Crickets girls' hoops again play for state berth
FALL CREEK - Gianna Vollrath can't help but notice the good vibes around the Fall Creek High School Girls Basketball Team. They're the same ones that were there a year ago when the Crickets won the WIAA Division 4 sectional championship and qualified for the state tournament.
"It's largely the same team," the FC senior center said. "We had a few players graduate but we've been together now for a few years and we're playing really well together again and hopefully it will lead us back to state."
FC will get that chance this weekend as they will compete in the Osseo-Fairchild Sectional Tournament. The Crickets, 19-8 overall, will take on No. 7 ranked and Cloverbelt Conference champion Neillsville, 24-2 overall, this Thursday, March 3, at Osseo-Fairchild High School beginning at 7 p.m.
The Crickets come into Thursday's contest the No. 5 seed in the tournament and with plenty of momentum, winners of nine straight and 10-3 since a 6-5 record at the beginning of January with a strong emphasis on defense to carry them along the way. They'll need it as they take on a high-scoring No. 2 seeded Warriors squad led by sophomore Paris Opelt averaging 11 points per game, junior Amelia Trunkel and senior Emma Mosely both averaging 10 per game. Mosely also leads the team in rebounds and assists. The Warriors downed No. 10 ranked Colfax 39-36 to win their regional title for the fourth straight season.
No one for the Crickets averages more than 10 points per game with Vollrath, senior point guard Katie Kent and junior forward Tori Marten all near that mark. It was Marten who was in double figures in both of FC's two regional tournament games to lead the way, including a career-best 24 points in the semifinal win over Durand.
The other half of the sectional bracket features a No. 1 seeded Phillips squad Fall Creek is well familiar with after beating them in sectional championship game last season. The Loggers (24-2) return top scorer last season senior 5-9 point guard Jada Eggebrecht averaging 24 points per game with her sister, sophomore 5-5 guard Kacy Eggebrecht averaging 13 points per game and a team best five rebounds per game. Jada leads the team in assists with five. The Loggers, Marawood Conference champions, look to be in fine form again after they annihilated Unity to win the regional title 82-38 last weekend. The Loggers will take on No. 2 seed and Heart O'North champions Ladysmith (23-3) Thursday in Chetek. The Lumberjills are led by junior 5-4 guard Raemalee Smith who leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists at 2.1 ppg., 4.7 rpg., and 2.1 apg.
The championship game will be played Saturday, March 5 at Osseo-Fairchild with a 1 p.m. tip-time.
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