Girls Basketball: Witt-Birn chasing conference title

WITTENBERG — The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School girls basketball team enters the new season with a talented roster and high aspirations.

The Chargers are coming off an up-and-down 2018-19 season in which they went 8-4 in Central Wisconsin Conference-East Division play. Witt-Birn, which is coached by Nick Mechelke, is healthy coming into the season and returns all but two players from last year’s team.

“The Chargers have high expectations this year as we are looking to compete for a conference championship,” said Mechelke, who expects the CWC-East to be strong again.

“We have a limited number of girls out this year with 14 total, so (we) do not have a lot of depth. However, we have many talented girls who are out to prove themselves this year. We return most of our scoring from last year and return five girls who have many varsity minutes.”

Leading the team on the court will be juniors Abi Fraaza and Emma Herb.

While senior Olivia Curley is the only other starter back from last year, senior Megan Konkol and juniors Amara Schoepke and Kaylee Schram also have valuable varsity experience under their belts.

Herb made the all-conference first team last winter, but she knows it’s going to take a team effort to help the team achieve its lofty goals.

“We have a good mix of talent this year, which will give us an advantage,” said Herb. “Even though we have a small team (total number of players), we have multiple key players who will contribute to our success. I believe we can (be) conference champs.”

Despite missing the start of last year while recovering from an ACL injury, Fraaza ended up making the all-conference honorable mention team.

Fully healthy coming into this year, Fraaza sees big things in the future for the team.

“This team has a lot of potential, and I feel like for us to execute it, we need to work together and develop trust and confidence in everyone on the team,” said Fraaza. “One of the biggest things I want everyone to realize this year is that we have a chance to win every game and to not count us out against anyone.”

The Chargers are scheduled to open the season on the road against Peshtigo on Tuesday Nov. 19.

Bowler

Bowler is entering its second year under coach Tonia Pagryzinski. A season ago, the team went 5-15 overall, earning all of its wins in CWC-North play.

With five experienced starters back, Pagryzinski expects big things from the team.

“With the core of our varsity returning, I expect us to be in the running for the conference championship,” the coach said. “I expect some challenges throughout the season, but as a team, we will overcome them and just get better.”

Seniors Kayla Pecore, Alyssa Strassburg, Ireland DeRoos and Brooke Thiex and junior Tynea Johnson all have started for the Panthers in the past and figure to form the starting five this winter.

Pecore is the lone returning all-conference player. She made the second team last year.

“We will all have to put our everything into practice and make sure we are bringing one another up,” said Pecore, on what needs to happen to turn in a successful season. “Putting everything we all got out on that floor and playing as a team.”

Bowler is set to open the season hosting Three Lakes on TuesdayNov. 19.

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