Suring Has A Leg Up In Conference Race Pyscher Expected To
Lead Bulldog Run
As one of just two returning players from the M & O Conference first and second teams, Alyssa Pyscher seems poised to lift the Peshtigo Bulldogs over the hump and into the conference penthouse in her senior season.
Widely regarded as the best player in the league in pre-season questionnaires, Pyscher was a s
econd-team selection to the league team last year, as all five first-team players have now graduated.
The only other second-teamer to return is Juliana Molosky of St. Thomas Aquinas, who will be relied upon for a good chunk of her team’s scoring.
Peshtigo, along with Gillett, Wausaukee and possibly Crivitz, seem to be the league favorites heading into the season.
The Bulldogs will also return point guard Sarah Dobbin, who has been saddled by injuries the last few seasons but brings quickness and athleticism to the backcourt.
The 5-10 Pyscher, who plays down low and can stretch it out to expose mismatches all around the floor, will be joined by the steady Taylor Huss and the emerging Melissa Stone on a Bulldog team primed for a run.
Gillett, led by Laura Wagner, Ali McQuillan and Shannon Schaal, among others, will rely on solid guard play and will hope to mirror last year’s 13-3 campaign which saw them finish in second place behind Wausaukee (14-2).
The Rangers are looking to make up for the loss of two first-team performers from last year, standout guard Hilary Arthur and forward Christi Klatt, the league’s defensive player of the year.
The Rangers will rely on their frontcourt with Karlie Francour and Brooke Arndt in their title defense.
Niagara, 8-8 finishers a year ago, will lack the scoring punch they had last year with the league’s player of the year (Jamie Vandenberg), while 12-4 finisher Coleman will try to make up for the loss of Kara Compe (first-team), Kyrsten Carter (second team) and Hope Jashinsky (honorable mention).
Crivitz will look to junior Ali Hockers as well as others in the post to turn the corner and emerge as a solid threat.
Suring, St. Thomas Aquinas and Lena all have significant holes to fill.
Becky Huberty returns as one of the league’s best post players for Lena, while the Cavalettes will rely on Molosky and Suring needs new players to emerge to be competitive.
The M & O season gets underway next Tuesday, Dec. 1 when eight of the nine teams are in action.
Crivitz will travel to Peshtigo, Gillett will go to Suring, STAA takes on Wausaukee, and Niagara goes to Coleman.
Most of the teams will be involved in non-conference match-ups before starting their regular season schedule.
Fortunes Depend On
Return Of LaMarre
From Football Injury
If one thing seems to key pre-season predictions around the M & O Conference, it is the status of Ryan LaMarre’s leg.
If a broken leg suffered during football season is 100 percent, the Suring Eagles have to be considered the favorites in the league once again.
The Eagles finished at 12-4 last year with LaMarre, a first-team selection, and Chad Strehlow, a second-team selection, and are primed to take over the reigns once again from a Crivitz team (14-2 last season) mired in a rebuilding campaign.
The reigning league player of the year might have something to say about it, however.
Gillett’s Nick Krause, the most dominating guard last season in the league, is returning for his senior campaign and hopes to help the Tigers improve on an 11-5 league season.
Krause will have fellow guard Blair Hicks in the backcourt, but honorable mention pick Brandon Estep is not on Gillett’s roster this season.
The Tigers will look for an emergence of a post presence to be competitive this season, although that may not come with limited size on their roster.
Perhaps Krause’s biggest competition for player of the year honors, St. Thomas Aquinas’ Tyler Price, is the other returner from the league’s first-team last year.
The quick and lanky guard will be relied upon to shoulder a significant amount of STAA’s scoring load after losing post presence Kevin Betts and guard Davey Brostowitz.
Joey Brostowitz will return for his senior year, while Joey Collard hopes to return well from a knee injury.
The Cavaliers finished tied for fourth with an 8-8 record last season.
The Peshtigo Bulldogs and Coleman Cougars also were at 8-8, and Peshtigo will return perhaps the most athletic team in the league this season.
Second-team standout Collin Terry is back for his senior year and he will also have the super-athletic James Meeks in the backcourt.
The Bulldogs will need a solid presence inside after losing Preston Ruleau to graduation.
Coleman will be without their top scorer in Jack Kotecki, who was a first-team selection as a senior last year, and will return no players who were given conference laurels last year.
Lena, a 6-10 squad a year ago, returns Bryan and Zach Klister, a pair of scoring threats sure to give some teams fits.
Inside the Wildcats have Robert Harley, and will also look to sophomore Craig Huberty and senior Brad Sobeck for a boost in the post.
Wausaukee will return honorable mention selection Jake Wszelaki, one of the biggest players in the confernce at 6-5, 250 pounds. He and senior guard Jason Schlies will be relied upon for much of Wausaukee’s scoring.
The Niagara Badgers, 3-13 finishers a year ago, are relying on inexperience this year, and their top performer could end up being sophomore Weston Sexton.
While some teams open up competition tonight (Tuesday, Nov. 24), the M & O season will get underway next Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Peshtigo will travel to Crivitz, Gillett is at neighbor Suring, Wausaukee goes to Marinette to take on STAA, and Coleman is at Niagara.
Recent stories, opinions and photos
|
| |
|
Yes
No
Undecided
