MADISON - As the season has unfolded, the destinies for Monroe and Black Hawk seemed eerily similar.
Both finished 18-2, with one loss coming to the rival in which they each shared the conference title with. The other loss came to the top team in "other" half of each other's own conferences (Potosi-Six Rivers West, Sauk Prairie-Badger North).
Then, like a ball rolling down a hill, both teams cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs unscathed.
Like clockwork, both Monroe and Black Hawk faced a familiar foe in the regional final. Black Hawk faced Pecatonica and Monroe faced McFarland, a team that left the Badger South after the end of the 2007-08 school year.
Each game continually got tougher as the sectionals closed down.
On March 7, both teams capped their impressive seasons by clinching a berth into the state semifinals.
Monroe faced a tough task, taking on Grafton, who possesses one of the three top players in the state of Wisconsin, UW-Green Bay recruit Sarah Eichler. Eichler showed the basketball talent throughout the game, making the defending champs wonder if the hoops were lowered for the Black Hawks.
On the other hand, the Warriors have a powerful post presence of their own.
"Kim Wellnitz is, in my mind, the best, if not one of the best, post players in Division 4," Potosi head coach Darby Blakley said.
So a match up between Black Hawk and Potosi came together one last time - this time the entire state could watch an epic battle. After handing the Chieftains its only loss of the season in a tight game at home back in January, Black Hawk suffered their first loss at Potosi, another tough game.
In the third game, on a neutral court, it was anyone's ball game.
The speed and intensity ripped beyond the court and entered the stands, as hundreds of fans from both schools traveled to the game on Friday morning. To some, the game may have appeared sloppy, but to those who know these two teams, it was a defensive battle with heart.
"These girls played with a lot of heart. Both teams," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said.
Neither team took a big lead, and no shot went uncontested. Bodies fell hard, the spectators screamed at everyone on the court, and the coaches did their best to keep their squads focused.
In the end, one of the teams had to lose. Unfortunately for Black Hawk, it was the Warriors ending their first-ever trip to state without hardware.
But hardware doesn't make memories. Practice, games, events, camaraderie and a group togetherness form the memories that will last with the players, coaches, and fans throughout time.
"This year we've played some big games. We've had some battles. But we had games like the ones against Barneveld, with everyone wearing pink to support cancer. Our girls fundraised and it became more than a basketball game. That is a memory that they will always have. It's everything about this season that they will remember," Flanagan said before Friday's contest.
Potosi qualified for state in 1999 only to lose in the first round, so Chieftain fans know what it is like.
"We held a little get-together the other night and our girls found themselves watching videotape of the '99 game," Blakley said. "Our girls now remember watching them play at the highest level, and that kind of hits home. They know what it can mean for the community."
For many small schools, the ability to get into one state tournament is happiness enough. But with the way Flanagan's program is building, the initial trip to Madison may have become the most important.
Both finished 18-2, with one loss coming to the rival in which they each shared the conference title with. The other loss came to the top team in "other" half of each other's own conferences (Potosi-Six Rivers West, Sauk Prairie-Badger North).
Then, like a ball rolling down a hill, both teams cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs unscathed.
Like clockwork, both Monroe and Black Hawk faced a familiar foe in the regional final. Black Hawk faced Pecatonica and Monroe faced McFarland, a team that left the Badger South after the end of the 2007-08 school year.
Each game continually got tougher as the sectionals closed down.
On March 7, both teams capped their impressive seasons by clinching a berth into the state semifinals.
Monroe faced a tough task, taking on Grafton, who possesses one of the three top players in the state of Wisconsin, UW-Green Bay recruit Sarah Eichler. Eichler showed the basketball talent throughout the game, making the defending champs wonder if the hoops were lowered for the Black Hawks.
On the other hand, the Warriors have a powerful post presence of their own.
"Kim Wellnitz is, in my mind, the best, if not one of the best, post players in Division 4," Potosi head coach Darby Blakley said.
So a match up between Black Hawk and Potosi came together one last time - this time the entire state could watch an epic battle. After handing the Chieftains its only loss of the season in a tight game at home back in January, Black Hawk suffered their first loss at Potosi, another tough game.
In the third game, on a neutral court, it was anyone's ball game.
The speed and intensity ripped beyond the court and entered the stands, as hundreds of fans from both schools traveled to the game on Friday morning. To some, the game may have appeared sloppy, but to those who know these two teams, it was a defensive battle with heart.
"These girls played with a lot of heart. Both teams," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said.
Neither team took a big lead, and no shot went uncontested. Bodies fell hard, the spectators screamed at everyone on the court, and the coaches did their best to keep their squads focused.
In the end, one of the teams had to lose. Unfortunately for Black Hawk, it was the Warriors ending their first-ever trip to state without hardware.
But hardware doesn't make memories. Practice, games, events, camaraderie and a group togetherness form the memories that will last with the players, coaches, and fans throughout time.
"This year we've played some big games. We've had some battles. But we had games like the ones against Barneveld, with everyone wearing pink to support cancer. Our girls fundraised and it became more than a basketball game. That is a memory that they will always have. It's everything about this season that they will remember," Flanagan said before Friday's contest.
Potosi qualified for state in 1999 only to lose in the first round, so Chieftain fans know what it is like.
"We held a little get-together the other night and our girls found themselves watching videotape of the '99 game," Blakley said. "Our girls now remember watching them play at the highest level, and that kind of hits home. They know what it can mean for the community."
For many small schools, the ability to get into one state tournament is happiness enough. But with the way Flanagan's program is building, the initial trip to Madison may have become the most important.
