JUDA - Both Black Hawk's Aleigha Sigafus and Albany's Tyler Dahl will continue their basketball journeys and play at Edgewood College next season. Before that, the two recent graduates have a chance to play one more prep game.
Sigafus and Dahl will each be featured in the Six Rivers All-Star Challenge games Friday at Juda High School. The girls all-star game, pitting the East against the West, is slated for 6 p.m., followed by a 3-point contest and then the boys all-star game at about 8 p.m. A free will donation at the door is requested. All of the proceeds from the all-star games go to the UW Children's Hospital in Madison.
"It's great to go out and play a game to help others who can't play," Sigafus said. "Raising money for a good cause is great."
It's the 11th year of the Six Rivers All-Star Challenge. The event was the brainchild of former Black Hawk boys basketball coach and athletic director Jerry Mortimer. It continues to go strong with Black Hawk girls basketball coach Mike Flanagan serving as the tournament director.
"Give as generously as you can," Flanagan said. "Every cent we make goes to the UW Children's Hospital. We hope with the cause we can give more generously. The fact that we have kept it alive for 11 years is not easy. The fact that we persevered given the cause, given players a chance to play one more time and given a fans a chance to see them one more time is what it's all about."
Both Sigafus and Dahl are using the game as a chance to hone their skills with basketball seasons coming up at the next level next year.
"It will be nice to get on the court one more time and stretch out my legs," Dahl said. "It will be nice to play with other kids in the conference. It helps me stay in shape. It doesn't take long to lose a shooter's touch. It's nice to be in the gym and competing."
Dahl was named the Six Rivers East Conference's Co-Player of the Year last season along with Pecatonica's A.J. Hendrickson. Dahl averaged 24.8 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game in leading Albany to a 14-10 season.
Dahl is coming off an 11-point performance in leading the Division 5 South team to an 80-64 win over the North in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game last weekend.
He is using a summer workout plan that focuses on weight lifting, running and shooting.
"It's a good feeling," he said of the opportunity to play basketball in college. "I know it will be hard."
Dahl plans to major in ag mechanics and he will have courses at Edgewood College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison the next four years.
Sigafus also will have to adjust to change since former Edgewood College women's basketball head coach Casey Thousand was hired as an assistant coach at Northern Michigan University. Sigafus is not sure who her coach will be next season.
Sigafus will be playing in a summer basketball league with Edgewood College on Wednesdays at Madison College.
"I think it will be great to meet the girls and play and get used to playing at the college level," she said.
Sigafus was a first-team all-conference selection last year after averaging 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game to lead Black Hawk to a 14-10 finish.
Sigafus is looking forward to taking the court with conference opponents on Friday she viewed as rivals during the winter on the court.
"It will be different and a little weird," Sigafus said. "I always thought of them as competition. I looked for their weaknesses. Now, I'm looking for their strengths to see how we can work together as a team."
Sigafus and Dahl will each be featured in the Six Rivers All-Star Challenge games Friday at Juda High School. The girls all-star game, pitting the East against the West, is slated for 6 p.m., followed by a 3-point contest and then the boys all-star game at about 8 p.m. A free will donation at the door is requested. All of the proceeds from the all-star games go to the UW Children's Hospital in Madison.
"It's great to go out and play a game to help others who can't play," Sigafus said. "Raising money for a good cause is great."
It's the 11th year of the Six Rivers All-Star Challenge. The event was the brainchild of former Black Hawk boys basketball coach and athletic director Jerry Mortimer. It continues to go strong with Black Hawk girls basketball coach Mike Flanagan serving as the tournament director.
"Give as generously as you can," Flanagan said. "Every cent we make goes to the UW Children's Hospital. We hope with the cause we can give more generously. The fact that we have kept it alive for 11 years is not easy. The fact that we persevered given the cause, given players a chance to play one more time and given a fans a chance to see them one more time is what it's all about."
Both Sigafus and Dahl are using the game as a chance to hone their skills with basketball seasons coming up at the next level next year.
"It will be nice to get on the court one more time and stretch out my legs," Dahl said. "It will be nice to play with other kids in the conference. It helps me stay in shape. It doesn't take long to lose a shooter's touch. It's nice to be in the gym and competing."
Dahl was named the Six Rivers East Conference's Co-Player of the Year last season along with Pecatonica's A.J. Hendrickson. Dahl averaged 24.8 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game in leading Albany to a 14-10 season.
Dahl is coming off an 11-point performance in leading the Division 5 South team to an 80-64 win over the North in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game last weekend.
He is using a summer workout plan that focuses on weight lifting, running and shooting.
"It's a good feeling," he said of the opportunity to play basketball in college. "I know it will be hard."
Dahl plans to major in ag mechanics and he will have courses at Edgewood College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison the next four years.
Sigafus also will have to adjust to change since former Edgewood College women's basketball head coach Casey Thousand was hired as an assistant coach at Northern Michigan University. Sigafus is not sure who her coach will be next season.
Sigafus will be playing in a summer basketball league with Edgewood College on Wednesdays at Madison College.
"I think it will be great to meet the girls and play and get used to playing at the college level," she said.
Sigafus was a first-team all-conference selection last year after averaging 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game to lead Black Hawk to a 14-10 finish.
Sigafus is looking forward to taking the court with conference opponents on Friday she viewed as rivals during the winter on the court.
"It will be different and a little weird," Sigafus said. "I always thought of them as competition. I looked for their weaknesses. Now, I'm looking for their strengths to see how we can work together as a team."
