GAME OF THE WEEK (Feb. 4–Feb. 10)
WRESTLING: The SWC/SWAL Clash, at Mineral Point, Saturday, Feb. 6, 10 a.m., WGLR (97.7 FM)
Mineral Point High School will play host to some of the best wrestlers in this part of the state at Saturday’s SWC/SWAL Clash conference wrestling tournament, the McDonald’s swnews4u.com Game of the Week. Preliminary rounds for the 13-team event begin at 10 a.m.
Fennimore dominated the Clash a year ago after splitting the regular season SWAL title with Mineral Point. The Golden Eagles crowned three champions and outscored the runner-up Pointers 317.5–234 to claim the conference tournament title. SWC duals champion River Valley finished third with 208 points.
The same three teams, as well as Prairie du Chien figure to be in the race for this year’s Clash crown. Fennimore (11–0, 6–0 SWAL) defeated Mineral Point 32–26 in front of a packed-house of an estimated 2,500 spectators last Friday night at MPHS. River Valley (10–1, 5–0 SWC) defeated Prairie du Chien/Wauzkea–Steuben (14–3, 4–1 SWC) last Thursday night, 52–18, to claim this year’s SWC dual meet title.
Below is a breakdown of this year’s individual favorites. All rankings based on wiwrestling.com’s latest pol on Feb. 3.
106 pounds — Zach Licht (26–4), River Valley, so., ranked 1st in D2, defending Clash champion at 106; Danny Pittz (25–5), Mineral Point, fr., ranked 6th (D3); Isaac Wiegel (30–6), Belmont/Platteville, so., ranked 10th (D2).
113 — Riley Lull (23–5), Fennimore, sr., ranked 1st at 120 (D3), defending Clash runner-up at 113; Sawyer Sarbacker (31–5), Iowa–Grant/Highland, jr., ranked 6th (D3); Caleb Radtke (26–10), River Valley, so., ranked 12th (D2), defending Clash runner-up at 126.
120 — Clayton Beers (27–4), Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka–Steuben, sr., ranked 12th (D2); Riley Blair (9–3), so., Fennimore, defending Clash runner-up at 106.
126 — Alston Nutter (24–4), Fennimore, so., ranked 2nd (D3), defending Clash champion at 120; Dustin Hatfield (31–4), River Valley, jr., ranked 3rd (D2), defending Clash champion at 113.
132 — Max Maylor (29–6), Iowa–Grant/Highland, so., 4th (D3), defending Clash runner-up at 120; Nick Rogge (23–5), Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka, so.
138 — Justin Tollefsen (21–4), Fennimore, jr., 4th (D3), defending Clash champion at 126; Brandon Forseth (27–5), Mineral Point, sr., 5th (D3); John Phelan (26–4), Dodgeville, so., honorable mention (D2);
145 — Boone Schmitz (26–6), Mineral Point, jr., 2nd (D3), defending Clash runner-up at 152; Gavin Wipperfurth, River Valley, jr., HM (D2); Chase Beinborn (22–8), Boscobel, fr., NR (D2).
152 — Dustin Reynolds (29–5), Lancaster, sr., 8th at 160 (D3); Shane Liegel (24–7), River Valley, fr., ranked 3rd (D2).
160 — Brady Peat (26–7), Iowa–Grant/Highland, so., HM (D3), defending Clash runner-up at 160; Lucas Fugate (11–1), Belmont/Platteville, jr.
170 — Scott Pittz (31–1), Mineral Point, sr., 1st (D3), defending Clash champion at 160; Elijah Alt (32–2), River Valley, jr., ranked 1st at 160 (D2), defending Clash runner-up at 145; Drew Hennessey (21–6), Iowa–Grant/Highland, fr., HM (D3)
182 — Louis Heberlein (22–8), Fennimore, sr., 8th at 195 (D3); Conrad Blosch (25–5), Darlington/Black Hawk, sr., 12th (D3), defending Clash runner-up at 182; Sawyer Wallace, Mineral Point, jr., HM (D3); Stephen Ronnfeldt (24–6), Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka, so.
195 — Trevor Troxel (18–6), Riverdale, sr., 5th (D3); Kyle Juedes (21–9), Mineral Point, jr., 7th (D3); Peyton Hall (25–3), Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka–Steuben, sr., HM (D2); Casey Frey, Boscobel, jr., NR (D2).
220 — Brady Wetter (16–0), Dodgeville, sr., ranked 2nd (D2), defending Clash runner-up at 195; Taylor Eveanstad (16–2), Darlington/Black Hawk, sr., 3rd (D3)
285 — Deven O’Brien (23–5), Fennimore, jr., 6th (D3); Payton Calvert (25–6), Dodgeville, sr., HM (D2); Aaron McCarthy (28–5), Cuba City/S’western/Benton, jr., HM (D2)
OTHER AREA GAMES OF NOTE THIS WEEK
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Potosi (13–5, 6–3 SRW) at River Ridge (11–3, 6–2 SRW), Thursday, Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m., WGLR (97.7 FM)
The second-place Timberwolves have a huge showdown with league-leading Shullsburg looming on Tuesday, but first they must get past the short-handed Chieftains, who have been playing with only six full-time varsity players since junior starter Brooke Mckillip dislocated her shoulder in early December. Potosi handed Ridge one of its only two conference losses on Dec. 18, 63–43, but senior forward Amber Patterson didn’t play in that game for the T’Wolves. Patterson scored a team-high 20 points in a 67–65 win over Benton last Tuesday and 13 in a non-conference win at Lancaster on Monday. Potosi senior Maddie Hawes scored 17 points in a 49–44 non-conference win at Black Hawk on Monday to become the fourth player in program history to top 1,000 points for her career.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Six Rivers Challenge, Friday, Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m.
Barneveld (11–4, 8–0 SRE) at Belmont (11–5, 6–2 SRW)
In a game that could play a role in regional seeding, Six Rivers West co-leading Belmont hosts Six Rivers East leader Barneveld in one of the premier games in Friday’s Six Rivers Challenge. Senior guard Matthew Myers leads the Eagles in scoring at 16.9 points per game. Senior forward Raine Voigts leads the Braves in scoring (16.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg). Senior guard Jon Bahr averaged 11.6 points and a conference-best 5.5 assists per game.
Pecatonica (13–3, 6–1 SRE) at Shullsburg (13–3, 6–2 SRW)
Shullsburg scored a key 58–54 Six Rivers West win over Belmont last Thursday to pull into a first-place tie with the Braves, now the Miners host Pecatonica, the second-place team in the Six Rivers East. Mast Water Technology Athlete of the Week Hunter Matye drilled a game-winning three-pointer in Shullsburg’s 45–44 non-conference win at Platteville on Saturday and posted 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Thursday’s win at Belmont. Six-foot-five junior A.J. Hendrickson, who leads the Vikings in scoring at 23.7 points per game, will have his hands full against Shullsburg’s length of Joey Meyer (6’8”), Matye (6’5”), Noah Wand (6’4”) and Lance Lierman (6’3”).
Argyle (10–4, 4–3 SRE) at Potosi (9–6, 6–2 SRW)
Albany (11–5, 4–4 SRE) at Cassville (7–9, 4–4 SRW)
Black Hawk (7–7, 4–4 SRE) at River Ridge (4–11, 3–4 SRW)
Juda (5–11, 1–7 SRE) at Benton (2–12, 1–7 SRW)
Monticello (1–14, 0–8 SRE) at Highland (2–11, 1–6 SRW)
BOYS BASKETBALL: Cuba City (10–5, 6–3 SWAL) at Iowa–Grant (15–1, 9–0 SWAL), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
The SWAL-leading Panthers (ranked eighth in D4) will host the Cubans at IGHS Friday night. Iowa–Grant, which has won 15 straight games since a season-opening loss to Dodgeville, won the first meeting between the two schools, 70–61, at Cuba City High School in late December. Seniors Brayden Johnson (32 points) and Isaac Anderson (28) combined to score 60 of I–G’s points, including all 41 in the second half.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Mineral Point (14–2, 10–0 SWAL) at Riverdale (13–5, 7–3 SWAL), Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m.
The Pointers can assure themselves at least a share of the SWAL title with a win over the host Chieftains. Mineral Point, ranked third in Division 4, has now won 13 straight games since a 60–41 non-conference loss at Barneveld on Dec. 1. Seniors Clara Chambers and Jessica Schultz each scored 20 points when the Pointers won the first meeting with Riverdale, 76–65, on Jan. 7. Riverdale senior Amanda Meister recently became the third player in program history to reach the 1,000-point career milestone with a 22-point performance in the Chieftains’ 69–32 win over Southwestern last Friday.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: River Ridge (11–3, 6–2 SRW) at Shullsburg (15–2, 7–1 SRW), Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m., WGLR (97.7 FM)
The Miners, ranked sixth in Division 5, can clinch the outright conference title with a win over River Ridge on Tuesday. The Timberwolves need a win over Potosi on Thursday night and a win at Shullsburg to position themselves for a split of the conference crown. Ridge handed Shullsburg its only conference defeat of the season, 46–36, back on Jan. 7. Senior Bridgette Myers, who has a chance to top the 1,000-point mark for her career Friday at home against Black Hawk, scored 16 points in the upset. Shullsburg sophomore Brianna Leahy posted a monster game of 30 points and 18 rebounds, both career-highs, in a 71–50 victory over Potosi last Friday night.
