In the war that is the WIAA girls basketball state tournament, Monroe's battle cry just may become, "Remember Verona!"
Any ballclub can find comfort in severely trouncing its opposition, in a double-digit winning streak or in a handful of all-conference honors. But it's the club that wears its scars with pride and as a personal reminder that will scare anyone in its way.
More than two months ago, on Jan. 3, Monroe was wiped off its own floor, 56-34, by Badger South rival Verona.
It hurt. Badly. To the point it even made Calyn Bidlingmaier, who spends more time forcing tears out of the girl she's hounding on defense, to turn on the waterworks once safely at home.
Three weeks and a day later, the Cheesemakers showed the prep world something. Instead of wallowing in their "exposing" loss to the Wildcats, they bounced back with a vengeance and caged the Cats in a 44-36 victory that required overtime.
How did they turn around so quickly and convincingly?
Instead of questioning their skills, they counted down the minutes to practice so they could sharpen them and get ready for what's been a historic stretch run.
After Monroe nearly hemorrhaged Friday's semifinal away but held on, 49-47 to defeat Altoona, the Cheesemakers' skipper, Kevin Keen, placed his hand on his captain Emily Rufenacht's shoulder and told her something she already knew all too well.
"We're playing again tomorrow, Emily," the smiling coach told his fiery leader.
He told her that in such reassuring fashion because, while analysts were marveling over the semifinal's frenetic finish, she was livid inside. As she exited the locker room and approached her coach, she had that post-Verona look in her eye once again.
Yes, the Lady Cheesemakers had won and advanced to today's championship game against Freedom. But they also lost a 19-point lead and had to survive to advance.
Perhaps a fan of The Who, Rufenacht had that, "We Won't Get Fooled Again" look lighting up every part of her eyes.
Her familiarity with rebounding from a letdown is anything but reserved to this season. Or the last, for that matter.
Two years ago, she was "called up" as a player to spell then-junior guard Sydnee Wyss. As Keen puts it, Rufenacht was "wide-eyed" throughout the state title run, perhaps most importantly when the Cheesemakers needed every last bit of fuel in the tank to survive New London, 56-51, in the semifinals. Although she logged less than two minutes between the final two games, she was a veritable sponge as her team's championship dream unfolded. She watched her team grind out the victory that Friday and, 24 hours later, watched them come out with an agenda to put to rest any doubts of the club's destiny.
Keen got a chance to squeeze all 13 of his Cheesemakers into the ballgame as they dusted the Lady Dukes of Whitefish Bay, 59-33, in the 2006 title game.
There was a fire in the Cheesemakers' eyes that day.
That fire was there after the Verona loss this season.
On Friday, the look in Rufenacht's eyes suggested she and her teammates just might show that same fire today. If they do, she'll be more than happy to take her turn at an early exit and let the subs soak up the limelight on the big dance floor.
- Christopher Heimerman is the sports editor at The Monroe Times. He can be reached at sportseditor@themonroetimes.com.
Any ballclub can find comfort in severely trouncing its opposition, in a double-digit winning streak or in a handful of all-conference honors. But it's the club that wears its scars with pride and as a personal reminder that will scare anyone in its way.
More than two months ago, on Jan. 3, Monroe was wiped off its own floor, 56-34, by Badger South rival Verona.
It hurt. Badly. To the point it even made Calyn Bidlingmaier, who spends more time forcing tears out of the girl she's hounding on defense, to turn on the waterworks once safely at home.
Three weeks and a day later, the Cheesemakers showed the prep world something. Instead of wallowing in their "exposing" loss to the Wildcats, they bounced back with a vengeance and caged the Cats in a 44-36 victory that required overtime.
How did they turn around so quickly and convincingly?
Instead of questioning their skills, they counted down the minutes to practice so they could sharpen them and get ready for what's been a historic stretch run.
After Monroe nearly hemorrhaged Friday's semifinal away but held on, 49-47 to defeat Altoona, the Cheesemakers' skipper, Kevin Keen, placed his hand on his captain Emily Rufenacht's shoulder and told her something she already knew all too well.
"We're playing again tomorrow, Emily," the smiling coach told his fiery leader.
He told her that in such reassuring fashion because, while analysts were marveling over the semifinal's frenetic finish, she was livid inside. As she exited the locker room and approached her coach, she had that post-Verona look in her eye once again.
Yes, the Lady Cheesemakers had won and advanced to today's championship game against Freedom. But they also lost a 19-point lead and had to survive to advance.
Perhaps a fan of The Who, Rufenacht had that, "We Won't Get Fooled Again" look lighting up every part of her eyes.
Her familiarity with rebounding from a letdown is anything but reserved to this season. Or the last, for that matter.
Two years ago, she was "called up" as a player to spell then-junior guard Sydnee Wyss. As Keen puts it, Rufenacht was "wide-eyed" throughout the state title run, perhaps most importantly when the Cheesemakers needed every last bit of fuel in the tank to survive New London, 56-51, in the semifinals. Although she logged less than two minutes between the final two games, she was a veritable sponge as her team's championship dream unfolded. She watched her team grind out the victory that Friday and, 24 hours later, watched them come out with an agenda to put to rest any doubts of the club's destiny.
Keen got a chance to squeeze all 13 of his Cheesemakers into the ballgame as they dusted the Lady Dukes of Whitefish Bay, 59-33, in the 2006 title game.
There was a fire in the Cheesemakers' eyes that day.
That fire was there after the Verona loss this season.
On Friday, the look in Rufenacht's eyes suggested she and her teammates just might show that same fire today. If they do, she'll be more than happy to take her turn at an early exit and let the subs soak up the limelight on the big dance floor.
- Christopher Heimerman is the sports editor at The Monroe Times. He can be reached at sportseditor@themonroetimes.com.
