CG-Belgium boys aim to get up the floor in a hurry

By 
MITCH MAERSCH
Ozaukee Press Staff

Cedar Grove-Belgium High School boys’ basketball coach Jake Hock was encouraged by his team’s play in the season opener, but he knows the Rockets might have let a big one get away.

The Rockets missed a last-second three-pointer from the corner and a heave at the buzzer at one of the favorites to win the Big East on Nov. 26 at Sheboygan Lutheran.

“We got a shot we liked in the corner at the end. Against a good team like Sheboygan Lutheran there are a lot of positives going forward, but it hurts,” Hock said.

Owen Gulke scored 17 points and shot 6-for-12 from the field, and he grabbed six rebounds. Brody Halleman had 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting, along with five rebounds and four assists. Carter Schmitz had 11 points and five rebounds. Griffin Knight had eight points and 12 rebounds. Cade Borden had 10 points.

Gulke, a 6 foot, 3-inch junior guard, returns to lead the Rockets after being named to the Big East South Division second team last season. He averaged 17 points, five rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals last season and will again play shooting guard.

“Obviously, Owen’s a special player. He’s so good at making shots for himself. In his junior year now, he will grow his game and his decision making,” Hock said.

The Rockets lost starter Matt Peiffer and reserve Dominic Weber to graduation, and they lost senior forward Nolan Aponte to a knee injury sustained during football season. He was second on the team with 9.7 points per game and first in rebounds with 5.8 and assists with 2.5 per game last season.

“It hurts but he’s still a captain for us. He’s a leader. While we miss him on the court, we’re glad he’s still around, helping us out on the bench,” Hock said.

Halleman and Borden return to start for the third year on varsity.

“Because of the low numbers with only two seniors, a lot of guys had to get pulled up earlier,” Hock said of last season.

“Now it’s nice we have numbers across the board. We can get guys developing down below instead of being thrown in there.”

Borden averaged 8.4 points per game and Halleman scored 8.3 per game. Borden grabbed 5.5 rebounds per game and Hallman had 4.3.

Halleman is the point guard and Borden (6-2) is a forward.

Hock said Thomas Wiesner, a 6-4 junior forward, played an “awesome defensive game” at Lutheran in his first varsity start.

“If he doesn’t play as good a defense as he did, we aren’t in position at the end down three,” Hock said.

The Rockets are shorter than most teams in the area.

“I think we make up for that in athleticism. We also have a tenacity to want to play defense. You can stress as much as you want but if guys don’t buy in, you’re never going to get that,” Hock said.

Knight is a guard/forward, and Schmitz is a guard.

Hock said senior guard Reid Ketterhagen is “probably the smartest player on the floor” and soccer star Caleb Heinen is back after taking a year off.

Senior Aaron Held and junior Sawyer Knutson (both 6-4) will see time, as will 6-5 junior Bradley Mentink.

“I think we’re 12 deep on varsity,” Hock said. “We want to push the ball up the floor.  When we’re flying, we can really fly. With trusting all our guys, it’s great having that depth so we can prevent guys getting tired.”

The Rockets went 4-8 in the Big East South last season and finished fifth of seven teams. They were 8-17 overall and lost in a regional playoff game at Laconia.

Hock said his goal is to “just take one game at a time. That’s coaching jargon, but that’s really how we look at it. Don’t worry about results, worry about the process. The results will take care of themselves.”

The team’s camaraderie that he helped build as a junior varsity coach and now in his second year as varsity coach will be important.

“It’s a great culture that we helped create, and the guys are a big part of that,” Hock said.

The Rockets were to host North Fond du Lac on Tuesday, Dec. 3. They host St. Mary’s Springs on Saturday, Dec. 7, and play at Ozaukee on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Port Washington boys start 1-1

Port Washington’s boys started the season with a 66-62 win over Howards Grove in the Sheboygan South Turkey Classic last Friday.

Grady Karrels had 18 points, Josh Arnold had 14, Kyle Uselding had 12 and Cal Loose had 10.

The Pirates lost to Kewaskum, 76-72, last Saturday in the tourney. Arnold had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Loose had 13 points, and Karrels and Uselding each had 11.

Port was to play at Slinger on Dec. 3. It  hosts Whitefish Bay on Thursday, Dec. 5, and plays at Nicolet on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Category:

Feedback:

Click Here to Send a Letter to the Editor

Ozaukee Press

Wisconsin’s largest paid circulation community weekly newspaper. Serving Port Washington, Saukville, Grafton, Fredonia, Belgium, as well as Ozaukee County government. Locally owned and printed in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

125 E. Main St.
Port Washington, WI 53074
(262) 284-3494
 

CONNECT


User login