BLANCHARDVILLE - Both coaches are down playing the Pecatonica-Black Hawk girls basketball rivalry and their early-season Six Rivers East Conference showdown Friday night.
Pecatonica (4-0, 1-0 Six Rivers East), the third-ranked team in the Division 4 WisSportsnet Coaches Poll, has won the past four regular-season games against Black Hawk (4-0, 1-0), ranked fifth in the same poll.
The Vikings have swept the last two regular-season series only to have the Warriors win regional championship games.
"To be honest, that would be foolish for the girls to use that as motivation," Pecatonica coach Mike Armitage said. "We should live in the present, but remember the past.
"This should not be a game of rankings. It's great for our conference, that teams in our conference are getting recognized for our success. This is not the first time Pecatonica and Black Hawk have been ranked. It's a big game because it's the next one on our schedule. We have to treat it as that."
Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan is excited about the accolades teams in the conference have received. He understands the matchup is key in the conference race, but he wasn't sold on the Warriors' using the Vikings' success as motivation.
"With the preseason rankings that don't mean anything, our conference has got some recognition," Flanagan said. "It says a lot about the basketball we play around here. With our postseason success, we owe that to the teams we are playing night in and night out in the Six Rivers East."
Flanagan said he doesn't think it's healthy for kids to focus on the Vikings' four-game regular-season winning streak.
"I don't think there is any extra motivation at all," Flanagan said. "I don't buy into all that stuff. When it comes right down to it, it's no different than any other conference game. Pec has had the upper hand the last two years.
"We know they (Pecatonica) are good. It will be a good measuring stick to see where we are at."
The Vikings and Warriors have enjoyed similar early-season success. The Warriors are averaging 65 points a game, while the Vikings average 64.7.
Both teams like to push the tempo and play aggressive defense. Pecatonica has three players averaging double figures, including junior Kimee Chandler (17.5 points a game, and seniors Brittany Kent (15 ppg) and Elise Sigg (10.5).
Black Hawk is led by junior Kim Wellnitz (15.8 ppg) and senior Paige Butler (15). The Warriors have frontcourt depth with good size, including 5-foot, 10-inch junior Katie Place and 5-10 sophomore Rachel Rygh.
"I don't know what will happen when we step on the floor and start playing with those premier players," Flanagan said. "It will be interesting to see what happens when these two teams collide."
Pecatonica (4-0, 1-0 Six Rivers East), the third-ranked team in the Division 4 WisSportsnet Coaches Poll, has won the past four regular-season games against Black Hawk (4-0, 1-0), ranked fifth in the same poll.
The Vikings have swept the last two regular-season series only to have the Warriors win regional championship games.
"To be honest, that would be foolish for the girls to use that as motivation," Pecatonica coach Mike Armitage said. "We should live in the present, but remember the past.
"This should not be a game of rankings. It's great for our conference, that teams in our conference are getting recognized for our success. This is not the first time Pecatonica and Black Hawk have been ranked. It's a big game because it's the next one on our schedule. We have to treat it as that."
Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan is excited about the accolades teams in the conference have received. He understands the matchup is key in the conference race, but he wasn't sold on the Warriors' using the Vikings' success as motivation.
"With the preseason rankings that don't mean anything, our conference has got some recognition," Flanagan said. "It says a lot about the basketball we play around here. With our postseason success, we owe that to the teams we are playing night in and night out in the Six Rivers East."
Flanagan said he doesn't think it's healthy for kids to focus on the Vikings' four-game regular-season winning streak.
"I don't think there is any extra motivation at all," Flanagan said. "I don't buy into all that stuff. When it comes right down to it, it's no different than any other conference game. Pec has had the upper hand the last two years.
"We know they (Pecatonica) are good. It will be a good measuring stick to see where we are at."
The Vikings and Warriors have enjoyed similar early-season success. The Warriors are averaging 65 points a game, while the Vikings average 64.7.
Both teams like to push the tempo and play aggressive defense. Pecatonica has three players averaging double figures, including junior Kimee Chandler (17.5 points a game, and seniors Brittany Kent (15 ppg) and Elise Sigg (10.5).
Black Hawk is led by junior Kim Wellnitz (15.8 ppg) and senior Paige Butler (15). The Warriors have frontcourt depth with good size, including 5-foot, 10-inch junior Katie Place and 5-10 sophomore Rachel Rygh.
"I don't know what will happen when we step on the floor and start playing with those premier players," Flanagan said. "It will be interesting to see what happens when these two teams collide."
