CG-Belgium boys learn as they win

A week’s worth of practice has the Cedar Grove-Belgium High School boys’ basketball team still figuring itself out under new coach Derek Wimmer, but the Rockets managed to win their first two games last week.

The Rockets beat Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah, 52-40, on Dec. 1, and Sheboygan Christian, 41-25, last Friday.

In the season opener, the Rockets took a 33-21 halftime lead, and last Friday used a 26-11 second-half advantage to pull away.

“We had a couple of halves in there when we don’t play well but we pick it up in the other half,” Wimmer said.

On Dec. 1, Sam Peiffer led the team with 17 points on 8-for-16 shooting, and had six rebounds and three assists. Logan Ketterhagen scored 16 points on 4-for-11 shooting — all three pointers — and went 4-for-4 on free throws.

Parker Knight had 10 points, four steals and three rebounds and assists each. Logan Arrowood had eight points, seven rebounds and four assists. Caleb Beightol had eight rebounds.

Resorter Jacob Ganga had 11 points and Kean O’Neil had 10.

Last Friday, Arrowood scored 15 points and had 15 rebounds and four steals. Ketterhagen had 10. Knight and Nathaneal Bruhn each had six. Peiffer missed the game with a sprained ankle but is expected back this week.

Will Grasse had 11 points and Sam Hendrikse had eight for the Eagles.

Wimmer said the strength of the team so far is the defensive energy.

“In those two halves we played well, our defensive energy picked up,” he said.

Wimmer said he switches defenses often, starting with man-to-man, then going to a press after scoring.

“As the game goes on, we’re switching it up a lot,” he said.

Offensively, Wimmer wants his team to get out and run.

“Anytime we get a rebound, we’re going,” Wimmer said.

With Arrowood at 6 feet, 4 inches tall and Beightol at 6-3, Wimmer said his team will be taller than most, aside from the likes of Oostburg and Sheboygan Lutheran.

Wimmer said Arrowood has established himself as the team leader.

“He’s our steady guy. He’s giving the most energy,” he said. “He’s hyping the guys up. He’s been our rock the first two games.”

Peiffer will contribute after leading the team in scoring last year at 11.8 points per game.

The Rockets lost their next four top scorers — Matt Voskuil, Michael Navis, Max Ford and Jacob Peiffer — to graduation, along with their top-three rebounders and assist leaders. Navis made the Big East second team and Voskuil earned honorable mention.

Playing in masks due to Covid-19 has been an adjustment.

“I give the guys a lot of credit. They’ve bought into it and they go hard in practice,” Wimmer said, adding he knows it’s hard to run up and down the court wearing masks and the energy is different without a student section and a limited number of fans.

Wimmer is familiar with the Big East since he was an assistant for Random Lake last season. He said he expects Oostburg, Sheboygan Lutheran, St. Mary Catholic and Ozaukee to be among the top teams in the seven-team Big East South.

“If we keep progressing the way we are, we’ll be in the top half,” Wimmer said.

The 2-0 Rockets were to play at Random Lake on Tuesday, at Oostburg on Thursday and at Living Word Lutheran for a non-conference game on Tuesday, Dec. 15.