MONROE - Rolling into the fourth week of the prep basketball season there are many games that should be hot tickets for fans. Here is a look at five games to circle on your calendar for this week:
Tuesday: Monroe boys basketball team hosts Monona Grove
The Cheesemakers will face a showdown against a Monona Grove team pegged as the preseason favorite to win the Badger South Conference. The Silver Eagles are led by 6-foot-7 senior big man Jake Schroeckenthaler. It will be a test for the Cheesemakers to slow down Schroeckenthaler, who averaged 27.5 points in two wins against the Cheesemakers last year. He exploded for a game-high 35 points in a 79-78 win over Monroe Feb. 7.
The Cheesemakers will need a big game from 6-6 junior Kade King and a strong defensive team effort. If Monroe wants to contend for a conference title, upsetting the preseason favorite Silver Eagles would be a great start.
Thursday: Darlington boys basketball team at Cuba City
The Redbirds are looking to stay unbeaten but face a challenge from Cuba City. Darlington, the WIAA Division 4 state runner-up last year, has a whole new cast of players but maintains the expectation of repeating as Southwest Wisconsin Activities League champions.
The Redbirds are coming off a big 56-53 win over Mineral Point. The league title will go through both Mineral Point and Cuba City this year. Darlington is led by freshman Carter Lancaster, who is averaging 18 points per game. Two contributors from last year's state team stepping up are senior Tony Ruesga (15 ppg) and Tanner Evenstad (12 ppg).
Friday: Monroe girls basketball at Monona Grove
This matchup includes two of the premier prep basketball players in the state -Monroe junior Sydney Hilliard and Monona Grove junior McKenna Warnock. Each player has scholarship offers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW-Green Bay, Marquette and many others. Hilliard is averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Warnock is one of the most prolific scorers in the state, averaging 33.2 points and 15.8 rebounds per game.
The Cheesemakers (6-1, 4-0 Badger South) have defeated the Silver Eagles in two straight games, including a 60-59 last-second win last year on Sydney Mathiason's layup in the first meeting Jan. 13.
Friday: Monroe boys hockey co-op hosts McFarland
The Cheesemakers hockey team is off to a 1-5 start. Monroe has a young core of players that have been competitive in just about every game they have played this year, including a 3-0 loss to Waunakee and a 4-2 loss to Sparta.
Monroe is averaging two goals per game. Colton O'Connor has one goal and five assists and freshman Cade Janecke has three goals and two assists for the Cheesemakers.
There was some conference reshuffling this season. McFarland was a member of the Badger North Conference last year. Beaver Dam joined the Badger North, and Watertown was added to the Badger South. However, Watertown doesn't field a boys hockey team, so McFarland was switched from the North to the South. The Cheesemakers have lost 20 straight Badger South Conference games. If Monroe plays a solid game and stays out of the penalty box, the Cheesemakers could pick up their first conference win since a 7-4 win over Milton in 2015.
Saturday: Black Hawk vs. Springville, Iowa at Loras College
Black Hawk may have the best 3-point shooting team in the state regardless of division. The Warriors are shooting 44.8 percent from 3-point range (52 of 116) and are averaging 10.4 three-pointers made per game. The Warriors have already routed the No. 9-ranked Division 3 team in Cuba City, 65-31. The next test is a Springville, Iowa, team that is the two-time 1A state champions.
The Warriors (5-0, 2-0 Six Rivers East) also have a challenge later in the year against Platteville, the No. 1-ranked Division 3, in February.
Black Hawk is led by sophomore Natalie Leuzinger (23.8 ppg), who is also shooting 57 percent from 3-point range, and freshman Bailey Butler (15.2 ppg), who is shooting 41 percent from behind the arc.
Tuesday: Monroe boys basketball team hosts Monona Grove
The Cheesemakers will face a showdown against a Monona Grove team pegged as the preseason favorite to win the Badger South Conference. The Silver Eagles are led by 6-foot-7 senior big man Jake Schroeckenthaler. It will be a test for the Cheesemakers to slow down Schroeckenthaler, who averaged 27.5 points in two wins against the Cheesemakers last year. He exploded for a game-high 35 points in a 79-78 win over Monroe Feb. 7.
The Cheesemakers will need a big game from 6-6 junior Kade King and a strong defensive team effort. If Monroe wants to contend for a conference title, upsetting the preseason favorite Silver Eagles would be a great start.
Thursday: Darlington boys basketball team at Cuba City
The Redbirds are looking to stay unbeaten but face a challenge from Cuba City. Darlington, the WIAA Division 4 state runner-up last year, has a whole new cast of players but maintains the expectation of repeating as Southwest Wisconsin Activities League champions.
The Redbirds are coming off a big 56-53 win over Mineral Point. The league title will go through both Mineral Point and Cuba City this year. Darlington is led by freshman Carter Lancaster, who is averaging 18 points per game. Two contributors from last year's state team stepping up are senior Tony Ruesga (15 ppg) and Tanner Evenstad (12 ppg).
Friday: Monroe girls basketball at Monona Grove
This matchup includes two of the premier prep basketball players in the state -Monroe junior Sydney Hilliard and Monona Grove junior McKenna Warnock. Each player has scholarship offers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW-Green Bay, Marquette and many others. Hilliard is averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Warnock is one of the most prolific scorers in the state, averaging 33.2 points and 15.8 rebounds per game.
The Cheesemakers (6-1, 4-0 Badger South) have defeated the Silver Eagles in two straight games, including a 60-59 last-second win last year on Sydney Mathiason's layup in the first meeting Jan. 13.
Friday: Monroe boys hockey co-op hosts McFarland
The Cheesemakers hockey team is off to a 1-5 start. Monroe has a young core of players that have been competitive in just about every game they have played this year, including a 3-0 loss to Waunakee and a 4-2 loss to Sparta.
Monroe is averaging two goals per game. Colton O'Connor has one goal and five assists and freshman Cade Janecke has three goals and two assists for the Cheesemakers.
There was some conference reshuffling this season. McFarland was a member of the Badger North Conference last year. Beaver Dam joined the Badger North, and Watertown was added to the Badger South. However, Watertown doesn't field a boys hockey team, so McFarland was switched from the North to the South. The Cheesemakers have lost 20 straight Badger South Conference games. If Monroe plays a solid game and stays out of the penalty box, the Cheesemakers could pick up their first conference win since a 7-4 win over Milton in 2015.
Saturday: Black Hawk vs. Springville, Iowa at Loras College
Black Hawk may have the best 3-point shooting team in the state regardless of division. The Warriors are shooting 44.8 percent from 3-point range (52 of 116) and are averaging 10.4 three-pointers made per game. The Warriors have already routed the No. 9-ranked Division 3 team in Cuba City, 65-31. The next test is a Springville, Iowa, team that is the two-time 1A state champions.
The Warriors (5-0, 2-0 Six Rivers East) also have a challenge later in the year against Platteville, the No. 1-ranked Division 3, in February.
Black Hawk is led by sophomore Natalie Leuzinger (23.8 ppg), who is also shooting 57 percent from 3-point range, and freshman Bailey Butler (15.2 ppg), who is shooting 41 percent from behind the arc.
