Buckshot the Magazine January 2018

What’s Inside 4

12 Posterized 16 Eau Claire Memorial Bloomer’s Payton Dachel

ON THE COVER

The Kohlhepp brothers each take their own path during the winter season

Now in his third full season with the Buffalo Sabres, Eau Claire native Jake McCabe has found his role in the NHL

18 Girls basketball

Senior forward Brooke Olson is Rice Lake’s leading scorer as well as its on-court leader

10 THE CARDINALS RULE

20 Back in the Day 21 Whistleblowers

It looks like Chippewa Falls (right) is going to have a say in yet another Big Rivers Conference title race

WIAA basketball official Ryan Nelson

Cover design: Joe Ziemer.

Cover photo: Associated Press.

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Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

BIG PICTURE

Regis’ Carter Brown goes to the basket on Dec. 21 against Fall Creek. Leader-Telegram photo by Spencer Nickel.

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Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

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Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

SS

T. PAUL — “It’s knocked down and brought on by Scheifele to CENTER ICE AND LAINE WAS CHECKED BY MCCABE, AND NOW EVERYONE GOING AFTER MCCABE! THEY’LL ALL PILE IN THERE!” And thus an internet hit to the call of Buffalo Sabres play-byplay announcer Rick Jeanneret of MSG was born.

On Jan. 7, 2017, it took a chip near the left boards from Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele intended for Patrik Laine — one of the game’s most notable young stars — at center ice to thrust Eau Claire native Jake McCabe, fenseman, into the international sports spotlight.

McCabe, a 6-foot1, 210-pound defeseman currently in his third full NHL season, caught Laine with his eyes looking for the puck and leveled him with a highlight-reel body check he never saw coming at center ice.

“There are certain situations of the game where they are receiving a pass that we call a suicide pass where their head is down,” McCabe said. “In this league, it doesn’t happen too often. If you have a good gap, it makes it a lot easier to deliver those hits.”

The collision’s aftermath was a melee in the neutral zone, and the cuts and bruises on McCabe’s face following the hit became a popular screen shot.

Over a million people have seen the play on YouTube. “(Jake) is a good skating defenseman and not afraid to use the body to throw big hits once in a while where guys are really not expecting him to be so heavy and strong,”

as a spark in a 4-3 home victory.

That’s what McCabe does night in and night out. It just usually isn’t in a manner that garners so much attention.

He knows who he is as a player and caters to the situation. Whether it’s a hit, beward wide, McCabe sees a lot of crucial ice time and tries to make winning plays for a young Sabres team still trying to

“Just trying to play my role every night.”

— Jake McCabe

who came over from the Minnesota Wild in Everybody remembers the hit — 100 percent legal — that knocked Laine out of action for almost a month. But what was more important to the Sabres was that it created energy in a 3-all game in the third period.

“Just trying to play my role every night,” said McCabe, a former Wisconsin Badger. “Be hard to play against and block shots and be physical. Do a good job on the penalty kill. That’s what is expected of me. That’s what my teammates expect out of me, and that’s what I try to bring every night.”

■■■ It’s been a struggle

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McCabe arrived on the scene consistently in 2015-16.

They haven’t been to

span and are currently last in the Eastern Conference with 31 points.

Nevertheless, it’s a young roster, and the Sabres clearly see McCabe — still just 24 — as a cornerstone of it. He was one of Buffalo’s protected players in the Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft last spring.

The ex-Old Abe — he played at Memorial as a freshman in 2008-09 — has the second-most shifts on the team this year with 1,172 and is seventh in ice time at 857:50.

“He’s a big part of the future,” Sabres veteran defenseman Josh Gorges said in November 2016. “The sky is the limit for Jake and what he can accomplish.”

In his third full year, McCabe is a secondline defenseman and was thought to be a candidate for an assistant captain spot dur-

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“I’m probably just a little more comfortable,” he said. “ We have a lot of good leaders on this team and a lot of guys that lead by example and say what needs to be said at the right time. I’ll pitch in here or there if I have a thought, but we do have a good core leadership group in here.”

It takes one sweep through the Sabres locker room on a gameday morning to see how universally liked McCabe is. Guys are shooting jokes with him, approaching his locker for conversation.

Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

at Minnesota, defenseman Zach Bogosian teased McCabe about his curly hair as a seventh-grader when a picture of him playing street hockey on the south side of Eau Claire was passed around for enjoyment.

“He’s a great teammate,” Scandella said.

Especially when he’s forfeiting some of his money on reality TV show wagers.

“He lost a bet on ‘The Bachelor’ to me two years ago,” center Sam Reinhart said with a smile. “ I’m trying to convince him to go in on it with me again this year.”

Regardless of whether he goes in on the pot this year, McCabe is a big part of Buf■■■

First-year coach Phil Housley — whom McCabe played for at the 2013 World Junior Championships as the captain for Team USA — has a system in place in which he wants his defensemen to contribute in the Needless to say, it’s been a work in winter.

It took until Dec. 5 — a McCabe wrist shot from the point against Colorado — for a defenseman to score a goal. It’s a teamwide thing as the Sabres are last in the league in lighting the lamp at 99 goals entering play Jan. 15.

The Sabres showed signs of life, however,

in December. They went 4-5-4 and went toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the NHL in that stretch.

“There’s no easy team in the NHL, and they’ve got some pretty good players over there,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said McCabe has seven of his 11 points since the calendar turned to December.

The majority of his assists have been secondary helpers. Known for his skating ability, McCabe has been able to move the puck past guys from either high in the offensive zone or just out of it.

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Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

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ding. Reinhart, who was playing with a net presence, was there to bat home a rebound. Sure, it happened in a blowout loss, but it illustrated the kind of potential that’s there.

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Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

the neutral zone and control the play a bit more, wearing them down and getting McCabe has made strides since he’s entered the league and is in the process of solidifying himself as an all-around player fensively.

The former assistant captain at Wisconsin is at his best when he plays physical. It gets him more engaged in all three zones, he said.

“Any time you get a couple of hits early in a game, you’re just on your toes a little bit more and you’re not waiting around,”

Nick Erickson has been the Leader-Telegram’s lead hockey writer since joining the staff in 2015.

those battles.” suicide pass or bumping a wing away from the slot on a rush, McCabe has the ability to

can do a little bit of everything.

■■■ Winning is what McCabe most wants to do, and he won’t lie. It’s been a frustrating locker room.

McCabe and his teammates know what it takes to get a W in the NHL. It’s just a matter of putting it all together and stringing them.

“We’re trending in the right direction, but it’s never fun seeing your team name at the bottom of the league, and it’s been that way for the last couple of years now,” McCabe said. “It’s time to put our best foot forward and just keeping trying to improve, and that goes for myself as well. Trying to be a producer on this team and make a difference out there.”

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McCabe hasn’t forgotten his roots. His older brother, former UW-Eau Claire national assistant coach at Memorial.

Being an alum, McCabe has always followed the Old Abes. He’s just doing it a little extra closely this year and was completely cool with Andrew not being able to make the 90-minute trek over on Jan. 4 to see him. Memorial was taking on top-ranked Hudson 20 miles away. Business needed to be taken care of.

“Of course I understood,” the younger McCabe said. “But he’s really enjoying it.

He’s got nothing but great things to say about (coach Chris) Tok behind the bench, and I know he’s having a blast with it. It should be fun to follow how their team does the rest of the year.”

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HIPPEWA FALLS — This was supposed to be the year Chippewa Falls’ conference title streak came to an

long time. No matter who the players are,

Bestul can’t quite explain.

“I think that the girls come into the program expecting to be successful,” Bestul seasons in which they’d won at least a share said. “Going into games, it’s one of those inof the Big Rivers. Making it seven, though, looked like a daunting task before the seager on what it actually means. But as a son. coach, you just know, yep, this group The Cardinals had graduated an experiknows how to win.” enced senior class, led by Leader-Telegram It doesn’t matter who’s in charge — BesAll-Northwest player of the year Lexi Hantul is the Cardinals’ fourth coach this ley. This year’s squad was young. It condecade — the winning just doesn’t stop. sisted of one senior and a bunch of sophoBestul has had her share of challenges with mores. How could a team like that go toethe youth on this year’s team, but getting to-toe with Menomonie, the conference fa- the players to believe they could win — vorite returning a bunch of experience and even when no one else did — was not one talent? How could the Cardinals possibly of the problems. match up with Rice Lake, which featured a “They’re successful because they’re used 6-foot-2 scoring machine? Could they really to that,” Bestul said. “It’s not something that hold their own against Hudson, the biggest I have to drill into them. That’s just the way school in the conference enrollmentwise? it is.”

■■■ That’s what outsiders thought, anyway. In Chippewa Falls, the Cardinals expected to Bestul may have walked into a really win. When it came time to set goals, wingood situation when she took over the ning the BRC again was on the list, as usual. team at the start of last season, but she may have more to do with the success than she year as a team is to win conference,” Cardigives herself credit for. nals senior Brooke Rooney said. “I think at After graduating from Chippewa Falls, the beginning of seasons, we haven’t alBestul went on to have a standout career at ways been picked to win conference, but it UW-Eau Claire, where she helped lead the seems like it’s kind of a tradition for Chi-Hi Blugolds to a Division III Final Four and was programs that conference is kind of expected.”

She then went on to spend seven seasons Fast forward to the midway point of the as an assistant coach for the Blugolds. conference season, and Chippewa Falls is So when she got the Cardinals head right where it’s used to being — right coaching job in April 2016, Bestul was more where it expected to be. The Cardinals are undefeated in the BRC and hold a twoshe ended up with a pretty good assistant game lead over Rice Lake and Hudson.

No. 7 is well within reach.

Sally Linzmeier, a two-time WIAC player ■■■ of the year, had just graduated from UWSecond-year coach Becca Bestul is hesiSuperior and was looking for a teaching tant to take much of the credit for her job. There was a math opening at team’s success. Winning is something that Chippewa Falls. Linzmeier got the job and the Cardinals just do. immediately was hired as Bestul’s assis“There’s this thing where when kids tant. know how to win and expect to win and Recent UW-Eau Claire grad Madison they’ve won in the past, that’s something that’s really hard to teach a group,” Bestul giving the Cardinals three former Allsaid. “You almost have to get it and just WIAC selections to learn from. Then there keep it year after year after year. That was Greg Rubenzer, who coached with started way before me.” former Cardinals coach John Pollock for Actually, the winning did begin with Bes- two seasons and was instrumental in tul. Only it was when she was a player. The helping ease the transition to a new head 2000 Chippewa Falls grad was part of a coach. team that went 1-19 when she was a Johnson took a job in the Twin Cities area sophomore. By the time she was a senior, after last season, but the varsity squad is still the Cardinals improved to 13 wins. And led by Bestul and Linzmeier. The two work they’ve been perennial winners ever since. well together.

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Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

she’s coming from the post aspect and I’m coming from the guard aspect, so we’re a perfect pair,” Linzmeier said. “She gives me the reins to work on whatever I feel we need to with the guards, and she does her thing with the posts.”

Linzmeier also helps out by playing a lot of the time in practice with a varsity squad that has only nine players. That allows Bestul to focus on coaching. Like most successful coaches, she harps on fundamentals, is well-organized and always comes to practice with a plan in mind. She also demands a lot out of her players, no matter how old they are.

“Coming from the college aspect, she has such high expectations,” Linzmeier said.

“That’s important at the high school level.

Where do they need to go? Where can we push these kids? We do some things that probably aren’t typical in a normal high school basketball team, just because both of us came from college.”

It didn’t take long for the players to buy into what Bestul was telling them. And the results speak for themselves.

“Coach Bestul is a great coach,” sophothat is new to us that we hadn’t really

“We pushed each other, so that was really good to see,” Givens said. “Everyone pushed each other to be their best, so we got to see each other’s best. Then we were like, OK, our best is better than anyone else’s.”

It may have taken a little longer for Rooney to get on board. She knew the sophomore class was full of talent, but Hud-

Jason Cox covered girls basketball in the ­Chippewa Valley for the Leader-Telegram for five years after ­joining the staff in 2012. thought about the game the way she thought about it. It’s really helped us and opened up eyes.”

■■■ Givens never doubted that this year’s Cardinals squad would be good. She and her sophomore classmates have played together for a long time and have always been successful. They added Rooney, the lone senior, to the group for summer The team held its own during the summer against Big Rivers schools. By the time tryouts came for the season, Givens was sold.

Brooke does more for our team than I think anybody realizes.”

Rooney does contribute 6.5 points per game on the court. And she’s the one who seems to hit big shots when the Cardinals need it the most. She’s a threat to connect on a 3 at any time, which has been the MO of the Cardinals all season.

When the Cardinals have shot the ball well, they’ve won. When they haven’t, three teams on the conference slate — they’ve lost. Luckily, they’ve been on during were pretty good too. The young squad, conference games. But Bestul, who knows a though, was fearless. The Cardinals took thing or two about winning games with down all three. The second one, a 68-46 dominant post play, is hoping the Cardinals trouncing of preseason favorite don’t always have to rely on perimeter Menomonie, was what stood out to shooting to win.

Rooney.

“Wethe don’t have that big 6-2 girl inside, Nick Erickson has been Leader-Telegram’s “We won by such a big margin that but right now inthe practice leadithockey writer since joining staff we’re working a made us all realize, wow, we can really do it lot on everybody posting up, everybody in 2015. Erickson’s Insideon Hockey columns Bestul said. “We’re this year,” Rooney said. working the inside,” andscoring hockey alumni updates canwhat be found Four sophomores do much of the trying to take we have and trying to for Chippewa Falls. Givens leads the way become more of a in well-rounded team and the season ­Tuesdays throughout with 20.3 points per game. Alexis Zenner, the Leader-Telegram. not just a shooting team.”

Aaliyah McMillan and Ashley Hanley all avOdds are, Bestul will succeed. If the Cardierage 8.9 or more. But it’s Rooney who nals are shooting poorly in a game in which Givens said is the key to the team’s success. the Big Rivers Conference title is on the line, And Bestul agrees.

“Brooke is the one who, behind the just what the Cardinals do these days. scenes, keeps everyone together,” Bestul Somehow, some way, they win. said. “When a couple of the sophomores “I don’t know how,” Linzmeier said. “We are falling apart or they’re frustrated about just take it one day at a time, focus on one something or with each other, they talk to part, and right now, it’s all falling into Brooke, and Brooke just takes care of it. place.”

Joe Ziem has cove for a de can b s

Better Business Checking Nick Erickson joined the Leader-Telegram sports staff in 2015. His feature writing has earned him recognition from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

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STORY BY NICK ERICKSON / PHOTO BY STEVE KINDERMAN

Tanner Kohlhepp, left, plays for the Memorial basketball team while brother Kaden plays for the Memorial hockey team. View more photos at .

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Like many young hockey players, Kaden Kohlhepp’s winter pilgrimage was just beyond his backdoor into a man-made rink created as soon as the temps consistently dipped below freezing.

A version of this article originally appeared in the Jan. 14 edition of the Leader-Telegram.

For more sports, visit LeaderTelegram.com.

man for state-ranked Eau Claire Memorial would hone his skill set, moving with the

wood.

It took coaching Kaden’s YMCA basketball team early in his schooling to give Trevor a hunch the family’s winter nights a decade later would revolve around two different Old Abes teams.

Whenever there was a scheduling con-

net.

His personal goalie growing up? That’d be brother Tanner, older by 22 months. The same Tanner who is a starting guard on the Old Abes basketball team.

“That’s just something we did in the backyard when we were younger,” Tanner said.

It’s a bit rare to have high-level basketball and hockey siblings grow up in the same household. Particularly when under that same roof is father, Trevor, who coached seasons from 1999 to 2004.

Without any family member — immediate or extended — playing a lick of organized hockey to look up to, Kaden began carving out his own path in kindergarten. His good friend Brenden Olson, a current all-conference winger at Memorial, was about to begin his hockey journey. Kaden inquired about joining his buddy.

“We’ve been friends for a really long time, and I just wanted to play with my friends,” Kaden said. “I asked my parents if I could play hockey, and I fell in love with it ever since.”

Trevor, who coached the Memorial boys hoops team to the state tournament in 2003, and wife, Steph, never pushed their sons in any one direction. Perhaps that’s why Kaden felt the freedom to gravitate to a sport literally nobody in the family ever played.

Tanner was always a hooper and began playing on travel teams as early as third grade. It was clear he’d be on the hard-

ing on a basketball team his father coached.

“That was probably the seed that was planted that he was playing hockey,” Trevor said. “When Dad was coaching, he wasn’t even there.”

And for the last 10-plus years, the Kohlhepps have split time between the court and the rink. As the boys got older and into varsity competition, that’s made for busy winter nights.

Oftentimes, that means Tanner — a combo guard averaging 11.6 points per game while usually drawing the other team’s best backcourt player — is playing basketball somewhere. Kaden — a new-era rushes and has seven assists and two goals — is lacing up the skates elsewhere.

There’s always somebody there, whether Trevor and Steph split up or the grandparents make a trip they can’t.

“There’s a lot of support from the family,” Tanner said.

And there’s support among the brothers too.

While they don’t see much of each other during the evenings in the winter, they come home at the same time and close most nights out on the couches in the basement of the Kohlhepps’ home.

17

Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018 Even though they aren’t around each other’s team dynamics, they share a common goal of wanting to succeed. That opens up dialogue as they wind down the evening watching TV on a channel that’s usually Tanner’s choosing. And of course, it’s usually basketball — the Milwaukee Bucks in particular.

“They balance each other as common grounds, talking about competing and mental toughness and things like that,” Tanner said. “It’s fun to be able to talk to somebody and share a common ground sports.”

Neither cares for losing. And that can

“It’s fun to be able to talk to somebody and share a common ground even though you’re playing two sports.”

— Tanner Kohlhepp make watching one another even more stressful.

“When you are watching other sports teams and you’re brother isn’t playing, if they lose they lose,” Kaden said. “But you

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They have a younger brother, Bennett, in seventh grade who most likely will play basketball by the time he reaches high school.

Tanner and Kaden both support the heck out of each other. That’s evident after spending a few minutes with both of them.

But they are typical brothers too. While they dabble in one another’s sports around the house — whether it’s one-on-one hoops in the driveway or shooting practice on the ice — neither is fearful of being replaced should the other wander over to the other sport.

“I swear he shoots (a basketball) with two hands,” Tanner said.

“His skating isn’t that good either,” Kaden replied.

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“Oh come on,” Tanner said with a laugh.

Tanner will play baseball at Tennessee strong junior season and get even better as a senior for a shot at extending his hockey career.

Regardless of where their athletic journeys end, they’ve had a unique experience being so heavily involved in morial.

“It’s been a good dynamic for the two of them to have their own sport,” Trevor said.

“It’s given them both their own identity, that’s kind of neat.”

Above all, they are Kohlhepps and Old Abes. No matter the sport, that carries a lot of weight for both.

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Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

Basketball’s in her blood

The product of a hoops family, Brooke Olson is making a name for herself as the leader of Rice Lake

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STORY AND PHOTO BY DAVE GRESCHNER

ICE LAKE — She already had that Rice Lake Warriors basketball name and the gym rat DNA from both of her parents. Now, in her senior season of a record-breaking career, Brooke Olson has made her own name in Big Rivers Conference girls basketball.

On any conference night, opposing teams know that Olson, the 6-foot-2 post player, is likely to put up a double-double no matter the defense designed for her.

The Minnesota-Duluth recruit is averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds per game this season.

But for Olson, it’s more about putting the

then back-to-back inside buckets to fend

her four-year career than about her obvious numbers that will make her a candidate for Big Rivers player of the year.

seasons.

over Eau Claire North a week later, Olson grabbed a key rebound to seal the win.

“Rebounding is my favorite part of the game. I love going one-on-one with the ball,” said Olson, who added she relies on footwork and outsmarting and outlasting her opponents in both rebounding and scoring.

Those wins over the Eau Claire schools

for her to have her mother as a coach,” Darla said. “It is incredible to share a passion for the game with both of my daughters.”

The younger daughter, Brynn, is an eighth-grader.

Rivers this season. Olson is hoping to lead Wherever this season takes the Warriors the Warriors to a winning record after going in the Big Rivers and the WIAA Division 2

her parents — her mother, who is the Warriors coach, and her father, who passed away when she was 7 years old but not before he made an impact on his little “gym rat.”

Rice Lake Sports Hall of Famer Forrest Olson was an all-conference post player for Rice Lake in the early 1990s. He went on to a four-year career at UW-Oshkosh, twice a “My dad taught me to never give up, play most, to always suck it up,” Brooke Olson said. “For that I am eternally grateful.”

She hears it all the time, that she plays like her dad, that she even looks like her dad on the court, even though he was a physical 6-foot-6, 210-pounder while Brooke is a slender 6-foot-2.

“I love hearing that. It’s a huge compliment,” said Olson, whose father died in 2007 of brain cancer at the age of 33.

Her mom, Darla, carries on the parental teaching and coaching. Darla Olson was a star basketball player in her own right at Hurley High School and then Michigan Tech in Houghton-Hancock, where she also coached after graduating. At the same time, Forrest was the girls basketball coach and athletic director at Hancock High School.

Darla Olson says she likes to believe that Brooke acquired her work ethic from her.

“But as far as style of play, I see more of Forrest in her than me, and that makes me

what I’m doing wrong,” Brooke continued, with a laugh.

Darla Olson said that it has been a blessing to go through the day-to-day experiences of coaching her daughter.

“Brooke has made it easy to coach her al-

proud because he was a great player,” Darla Olson said. “The passion that Brooke displays on the court is something that she inherited from her father.”

That passion has fans often seeing Olson bent forward while exhorting a teammate to give it her all. And that style now extends beyond the court’s post area for Brooke, just as it did for her father, who was as comfortable shooting the 3-pointer as he was muscling up short jumpers.

“My coaches (including in AAU) thought I needed to add another dimension to my game last summer,” Brooke said. “I had the opportunity in AAU ball to work on playing outside, shooting the 3 and driving to the bucket.”

That new dimension has meant some timely 3-pointers this season from Olson to go with her inside shooting of well over 50 percent.

In a 55-48 win over Eau Claire Memorial early this season, Olson had a 3-pointer and

ate future. She will play soccer for the Warriors again this spring, and then it’s on to last in the conference,” Olson said. “We just Minnesota-Duluth where she will play for thought, ‘OK, we’re going to prove them the Bulldogs and coach Mandy Pearson in wrong.’ We’re going to work our hardest, Division II. Olson also had Division I scholarship ofIt’s all about team for Olson, a three-sport fers as she narrowed the choices to Minathlete who was urged by friends last nesota-Duluth, the University of South Dakota and her mother’s alma mater, Michithe sport. She turned out to be the starting gan Tech. goalkeeper on a state-qualifying Rice Lake “It came down to time commitment, eduteam. cation and location,” Olson said. “My family “I didn’t know the game, none of the is the most important thing to me. I really rules,” Olson admitted. “But I loved the sea- needed to be close to home.” son. And it helped my hand-eye coordinaThe 4.0 student said beyond Minnesotation for basketball.”

Duluth’s basketball program, she likes its After a strong volleyball season last fall — medical school. She plans to pursue a cashe earned all-conference honorable menreer in physical therapy or as a physician astion — Olson has taken on the basketball sistant. team leader roll with passion.

Before all that, Olson will attempt to lift “First and foremost, we have to work her high school team beyond everyone’s hard as a team,” Olson said. “We are unexpectations this season. At the same time, she is closing in on the all-time girls basketguards in the conference.” ball scoring record at Rice Lake.

Olson noted that when Eau Claire North With more than a dozen games to play in focused on holding her to eight points, her prep career, Olson is at 1,165 points, other players, including those guards, 183 behind all-time leader Jenna Orr, Olstepped up. son’s friend who was starting her collegiate “I relied on the other players, and that’s career at Minnesota-Duluth when Olson great,” Olson said. “Everyone can step up. It was playing as a freshman for Rice Lake and the player they want to be.”

Of course, part of the Warriors’ team is the coach, the mother of star No. 31.

“I like it,” Brooke said of her mother being her coach. “We can read each other’s mind about what we want to happen.”

“She’s my role model, and she expects a

son.

But, the team star remains the team “It’s about whatever I have to do to have my team be successful,” Olson said. “As a leader, it’s not just about scoring and rebounding.”

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Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

BACK IN THE DAY

Four-year-old Jack Kern of Eau Claire peeks from under his pirate patch to see the story being read at a pirate party at L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library on April 29, 2004. These days, Kern is an all-conference lineman for the Eau Claire Memorial football team. He’ll play for the University of Minnesota next season.

Separating the realities from the myths of traveling If it looks funny it must be a travel, right?

Well, it’s not necessarily as simple as that.

The traveling rule in high school basketball is often one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted rules involved in

Whistleblowers

fore we get into what makes it misunderlet’s go through some basic principles regarding traveling that need to be understood.

nations we must make on every possession is did the player have control of the basketball. If the answer is no, a traveling violation should not be called.

The second principle that applies to a travel vs. a non-travel is the fact that a player who dives and catches a loose ball

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or if a dribble is started.

The fourth principle pertains to a player’s

accurate assumption.

While these are some of the common principles that must always be applied to appropriately adjudicating the spirit of the Sara Denure and Matt Prissel traveling rules at the high school level it can

then touch the ball if it does not make contact with the rim or backboard. The National Federation of High School (NFHS) Associations’ rulebook indicates that being

reason being is that the game happens so quickly and a player’s movement may not always be aligned with the angle of vision

Fall Creek volleyball co-coaches

tempt did not contact the rim or backboard

travel unless he/she is holding or possessing a live ball. At times, a player may be dribbling the ball and loses control of it.

While this may appear unusual to a spectator, a traveling violation cannot be called in this situation as there was no possession of

or her momentum carries him or her without traveling. However, once he or she stops, he or she may not roll over or attempt to stand. In the event that a player does roll over or attempt to stand, a traveling violation has occurred and should be called.

A third principle that applies to ensuring traveling is properly interpreted is under-

Coach Speak

fact, a player has the option to pass, shoot, or call a timeout. It is only a travel if and

must determine if the shot attempt was a legitimate shot attempt or an attempted pass. Oftentimes when a shot attempt is made and does not make contact with the rim or backboard, it is assumed by many

taught to always identify the pivot foot anytime a player possesses the ball. By using this guiding rule it helps us get as many travel and non-travel calls correct as possible. While we strive for a 100 percent accuracy rate, this may not always occur.

Nonetheless, traveling and the aforementioned principles can help all fans, specta-

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Buckshot The Magazine / January 2018

RETRO PHOTO OF THE MONTH

North’s from left, seated: Matt Stuber and Nate Schurman; standing: Ryan Koski, Hagman, coach Pat Hammond, Todd Stepanek and Brian Schwechel ahead of the 1990 state tournament.

Howe carries Abes past Huskies Nick Erickson is the Leader-Telegram’s primary writer for cross country and track and field. Erickson was a two-time state qualifier in cross country at Platteville High School and competed three years in a combined six events at the track and field state meet.

In high school basketball, Jim Howe scores 30 points to lead Memorial to an 8149 win over North before a full house of 2,500 fans at the University Arena. The Huskies are led by Jim Thompson’s 20.

The Abes go on to make it six straight with a 95-89 overtime win over La Crosse Central and John Ford, who scores 38. Bill Mills leads the Abes with 22.

Also 50 years ago, Gary Welch scores 34 and Henry Lamkin adds 22 to lead Menomonie to a 78-70 win over North, led

by Lance Thiel’s 23.

Steve Young tallies 31 as Black River Falls tops the Huskies 90-69. North bounces back Thompson scores 21 and Dan Gibbs 16.

Jim Anibas scores 23, Tom McSorley 20 and Rick Zukaitis 15 as Regis routs McDonell 86-45 after opening with a 27-4 lead. McSorley tallies 30 and Anibas 25 in a 100-72 win over Assumption for a 3-2 record under Tony Fiore.

Buckshot’s Flashback In Bill Zorn’s 40th and last season, the Blugolds shock Gustavus Adolphus 83-69 in the opener as Jim Severson scores 18. They

go on to beat Superior 84-71 as Pat Hammond scores 23 and then get big baskets at the end and 30 points in all from Severson in a 102-99 win over Chicago.

The Badgers crush SMU 120-82 behind 29 points from Joe Franklin and 26 from Jim Johnson and then go on to beat LSU and Pete Maravich (who scores 42) 96-94 on Mike Carlin’s two free throws with 18 seconds to go. Ranked No. 18, they take the Milwaukee Classic by defeating Marquette

35 and Jim Stewart 26.

Hudson’s Jim Bertelsen is the only player

Young Men’s League, it’s Randy Millis with

Worth.

ways.

North Dakota State loses 13-0 to TexasArlington in the Pecan Bowl as captain and linebacker Mike Ahneman, a Regis product, closes his career leading the Bison to a 38-2 record in his three years.

Don Jordan sets a state swim record in the 200-yard individual medley for North.

The Eau Claire YMCA defeats Minneapolis In the Badgers freshman game, former 262-243 in swimming led by Dave Dehnel’s North all-stater Jim DeCremer hoops 29 to three wins. lead the Cardinals to a 100-87 win over the Pat Parr’s heavyweight decision gives the Whites, led by Clarence Sherrod’s 36.

Blugolds an 18-17 wrestling win over La Crosse. Mark Ryser’s decision at 130 helps in Lew Alcindor scores 45 to lead UCLA to the win. a 37th straight win, 121-80 over Iowa In baseball, the National League votes to State.

On YMCA Senior League night, high scor- expand to 12 teams by 1971 and applying ers are Larry Johnson with 30, league-leader for franchises are Milwaukee, Toronto, Mon-

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