DARLINGTON - Darlington High School boys basketball coach Mike Hopkins doesn't need to watch much video to know the challenge that lies ahead against Cuba City.
Darlington and Southwest Wisconsin Activities League rival Cuba City have faced each other in the tournament six of the past 10 years. Another chapter will be added to that rivalry when Darlington (19-5) plays Cuba City (17-7) in a WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. Thursday at Verona High School. The last time Darlington played in a sectional was in 1996.
"You don't want to get beat in the tournament," Hopkins said. "You especially don't want to get beat by a conference rival. The motivation is playing a conference rival."
The Redbirds split two games with the Cubans this year. In Darlington's first conference game with many players getting back into the swing of basketball after playing in a state football championship game, the Redbirds lost to Cuba City 55-48. Later in the season, the Redbirds rolled to a 24-point win over Cuba City in Darlington.
"Coach (Jerry) Petitgoue has run different defenses against us," Hopkins said. "He has had Cuba City play a man-to-man, zone and a combination of man and zone. I'm sure we will see something we haven't seen before."
Cuba City runs a double-post offense, and Darlington is expected to match by starting both Josh Soper and Chad Golackson. Cuba City senior Benjamin Burkholder averages 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.
"They have some good athletes and they compete," Hopkins said. "We will have to collapse on the post. We have to play team defense and force him (Burkholder) to give the ball to someone else."
The Redbirds have a balanced offensive attack with almost five players averaging in double digits. Junior Will Schwartz (13.1 ppg) is the Redbirds' leading scorer. The other top scorers are juniors Ryan Glendenning (12.1 ppg), Trevor Johnson (10.6 ppg), Golackson (9.4 ppg) and Soper (8.8 ppg).
Junior Hunter Johnson has played the past two games for the Redbirds, returning for the third time this year after recovering from a fractured fibula. It's the first back-to-back games this season for Johnson. Johnson scored seven points and had nine rebounds off the bench in a 64-51 win over Deerfield in a regional title game.
"It's a huge lift for us," Hopkins said. "His conditioning isn't quite there yet. He is physical. The first two times he came back he had nerve tissue that was inflamed. He played back-to-back games for the first time. He seems to have turned the corner."
Darlington and Southwest Wisconsin Activities League rival Cuba City have faced each other in the tournament six of the past 10 years. Another chapter will be added to that rivalry when Darlington (19-5) plays Cuba City (17-7) in a WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. Thursday at Verona High School. The last time Darlington played in a sectional was in 1996.
"You don't want to get beat in the tournament," Hopkins said. "You especially don't want to get beat by a conference rival. The motivation is playing a conference rival."
The Redbirds split two games with the Cubans this year. In Darlington's first conference game with many players getting back into the swing of basketball after playing in a state football championship game, the Redbirds lost to Cuba City 55-48. Later in the season, the Redbirds rolled to a 24-point win over Cuba City in Darlington.
"Coach (Jerry) Petitgoue has run different defenses against us," Hopkins said. "He has had Cuba City play a man-to-man, zone and a combination of man and zone. I'm sure we will see something we haven't seen before."
Cuba City runs a double-post offense, and Darlington is expected to match by starting both Josh Soper and Chad Golackson. Cuba City senior Benjamin Burkholder averages 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.
"They have some good athletes and they compete," Hopkins said. "We will have to collapse on the post. We have to play team defense and force him (Burkholder) to give the ball to someone else."
The Redbirds have a balanced offensive attack with almost five players averaging in double digits. Junior Will Schwartz (13.1 ppg) is the Redbirds' leading scorer. The other top scorers are juniors Ryan Glendenning (12.1 ppg), Trevor Johnson (10.6 ppg), Golackson (9.4 ppg) and Soper (8.8 ppg).
Junior Hunter Johnson has played the past two games for the Redbirds, returning for the third time this year after recovering from a fractured fibula. It's the first back-to-back games this season for Johnson. Johnson scored seven points and had nine rebounds off the bench in a 64-51 win over Deerfield in a regional title game.
"It's a huge lift for us," Hopkins said. "His conditioning isn't quite there yet. He is physical. The first two times he came back he had nerve tissue that was inflamed. He played back-to-back games for the first time. He seems to have turned the corner."
