Colfax boys bested by Elmwood/Plum City, reverse course and sail past Hilltoppers
By Cara L. Dempski
COLFAX — The week may not have started how the Vikings’ wanted it to, but it ended with a game that may help them carry some momentum into their final week of the regular season and into the tournaments.
The Colfax boys’ squad hosted Elmwood/Plum City and Glenwood City for respective conference games on February 14 and 17. Colfax lost the Valentine’s Day match-up against Elmwood/Plum City by a score of 68-60, but played well enough to hit the floor feeling confident against the Hilltoppers on February 17.
The Vikings scored a 62-42 victory against the Toppers, and hopefully will take some of the energy from their win into the final week of the regular season before starting tournament play.
Colfax traveled to Cadott on February 20 for a non-conference match-up with the Hornets before playing its final conference contest at home against Mondovi this Thursday, February 23. The team is 2-11 in the Dunn-St. Croix and has an overall record of 5-15.
The Vikings, seeded ninth in the lower half of the WIAA Division 4 Eau Claire Sectional, will travel to Glenwood City next Tuesday, February 28 to play the eighth-seeded Hilltoppers in the regional quarterfinals. It will be the second time in two weeks and third time this season that the two teams have played. The winner will advance to play at top-seeded Stanley-Boyd on Friday, March 3.
Elmwood/Plum City
It can be difficult to keep your poise playing against a team that sinks eight three-point shots in the first half, but it is a credit to the Vikings that they managed to stay within 10 points of the sharp-shooting Wolves in the first 18 minutes of the game.
“I thought we played OK defense in the first half,” Coach Garrett Maas said of the Colfax squad. “Elmwood/Plum City hit eight threes, and all but one was challenged.”
Things started to pick up for the Vikings in the second half of the game, bounding out of the locker room with enough energy to cut the Wolves’ lead to four right away. But, three empty trips to the basket quickly lifted the Elmwood/Plum City lead to 10 points again.
The Vikings managed to cut the EPC lead to a single point two more times in the game, and each time had a chance to tie on a free throw, but missed on both tries.
“We could just never get over the hump,” Maas explained. “I was proud of how hard we played, we just need to cut down on the mental mistakes.”
George Scharlau reeled in 18 points in the game with five field goals, a pair of threes, and a pair of charity shots. Senior Jacob Larson was not far behind Scharlau; he nabbed 17 points with a three, four field goals, and six of 10 free shots.
Adam Pretasky hit a pair of threes and a pair of free throws to score eight points, Treyton Teige earned six with a trio of field goals, and Ben Thompson and Matthew Reisdorf each picked up four points with a field goal and pair of free shots each.
Elmwood/Plum City’s Luke Baier earned the game’s highest score with 21 points.
ELMWOOD/PLUM CITY 68, COLFAX 60
Elmwood/Plum City……………37 31 — 68
Colfax………………………………27 33 — 60
TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-T)
Elmwood/Plum City (23-10-16-68) A. Ebensperger 1-2-4-13, S. Hoyt 0-1-1-13, B. Glaus 2-2-3-9, T. Maxwell 0-0-2-3, K. Heit 1-0-0-2, L. Baier 8-5-2-21, C. Hinrichs 2-0-3-4.
Colfax (28-14-17-60) B. Thompson 1-2-1-4, J. Larson 4-6-4-17, T. Teige 3-0-0-6, G. Scharlau 5-2-3-18, L. Heidorn 0-0-2-3, A. Pretasky 0-2-3-8, M. Reisdorf 1-2-3-4, E. Hydukovich 0-0-1-0.
THREE-POINTERS EPC — A. Ebensperger 3, S. Hoyt 4, B. Glaus 1, T. Maxwell 2; C — J. Larson 1, G. Scharlau 2, L. Heidorn 1, A. Pretasky 2.
Glenwood City
The Colfax boys hit their home hardwood with energy to spare on February 17, and it showed in their 62-42 win over the Glenwood City squad.
“We played a very good team game, everybody contributed, and we did great at getting that extra pass,” said senior Jacob Larson.
Coach Maas echoed Larson’s statement and added that he was happy with the way some of the young players were able to step off the bend and contribute.
“Luke (Heidorn) played a phenomenal game, and Ben (Thompson) hit some big shots for us,” Maas said. “Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time.”
Maas was hoping for the eighth seed in his region for Division 4, but stated he would be happy with a ten-seed too. The coaches setting the regional brackets split the difference for him, and the Vikings were seeded ninth, right behind the Hilltoppers.
Larson was the highest-scoring player on the Colfax court against the Glenwood City squad, earning 23 of the Vikings’ final 62 points. Ben Thompson reeled in 18 points, and George Scharlau tacked up 12 to round out Colfax’s double-digit squad.
Matthew Reisdorf landed a pair of field goals for four points, Heidorn was good for three between a field goal and a free throw, and Ed Hydukovich earned two points on a single field goal.
Glenwood City’s highest score belonged to sophomore Dillon Hierlmeier, who drilled in six field goals and four charity shots for a total 16 points.
GLENWOOD CITY 42, COLFAX 62
Glenwood City…………………..20 22 — 42
Colfax………………………………33 29 — 62
TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-T)
Glenwood City (16-10-12-42) D. Hierlmeier 6-4-0-16, P. Hill 0-0-1-0, H. DeSmith 2-0-1-4, D. Loring 0-1-0-1, Q. Taylor 3-1-4-7, R. Schutz 3-2-2-8, T Davis 2-1-1-5, A. Croes 0-1-3-1.
Colfax (38-9-12-62) B. Thompson 3-3-0-18, J. Larson 9-5-1-23, T. Teige 0-0-2-0, G. Scharlau 3-0-2-12, Mar. Reisdorf 0-0-1-0, L. Heidorn 1-1-2-3, A. Pretasky 0-0-2-0, Mat. Reisdorf 2-0-3-4, E. Hydukovich 1-0-0-2.
THREE-POINTERS C — B. Thompson 3, G. Scharlau.