Shullsburg stormed back, behind the strong play of Heath Poppy (31 points) and J.J. Berenedes (17), with a 21–6 run to take a 62–59 with 8.5 seconds left in regulation on a layup by Emory Reichling and a two free throws by Poppy.

The Bulldogs regrouped after back-to-back timeouts and forced overtime when Gunderson swished a game-tying 3-pointer from the right corner with 1.5 seconds left to force overtime. 

Boscobel scored the first five points of overtime, but the Miners once again fought back to regain the lead at 71–69.

Junior Gabe Davis grabbed an offensive rebound after a missed free throw and scored on a putback with 24 seconds left to force another tie, and the home team survived a potential game-winning jumper by Berendes at the buzzer.

Davis gave Boscobel a 75–73 lead in the second overtime on a layup with 1:47 left, but Berendes had the answer a minute later with a game-tying baseline jumper from the left side with 27 seconds to play.

The Bulldogs turned it over with 1.3 seconds left. Shullsburg hit the ceiling with its ensuring inbound pass to give the home team once last chance to win it, but Schmid’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer from the right wing just missed.

Davis gave the Bulldogs the early lead in the third overtime, and Schmid buried a 3-pointer from the left corner to make it 80–75 moments later.

Reichling converted a layup on Shullsburg’s next trip down court, and Davis fouled out of the game on the play.

Schmid made a pair of free throws on Boscobel next possession to make it 82–77.

Shullsburg scored five straight points to make a one-possession game, but Dylan Johnson converted a three-point play after a great bounce pass from Justis Molldrem to push the lead back to four at 84–80 with 1:08 remaining. 

Berendes swished a 3-pointer from the left wing with three seconds left to account for the final score. 

After a time out, the Bulldogs threw a long pass and Johnson was able to elude the Shullsburg defense to run out the clock.

Schmid finished the game with a career-high 26 points on 9 of 16 shooting, including 5 of 11 from 3-point land, with four rebounds, three assists and two blocks while playing all 51 minutes.

Davis finished with a monster stat line himself, with 18 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, nine assists and five steals before fouling out in the third overtime.

Gunderson made four 3-pointers and finished with a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Johnson also posted a double-double of 1 points and 10 boards in the win.

Senior T.J. Bell (7 points, 4 rebounds), Molldrem (6 points) and Seth Jillson (four) also scored in the win for the Bulldogs, who eclipsed their previous high scoring out put of 63, by 21 points in Tuesday’s win.

Boscobel traveled to Iowa–Grant (8–13, 2–9) Tuesday night and will now host second-place Mineral Point (17–3, 9–2) Friday night before traveling to La Farge (3–17) Monday night for a non-conference game.

Boscobel 84, Shullsburg 83
(from Tuesday, Feb. 7 @ Boscobel)
Shullsburg....21  41  9  4  8 —  83 
Boscobel........36  26  9  4  9 —  84
Shullsburg (9–12) — Heath Poppy 31, J.J. Berendes 17, Nathan Reuter 9, Logan Nethery 12, Emory Reichling 9, Garrett Ray 5. Totals — 30 16-33 83.
Boscobel (4–15) — Tucker Schmid 26, T.J. Bell 7, Gabe Davis 18, Justis Molldrem 6, Dylan Johnson 11, Seth Jillson 4, Hunter Gunderson 12. Totals — 33-77 9-27 84.
3-point goals — S: 8 (Hoppy 2, Berendes 1, Nethery 3, Ray 1), B: 9-33 (Schmid-Cox 5, Gunderson 4). Team fouls — S: 14, B: 26. Fouled out — B: Bell, Davis.


MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U GAME OF THE WEEK (Six Rivers Baseball): #10 River Ridge 5, #5 Belmont 2
#11 Timberwolves upset #4 Braves to win a share of first baseball conference title
Blake Reynolds
Sophomore Blake Reynolds collected the win on the mound, limiting #4 Belmont to two runs, one earned, on four hits, while striking out five batters and walking four over six innings to lead River Ridge to a 5–2 win over the Braves last Thursday. - photo by A.J. Gates

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (May 20–27)
SIX RIVERS BASEBALL: #10 River Ridge 5, #5 Belmont 2

By A.J. Gates, Herald Independent

#10 Timberwolves upset #5 Braves to win a share of first baseball conference title
PATCH GROVE — Coming into the 2025 prep baseball season, coach Andrew Redman had a hunch his Timberwolves would be a strong contender for this year’s Six Rivers Conference baseball title.

“We have big goals to compete for our first-ever conference title,” coach Redman said this past April in the Grant County Herald Independent’s Spring Sports Preview.” We expect to finish high in the conference standings and rely on our experience from last season to lead us to a successful season.”

After finishing fourth in the conference standings a year ago with a league record of 4-8, the Timberwolves did in fact secure a share of this year’s conference baseball title with a victory in their final regular-season game of the year played last Thursday night.

With a 5–2 victory over visiting Belmont last Thursday night, coach Redman’s Timberwolves (16–7) team concluded the regular season with a league record of 14–2, claiming a share of this year’s conference title along with the Braves (17–5, 14–2).

Belmont, who entered the contest with a league mark of 14–1, could have taken sole possession of the conference crown for themselves with a win Thursday night, but the Timberwolves had other ideas.

“Coming out on top is a great feeling, knowing how much work our players and coaches have put into this,” said third-year head coach Andrew Redman. “My first two years as a head coach we won a total of seven conference games combined. This season alone we doubled that total with 14 conference wins, which was good enough to tie for the top spot.”

“The Six Rivers conference is loaded with great teams, and for us to claim one of the top spots is truly remarkable,” Redman added.

Aside from winning the first conference baseball title since the school’s inception in 1995, this year’s baseball team has also won the most games in a single season, and currently holds an overall record of 16-6 heading into the WIAA postseason tournament.

As they have done all season long, the trio of Blake Reynolds, Carter Copsey and Cael Koenig were at the forefront of last Thursday night’s win over Belmont, doing with their bats, their fielding and their arms.

Reynolds, who pitched the first six innings and collected the win on the mound, limited the Braves to two runs, one earned, on four hits, while striking out five batters and walking four.

Copsey came in to finish the game, pitching a scoreless seventh, striking out one batter and walking one.

At the plate, it was Koenig who led the Timberwolves, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. The team’s other four hits were scattered among Carter Copsey, Andre Nies, Noah Copsey and Brandon Davis.

After a scoreless tie for two and a half innings, the Timberwolves got on the board in the bottom of the third when Koenig’s one-run single scored Carter Copsey, who led off the inning with a double. Noah Copsey then followed with a one-run single of his own to score Koenig.

The Braves plated a run in the top of the fifth to make it a 2–1 River Ridge lead, but the Timberwolves responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Following back-to-back singles by Nies and Koenig, and an intention walk to Reynolds, Brandon Davis came up big with a bases-loaded two-run single to right field, scoring Nies and Koenig. Reynolds later scored on a wild pitch to give River Ridge a 5–1 lead.

The Braves added one run to their total in the top of the sixth, but couldn’t put anything together in the seventh with Copsey on the mound and the River Ridge defense behind him.

The Timberwolves are no strangers to close games this season, and have won a total of five conference games this season by one-run. They have also proven that, while Reynolds, Copsey and Koenig are undoubtedly the leaders of this team, they also have a stable of other role players that have come up big throughout the season.

“What makes this team special is that everybody takes their turn coming through in big moments,” said coach Redman. “We rely heavily on Blake, Carter and Cael, but three players alone doesn’t make a team. We’ve had several players who took on new or bigger roles this year and they contributed in big time spots.”

“This year our guys really focused on doing their jobs and accepting their roles on the team, which led us to having a successful season,” Redman added. “I’m proud of all our players and this program.”

Heading into the WIAA postseason tournament, the Timberwolves (16–7) hold the No. 2 seed in their division 4 sectional bracket. Following a first-round bye, coach Redman’s squad will host the winner between No. 7 seed North Crawford (10–9) and No. 10 seed Hillsboro (10–7) next Tuesday, June 3. The No. 1 seed in the bracket belongs to Seneca (20–2).

River Ridge 5, Belmont 2
(from Thursday, May 22, at Patch Grove)
Belmont..........000 011  0 — 2 4 2
River Ridge....002 030  x —  5 8 1
Leading hitters - RR: Cael Koenig 4x4. 2B — Carter Copsey (RR). W — Blake Reynolds (6IN,4H,1ER,5K,4BB). L — Austin (4IN,7H,5ER,4K,3BB). Other pitchers - RR: Carter Copsey (1IN,0H,0ER,1K,1BB).