March 11, 2023 – Kewaskum, WI – Kewaskum High School girls basketball team faces No. 4 Milwaukee Academy of Science (23-3) in the D3 WIAA State final at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. Tipoff is around 2:30 p.m. and you can watch the game for free at The Fifth Quarter.
w do you think that helps with team building and just relaxing?
There was a lot of fun, you know, doing stuff like that helps take the pressure off of us and help us enjoy this experience a bit more.
How do you think you’re doing representing kewaskum?
I mean, we’ve gotten lots of messages and stuff from the community and to this, people overseeing how excited they are for us. And so it’s really cool to see all the looking up to us. And, you know, messages from a bunch of little kids and stuff, too. So it’s pretty cool to be able to have that many people looking up to us.
How are you going to take on Milwaukee then on on Saturday?
Yeah, well, we know they’re a really athletic team. And we think that one of the biggest parts of the game is going to be rebounding. So that’s something we’re really focused on, you know, we’re gonna try and match as best we can and just play as hard as we can.
Have you met? You haven’t met them? In the season? Have you? Nope, nope. Whoever you met that may be similar to them? Anybody?
Oh, I don’t think that anything we played in Smash athleticism at all. You know, like watching the palm play against them gave us a good idea, too, because we know upon very well, because we play them there in a conference. So it was good to see that matchup to kind of help us get a better idea, but I’m not sure we’ve played anyone similar to them.
They put up a lot of shots Milwaukee. Yeah, that’s for sure. Like a very running gun. You guys did pretty well, I’m not sure if it was you in particular that was blocking shots on West Salem that kind of stun them.
Yeah. And we know that they’re going to try and take large shots, like you said, so we’re going to school and try and be like, more efficient with our shots and hopefully make more than them.
Right. Right. So I watched the game last night and kewaskum. And it seemed to take you a little bit to find your groove. Was that challenging?
Yeah, you know, they came out with heavy pressure right away, which I don’t think any of us were expecting or were ready for. But we knew in the second half, we had to pick it up and kind of handle their pressure. And I feel like we kind of took advantage of their pressure and got some open looks like right at the under the basket on fat cuts and stuff like that. So like you said, gotten that groove a little bit and kind of figured out how to play against it.
How well do you do because I think you only lost the lead once against West Salem, and that was just for hot. Second, how well do you do if you are a little bit behind in a game? Yeah, well, we
experienced that against freedom to in the section of final and a few other times throughout the season. And I feel like that’s where our senior leadership comes in. Because, you know, we’ve all been in these situations before and we know that keep pushing, we just gotta stay calm and collected and just keep playing. And so I feel like that’s what we did. And it worked.
What Tom, what do you consider your strongest leadership skill? Because people are looking to you? What’s, what’s the best thing you have going for you or what’s your tactic to get the team focused?
Yeah, you know, one thing that I always say in the huddle is is like, let’s just try and have fun, like, just stay positive, everyone, let’s just like we’re fine, calm down deep breaths, I kind of just try and do that. And, you know, get everyone’s heads, like back to the game and in a positive way, because I feel like a lot of times if we get negative that’s when things start to fall apart. So
how, what happened yesterday, a quite a few bunnies were missed. And I know you guys know that. But it just seemed more. Everybody was cheering like they’re it’s money shot and you missed.
Yeah, that was kind of always a struggle of ours, like the whole season. I’m not sure why. But I did have one coach that always said layoffs are hard. So you know, right. shots that we should be making, but I mean, sometimes your shots just don’t fall and yeah.
Are you going to go deep on the bench tomorrow because it sounds like Milwaukee likes to run?
I’m not sure I coach. My coach.
Okay, and how are you doing with so I’ve worked with Mark melee in the past and he is not an easy guy to that takes quite a lot. learning curve, but it seems like you guys have tackled that.
Yeah, you know, like, at the beginning of the season, it was a little rough. But once we got working with him more and kind of like, understood how he works, and he understood how we worked, it just worked itself out and made things easier.
Are you going to focus on them? They had one player, I think she finished with 22 last night. She seems to be their go to are you going to focus in on her at all? Are you double teaming?
Um, you’ll have two really good scores, they’re really athletic, they like to shoot a lot of their shots. So those are the two we’re gonna try to focus on.
Okay. Anything else you want to add that, that I might have missed?
Um, nothing I can think of. I mean, we’re just really excited for this opportunity. And it’s crazy. Like how far we’ve come from the game the end here, and we’re just really excited.
If somebody’s debating whether they should come out to the rash tomorrow, what would you say to encourage them?
Oh, call them. Especially if they’re from you asked him like this is a well, the last time we got to stay was what for 292? Yeah, yeah. So you never know when the next time it could be? Sure. Never know. The next time it could happen. So all right. I take advantage of the opportunity.
Good. And is your friend there? Are you comfortable with our conversation? Maddie? Yeah. Okay. And then is your friend there? You’d have to pass the phone or she’ll give me a buzz.
Yeah, she’s here. Here’s Yes.
Thank you. Thank you.
Yep. Bye. Bye. Hi,
hi, my name is Judy. Who am I talking to? Some Oregon. Morgan. My name is Judy stiffest. I have a page called Washington County Insider. So who won in the dodgeball game today?
I’d say it was pretty even we kept going back and forth with the team. So
what year in school? Are you? I’m a senior Oh, you’re a senior to you guys are senior dominant, aren’t you? Yes. Very? What kind of I don’t know, what kind of pressure does that that put on you? Because it’s your senior year, you want to do the best? I mean, you saw the girl last night on West Salem crying because she knew that this was it. And they weren’t going anywhere.
Yeah, I think it’s really just being the senior year. It’s a big motivator for a lot of us because we know this is the last time around. And it’s just, I think it’s really been a motivator for us. And honestly, it’s not that much pressure, because we haven’t really been expected to be here. And so I think we’re just playing our hearts out. And without any pressure on us.
What kind of comments? Have you been fielding some of them that are memorable? Some comments? Yeah. What are the encouragement that you’ve been receiving?
Yeah, I think just from all of our fans, and the community has been incredible. I mean, we got that big send off on Thursday. And it was really, really heartwarming to just see that from our whole community coming together. And our students, our staff, everyone’s together. So there’s been a lot of different comments that I really just, you can’t even pinpoint one because it’s all just been great encouragement,
and you guys win. $2,000 Did you hear about that?
Oh, yeah, our student section, they were great. It was really just an incredible experience to see them all coming to support us to
watch the game last night at the fifth quarter and kewaskum. Eric is a friend of mine, the owner, and it seemed to take a little bit for you guys to find your groove. Or was it that their, their defense was so because there were quite a series of turnovers? I don’t want to be negative. I’m just analyzing the game. And then And then somebody shots. So when did you finally find it? I mean, you got I think a four point lead and then a six. And then it’s like then it was your game. But that was in a late in the second half.
Yeah. So I think that really just, I mean, this is a whole new experience for all of our players. And so there’s a little bit of that shock factor, I guess. But then we just started to get our groove. And we always say to, they’re gonna go on rounds, we’re gonna go on runs. So we just gotta keep sticking with it keeping positive. And I think that we’re really are a second half team, we come together and that second half after halftime, and just motivate each other. And so I feel that it just took us a minute to get our groove and catch our surroundings. And then after that, it really all just came together at
once. How does it feel playing in a big arena, like the rash?
I mean, it was incredible. After the game, Matty and I, we had an interview with someone from the TV production and afterwards, the rash was almost empty, and we just stood in the middle and kind of just looked around and we said, we really just played here. This is just an incredible experience. And even walking out of the locker room. I mean, hearing everyone’s cheering. It was just a memorable moment.
If somebody’s debating whether to come out Saturday and watch you guys in person, what would you say to encourage them?
I I would tell him that I mean, it’s been 40 years since we’ve been here before. And we don’t know when it’ll happen again. So I think it’s just an experience that everyone would love to see. And we love the support, too. We appreciate all that so
great. What’s the one thing that melee tells you in the huddle that keeps you focused?
I really think that just in the huddle during timeouts, and beforehand, we always were talking to each other all of our teammates, and then just kind of pulls it together and says, This is our time. This is This is us, why not us? Why not? Why can’t we be the ones to win state? We’ve really been the underdogs all year. And so I think that that’s just really a great word of encouragement that it should be us.
Terrific. Are you able to, because you have my number here on Matty’s phone, can you guys take a headshot of yourselves and then just send it to me or a couple? With the team getting together? I got Cory dogs has been sending me like long shots, but I just need a couple Face Face shots of you guys having fun doing whatever. Can you text?
The Indians secured a hard-fought victory, 46-34, Thursday afternoon vs. a scrappy W. Salem team. Celebrating the win was a record fan base for Kewaskum which picked up a $2,000 check for the school district from the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce for selling the most tickets to the D3 matchup.
Click HERE to look at the final stats as Morgan Adams led the Indians with 19 points.
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No. 2 W. Salem was a challenge for No. 3 Kewaskum. Both teams had a smothering defense, both struggled from the floor offensively and each suffered its fair share of turnovers.
The Indians, however, held the lead the majority of the game and according to assistant coach Kory Dogs, their senior leadership and confidence helped control the game.
“At this time of year, there’s a lot of good teams and you have to bring your A game to have a chance to win,” he said. “Our style is not comfortable for most teams to play and as long as we can stick to our guns, and play our style, we have a great shot to beat anybody and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
The WIAA D3 state final between Kewaskum and Milwaukee Science Academy will tip around 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 11, 2023.
Milwaukee Academy of Science advanced with a 64-57 win over top seed Waupun. Click HERE to look at final stats from that game.
Dogs had this preview. “They’re going to fly up and down the court, they’re going to shoot it and shoot it and shoot it and rebound like crazy. So, we have to slow them down and keep them off the boards a bit and take care of the ball on our end. We can do it.”
Locally, The Fifth Quarter Sports Bar in Kewaskum, WI is televising the game. Come join us and cheer on your Indians.
Click HERE for WIAA D3 Tournament bracket
A big sendoff for the girls’ team on Thursday as students and fans lined the street to wish the Indians ‘Good Luck.’
This is the team’s first trip to the WIAA State Tournament since 1982.
