Sports

HOWARDS GROVE – Head coach Chris Schroeder was very pleased with his Howards Grove boys basketball team’s season and how the Tigers finished strong.

The Tigers reeled off nine straight wins before falling to 10th-ranked Winnebago Lutheran Academy (Fond du Lac) in the Division 3 semifinals in overtime, 52-47.

“We had a pretty good year. A measure is how the team is playing at the end of the year,” said Schroeder.

The Tigers chalked up a 17-7 overall mark and captured third in the Central Lakeshore Conference at 13-5. During the nine-game winning streak, Howards knocked off CLC co-champion Oostburg in overtime, 69-58.

Howards began the streak with a victory over Cedar Grove-Belgium after its most disappointing loss of the season, 70-53, to CLC rival Sheboygan Lutheran.

“I was proud of the kids for how they finished. We beat Oostburg and Cedar Grove – two teams that we lost to earlier in the season,” Schroeder said.

The veteran coach pointed to teamwork, offensive balance and rebounding as the keys to the successful season.

“This is the best free-throw shooting and rebounding team that I have ever hard in my seven years at Howards Grove,” he said.

“A team effort was certainly a key to our season. We didn’t have just one or two players we had to rely on to score.

Schroeder said the highlights of the season were the team’s victories over Oostburg, Division 2 state qualifier Kiel and New Holstein.

He said seniors Zach Morgen and Aaron Wagner make key contributions with their intensity in practice that spurred on the team and that carried into the games.

“Zach and Aaron helped elevated the team’s levels of intensity in practice which carried over into games,” the coach said.

Schroeder said senior guard Eric Bruesewitz, an All-CLC second-teamer, was probably the Tigers’ most consistent player this past season.

“Eric became more consistent as the season went on,” Schroeder recalled. “He hit big shots when we needed them.

“Ryan Bruesewitz [sophomore guard and Eric’s younger brother] was a stickler on defense. Eric Dickmyer [senior guard] hit nine straight free throws in overtime against Oostburg.”

Schroeder emphasized that the team had several players contribute and step throughout the season which was crucial.

He is optimistic about next season with most of the team returning.

“It looks good. We have Josh Horness coming back. Ashton Holzman came on strong at the end of the season,” Schroeder said.

The Tigers should get a boost from this year’s junior varsity team that was 20-2.

AWARDS, FINAL STATS

Horness, a junior forward and All-CLC second-team pick, received the Tigers’ award for leading the squad in scoring with 304 points and rebounding, 181.

Eric Bruesewitz earned the squad’s award as the assist leader with 83 and also garnered the Team Player Award for being such a strong all-around performer.

Morgen earned the “Coach’s Award” for his strong leadership and putting the team first.

Matt Wleklinski paced the team in field-goal shooting with an impressive 67.3 percent. Dickmyer led in foul shooting with an excellent 82.9.

Eric Bruesewitz hit a team-high 35 three-point goals and led in three-point accuracy at 44.9 percent. The following Tigers earned varsity letters: seniors –Dickmeyer, Eric Bruesewitz, Morgen and Wagner; juniors – Paul Elzinga, Horness, Jacob Schulz, Wleklinski, Ryan Bruesewitz and Holzman.
FINAL HOWARDS GROVE
BOYS BASKETBALL STATISTICS
Scoring Leaders
Pts. Avg.
Josh Horness………………………..304 12.7
Eric Bruesewitz….………….……..292 12.7

Rebounding Leaders
No. Avg.
Horness………………………………..181 7.5
Zach Morgen……….…………...…..123 5.1
Steal Leaders
No. Avg.
Bruesewitz………………..…………...36 1.6
Aaron Wagner…………...……………27 1.1
Assist Leaders
No. Avg.
Bruesewitz………………………..…...83 3.6
Dickmeyer…………………..………….68 2.8
Blocked-Shot Leaders
No. Avg.
Horness……………………..…………..17 0.7
Bruesewitz…………..………………...17 _ 0_.7_________________________