Mounder boys smash Crickets, narrowly lose to G-E-T

By Cara L. Dempski

ELK MOUND — It was not the decisive win Mounders’ first-year head coach Mike Kessler had hoped for, but it was a win all the same when Elk Mound opened its season at home against Fall Creek on November 29.

The Mounders put together a 68-61 win over the Crickets in Elk Mound.

Kessler saw some things he liked in the game, and things he hoped the team would have a chance to work on before hosting the Gale-Ettrick-Tremealeau Red Hawks December 2 to close out the first week of the season.

Elk Mound’s coach said the Red Hawks would present a challenge for the Mounders by throwing multiple defenses at the team. While the Mounders held their own against a team who went to the 2016 state tournament, they couldn’t get past G-E-T, and lost the matchup 53-49.

The Mounders played in Mondovi last night (December 6) and will host Durand this Friday, December 9. Elk Mound will begin a three-game road trip in Boyceville on December 15.

Fall Creek

In the opening game of the season, the Mounders presented an even front offensively and defensively, scoring 33 in the first half and 35 in the second, while playing a respectable man-to-man defense in both halves after initially playing one-three-one in to counter the Crickets in the opening minutes of the game.

Kessler expressed pleasure with the Mounders’ overall play, but said he would like to see them attack the glass more, since they initially had to settle for a lot of jump shots.

“We stressed at halftime to try to get the ball to the rim,” Kessler stated after the game. “I thought we did an okay job in the first half, but not as good as we could have.”

The Crickets opened the game with a full-court press that left Elk Mound with no option but to pick up old habits before gaining enough traction to try out their new man-to-man defense. It proved modestly successful, but Fall Creek’s Joey Kinderman and Sam Steinke still managed 22 and 15 points respectively against the orange and black.

Elk Mound, who led by six at the half, maintained that margin throughout the second half to win by seven.

Seniors Dane Lew and Ben Lambele led the Mounder attack with 23 points and 22 points. Lew made 11 of his 12 free throws and six field goals, but Lambele put up 11 field goals, seven of which fell in rapid succession during the final 18 minutes of the game.

Dylan Black, Carter Pritchard, Chandler Schreiber and Ryan Mohr were the only other scorers on the team. Black logged eight points, Pritchard is credited with seven, Schreiber picked up six, and Mohr accounted for a single field goal.

“We have some strong kids who really don’t realize how strong they are,” Kessler said of his team.

Joey Kinderman led the Crickets with 22 points, and was joined by Jacob McInnis and Sam Steinke with four fouls each.

The Elk Mound coach said he would work to tweak the Mounder defense and inside shooting before meeting G-E-T on December 2.

FALL CREEK 61, ELK MOUND 68
Fall Creek………………………….27  34 — 61
Elk Mound………………………..33  35 — 68

TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-T)

Fall Creek (21-10-21-61) J. Pritzl 1-0-2-2, L. Dallas 6-1-2-15, J. Kinderman 5-9-4-22, D. Schulz 3-0-3-7, J. McInnis 0-0-4-0, D, Marten 0-0-2-0, S. Steinke 6-0-4-15.

Elk Mound (25-17-17-68) D. Lew 6-11-2-23, C. Pritchard 2-2-0-7, J. Rubenzer 0-0-1-0, R. Mohr 1-0-4-2, B. Lambele 11-0-3-22, D. Black 2-4-2-8, C. Schreiber 3-0-4-6, C. Mavis 0-0-1-0.

THREE-POINTERS FC — L. Dallas 2, J. Kinderman 3, D. Schulz 1, S. Steinke 3; EM — C. Pritchard 1.

G-E-T

It is a testament to Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau’s Red Hawks that they kept up a fast pace all night in Elk Mound on December 2. It is a testament to the Mounders that they lost by only four points to a team that played in the 2016 Division 3 state semifinals.

“Hats off to our guys for working so hard the whole game with that kind of pace and only six guys in the rotation,” Elk Mound coach Mike Kessler said.

Kessler said despite the loss, it was great to see how hard his team was willing to work and not give in, regardless of circumstance.

“You wish you could get a win just for that,” he said.

Nothing makes this more evident than getting down by 10 points in the first half and 12 in the second, only to battle back to within one. Still, the Mounders just could not close the deal.

The Mounders trailed by just five points, 25-20, at halftime.

Junior Ben Lambele and seniors Dane Lew and Chandler Schreiber carried the weight of the team, scoring 46 of Elk Mound’s 49 between them. Lambele dropped in 23, while Lew had 13, and Schreiber recorded 10.

Juniors Ryan Mohr and Dylan Black made up the other three points, with Mohr sinking one of two free throws and Black going two for two on free throws.

The Mounders shot 19 field goals, were 11 for 16 on free throws, and committed 14 fouls. The Red Hawks sent in 18 field goals, and were 11 for 15 on free throws, and accrued 17 fouls. What gave them an edge was solid outside shooting for six three-pointers.

Junior Chris Thompson led the Red Hawks with 24 points.

GALE-ETTRICK-TREMPELEAU 53, ELK MOUND 49
Gale-Ettrick-Trempeleau…….25  28 — 53
Elk Mound………………………..20  29 — 49

TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-T)

Gale-Ettrick-Trempeleau (18-11-17-53) A. Pearson 2-2-2-8, B. Behan 0-0-2-0, M. Burt 0-0-1-0, D. Kvistad 3-2-2-9, B. Thiesse 0-0-3-0, C. Thompson 10-2-4-24, J. Jumbeck 1-0-1-3, T. Scherr 2-5-2-9.

Elk Mound (19-11-13-49) D. Lew 4-5-4-13, C. Pritchard 0-0-2-0, R. Mohr 0-1-1-1, B. Lambele 11-1-2-23, D. Black 0-2-3-2, C. Schreiber 4-2-2-10.

THREE-POINTERS GET — A. Pearson 2, D. Kvistad 1, C. Thompson 2, J. Jumbeck 1.