Sports Thoughts

In this age of so many egocentric and me-first athletes, it is particularly refreshing to come across someone who is unselfish and puts the good of the team ahead of his or her own interests.

Meet Kevin Koenitzer of the New Berlin West tennis team.

Koenitzer played first singles for the Vikings in the past two seasons but surrendered that spot in this, his senior year, to freshman Luke Hubert.

He moved to second singles without complaint, fully understanding that the switch would give West a strong and deep singles corps.

"He never questioned (the move) and understood that it was such a positive change for our team," West coach Scott Ficks said. "Luke has provided Kevin much-needed daily competition and it is making them both better as players. I am very proud of Kevin for how he has handled the situation."

Koenitzer said, "Luke is a good player. We played some challenge matches and he beat me. He deserves the spot. This benefits the team."

The move has indeed worked out well, as Koenitzer came into this week with a 10-3 record and Hubert was 11-4. Together with Charlie Ebert (12-2 at fourth), the Vikings have a singles lineup that could cause some major damage at next week's Woodland Conference Meet.

Interestingly, Koenitzer was the other side of such a lineup switch as a freshman at West.

"Ryan Paiser played first singles for two years until a freshman named Kevin Koenitzer bumped him out of that spot," Ficks recalled. "Paiser handled it the same way, no questions asked, and went on to qualify for the sectional at second singles during his senior year. Kevin was the young player coming up and now he is the senior accepting his new role."

The irony of the situation has not escaped Koenitzer, who said, "Paiser won more matches and actually dominated at two, and now I've been winning at two. I just want to move forward in the conference tournament, (WIAA) sectional and maybe state."

As the spring sports season finally gets into high gear with the improved weather, I just wanted to highlight a couple of notable events involving the teams I cover that occurred in the previous week.

I am still trying to figure out just what happened in the softball game between New Berlin Eisenhower and Greenfield on May 1. The Lions entered that game at 7-0 overall, not having allowed a single run nor committed an error all season, and they held a 3-0 lead going into the sixth inning.

The Hustlin' Hawks proceeded to score five runs in the next two frames, all after two outs and no one on base, and they benefitted from two errors and a passed ball in the seventh inning alone.

Coach Jeff Setz was as stunned as anyone, saying, "It was very uncharacteristic of our defense. Today was the first day we had errors, and they all came at a critical time when the game was on the line."

There were two other interesting sidelights about that game: the five runs by Greenfield were the most allowed by Eisenhower in any game in the past two seasons, and the contest marked the third straight season that the Hawks took on Eisenhower when the Lions were unbeaten, and the second time they knocked off the Lions in those three years.

Greenfield certainly used the game as a springboard, going on to win the Germantown Tournament the next day, then routing Greendale on May 4. The Hawks face a crucial game for first place in the Woodland Conference South Division later today against Cudahy.

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A little ingenuity by Muskego tennis coach Jake Adamson helped three teams get in some extra work and enjoy a beautiful day on May 2.

The Warriors were set to play in the Oconomowoc Invitational that day, but the meet was cancelled due to the H1N1 flu outbreak. Adamson contacted the coaches at Eisenhower and Watertown Luther Prep and invited them over to play a triangular. "It was just too nice out to not get in some matches," Adamson reasoned.

As it turned out, the teams put on a nice show, with all three duals being decided by 4-3 scores. "This ended up being a very good invite with three evenly-matched teams," he said.

Adamson deserves credit for his quick thinking in putting the meet together. Clearly, the spring sports teams don't get many opportunities to play in perfect weather, and they need to take full advantage of every one they get.

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Congratulations also to the Eisenhower soccer team for its big 2-1 victory over Shorewood in a Woodland contest on May 5 on an overtime goal from Kali Shandley, assisted by Hadley Bales. The Lions struggled early this season against a rugged non-conference schedule but went to 2-0 in conference play with that victory.

They play host to a tournament this weekend, then visit rival New Berlin West on Thursday, May 14, in what shapes up to be a typical intracity thriller.

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Finally, the pitching efforts of West Allis Central's Corinne Burgermeister and West Allis Hale's Nicole Grubor deserve mention. Those two hooked up in a classic 1-0 game, won by Central, on May 5. They each allowed just two hits and the lone run of the game came on a sacrifice fly.

High school softball tends to revolve around pitching, and those two were at the top of their games that day.

The first game against rival West Allis Central provided the first indication that the West Allis Hale softball team was headed for a particularly interesting and thrilling season.

In that contest, played in the wind and cold of April 6, the Huskies took leads of 4-1 and 7-4, only to see the Bulldogs rally to tie the game twice. Undaunted, they tallied the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a hit by Morgan Abel to prevail, 8-7.

In the weeks since then, Hale has continued its highwire act, beating Pewaukee, 9-7; Sussex Hamilton, 1-0; and Brookfield Central, 4-3, while falling to Divine Savior Holy Angels, 7-6, in nine innings after coming back from a 6-2 deficit after five.

The Huskies have proven they can be competitive with anybody this season behind the pitching of Nicole Grubor, who has hit double figures in strikeouts several times this year, and a strong lineup keyed by Abel, Jenny Rechlicz, Cheyenne Smith and others.

At this point, Hale is 3-2 in the Greater Metro Conference and 5-3 overall, pending a game later today against GMC leader Menomonee Falls, weather permitting.

The Huskies should be a team to watch in the coming weeks, starting with their May 5 contest against Central at Dorow Field. They also have two games with Brookfield East, including one at home on May 4, and a home contest against DSHA on May 14.

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Speaking of Hale, one of the school's most notable, even iconic, teachers and coaches is Mary Blandino, who coached Huskies' volleyball for 34 years while winning four WIAA Division 1 state championships, as well as gymnastics for 17 seasons and track for 14 years.

Blandino has received numerous awards in the past few months, capped by the Women's Sports Advocates of Wisconsin's Lifetime Achievement Award, which is considered the state's highest honor in women's sports.

Considering her coaching success, plus all her other work on behalf of Special Olympics, state coaches' advisory boards and Senior Olympics, Blandino is richly deserving of all these honors. Her complete story can be found on WestAllisNOW.com or in the West Allis NOW newspaper of today, April 30.

West Allis Central boys track coach Dale Lindenberg was expecting somewhat of a rebuilding season this spring with the loss of a number of talented seniors from last year's squad.

The Bulldogs, however, have topped those expectations, especially in winning the Jim Reinhard Dog Relays and in placing a strong fourth in the Rebel-North Star meet last week.

One of the main reasons is senior Bobby Gnatzig, who came up with a trio of top-three finishes in the Greater Metro Conference Indoor Meet, winning the long jump, taking second in the high jump and placing third in the triple jump.

At the Rebel-North Star, he claimed second places in those three events to again give Central a huge boost.

In the previous seasons, Gnatzig learned from two of Central's top athletes, graduated seniors Marcus Smith and Jeff Meleski.

Smith, you'll recall, captured the WIAA Division 1 championship in the 110-meter high hurdles and finished second in the triple jump in the 2007 meet. He then returned to finish fifth in the triple jump in last spring's state meet. Meleski also competed at state last year in the high jump and 110 hurdles, so he and Smith have plenty of big-meet experience.

"(Gnatzig) was able to work behind Marcus and Jeff in the jumps, and that helped him," Lindenberg said. "Also, he is a tremendous athlete."

Time will tell whether Gnatzig will follow his mentors to La Crosse once June rolls around.

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Speaking of time, the spring season is now beginning its annual sprint to the finish line. Just over one month from now, on May 26, the tournament season will begin for everyone. From now until then, all teams face a really hectic schedule, especially with all the makeup games and meets that were forced by April's inclement weather. Six or seven softball games, anyone?

Once again, as happens every year, April showers brought May mayhem.  

The best-laid plans....

Last August, Duane Mlachnik gave up his Muskego girls basketball head coaching spot to take the same position with the Warrior boys program. At the time, he said it was the most difficult decision he had ever made but also that he was looking forward to the new challenge.

Last week, he resigned from the boys coaching position.

In between came a disappointing 3-18 season as well as what he described as issues with a few -- and he emphasized just a few -- parents. "It was just too much of a hassle," he said. "I didn't feel like dealing with it anymore. The season was not a lot of fun."

It is unfortunate when a coach (or a player, for that matter) comes away from a season feeling like it was not any fun, because isn't high school sports supposed to be all about learning and having fun doing it?

I worked with Duane for several seasons, covering both the Muskego girls and boys teams, and I always found him to be a gentleman, extremely cooperative and friendly.

I particularly remember the aftermath of a particularly agonizing loss in a WIAA girls sectional championship game in March 2008. The Warriors held a nine-point lead in the fourth period against Brookfield Central and appeared to be on their way to Madison, only to see the Lancers storm back to win.

He easily could have hid in the lockerroom and refused to speak to me because of the intense emotions he must have been feeling at that point. Instead, after an appropriate period of time to console his players, he came out and answered my questions in a forthright and honest manner. I respected him for doing that.

I would just like take this opportunity to thank Duane for all his help and wish him good luck in the future.

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The first week of softball season produced a couple of interesting occurrences.

One was the near-perfection reached by New Berlin Eisenhower. In four games, pitchers Lauren Beres and Kayla Schlegel worked a combined 22 innings, allowing just four hits (all by Beres) with 51 strikeouts and no walks. Oh yes, and the Lions did not commit a single error despite playing in cold, windy conditions and on what had to be a hard surface.

Looks like Eisenhower is in good shape to make a run at defending its WIAA Division 2 championship.

The other was a game between West Allis Central and West Allis Hale. For half of the game, pitchers Corinne Burgermeister of Central and Nicky Grubor of Hale were locked in a 1-0 duel.

All of a sudden, the bats came alive on both sides. The Huskies tallied four for a 4-1 lead, then Central came back with three to tie it. Hale went ahead 7-4 in the bottom of the sixth, only to see the Bulldogs tie it again with three in the seventh. Finally, Hale pushed across the winner in the bottom of the seventh on a hit from Morgan Abel.

What a wild, unpredictable game! It again shows what how entertaining softball can be.

By the way, the teams are scheduled to meet again on Tuesday, May 5, at Dorow Field, Central's home.

One sure sign of spring: local athletic directors busily crossing out dates and filling in new ones on their schedules.

For the second straight year, winter's reluctance to fade away is playing havoc with high school sports slates. Indoor track meets are safe, and some soccer has been played, but softball teams have been largely unable to get the season going due to the leftover snow, cold and wind.

Of the six softball teams I cover, only West Allis Hale has been able to get in so much as one game. Everyone else is madly scrambling to fill in the rest of their April and May schedules.

This will inevitably mean some weeks of four, five or even six games, plus some doubleheaders. Teams are either going to need two pitchers or one with a rubber arm.

Defending WIAA Division 2 champion New Berlin Eisenhower is well-armed (pun intended) with ace pitchers Lauren Beres and Kayla Schlegel, and New Berlin West also has two hurlers in sisters Liz and Martha Radtke. It will be interesting to see how much of an advantage this gives the New Berlin schools over foes with just one reliable pitcher.

Assuming spring actually does arrive sometime, here is a quick look at the teams I cover:

GREENFIELD: The Hustlin' Hawks have to replace ace pitcher Ashley Kowalewski but return the potent bats of sisters Stacey and Shannon Butts, both members of the 2008 NOW Newspapers All-Suburban team, and should contend for another Woodland Conference South Division title.

MUSKEGO: The Warriors lost their top pitcher, Christy Hudziak, to a broken thumb but welcome back several quality veterans plus some promising newcomers.

N.B. EISENHOWER: The Lions are loaded, with Beres, Schlegel, outfielder Liz Wiese and shortstop Kelly Brubakken, so they should be the heavy favorite for another Woodland crown as well as another strong run in the WIAA Tournament.

N.B. WEST: The Vikings have the aforementioned Radtke sisters and a few other veterans but have underclassmen at some other key positions, including the entire infield.

WEST ALLIS CENTRAL: The Bulldogs center around pitcher Corinne Burgermeister, another All-Suburban choice last season, and will have three freshman starters as well. They could battle Menomonee Falls and Divine Savior Holy Angels for the Greater Metro crown.

WEST ALLIS HALE: The Huskies boast a solid pitcher in Nicky Grubor and key returnees in second baseman Jenny Rechlicz and third baseman Morgan Abel.

Here is my guess as to the top five area teams this spring:

1. New Berlin Eisenhower, 2. Menomonee Falls, 3. Germantown, 4. Homestead, 5. Greenfield.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Oak Creek, Franklin, West Allis Central.

Cinderella's invitation to this year's NCAA Tournament was apparently lost in the mail.

There are no George Masons, Valparaisos or Davidsons anywhere to be found, not even any North Carolina States (1983) or Villanovas (1985).

As the Final Four will be determined in the next two days, all we have left is perennial powers, conference champions and 30-game winners. We also have half the field coming from the powerhouse Big East Conference, along with two representatives from the Big 12 and one each from the Big Ten and ACC.

This big-conference dominance is somewhat of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it should give us terrific matchups the rest of the way, with the best meeting the best.

What is missing, however, is the unpredictability, the magic that comes with the smaller school or the darkhorse coming out of nowhere to make a stirring tournament run, that which makes March mad.

Anyway, I don't need to make much of an adjustment to last week's Final Four predictions. At this point, I will stick with Louisville, Pittsburgh and North Carolina, since Ty Lawson seems to be playing as close to top form as possible. As my pick Memphis is no longer around, I will go with Connecticut as the fourth team headed to Ford Field.

Yes, I know those are all top seeds, but this seems to be the way the tournament is going, doesn't it?

As for the team most likely to knock off a top seed, I will take Villanova over Pittsburgh.

While I'm at it, I will add that in the women's tournament, the only teams who could even give Connecticut a good game would be Maryland and perhaps Oklahoma.

As the high school basketball season winds to a close this week with the WIAA Boys State Tournament, it's time to look all the way back to November and see how my predictions ultimately worked out this year.

First, for the girls. I listed the following top five teams: Oak Creek, Brookfield Central, Muskego, Cudahy and Whitnall, with New Berlin Eisenhower, New Berlin West, Franklin, Nicolet and South Milwaukee as teams to watch.

In that group, Brookfield Central, Muskego, Whitnall, Eisenhower and Nicolet all won or shared conference or division titles. Central made it to the state tournament, while Oak Creek, Muskego, Cudahy and Franklin all lost in sectional play.

For the boys, the top teams as of November were Wauwatosa East, Germantown, Brookfield Central, New Berlin Eisenhower and Whitefish Bay, with Whitnall, Nicolet and Menomonee Falls as teams to watch.

Eisenhower, Bay and Whitnall all claimed conference or division titles. Germantown is going to the state tournament, while Tosa East, Bay, Whitnall and Falls all played into the sectionals, and all four lost to an eventual state qualifier.

Except for the South Milwaukee girls, who lost their leading scorer to injury, and the Brookfield Central boys, it appears I was fairly accurate in picking out the best teams.

Now for even more of a challenge.

Like Dick Vitale does every year, I will attempt to pick next season's top five teams (and I don't have to factor in players going pro early).

BOYS: 1.Menomonee Falls, 2. Whitefish Bay, 3. Whitnall, 4. Germantown, 5. Wauwatosa East. Teams to watch: New Berlin Eisenhower, New Berlin West, Greenfield.

GIRLS: 1. Muskego, 2. Brookfield Central, 3. Nicolet, 4. Oak Creek, 5. New Berlin Eisenhower. Teams to watch: Whitnall, Franklin, West Allis Central.

I can't wait until they tip it off again in November.

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Speaking of hoops predictions, here is a guess about the NCAA men's Final Four:

MIDWEST: My choice: Louisville; darkhorses, Wake Forest, Southern California

WEST: My choice: Memphis; darkhorses, Purdue, California

EAST: My choice, Pittsburgh; darkhorses, Villanova, VCU

SOUTH: My choice, North Carolina, if Ty Lawson can play effectively; if not, Syracuse; darkhorses, Butler, Western Kentucky.

After making its way through the howling winds and over the blanket of snow, the sound of cheering was ringing out from Muskego and New Berlin during this winter sports season.

The two communities fielded a total of 14 varsity teams, and a whopping eight of them (57 percent) claimed conference championships.

Muskego won Southeast Conference titles in girls basketball (with a 16-0 record), wrestling (unbeaten in dual meets and first in the SEC Tournament), gymnastics and both boys and girls skiing.

In addition, the wrestlers sent seven individuals to the WIAA State Individual Tournament and qualified for the state team tournament this weekend in Madison, the gymnastics squad won its sectional and is among the favorites for the state team crown this weekend in Wisconsin Rapids and the skiiers both competed in the state meet, with the girls finishing third and the boys eighth.

New Berlin weighs in with the Eisenhower boys basketball team (14-2 for its fourth straight Woodland Conference North Division crown), the Eisenhower girls basketball team (14-2 as well) and the New Berlin combined swimming team (won every conference dual, plus the Woodland Meet).

The Marlins were also well-represented at the state meet, with New Berlin West senior Byron Butler taking home individual crowns in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.

That is a lot of success.

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I cannot let this winter season pass without recognizing Muskego junior wrestler Derek Olson for a remarkable show of class.

Olson lost the 152-pound state championship after a series of officials' calls and non-calls in the final seconds that coach Ted Price regarded as questionable at best.

He refused, though, to blame the agonizing defeat on the officials. "It was a close match, and some things went (the opponent's) way," Olson said. "In the end, it was a loss. It was my fault for putting the match into the referee's hands. I look at it as this is on my shoulders."

Instead of dwelling on his misfortune, Olson chooses to look ahead. "I have another whole year of training, and I can be back here (state) next year, and this time, win it," he said.

In an age when many athletes at all levels refuse to take responsibility upon themselves, instead blaming anyone else for their troubles, this is a refreshing attitude.

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The Muskego and Brookfield Central girls basketball teams were on course to meet again on March 7 in a WIAA Division 1 sectional championship game for a second straight season, although Franklin and Racine Case will try to stand in the way of the reunion in games on March 6.

Should the Warriors and Lancers clash, here is one interesting statistic to ponder: both teams came into the sectional at 20-1, and both lost only one game, their second contests of the year, by just five points (Muskego to Milwaukee Vincent, Central to Sheboygan North). Both have won 19 straight since then.

Legendary Marquette coach Al McGuire used to say the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.

Muskego wrestling coach Ted Price would beg to differ with that statement, especially after this season.

The Warriors boast a freshman class of Roland Dunlap, Jordan Gruettner and Justin Scherkenbach, but they are really freshmen only in name.

The three each own 40 victories this season, and all three will compete in the WIAA Division 1 Individual Tournament beginning on Feb. 26 at the Kohl Center in Madison.

Dunlap heads into state competition with a 41-1 record at 171 pounds, while Scherkenbach (103) and Gruettner (189) both carry 40-4 marks into Madison. Those are clearly records most seniors would love to have.

"They proved that it's almost foolish to call them freshmen," Price said. "We're past the point of even looking at them as freshmen anymore because their mentality is so far beyond the way normal freshmen think. That is the characteristic that gives them the best chance of placing high at state. They go into tough matches expecting to win. They don't back down from anyone, regardless of the ability of their opponent."

Gruettner and Scherkenbach both have older brothers on this year's team. Senior Kyle Scherkenbach is also competing in Madison at 112 pounds, and senior Jerred Gruettner might have been there if not for a late-season injury.

Kyle is clearly happy for his younger sibling. "It will be cool to see him wrestle there (Madison) as a freshman," he said. "All the freshmen have wrestled well; they have exceeded expectations."

Justin and the other freshmen are quick to credit other members of the Warrior team. "We have good practice partners, and we have a good mindset in practice," he said. "We've all been working so much harder this year."

Junior Derek Olson, who takes a 42-1 record at 152 pounds into state and is the practice partner for Gruettner and Dunlap, said, "We're always going after it in practice. They (the freshmen) have been waiting for their moment. They have wanted this and now they have it."

Senior center Mike Pankowski and junior goalie Matt Ranta both enjoyed tremendous seasons for the Wild United hockey team, which encompasses both Wauwatosa schools, both New Berlin schools and Whitnall.

Pankowski, a Whitnall student, led the state in goals during the regular season with 43 and added one in the Wild's 4-1 loss to Waupun in WIAA regional action on Feb. 17. He also collected 17 assists for a total of 60 points, fifth in the state for the regular season.

He was a master of positioning, knowing where to be on the ice at all times, and of vision and anticipation, often seeing a play before it even fully developed.

Ranta, also from Whitnall, was just as solid in the nets, finishing the regular season with 778 saves on 874 shots for an .890 save percentage. He made 42 saves in the regional game to finish the season with 820 saves on 919 shots for a percentage of .892. Those totals are also among the state leaders.

He showed tenacity and determination to keep coming up with big saves to keep the Wild close in most of its games this season.

Although the Wild struggled to a 7-13-1 record, it did boast two players who are sure to garner their share of postseason honors. Pankowski will graduate in the spring and is on his way to the Milwaukee School of Engineering next fall, while Ranta is just a junior and will be back for coach Joe Cocking next season.

New Berlin boys swimming coach Paul Lutzke knew early on just how good this season could be for the Marlins.

"We won the Delavan-Darien meet (on Dec. 6) for the third year in a row, and the first clue was that we broke a number of meet and pool records," Lutzke said. "The next week (Dec. 10), at the Woodland Conference Relays, we won eight events and set six records. After that, we saw what a special season this could be."

So far, the Marlins have indeed been special; in fact, they were unbeaten going into a Woodland dual on Jan. 29 against Shorewood, having won four conference duals and four major meets. They even defeated powerful Brookfield at the Shorewood Invitational.

Before the season, Lutzke thought his team had some question marks. "We had only nine returnees, so we had plenty of new faces," he said. "They looked good in the early practices and they have developed well. We're fortunate that the new guys had talent and made an impact."

It also helps that the team is anchored by senior Byron Butler, who won the WIAA Division 1 state championship in the 100 butterfly last year and has not lost an individual event so far this season. He also holds the state's top times in both the butterfly and 100 backstroke.

"He's swimming (butterfly) times faster than his state time last year, and he has been at the top of the (state) lists for just about the whole season," Lutzke said of Butler, who recently signed a letter of intent with the University of Iowa.

The team's numerous accomplishments this season have not surprised Butler. "You always have it in the back of your mind that you can win all your meets," he said. "Some guys have stepped up from last year, including me, and we have some talent from the freshman class."

Those freshmen are Michael Brill, Jasen Johnson, Ian Sanders and Casey Vanselow, all of whom have made their mark on the varsity this season. They have joined veterans like Butler, Kevin Koenitzer, Alex Rodenkirk, Matt Schumacher, Chris Kaminski and Josh Solie, among others, to form a strong team.

One key to the Marlins' success is their lineup at the beginning and end of meets. Their 200 medley relay team, which has featured eight different swimmers, is unbeaten on the season, and they are solid in the final three events, the 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and 400 freestyle relay, in which New Berlin again is undefeated.

New Berlin will compete in the Bob White Invitational at Wauwatosa West on Saturday, Jan. 31, then on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Cudahy, the Marlins will look to add the Woodland Conference Meet championship to their relay crown. The WIAA sectionals and state meet follow after that.

The Marlins' hope now is that they can finish the season the same way they began it.

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Two individual performances in basketball games really stood out in the past week.

First, Muskego senior Nikki Guhr hit the game-winning shot in the final second of two Warrior victories. Her baseline jumper at the buzzer beat Franklin, 37-35, on Jan. 19 and her rebound and putback basket with less than a second left downed Racine Case, 68-66, in overtime on Jan. 23.

Those were both huge victories for the Warriors, who remained unbeaten in Southeast Conference play and now hold a two-game lead over rivals Franklin and Oak Creek in the North Division. To top it off, Guhr also celebrated her 18th birthday last week.

The other was West Allis Hale senior Danny Wall, who kept the Huskies close in their 52-45 loss to West Allis Central on Jan. 27 with seven 3-point goals. Wall nailed a trio of 3-pointers in the first half to help Hale to a 21-15 halftime lead, then added four in the second half to keep the Huskies within range of posting their first victory of the season.

Wall, who missed John Rybak's school record for 3-pointers in a game by just one, finished with a game-high 24 points. "After I hit the first one, I just felt it for the rest of the game," Wall said.

More about the New Berlin Marlins and Guhr's heroics can be found in the Jan. 29 issue of the New Berlin/Muskego NOW newspaper.

Girls who live in West Allis and want to play in a fast-pitch softball league this spring do have an option, even though West Allis does not have such a program for girls.

West Allis residents can sign up for the Greenfield Little League, according to league official Joe Kuntner. "The Little League has district boundaries, but if there is no program in a community, its residents can sign up for a neighboring league," Kuntner said.

Signup for the Greenfield Little League is set for the next two Sundays, Jan. 18 and 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Greenfield High School.

"The parents need to know that there is an alternative program for girls who want to play and have a chance to qualify for the Little League World Series," Kuntner said.

Greenfield plays its games at Kulwicki Park and Chapman Field, and those diamonds will be upgraded in 2009 through the league's partnership with the Milwaukee County Parks Department.

The plans call for new shaded dugouts with a concrete pad and canopy to be installed, and the playing surfaces will be improved, with the fields likely to be re-groomed and re-graded.

The Greenfield league season runs from April through June. 

A quartet of former area high school basketball stars, including two from New Berlin West, will return to Milwaukee this weekend with the Edgewood College men's and women's teams.

Edgewood will be in town to take on Wisconsin Lutheran College in a doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 10. The women's game will begin at 5 p.m. and the men's game will follow at about 7:15 p.m.

That means fans can once again see West graduates Ben Wisniewski and Ashley Averkamp as well as West Allis Central graduate Jeff Barczak and Franklin grad Jon Ciche.

Wisniewski, a freshman guard, was the Eagles' leading scorer coming into this week at 15.5 points per game. He had started all 11 Edgewood games and was shooting 44 percent from the field, including 48 percent from 3-point range. He also was averaging 2.9 rebounds and had 19 assists. He tallied 26 points in his second collegiate game and has hardly slowed since then.

West classmate Averkamp, a freshman center, was third among the women's scoring leaders with 7.5 points per game, shooting 48 percent from the floor and 93 percent at the line. She also had 32 rebounds (3.2), plus nine assists, eight blocked shots and six steals.

She had a breakthrough performance in a 72-59 loss to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Dec. 30, scoring 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including her only 3-point goal of the season. She also had two assists and three rebounds in that contest.

Barczak, a sophomore forward, has started all 11 games and was at 8.4 points (shooting 46 percent from the floor) and 3.7 boards per game. He had a high of 10 rebounds in a loss to Aurora University.

Ciche, a senior center, tallied 9.1 points per game while hitting 66 percent of his shots from the floor and led the Eagles in rebounds with 7.2 per contest.

The men's team came into this week at 4-7, while the women's squad stood at 5-5.

First, before getting to the boys, I wanted to add one more name to the "teams to watch" portion of the girls ratings which I sent out last week. I will throw in West Allis Central for going 3-0, including a victory over perennial power Slinger.

Now to the boys, and again, these are simple capsules. Complete season outlooks will be found in the Dec. 11 issues of the NOW newspapers.

GREENFIELD (1-1 as of Dec. 4): The Hustlin' Hawks are led by senior guards David Emanuele and Kyle McDaniel and junior center Alec Molter. When senior guard Will Humbles returns from injury in January, coach Jim Nowak will have a capable backcourt and the Hawks will be a team to watch in the Woodland Conference.

MUSKEGO (0-2): New coach Duane Mlachnik moves over from the girls head coaching spot, and his son, sophomore guard D.J. Mlachnik, is expected to be a key performer, along with senior guard Nick Brzozowski. The Warriors are young but could mature into a solid team as the season progresses.

NEW BERLIN EISENHOWER (2-0): The Lions return just one starter from their WIAA Division 2 championship team in senior forward Kevin Marr, but they have 11 players who made the trip to state last season, and they have some talent off a 20-0 junior varsity team. Seniors Austin Selvick and Patrick Drew have been among those looking solid so far this season.

NEW BERLIN WEST (1-1): The Vikings lost all their starters, including leading scorer Ben Wisniewski. They do have a number of players from a successful junior varsity squad and senior guard/forward Chris Prushiek tallied 27 points in a season-opening victory over Delavan-Darien.

WEST ALLIS CENTRAL (1-0): The Bulldogs lost leading scorer Oren Bloom but just about everyone else from last year's team is back, including seniors Ben Hart, Alex Kingsley and Derwin George.

WEST ALLIS HALE (0-0): The Huskies face a big rebuilding job after losing all five starters, but coach Scott Pritzl has some promising players he will work into the lineup as the season progresses.

A boys' top five guess:

1. Wauwatosa East. 2. Germantown. 3. Brookfield Central. 4.New Berlin Eisenhower. 5. Whitefish Bay

Others to watch: Whitnall, Nicolet, Menomonee Falls

This morning's snowfall, on top of the non-stop Christmas music now playing on several local radio stations, indicates we are heading into winter.

That means the start of the high school basketball season, one of my favorite times of the year.

Some games have already been played, and there are more non-conference contests on tap for the Thanksgiving week. Most conference play will begin on Friday, Dec. 5.

You can find a detailed outlook on the girls teams in our NOW newspapers on Thursday, Dec. 4, but until then, here's a quick look at the prospects of the teams I will be covering this season:

GREENFIELD (0-1 going into this week): The Hustlin' Hawks struggled last season and lost top scorer and rebounder in Alyssa Evans to graduation, and they got off to a rocky start with a 54-28 loss to Waterford last week. Sisters Stacey and Shannon Butts will provide some inside power but the key to the season will lie in developing a consistent backcourt.

MUSKEGO (1-0): The Warriors return most of the key people from last year's WIAA sectional finalist, led by Katie Ellerson, Rachel Neuberger and Sarah Mlachnik. Muskego,which welcomes a new coach in Brian Hirtz, should challenge Oak Creek for the top spot in the Southeast Conference North Division.

NEW BERLIN EISENHOWER (0-1): The Lions must pick up the scoring slack left by the graduated Kelsey Sperka, last year's Community Newspapers Inc. Player of the Year, but coach Gary Schmidt thinks they have a number of players who can do so. Senior Annika Selvick is a key, and sophomore Anna Hahn and freshman Nicole Bauman bear watching.

NEW BERLIN WEST (2-0): The Vikings must replace leading scorer Ashley Averkamp, but versatile Liz Radtke, Jess Liban and Toni Cruciani are all back and have received some help from other players in West's first two games.

WEST ALLIS CENTRAL (1-0): The Bulldogs, who reached a WIAA sectional last season, return dynamic guard Iesha Barkley and strong post player Lauren Hibbard. They also welcome freshman guard/forward Mehryn Kraker, who tallied 16 points in a victory over Madison East last week.

WEST ALLIS HALE (1-0): The Huskies hope to continue rebuilding under coach Darren Pitzner and return sharpshooter Emily Grayson and Ashley Mettelmann-Berry, among others. Pitzner wants his team to play more of an up-tempo style on both ends of the floor.

Finally, here's my educated guess as to this year's top five teams in the CNI area:

1. Oak Creek, 2. Brookfield Central, 3. Muskego, 4. Cudahy, 5. Whitnall.

Others to watch: New Berlin Eisenhower, New Berlin West, Franklin, Nicolet, South Milwaukee.

Next week, I will take a look at the boys teams.

A few weeks ago in this space, I wrote that this had the makings of a special fall for Muskego High School, and the Warrior teams have certainly made that prediction come true.

Muskego took home four (count 'em, four) Southeast Conference championships last week, in most cases simply continuing successes from past years, and the best may be yet to come for these teams.

The Warriors claimed SEC crowns in both boys and girls cross country at Burlington High School.

The girls won for the third time in four seasons, placing three runners in the top six and seven in the top 25. Once again, sisters Taylor and Niki Drolshagen ran neck-and-neck and led the way, with Taylor fourth in 15 minutes, 28 seconds and Niki fifth with 15:29. They have been that close all season, and they are only sophomores.

The Muskego boys captured the first conference title in school history and did it fairly easily, scoring 33 points to beat runnerup Kenosha Bradford's 90. Matt Borneman, who was second, led five Warrior runners in the top 11.

In addition, the Muskego junior varsity teams both won their races, with the boys scoring 17 points and having six of the top seven runners and the girls tallying 22 points and having the top three runners. "It was cool to walk out of there with four trophies," girls varsity coach Richard Raney said.

The soccer team completed its third straight 9-0 run through the SEC, extending its streak to three straight titles. The Warriors outscored their SEC foes, 30-5, posting a .55 goals-against average. Even so, coach Eric Hess said it wasn't easy. "We knew we would see every team's A-plus game," he said. "Who would be the first team to knock off Muskego? This year went a little tougher than past seasons."

Finally, the girls volleyball team claimed the SEC tournament crown with a victory over Burlington in the final, adding that title to their 9-0 dual-meet championship. This makes seven of eight tournament titles for the Warriors under coach Karen Anderson.

Not to be forgotten in all of this is the Muskego swimming team, which also has not lost a conference dual this season and will try for its SEC championship on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Carthage College.

Now those Warrior teams set their sights on WIAA playoff competition. The girls volleyball team holds the top seed in its sectional and will open play at home on Saturday, Oct. 25, against either Waterford or Brookfield East.

The soccer team also has the top seed in its sectional and will begin action Thursday, Oct. 23, at home against DeForest. The cross country teams will run in a sectional Saturday, Oct. 25, at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

All would like to close their special seasons with state tournament appearances, and they all appear to have good chances.

This season's Greenfield girls volleyball team doesn't look much like the one that finished second in the Woodland Conference Tournament and advanced to a WIAA sectional championship match a year ago.

These Hustlin' Hawks, however, seem to be headed in the same direction.

Greenfield began this season with a heavy graduation loss, including hitting star Alyssa Evans, and without 6 foot-2 inch standout Stacey Butts, who is still rehabilitating from surgery for a left hand injury she sustained in the 2007-08 basketball season.

The Hawks, though, find themselves at the top of the Woodland Conference at 5-0 in dual meets heading into their match against St. Francis today, Oct. 2. They already own victories over Brown Deer, which is enjoying its best season in years; defending Woodland Tournament champion New Berlin Eisenhower and a tough Whitnall team earlier this week.

Senior captain Jenny Gyurina, a setter, considered this a rebuilding year and admits to some surprise about how well the Hawks have done. "I knew we would be okay," she said, "but we've played some good teams and beaten them."

Gyurina said there are several reasons for the success. "We have good passers and we have a connection between us; we are all close," she said. "Also, everyone still thinks we're the underdogs, and that gives us an urge to do better."

The Hawks have only three seniors on their roster, including Butts, but coach Britany Pfeifer said the younger players have done well. "We are having a lot of underclassmen step up to the challenge this year of filling in the large holes that were left by the senior class," she said. "Our ballhandling and defensive play are stronger than ever. That is something that every team needs to have consistently, and by doing so, we have been able to stay on top of the conference."

After this week, the Hawks have two more Woodland matches, at Greendale on Tuesday, Oct. 7 and home against Pewaukee on Thursday, Oct. 9. Then comes the Woodland Tournament on Thursday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 18.

The young squad will soon find out if it can continue its unexpected stay at the top of the Woodland.

Quarterback Niko Koshak and wide receiver Austin Selvick of the New Berlin Eisenhower football team put up some pretty startling numbers last week in the Lions' 48-7 romp over New Berlin West.

Koshak completed 11 of 13 passes for 319 yards, breaking the school single-game record for yards passing of 297 set by Joe Behrendt, who went 16-for-28 on Oct. 28, 1995.

Selvick caught eight of those tosses for 212 yards, shattering the school single-game receiving mark of 161 yards set by Ryan Schweiger that same night.

The two also hooked up for four touchdowns.

Now, those would be outstanding numbers for a game, but Koshak and Selvick both reached them in just the first half before sitting out the second half of the lopsided contest.

Those numbers are startling in themselves, but especially so in the light of the fact that Eisenhower has been primarily a running team over the years.

What in the name of Don Coryell was going on?

Well, it was actually all part of the Lions' game plan, which was cleverly built upon their own reputation. "They (the Vikings) wanted to stop the run," Koshak said, "and we wanted to see if we could pass on them."

Also, coach Jeff Setz, much like Miami Dolphins legend Don Shula, adjusted his philosophy to fit his talent. Shula won two Super Bowls with the pounding running style of Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, but when Dan Marino, Mark Duper and Mark Clayton came along, Shula did an about-face, switching to a wide-open passing game, and went to another Super Bowl.

Similarly, Setz realized he had to utilize the special talent of Selvick. "We felt that we had some pretty good weapons," he said. "We've got some pretty good DB's (defensive backs) on our own team, and they have a hard time stopping Selvick in practice. We saw how good Selvick can really be, and Niko sure put the ball up there nicely and allowed him to make those catches out in space."

Throw in the explosive Ian McKechnie (a catch-and-run for 80 yards against West and several long kick returns this season), and it's easy to see why Eisenhower has outscored its four opponents in the first half by a combined 130-60.

Certainly nothing 'grind-it-out' about those numbers. Woodland opponents may have a hard time grounding the Lions this season.

As the temperatures get cooler, the varsity sports teams at Muskego High School look to be warming up nicely.

Several Warrior teams are off to hot starts, and it appears like the excitement will continue into October and November.

The boys soccer squad stands at 10-1 heading into this weekend's Wauwatosa West Quadrangular at Whitman Middle School. The Warriors are also 3-0 in Southeast Conference play and have claimed first place in the Brown Deer Cup and second in the Warrior Cup so far this season.

Their 1-0 victory over South Milwaukee on Sept. 16 was their eighth shutout of the season, but they also boast a strong and balanced offense. They have had six players score at least two goals in a particular game this season.

"I didn't know if we would get off to this quick a start," coach Eric Hess said, "but I knew we were capable of doing it."

The boys cross country team won the South Milwaukee Invitational on Sept. 13, while the girls took third, to go with two earlier second places in invitationals.

For the boys, Mike O'Connor ran the fourth-fastest time for a sophomore in school history at Grant Park, while the girls are led by sisters Taylor and Niki Drolshagen, who have been in the top 10 in their races.

The girls swimming team finished second at two major invitationals, its own Fountainwood meet and the Shorewood meet, and was 3-0 in Southeast duals going into this week. What's more, many of the key performers are underclassmen.

The girls volleyball unit, which has a strong tradition, has already won both the Warrior Invitational and Brookfield Invitational while going 3-0 in SEC duals going into Thursday's test against Racine Park.

"We really had to fight through some adversity (at the Brookfield Invite)," coach Karen Anderson said. "We did have slow starts most of the day, but our girls hung in there and never quit. They believed they could come back and win."

The other Muskego teams, while struggling at times, have also had their moments this season.

Overall, it looks like Muskego fans will have more to look forward to this fall than the colorama of leaves and pumpkin shopping.