Topper boys look to continue climb in 2024-25
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
THE GLENWOOD CITY boys’ basketball team looks to improve on a 10-13 finish last season. The Hilltoppers return four letter winners to this year’s squad. The team features 24 players, shown above, for the 2024-25 season. Front row (L to R): Dillon Riba, Hayden Green, James Flynn, Mason McCarthy, Jordan Hager, Max Voeltz and Braylon Estep. Middle row (L to R): Will Dreyling, Jordan Standaert, Levi McVeigh, Vincent Yang, Clayton Thayer, Max Peterson and Michael Wheeler. Back row (L to R): Brady Thompson, Tyler Harrington, Elliott Springborn, Ben Klatt, Brody Olson, Clayton Hoffman, Tristen Wink, Mitchel Main, Caleb Klinger and Brody Riba. —photo submitted
GLENWOOD CITY — The Hilltopper boys look to continue their upward trajectory in the 2024-25 basketball season.
After winning just three games two seasons ago, Glenwood City finished 10-13 overall and 5-9 in Dunn-St. Croix play last year, a trend head coach Patrick Olson, who enters his fourth season with a 20-49 mark, would like to see continue and improve.
Glenwood City lost just two letter winners to graduation including three-year letter and two-year starting point guard, Morgen Eggert and post player Zach Hill who was lost in mid-season due to injuries suffered in an automotive accident.
Olson has good reason to be optimistic that his charges can continue their growth in terms of skills and wins as Glenwood City returns four of its starters from last season.
Headlining those four returning letter winners and starters is his son, 6’ 7” Brody Olson. In his sophomore campaign, Brody Olson led the Hilltoppers in scoring with a 16 points per game average and hauled down six rebounds per game which earned him a spot on the second-team all conference list.
Like Olson, senior Tyler Harrington will bring his long-range shooting acumen to bear on opposing defenses again this season. The 5’ 11” guard finished 2023-24 with a ten points per game average and was always good for a couple of rebounds.
Also returning to their starting roles are juniors Brody Riba (6’) and Brady Thompson (6’ 2”). Riba averaged seven points a game while Thompson netted four. Both averaged around three rebounds per contest.
Harrington, Olson, and Riba will serve as this year’s team captains.
Aiding those four will be 5’10” senior Caleb Klinger who averaged three points a game and 6’3” and 6’2” juniors Clayton Hoffman and Ben Klatt.
Coach Olson sees the experience and talent of the four returning starters as a strength along with a number of quality tournaments the players participated in this past summer which included Cameron, UW-Madison, and the 2024 WBCA JP Invite.
“We are looking to continue our goal of improving each day and each game,” stated Coach Olson.
In all, the Hilltoppers have 24 players out this season which breaks down to three seniors, eight juniors, six sophomores and seven freshmen.
As for his top contenders for this year’s Dunn-St. Croix Conference crown, Olson believes defending champion Durand-Arkansaw is once again a favorite along with Elk Mound and Spring Valley.
Assisting Coach Olson this season are Michael Garrison (junior varsity), Taylor Deling (c-team), Nathan Hoffman, Holly Olson, Craig Kittel, Wyatt Thompson, and Jonny Best (student assistant coach).
Glenwood City scrimmaged in Somerset last Friday, November 22 and opens the regular season on Tuesday, December 3 at home versus Cornell.
2024-25 Roster
Seniors: Caleb Klinger, Tyler Harrington, Elliott Springborn
Juniors: Clayton Hoffman, Mitchel Main, Brody Riba, Ben Klatt, Brady Thompson, Brody Olson, Vincent Yang, Michael Wheeler
Sophomores: Tristen Wink, Clayton Thayer, Max Peterson, Jordan Standaert, Levi McVeigh, Will Dreyling
Freshmen: Jordan Hager, Dillon Riba, Max Voeltz, Braylon Estep, Mason McCarthy, Hayden Green, James Flynn