Black Hawk boys nursing injured wings in hoops

What the gridiron giveth in gold, it can taketh in health from the hardwood.

That’s one tough lesson the Grafton High School boys’ basketball team has already learned just a few games into the season.

The Black Hawks’ state-title winning football team pushed back some of the progress of those players participating in both sports, and it has taken two players out until at least Christmas or mid-January, coach Damon James said.

Senior guard DJ James, the coach’s son, and forward Jack Marti are both nursing injuries from the football season.

In addition, guard Caleb Battles got injured in a scrimmage and is missing significant time.

“It’s just put us in a bad spot. We’ve got to get through it and compete as best as we can for now,” coach James said.

The trio’s ailments include an ankle, wrist and shoulder, and coach James said all may be nagging them throughout the season.

The Hawks would have been an experienced team. They lost starter Tommy Lutz but returned four others — the three injured and junior guard Josiah Gonzales from a team that was rebuilding and went 4-21.

“We were returning four starters, which I think would be worth some value,” James said.

Lutz was second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game. Battles averaged 13.4 per game, DJ James 9.2 and Marti 7.8. That’s 41 points per game missing.

Lutz led the team in rebounds with 6.6 per game. James averaged five, Battles 4.3 and Marti 3.2.

James led in assists, averaging 3.8 per game, and Battles averaged 3.7.

The Hawks still managed to blow out visiting Waupun, 87-61, in the season opener on Dec. 2. Battles wasn’t hurt yet and scored 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting. Gonzales added 13 points and five assists. Sophomore Dash Metzger had 11 points and Paxton Rechcygl had 10. Adam Dembeic had nine and Donnie Hilgart had seven. Freshman Hank Doyle, standing 6 feet, 6 inches tall, had eight rebounds.

The shorthanded Hawks began to falter at home against Hartford last Friday in a 71-26 loss.

“We couldn’t get the ball up the court,” James said.

Gonzales and Parker Shaw each had nine points.

The Hawks lost, 78-70, to Destiny at St. Augustine Prep last Saturday. Stats weren’t available.

Grafton has other players back who are being asked to step up — Shaw, Dembiec and Ian Cornelius. Doyle “has been thrown into the fire early,” James said.

“On paper, we returned nine guys.”

James said the team plans to mix up the offensive pace and run mostly a man-to-man defense, mixing in zone and pressing.

The team had taken advantage of some of the extra contact days during summer after the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association loosened the rules.

James said he mixed in skills training with hand-on contact two days per week.

“We played a lot of games this summer over the course of June. We had some good progress, which is what you want in the offseason,” he said.

The Hawks would have hit the ground running with a full slate of players.

“It would have been nice instead of the alternative of where we’re at right now. We play nine games in December (of a 24-game season) where we’re not going to have three starters,” he said.

“I gotta keep telling myself that things will get better.”

Grafton was to host Brown Deer on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The Hawks play at Whitefish Bay on Friday, Dec. 12, and face South Milwaukee in the Halli Lannan Showcase at home at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13. They host Homestead on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

The schedule for the showcase is: 1 p.m. Howard Fuller Academy vs. Living Word Lutheran; 3 p.m.; Milwaukee Hamilton vs. Grafton girls; and 5 p.m. Homestead vs. Hortonville.

The showcase is named after James’ late sister-in-law. Lannan died Dec. 29, 2020, from metastatic breast cancer. She was born in Racine, joined the Army and was named a Pat Tillman Scholar. She later became a teacher, working toward equity for the most marginalized students.

James started the event in 2022 to honor her memory and promote her work with equity. A portion of the event’s proceeds go toward a scholarship in Lannan’s name.

Port boys start with three wins

Port Washington started the season by beating Mayville, 65-53, at home on Dec. 2.

Cal Loose had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.  Grady Karrels and Colton Struckman each had 12 points. Izaiah Scheftgen had 10.

Port beat West Bend West, 60-58, on the road last Thursday.

Port’s balanced scoring had Karrels putting in 12, Loose and Scheftgen each with 11 and Struckman and Aiden Mitchell each with nine.

The Pirates beat Shorewood, 73-65, at home on Monday. Stats weren’t available.

Port was to play at Sheboygan North on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Port hosts West Bend East on Friday, Dec. 12, and Kettle Moraine Lutheran on Tuesday, Dec. 16.