Full Show - 12/13/2025

Full show from the Donovan & Jorgenson Heating & Cooling Studio: Saturday, December 13th, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Varsity Blitz high school sports show, presented
as always by your local Pick and Safe and Metro
Market stores. We're on Fox Sports nine twenty and your
iHeartRadio app coming live from the Donovan and Jorgensen Heating
and Cooling Studios. Matt's Cold Out. Any issues you're having
with your furnace go to Donovan Jorgenson dot com, the

(00:20):
largest employee owned HVAC company in the state of Wisconsin.
And trust me, they'll take great Carria. They will take
great Carria. WBBY shootouts coming up in a couple of weeks,
and man, I love this time of year. It's wall
to wall basketball. Some of the best high school teams, players,
coaches programs not only in the state of Wisconsin, but

(00:42):
now we've got a team coming in from Minnesota and
we're going to talk to that head coach. Next at
nine to twenty, we'll talk to the head basketball coach
at Whitefish Bade Dominican, Nick Ford. And then at nine
point forty Brian Winchester, the head coach at the pier.
At ten o'clock are current Electric super Hero of the Week,
A young man from Homestead High School is going to

(01:03):
be in studio. We'll talk to him at ten o'clock
ten twenty. Mark Miller from prepshops dot Com and the
Wby Shootout is going to join us at ten twenty,
and then the head basketball coach at Appleton North will
join us at ten forty. But our first guest, he
is the head basketball coach at Waetta High School in
Minneaito in Minnesota and their four and oh one of

(01:27):
the best programs in the entire state of Wisconsin. And Brian,
Brian Schnettler is our next is our guest. Hey, coach,
how are you today?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
I'm good?

Speaker 3 (01:37):
How are you guys doing good?

Speaker 1 (01:39):
I've struggled with that last name. Did I get it close?

Speaker 2 (01:42):
You got it right? Schler's correct.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Man, unbelievable coach. Before we talk about this team and
thanking you for coming in for this year's WI Shootout.
I am on the website for your team and I'm
looking at at the four and oh start. What's really
impressive to me? And I I'm a retired basketball coach.
I coached for thirty six years here in the state

(02:05):
of Wisconsin. And to go on your website, coach, I
love the fact that you put up daring to be
great and what it means to be part of your
program on the court, in the classroom, in the community,
in life, and coach, I think more people should do this.
If there's a young man that wants to try it
for your team and he doesn't know what you're going

(02:28):
to expect from him when he makes the team, I
would say, look, all you got to do is read
the website. Look, we tell you you know, dare to
spend extra time in the gym, in the weight room,
dare to put the team first in order to achieve
the ultimate goal that's on the court. And there's a
number of things right, and then in the classroom and

(02:48):
then the community. If I'm on your staff and I've
got a kid, say, look, what do you mean I've
got to do this? Well, we'll read the website. They
here is the whole framework for what it takes to
be part of our program. And I give you credit
for that.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
Coach, Well, thank you.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
I'm glad somebody look at the website. You might be
one of the only ones, but no, I think it's
what you live on a daily basis and how you
everybody treat each other and how we hold each other
accountable to doing things right and that lays the groundwork
for it what you're talking about. But reality is, if
we don't live it every day, it doesn't matter. And

(03:27):
as coaches we try to do it. But it's really
cool and we get our players holding each other accountable
to do in the right things on the court, in
the classroom, and in the community. And then that's what
we have going on so far this year, and I've
had going on for a.

Speaker 4 (03:40):
Number of years.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
Hey, Brian, how long have you been the head coach
at why ISA?

Speaker 2 (03:45):
This is my twelfth season.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Really, you don't look old enough once you get the
job when you were fifteen or what.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
I was hired at twenty three at Rose Mountain High
School and I spent five years there and now this
is my twelve.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
Year that a man one of the better programs in
the state of Wisconsin. What was it like when you
took over twelve years ago? Have you kept it at that?
Have you been able to build to that? Give me
a little background on this program.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Yeah, We've always been a big school. There's always been
good players, and right when I got here, I could
tell that we had a chance to build it into
something special. Be honest, I don't know if I thought
where we're currently at was going to happen. I mean,
we've had amount of success that I don't know if
it's sustainable over the long run, but we've had so
many great families and great kids and great coaches that

(04:37):
it's it's been a heck of a ride. And we
got another great group this year and it's been really
fun to coach them so far.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
Coach I I looking at at again your website and
looking at some of the things that you put down.
As coaches, we try to tell kids like this is
all this is more about life, right, This is more
about Look, if you can be a good teammate, can
you be a good husband and a good father when
you get older and a good employee when you go

(05:05):
when you're your basketball career ends. And on that website
when you say, look, dare to shoot for the stars
and there to be a leader, and dare to dream
big and dare to laugh and love that part for
me as an old retired grandfather of six and I'm
telling my grandkids, look, you know, dare to be a leader.

(05:26):
You know, dare to dream big and then go go
go try to get that, and dare to laugh and
to love and be part of this team and the
idea of being somebody part of of not knowing how
many points you're averaging after the game before you get
to the locker room. Forget about that. Let's talk about
this stuff. And so I appreciate that part. Where did

(05:47):
you as a coach kind of learn that part of
of what your belief system is on being a good
basketball coach?

Speaker 4 (05:57):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (05:57):
I mean I played that Saint Thomas here in Saint Paul, Minnesota,
and I drew coaches and mentors there, Coach Towering, which Fritz.
I've always loved it and always been a hoops junkie.
So you you watch and you take what you like,
and if you don't like something, you want to do
it a little differently, you do it the opposite. And
I think, like anybody who wants to be good at something,

(06:19):
you just if you become obsessed with it. And that's
how I've always been. And I think getting kids that
are really talented to buy into playing playing as a
team only happens if you get them to really care
about each other and learn to love each other. And
that's what we Our goal is every year is if
at the end of our year. When you walk into

(06:40):
that locker room at the end, if we lose our
last game, like everybody is crushed that it's over. Like
that locker room looks like everybody's in tears and everybody's
sad because there's Stevens done because they don't want to
not be around each other anymore. And if you win
the last game, it's different, but it's eventually a sense
of sadness because it is still over, and that that

(07:00):
law is what creates special bonds and special teams and
the relationships that are going to be most important in
the long run.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
Hey, coach, when you come into the Wby shootout, and
I love the fact that you're not running, and Mark
Miller is a huge fan of yours and your program.
On December twenty ninth, you're going to come in seven
forty five tip against the West Allis Central team and
then the next day against a Nickel a team that

(07:28):
I think put up one hundred last night against a
really good Homestead team. So Mark Miller knows the strength
of your program and your team, and he's good putting
you up against two of the better teams and programs
in our area and you're okay with that, right.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, absolutely, that's what we told them we wanted. I mean,
we were coming there to learn and get better and
get challenged. And I have the feeling, especially with what
you just described as our schedule, we're going to get
and so hopefully we can get off the bus on
Monday that Monday and and hopefully compete against the very

(08:08):
good West Allis Central team and then turn it around
quick and do it again. But our goal is to
improve and be playing our best in March, and if
we can do that, and this will just be part
of our growth process and continuing to improve.

Speaker 1 (08:21):
Hey, what a great experience too for this team to
be able to bond a little bit. You know, all
the years I coached and then I coached my son
in aau and and traveled all over the place. You know,
those guys now are married with kids, and and when
I see them, you know, in my local pick and
safe store coach, they don't want to talk about tournaments

(08:41):
we won up in Minneapolis or tournaments we won you
know in Michigan. They talk about the trips and the
time they spent together in hotel rooms and stealing pizza
from my room and and all of that that bonding
experience that as coach is trying to build a culture
that that really kind of help us. If incorrectly this,

(09:01):
you gonna want to come in and show Wisconsin how
good your program is. But I'm sure you and your
staff look at this as a way to get this
team closer together.

Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
I mean, it's definitely not about us showing anybody how
good we are, and that's about us getting better and improving.
And I think having a bus ride like this, you know,
you just described it, but bus rides are special. Like
we just we had an hour some bus ride Thursday
night to a game, and those kids were having more
fun on the bus. I told them yesterday I practiced
my two highlights of the week. One of them involved

(09:34):
my two boys and then the other one involved just
listening to their Peter Joy on the bus and having
fun and connecting with each other. And so that's the
other benefit of a trip like this is we'll stay overnight,
they'll get some meals together, they'll get a lot of
time in the bus, will probably take their phones a
little bit, and they'll connect with each other in a
way that as you described as something that they'll remember
for the rest of their life.

Speaker 1 (09:55):
Hey coach, when people come out to watch you in
the Wby Shootout, I'm not kidnap. I love Christmas with
my family. We go to Brookside Baptist Church for a
little Christmas Eve service, but this time a year for
me and I hope my wife's not listening that WWY
shootout is I really look forward to it. Even a
jym rat like me. By that third day, I'm pretty

(10:19):
much burned out by about six o'clock, seven o'clock something
like that. I've seen too much high school basketball. But boy,
for those days, I love it and I will be
there for that game to watch you guys play. For
people that want to come out and watch you compete
against a really good Westallis Central team at seven forty
five and then the next day against Nickole at three

(10:40):
point fifteen. They you know, you've got a late afternoon game,
so you guys can get on the bus and get
back to Minnesota. But when we come out to watch
you guys play, can you give us a couple of
the players that are making this team going and a
great start to the season four to zero and haven't
really had a close game yet. Eighty one sixty nine
was your closest game so far? Who are we coming

(11:00):
out to watch and do you have some players from
this team that will play at the next level.

Speaker 3 (11:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
We play a very good Creeden Durham Hall team to
night in Saint Paul at their place, who we played
in the state championship last year, so we had a
really fun challenge tonight as well. But yeah, we have
ten seniors. I think five of themill end up playing
college basketball.

Speaker 5 (11:21):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
Christian Wiggins has committed to Iowa State, so he's going
against the future teammate of his in that first game.
Nolan Anderson's committed to Minnesota. Isaac Olmstead's going to University
of Minnesota luth which is a very good D two
program that I know draw some kids from Wisconsin as well.
And then we got two other seniors, Breggy Lamb and
Tommy shove Muggavaylor who will play in college. And Max

(11:43):
Benning Goo has committed as a junior committed to Moorhead State,
another D two program, and av Ivy is another junior
who starts for US and is playing great. So we
have beyond that, we got more depth as well, and
we're playing a lot of guys right now, and it's
been a group that has been pretty young, selfish and
committing to the group so far, and we hope that continue.

Speaker 1 (12:03):
Hey, coach, you have you had a chance to meet
Jarr Blount from the assistant coach at Iowa State.

Speaker 2 (12:12):
Yes, I have, very briefly. I've worked more with Kyle Green,
but I haven't met him very briefly.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
So I coached him in high school. And TJ. Wazenberger,
a Milwaukee guy I've known a long time. And JR.
Blownt I I thirty six years. He is the best
player I ever coached overall, like like academically, spiritually, all
of it. Athletically, he was the toughest guy. He is

(12:37):
a guy that I would drop my grandkids off if
and say hey, can you watch them for three days
and never think twice. I just think the world of
him and that program. And and Christian Wiggins going to
Iowa State. That's a good move for him. I wish,
I wish Christian Wiggins would have chosen to be a Badger,

(12:57):
But if it's not gonna be a Badger, Iowa State's
a good second choice.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
Yeah, I mean, hey, Christian is exactly what you just
described in Jr. Christian is amazing on the court, off
the court, in the classroom.

Speaker 1 (13:10):
He is.

Speaker 2 (13:10):
He's a special kid. They're getting another good one man.

Speaker 1 (13:13):
That's awesome. Hey, coach, last question before he cuts you loose.
You guys score a lot of points. I'm looking at
at your games and eight and ninety four. You guys
don't mind getting the ball up the floor, and and
you guys play with a shot clock. We don't play
with the shot clock here, but you guys are are
a team that likes to get the ball down the

(13:34):
floor and get a good shot quickly.

Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, we play fast. I mean, part of it starts
with getting stops on defense and creating a few turnovers
and finishing plays on the boards, and then we want
to get out and run. We have not seen the
shot clock go off on offense yet this year, so
reality is it's kind of a non factor on that
end for us, and we've uh it is on defense
a little bit more in play. So it'll be interesting

(14:00):
to see. And I don't think either team were playing
plays particularly slow from my knowledge that they do not. Yeah,
so I have the feeling it won't be a whole
lot different than what the style we've been playing at.

Speaker 1 (14:12):
It'll be really fun. Look, guys, this is the did
you guys win the state championship last year?

Speaker 4 (14:19):
We did?

Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yes, So Creighton Durham's guy, they they've got a little
edge to them tonight in that game that you're going
over to play for them, It's gonna be a great
test for you if you want to see the defending
state champion. Was that a team? The Trojans coming in
playing against West Allis Central at the Wby Shootout seven
five on December twenty ninth, and again three point fifteen

(14:42):
against Nicola. Look, the over would would be if if
anybody took actually a high school of sports, you take
the over in those two games. There's gonna be a
lot of really athletic, very fun basketball being played on
throughout the entire Wby Shootout. But come out of where
are your cheese heads? Don't wear purple, don't wear any

(15:03):
Viking colors when you come watch the team from WISETA
play again. They play West Dallas Central seven forty five
pm on the twenty ninth a Concording University. The wyshot
out again three point fifteen against Nikola Hey coach, Thank
you so much for a couple of minutes of your time.
Good luck against that with Creighton Durham to night. It's

(15:23):
going to be a heck of a game for you guys.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
Awesome.

Speaker 4 (15:26):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
We're looking forward to tonight and we're looking forward to
seeing you guys in a couple of weeks. Really appreciate
you having me.

Speaker 1 (15:31):
On you got it. Brian, thank you so much, head
basketball coach at Wassetta High School, one of the best
programs and then the entire state of Minnesota. And I
can tell you looking at that that website, you see
why They've got five teams going on right now at
Wisetta and they've got a varsity team of JV, two

(15:53):
freshman teams and a JV one And it's like, man,
that whole, that whole program right now is rolling. Had
a chance to come out and watch them play. We're
gonna get to a break on this side. To break.
Nick Ford, the first year head coach at Whitefish s
bade Dominican they're playing in this year's Wby Shootout. We'll
talk with Nick and then Brian Winchester, the head coach

(16:14):
at Tapier, will join us as well. This is the
Varsity Blitz High School sports show, presented by your local
Pick and Save and Metro Market stores, only on Fox
Sports nine twenty and your iHeartRadio app. Welcome back to
the Varsity Blitz High School Sports show is always presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores,
coming live from the Dinovant and Jorgansen Heating and Cooling

(16:36):
Studios the entire two hours. Today, we're going to highlight
and promote the Wby Shootout and we are now joined
by the first year head coach at Whitefish Bade Dominican
got a special place in my heart. I coached eleven
years over at Whitefish Bade Dominican a long time ago.
He is Nick Ford. Hey, coach, thanks a lot for

(16:59):
a couple of minutes time. How you doing today, Yeah,
I'm doing well.

Speaker 6 (17:03):
It's I didn't know you were a Dominican guy. That it's
great to hear.

Speaker 1 (17:05):
Oh yeah, I got two different stints and uh, yeah,
it was good. It was really good. Won a couple
of state championships with coach Wallersheim over there, and uh,
it was a special place in my heart. Whitefish Pade
Dominican for sure. Hey, Nick, give us your background and
and how you got over to Dominican where you were
coaching up and Final that correct, yep, yep.

Speaker 5 (17:28):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (17:29):
Before Final Act I was in UH. I was coaching
with Drew Diner out in Rockhurst at the school out
of Kansas City, and then UH got the opportunity to
go back. I'm from Final Act, so I got the
opportunity to go back home and was there for six
years and then this Dominican came came up and UH

(17:49):
and the opportunity. So it's hard to turn down a
program and being able to be a part of something
the Dominican.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
So yeah, history behind it and the tradition coaches. You know,
when you walk into that gym and you walk into
that building, you know they they Dominican expects to win
a lot of games every year and they have for
a long time from you know, all the way back.
My brother played basketball at Dominican, played baseball Dominican years ago.

(18:19):
And when you look at that coaching tree that that
that you're following, man, there's some big named Hall of
Fame coaches that that you're following. So you certainly understand
there's a little bit of pressure when you're the head
basketball coach at Whitefish s bade Dominican to get teams,
you know, deep in the playoffs to battle for conference championships,

(18:39):
and uh, yeah you didn't run from that, for sure.
You you're looking at that head on, correct, Absolutely.

Speaker 6 (18:46):
Yeah, That's that's the fun part of coaching, and uh,
the challenge that it comes with coaching, the expectations. You know,
as a I am a pretty competitive guy, so I
saw it as a challenge. And you know my staff
game with you for Bondo, they looked at it as
a challenge and we're excited. Yeah, obviously there's a pressure,
but that's good pressure. It makes you better pressure.

Speaker 1 (19:07):
Hey, I get asked a lot any relation to the
mcgiver and overplaying that Dominican. No, there is where we
are not related. But I did meet his garage's grandfather
one time, a grandmother and they said, I'm so sick
and tired of people asking me if we're related to
John or Mike McGivern. And I said, I'm really tired
of people asking me if if if I'm related to

(19:29):
Paul or Mike McGivern who went to Pius, And they're like, man,
oh mad that last name. You keep saying it and
people keep asking if we're related. You've read mcgiver is
a freshman guard on on on your team. How is
he doing and and and has he been Has the
game been able to slow down yet for him or
is that coming later in the year.

Speaker 6 (19:50):
Yeah, he's a pretty solid kid. He he's a tough kid.

Speaker 3 (19:53):
He likes sick a pee too.

Speaker 6 (19:54):
So, uh, he's fitten well mentality wise, obviously, you know,
when when you're going for playing eighth grade basketball right
in the varsity, theres the game, as you just said,
speeds up a little bit. But he's a rock sale,
foundational kid, and he's been coached well and he's adjusted,
you know, offensively very well. He understands what we're trying

(20:16):
to do. I think the biggest adjustment for young kids is,
you know, defense and off ball defense more than anything,
being in the gap and being able to see man
and ball. And he's getting better every day. He wants
to be good, which is is fun to coach.

Speaker 1 (20:31):
At the wby shootout, they've Dominicans got two games. On
December twenty seventh at twelve to fifteen, they're playing Living
Word Lutheran and then on the twenty ninth they're playing
at nine to fifteen against Oshkosh North. I coached there,
two different styles, two different side schools, all of that,

(20:51):
and you're gonna your guys in a two day span
are going to have to figure out a one three
one and I think Living Words playing some man in
some zone and two different styles. But bet that's what
I love about the w W Y shootout. You're not
going to get a chance to play the Living Word
Lutheran or Oshkosh North throughout the year, and now you
get a chance to play two really quality teams and

(21:14):
opponents and something that obviously you're looking forward to.

Speaker 6 (21:19):
Yeah, yeah, that quality of opponent. You know, I've never
played in this, but I've been. There is a spectator
in the atmosphere and getting you know, it kind of
resembles a like a state tournament where there's games all
day and there's people that are kind of filling the
stands and people that love basketball. So there's you know,
the two teams would be very good teams. The atmosphere

(21:40):
will be great kind of being able to you know,
you get a day, we have a day off in between,
so we get a day to prep. But you got
to turn around and and Uh, it's gonna be fun.
It's gonna be a great atmosphere. I'm we're really excited
about it.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
Coach, So looking at at your roster and and Demetrius Taylor,
and and and Amari Nixon. In fact, his dad, Ray
Nixon is somebody I coached over at Dominican, and the
senior class right now, Uh, stat wise is kind of
leading this team along with Uh with the Jones kid,

(22:16):
are you guys pretty much his senior Leyden team as
far as the guys that are that are putting up stats.
You got a couple of freshmen with the Reed mcgovery
Kidd and Xavier Smith that are playing some time for you,
but pretty much his senior Layden team right now.

Speaker 6 (22:31):
Yeah. Zeke is a junior obviously has a big impact
on our team, and we do have the freshmen that
are contributing. But those seniors are a really Rocksylid foundational class,
great kids, very coachable. Meach is obviously very electric with
the ball, and he played his best game that he's

(22:52):
played for us. Obviously we're early, but had a really
good game down in Shoyland Lutheran and Omari has been consistent.
Those kids are are good athletes that really want to
want to do well and have been great for us,
and that's set the foundation. So they have worked their
way into significant roles within our team this year.

Speaker 1 (23:12):
Hey, coach, how much did you know about this conference
before coming in? I have to laugh when when Jimmy
Guys was there, I had a conversation with him and
he said, look, I came from Milwaukee, Kay, you know,
I we were we were a bigger school and we're
in Division one. I thought coming to Division three, I
thought it'd be a little easier. The coaching in the

(23:33):
conference you're in right, Paul down Shortland Lutheran, and and
and the coach at Pray the Prairie School, and Tony
Maine over at Thomas Moore. We're seeing Lutherans really well coached.
Martin Luther brought in a really good coach. The coaching
in that conference is rock solid. Did you know a
lot about the conference before you took the job at Dominican?

Speaker 6 (23:57):
Not so much about the coaching. We we dug into
some film and tried to, you know, go personnel wise
and figure out kind of the style of play. Yeah,
I mean, obviously the top is very very good in
the bottom is very rock solid, you know. Coming from
the FBA too, I felt like every night was was

(24:17):
you were playing against somebody that that it was really
important to and and coaching meant a lot too, And
there were some really good coaches in the FBA. So
I do feel like it prepared us. The style is
obviously significantly different, but you got to show up every
night ready to get after It is very similar to
what we're used to.

Speaker 1 (24:36):
Yeah, and not to bring up Ryan Thompson at the
job he does down to Saint Catherines, uh Matt, he
should have been in that first conversation when I talked
about some of the other coaches, because man, if if
you've not coached a game at that gym, that it's
just one of my favorite things to do. Nick, I
got to be honest with you, it feels like Indiana,
what Indiana basketball would be like. And I've never coached Indianda,

(25:00):
but that's the feeling I get. And then when you've
got to go against a kid like Lamon Hamilton and
and try to slow him down a little bit. I
look forward to that first time that you get to
coach in that gym, and I'd love to get to
get your thoughts after it, because it's the the the
locker room is always about one hundred degrees and you're

(25:20):
down in the basement and there's not enough room to
do much in that locker room. And you get up
in the stands are folding, they're all behind you and
above you, and they're they're they're letting you know, welcome
to Racine Peal and and I look forward to your
first experience playing against them at their place.

Speaker 6 (25:39):
Yeah, yeah, we're really excited. Sounds like he's taking some
pointers from the old Boston days with Red Auerbach and
what he used to do in the locker room, so
that breeds great competition.

Speaker 3 (25:50):
That would be fun.

Speaker 6 (25:51):
I have heard a lot about it. We got a
long ways to go before we play them, so but yeah,
definitely something that we are looking forward to.

Speaker 1 (25:59):
Hey, coach, some times, you know, when a new coach
comes in, it's difficult for those seniors and and and look,
it's going to be a new style and and and
sometimes new coaches want to look at junior sophomores freshman
class to start to build their program. I love the
fact that when I'm looking at your stats that that
the seniors are really contributing. Has it been a difficult

(26:22):
transition for them or an easy transition for them? As
far as being able to take what you guys are
trying to accomplish with this team.

Speaker 6 (26:31):
Yeah, I mean I would be lying if I said
that it was all smooth and you know, girls is
never you know, it's a straight directory. You know, we've
had our highs and our lows, and the senior class
is involved in that. But we've been pretty you know
potentially about trying to push our guys outside their comfort zone.
So with that, you know, there's there's been highs and lows.

(26:54):
Our senior classes. Like I said, they're great kids and
they want to do well, which makes it easy for
a train condition. It's not like I was begging those
kids to get into the gym. A lot of them
were self motivated in that way. And uh and then
the you know we played, they were they they were
in the diamond last year and they were pressing full
court and played a little bit faster than we're playing

(27:15):
this year. So that's probably been the biggest transition. But
as far as mentality and tangibles and and that stuff,
I feel like, uh, this is a great, great community
and something that we felt fit our personality really well.

Speaker 1 (27:31):
So yeah, to follow, you know, to show Walter and
and I look, I've known Steve a long time and
and the showtime is what he was looking for. And
they wanted to play really fast. You guys lost some
really talented players from last year. Started the year two
and one beat Brown, dear beat Charlene. Lutheran lost seventy

(27:52):
five seventy four to a really good autumn team. And
and I can tell you that I knowing and hearing
about you, if if that game had been you know,
sometime in February, with what you're trying to accomplish with
the Dominican team, I think maybe there'd be a different outcome.
I'm not quite sure. But but the way that you

(28:12):
guys want to play and to be able to change
kind of the way they have played for the last
couple of years, it takes a little time. And I
love the fact when you said, look, these seniors are
bought in and and uh, I I would I would
assume that you feel like you'll be a better team
down the stretch of the season than you are right now.

Speaker 6 (28:32):
Yeah, Yeah, it takes time, you know, it's it's we've
we had those kids last year at bonolact for six
years and obviously you're trying to create a system where uh,
you know, really we're going side to side with the
ball and playing cohesively, and uh, you want to use

(28:53):
their strengths, which you know coach solalters in attacking, you know,
mentality type of guy, and we want to play to
those strengths. And you use those strengths while blending in
what we want to do, and uh, you know, and
then it's like also the aspect of I've never you know,
delivered a pregame speech in front of our team. How
do they respond? Do they like being jacked up? Do
they like being motivated? Do they need and part of

(29:14):
that execution? How do they like handling the bus ride?
Do they like food two hours before the game or three?
Do they like not eating? Do you want them to
have a looser feel within is? Do you want them
to be more focused? You know? Quiet? All those things
are things you got to figure out about your team.
As much as you've got to figure out, you know,

(29:36):
what works for them on the court, you got to
figure out what works for them off the court. It's hard,
you know, I don't want them to to prepare for
games with what helps me because that night might not
work for meetr Zeke or our guys. So you got
to figure it out and then you got to push
them out of the comfort zone. But we're figuring out
about our team and what works and what doesn't, and

(29:58):
as we get to February, I'll have a much better
feel for how to motivate these guys, what make some
tick and all those things.

Speaker 1 (30:06):
Coach, you're a perfect guy to ask this question too.
I get asked a lot all of my coach thirty
six years, and they're all the private schools, and a
lot of public school guys are like, man, whatever you recruit,
and I'd say, no, I never recruited, I recommended and
highly suggested because that's not against any WIA rules. But

(30:26):
you coached in public and now you're coaching the private schools.
There is a difference. Right when you were at Fonalac,
those kids that were playing in a youth program started
playing together in third fourth grade. At Dominican, you got
to introduce some of the freshmen the first second third
day of school because they don't know each other. Are
do you find it a little bit more difficult as

(30:47):
far as trying to build a program without really having
a youth program to fall back on.

Speaker 6 (30:54):
Yeah, I would say it's definitely an adjustment, you know, I.

Speaker 1 (30:59):
It is.

Speaker 6 (31:00):
It is been different. You know, we are trying to
get a youth program started at Dominican. There's a lot
of you know, Wisco's got maybe the best use program
in the States, So you can do it in the
in the private, private school realm. But uh, you know,
with with Milwaukee and a lot of our kids, they
they're playing each other so much so they do have
a feel for each other. But you know, again you

(31:22):
talk about the pressure of adding of of trying to
create something that's special. I think more so than recruiting.
You want to build something that people want to be
a part of, and and you want to make sure
that you're treating your kids right and and and creating
a product where a family feels like, hey, what's in
the best interest to my my son. I think that's

(31:43):
going to play for Coach Ford at Dominican. And uh,
with that comes to certain pre pressure, but it's also
is a great opportunity because you guys did during your
tenure at Dominican. You get guys like Diamond Stone and
Ray Ray Nixon and Kwame Mitch, Dwayne Wilson, and you
get those guys to want to be a part of
Dominican and that ceiling for your team is pretty pretty high.

Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah, Jay, you got to throw JR. Blunt in there
as well. Yeah best, I'm telling you it just talked
about him last segment. But one of the best players
I think I ever coached in all areas. Nick. He
is Nick Ford, the head basketball coach, first year head
basketball coach at Whitefish bade Dominican. You want to get
out and watch this team play w by shootout coming

(32:31):
up December twenty seventh, twenty ninth, and thirtieth at Concording University.
It's wall to wall basketball. You can get out and
watch Dominican play at twelve fifteen on the twenty seventh
against Living Word Lutheran and then again on the twenty
ninth at nine to fifteen against Oshkosh North. I look
forward to shaking your hand, coach and meeting you in person.

(32:52):
Keep up the good work and again, Whitefish Bay, Dominican.
Anything I can do for you on this show, please
let me know because I'm a big fan.

Speaker 6 (33:00):
I appreciate it, so it's great to meet you as well.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
You got a tea. Is Nick Ford again Wby Shootout.
You get a chance to go out and watch his
Dominican team play twelve fifteen of the twenty seventh and
nine to fifteen against Ashcosh North on the December twenty ninth.
We're going to get to a break other side of
the break. This time of year, we always get a
chance to talk to Brian Winchester, the head coach. Had

(33:23):
to Pier and look to Peer's a team that always
comes into the Wby Shootout and puts on a great show.
And look forward to talking to Brian on the other
side of the break. And then at ten o'clock Brady
Youngs Trump he is our current electric superhero the Week
will be in studio for that segment. This is the
Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show presented by your local

(33:44):
Pick and Save and Metro Market stores, only on Fox
Sports nine twenty and your iHeartRadio app. Welcome back to
the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show, presented by your
local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores. Coming live
from the Dotavan and Jorgensen Eating and Cooling Studios man
this time of year when and I want to thank

(34:05):
Mark Miller for again allowing me and allowing us to
be a part of this year's Wby Shootout, and this
time of year, I've always sending text messages to Brian Winchester,
the head coach at to Peer, and he is so
kind with his time to give us a few minutes
to talk about this year's to Peer team. And they've
got two games coming up in this year's WBY Shootout.

(34:27):
On the twenty ninth at six point fifteen, they're playing
Milwaukee Academy of Science and on the thirtieth they're playing
Nina at Concording University. And we are now joined by
Brian Winchester, head coach at the Peer. Coach, thank you
again so much for your time. How you been.

Speaker 4 (34:43):
For having me. I always enjoy coming on your show
and talking to you.

Speaker 1 (34:47):
Well. I appreciate that and for us to be able
to talk a little bit about how the team is doing.
It's always right around WBY Shootout and then and then
come playoff time. I'm reaching out to you and it's
not like you and I are he having coffee once
a week, I said you a text. You're like yep,
come on, if you want to talk to peer basketball,
I am here for you. Hey, coach at you and

(35:08):
O starts.

Speaker 6 (35:09):
So far?

Speaker 1 (35:09):
You beat Pewaukee to start the season, beat Green Bay Southwest.
How do you feel about this year's team? And I
feel pretty good about how they're progressing.

Speaker 4 (35:19):
I really like our game this year. You know, there's
a little bit I said to our local PRESCA is
that reporter? You know, there's a little bit of mystery
to our team this year because of who we graduated
last year. Yep, all are scoring. Most of our minutes
are gone from last year, and so who's going to
step up? Who's going to step up into those rules?
That's that's been a lot of fun to see our

(35:40):
players progress into that. Now, it's still very early in
the year. We're still still really trying to have great
practices every day and just our processes and our habits
and getting it getting comfortable with who we are and
building our identity. But I think our kids are doing
a great job with that. You know, Pelwaukee's a good team.
I know they had a little bit of a rough
start in Week one, but I think they're very skilled offensively.

(36:03):
They shoot it well, and so to go down to
Pelwaukee and get a win down there to start the season.
In our first game, you know, just answered a few questions,
but there's still plenty, plenty more. And we had Southwest
last night, a little bit of a lesser opponent, but
I thought we handled that game the right way. We
did a lot of good things defensively, jump into the
ball being where we should communicating. And I think the

(36:24):
thing that stands out about our team this year is
we really move the basketball. We have in the past,
but the ball just doesn't get sticky with us. You know,
we find the open guy, we we create great shots,
and I think select the right shots. So the kids
have done a really good job with that so.

Speaker 6 (36:39):
Far this year.

Speaker 1 (36:40):
Your coach and I've been through that where you where
look you you had some some well known players and
and look they they'd been in your program for a while.
And the template of all of a sudden, now you've
got a number of sophomores on this team that may
not have been through some of your practices, and that

(37:00):
whole template of now we got to teach again right
for the last two years, not that you had to
roll the ball out by any means, but at least
the drills that you did a practice. These guys were
used to right. If you do an a walk driller,
you're doing elbow to elbow every you know, shell drills
did the way you want shell drills to be run.
Those guys knew it. So you could put a practice

(37:23):
schedule together and not have to spend too much time
teaching the way to have it done. You might want
to tweak it a little bit. But now with this
roster and a number again a number of sophomores, and
you keep using the word this is fun. You like
being back to teaching. It sounds like to me.

Speaker 4 (37:41):
Yeah, it's you know, not that we didn't have to before,
but there were a lot of things where you looked
at whether it was Johnny Kinzinger or Zach or Will
horn Sat or Ron Demoski oh Mad, and you just
kind of knew right like they were they were on
the same page because he had done it before, and
he could kind of say things with a little with
just a few cues, and that would get it corrected.

(38:01):
There is there is more teaching of basic things. You know,
I don't mean basic in a negative way, but it's
just you have to be very intentional with what you're
doing every day, and that really has been fun. But
we also have a really good group of seniors that,
while they haven't had a ton of playing experience, they
know what it's like and they're doing a good job
with some of our younger guys just making sure our culture,

(38:26):
how we go about things, how you know, how the
locker room looks before a game, those are all really
important things and they're doing a good job of taking
that what we've done in the past and bringing it
down to those guys.

Speaker 1 (38:38):
Hey, coach, when when you look at your conference, who
other than to peer obviously, and you look at Bayport
and Spoiling North and west of Pier Notre Dame, there's
some really quality teams in that conference. Who who do
you look at as as the next you know, the
teams that that you got to circle and say, he, look,
this team's got a chance to win the conference. We

(39:00):
don't knock them up. Who in that conference of the
teams that that that you think have a good chance
to have a really good year?

Speaker 4 (39:06):
Well watching Sheboygan North first three games, we have them
coming up on Tuesday, So all of all of our attention,
all my attention is not Sheboygan North and I think
they're really good. You know, they they were a little
bit like us where they lost some really good seniors
last year. They bring back Blake Burr who's very good,
rylan Berg, his younger brother sophomore very good, and they've
they've got other guys, younger guys, but they're they play

(39:29):
really hard. Eric Worth does a great job with those kids.
And then obviously you mentioned Bayport. You know, they've got
a solid group of kids that they brought back from
last year, but the additions of the Myers one is
still hurt right now. JT is playing really well, but
the A A. J Ivy transfer.

Speaker 7 (39:44):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (39:44):
He had thirty three against the schwab and on last
night looked really good doing it.

Speaker 6 (39:49):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (39:49):
The Bayport we have this coming Friday, so we got
a really big week coming up. And I think the
addition to West appear to our conference. They're very good.
I know they lost a key player in a transfer old,
but they're still very good. And Notre Dame is going
to play extremely hard. So our conference at the top
of it, the top five teams, those are going to
be some really good battles this year. So that'll be

(40:11):
a lot of fun.

Speaker 1 (40:12):
Well, you know, if I was coaching that league right away,
I look and see that you were eighteen and er
last year, and I want to be the guy to
knock that off. If I've been your conference coach, I
have circled the peer game and I'm hoping to get
you early before any of these sophomores have the games
slow down for him. And I want to end that streak,
and I know that you guys want to continue that

(40:34):
streak for as long as possible. Coach, Do you think
at school like Bayport, you know they get to the
state final, they win a state football championship last year,
to get to the state finals against this year again
this year. Does that kind of success in a different
sport carry over into the game of basketball where the
team and the school itself kind of want to get

(40:55):
that same feeling through another sport.

Speaker 4 (40:59):
Yeah, I do. I think success breed success, right, And
there's there's not there's competition between programs, but there's a
little bit of a healthy competition, right or Hey, you've
done it, we want to do it, and and you
have some transfer over and kids from sport to sport.
I think they only really have two or three kids
that that played football that that play significant roles from
a basketball standpoint, but you know, it does help when

(41:20):
you have that kind of brought into your culture with
other teams having success, so you know that's certainly that's
certainly a benefit to them. And we've had players as
well that have been successful in the football field and
other sports that have that have helped us out in
the past. Gabe Herman, who was a very good quarterback
for US our football team, you know, was an instrumental
part of our our state championship team. Just a great leader,

(41:42):
great gritty kid. And so those kids really do help
you at the high school level.

Speaker 1 (41:47):
Hey, coach, any surprises that that that Zach might be
I don't know if he's going to red shirt or not.
I have no idea, but it looks to me like
that might be the direction they're going with him. And
and look, I I was telling people I thought he
was he was big ten ready last year. I I
just think that he's a really good, solid basketball player

(42:10):
on both sides of the floor and mentally just tougher
than a lot of kids are. Are you surprised that
he's not getting much time yet?

Speaker 4 (42:20):
No, I think, you know, it's the nature of college basketball.
And at this point, you know, I think the plan
is the red shirt the last time I talked to him.
But he's in a really good, you know, positive mind
frame about what he has to do. And that's just
you know, when you think about all the all the Kinsingers,
they're just they play the right way, you know, they
they approach the game the right way, they approach life

(42:41):
the right way. And so he's positive about where he's
at and he gets to play against really good players
in practice every single day. But it is the nature
of college basketball where they brought in older guys and
you know, you're you're you're in a spot and you
have to make you have to make sure that you're
progressing individually and doing everything you can, you know, to
help the team when you're in the position he's in

(43:03):
right now, and he's you know, he's good with that
and is going to continue on his progress.

Speaker 1 (43:08):
Hey, coach this year's team, and when people come out
to watch you guys at this year's wby shootout again
six point fifteen on the twenty ninth against Milwaukee Academy
of Science and at four forty five against Nina, who
are the players. It looks to me like the guard
Noah Maniscalco is putting up some pretty good numbers. But

(43:29):
talk to me a little bit about some of the
kids that that we're going to be able to watch
on those two days at the Wby shootout.

Speaker 4 (43:36):
Yeah, Noah, that Weed just mentioned as a very good player.
And he tore meniscus and his knee at the beginning
of the season last year. Yep, so he missed most
of last year. And he's he's a really good basketball player, slippery,
plays hard, athletics, shoots it really well. Another one of
our players, Will Krieger, who's has a scholarship offeras from

(43:57):
Michigan Tech Lake Spearrior State, is continuing to progress, you know,
six five shoots it really really well. Is a high
level college player, I think, you know. And then we've
got Jack Book who who's you know, Mark Millard knows
very well from the AAUTH circuit and played a good
role for us last year. Isaac Hurlash, who's a tough,
gritty competitor. You know, you'll see those kids be you know,

(44:21):
kind of our our main cogs. But then we've got
the younger kids that may have maybe have mentioned from
a sophomore standpoint, Silas Cohen, who's the younger brother of
Sandy Cohen who originally started a Marquette and then uh
ended his college career at UW Green Bay, has a
tremendous amount of upside. He's going to be fun to watch.
Javon Miller, who's another sophomore for US, really shoots it

(44:44):
well and is progressing. And so you know, we've got
we've got a good blend of older guys that you know,
has some experience, a little bit of experience from a
practice standpoint, just kind of being through it. And then
our younger guys I think, who are are talented and
have a ton of upside. So you know, it's only
two weeks away at this point, so hopefully we can
have a little bit of growth over the next two
weeks and be ready. You know, it'd be fun to

(45:06):
have a similar game against Milwaukee Academy of Science that
we had last year. I know that one was one
of the better all time games probably ye Mark Mark
probably enjoyed having that game, and hopefully we can, uh,
we can live up to something similar this year.

Speaker 1 (45:22):
You know, Coach looking at at the players, that we
talked about. And the sophomores, I don't have stats, and
I don't know if they played varsity last year, but
but Jack Booker, he averaged three points a game last year.
Noah didn't play again because he was injured. And you're
looking at at at like Will Kreeger, right, he averaged
two points a game last year. So you've got to

(45:45):
find guys that can can score. And when you talk
to a kid like Noah who didn't play last year,
now he's got it, he's got to pick up that load.
I've got to believe that that these kids, for to
pure are excited about being able to expand their roles
a little bit, shoot the ball a little bit more,
and and obviously stand the floor a little bit longer.
I would think that those kids are really excited about

(46:06):
about what the year can can bring for them.

Speaker 4 (46:09):
Absolutely, you know, they're a little bit of waiting your turn.
And I commend these guys for how they handled it
and how they handled practice every day last year because
you're not getting a lot of playing time or you're
certainly not getting a lot of shots. And now these
guys are are ready to step up and they're they're
stepping into the new roles. They're excited about it, and
you know, it's fun to coach them, as I mentioned before,

(46:33):
but there's also going to be a challenge in that
for all of them. Instead of being the eighth or
ninth guy on the sculting report, now you go to
one and two huge stuff. That's a different deal. So
we're going to see how we respond to that as well.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
Two big games this week at home against you Boygan North,
and again at home against a peer are against Bayport.
Excuse me, both games act to peer before they come
in for this year's WY shootout again on the twenty
ninth of December at six fifteen. If it could be
half as good as that game last year, it'll be
unbelievable against Milwaukee Academy of Science, and then again on

(47:09):
the thirtieth at four forty five against Nina. Hey. Coach,
thank you so much. I'll come over shake your hands certainly. Mary.
Christmas to you and your family, and good luck this
week against two really good conference opponents.

Speaker 4 (47:23):
Thank you. I was great talking to you, and Merry
Christmas to you too.

Speaker 1 (47:26):
Chester. He's got three hundred and fifty seven wins now sorry,
three fifty nine, three fifty nine and one hundred. He's
been there nineteen years and one of the really class
guys I think in high school basketball in the state
of Wisconsin. And I was thank him for his time
talk a little to peer basketball. In this show, we're

(47:47):
going to get to a break. On other side of
the break, Brady Youngstrom from Homestead High School, this week's
current Electric Superhero of the Week, will join us in studio.
This is the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show. It
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores
only on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeartRadio app.
Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show,

(48:09):
as always presented by your local Pick and Save and
Metro Market stores, coming live from the Donovan and Jorgans
and Heating and Cooling Studios. One of my favorite segments,
and from here on out now during the school year,
it'll be every week. And I like highlighting promoting, celebrating
our current Electric Superhero of the week. And I think

(48:31):
my friends at Kern Electric because they allow me to
do this every week. And I'm being honest when I
tell you this. When I get the bios from these superheroes.
I think I'm such a loser, and then I get
a chance to talk to these kids, and what happens
in the fifteen minutes I get a chance to interview them,
is I think about the world that my grandkids are

(48:52):
going to live in. And if these current Electric Superheroes
of the week they go on somewhere to college, but
they come back into our community and they're the new leaders.
My grandkids are going to be just fine. This week's
current Electric Superhero the Week, and you can go to
the Kernel Electric Facebook page and read his bio and
we're going to get to some of it. We're not
going to be able to get to all of it.

(49:13):
I can tell you that he is Brady Youngstromp from
Homestead High School. Brady, how you doing today?

Speaker 6 (49:18):
Good?

Speaker 1 (49:19):
Are you good? Congratulations on being this week's Currentel Electric
Superhero of the Week. Man, you're busy, Yes, you're really busy.
Where do you find time to sleep and get all
your homework and stuff done?

Speaker 8 (49:30):
I just got a multitask efficiently.

Speaker 1 (49:33):
Yeah. Well, your father US Navy helicopter pilot, and I
thank him for his service. You learn a lot for you, obviously,
discipline very big in your household. Your room is messy though, right, yes,
thank you. I'm happy with that. That makes you just
a normal kid, because as we get into all of

(49:53):
this stuff that you're involved in. Four point six four
gpa AP scholar, Yeah, there, there's there's there's a lot
of National Merit semi finalists, ranks in the top five
percent of his class. They don't give away easy grades
over at Homestead, so you got to work hard for those, right, yeah, definitely.
What did you know what's going on with you next year? Yet?

Speaker 8 (50:15):
I'm between four schools right now.

Speaker 1 (50:18):
So what four schools? If I can ask?

Speaker 8 (50:20):
University in Iowa, it's like a smaller Christian school, Yes,
Taylor University in Indiana also smaller Christian school, Roseholman Institute
of Technology that's in Indiana, Okay Engineering and then Embry
Viddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, Florida.

Speaker 1 (50:34):
So not none of them very close to mechwand to
Cedarberg area, Cindy. How are you feeling with that, Cindy.
Cindy's mom is with us as well. It's really good
to see you. How are you feeling with the four
schools that he has knocked this down? To well.

Speaker 7 (50:52):
Of course we would like him to stay close. So
he's trying to maybe play soccer, so we'd love to
be able to watch him continue playing soccer. But we
want to to go wherever it makes them happy. And
what's the best school for him? So if that means
going far away, I think that's great too, because then
he can experience new things.

Speaker 1 (51:08):
You bet, Brady, do you know what you want to
go into at the antic college level.

Speaker 8 (51:12):
I know some sort of engineering. I'm not sure which
type yet, probably mechanical.

Speaker 1 (51:17):
Has the soccer coach from ms so we come calling.
Yet a lot of MSOE people listen to the show.
You might get a call from the soccer coach at
MSOE saying, hey, look, we can offer soccer and we
can offer engineering. If you want to stay close to home,
you don't have to live at home. You can live
downtown Milwaukee and still go home for really good meals.
I'm just telling you that if you get a call

(51:38):
from the guy from ms SOE he was listening in
the day. When you decide the school that you want
to go to, how are you going to make that decision.

Speaker 8 (51:49):
I think it depends both on the financial aid of
your school and then also the soccer offer at the
end of the day, because they're all such great schools.

Speaker 1 (51:59):
How'ses soccer team at Homestead? You got your You're one
of the captains on the varsity soccer team, letting the
WI State Tournament, first team All Conference again a four
point six for GPA and the captain of the soccer team.
And we haven't even talked about his servant leadership hert
And we're going to get to that soccer team and
Homestead pretty good team. Yeah, yeah, I program.

Speaker 8 (52:22):
Yeah, we have a ton of historic success, which is great.

Speaker 1 (52:26):
Have you played soccer since you were little? Are you
a single sport athlete or a multi sport?

Speaker 8 (52:31):
Well, when I was little, I play like every sport, okay,
but now I am just soccer, so I am a
single sport.

Speaker 1 (52:39):
What what other sports did you play? Of them?

Speaker 6 (52:41):
Well?

Speaker 8 (52:41):
Yeah, baseball, football, basketball.

Speaker 1 (52:45):
Cindy, did you enjoy watching him play all these sports?
And and I'd asked him, can you hear your mom
on the sidelines during soccer games? You said, I am
kind of quiet nowadays during soccer.

Speaker 7 (52:56):
I myself and my husband coached him all the way
up and until we moved here. And then even still
maybe some here. Yeah, baseball and football. His dad was coaching,
but I coached a lot too, especially when we lived
overseas in Bahrain, because the Navy had really good sports
programs and I coached a lot of those. And he

(53:16):
has a brother too, and I coached him as well
in different sports.

Speaker 1 (53:19):
Man, Good for you. How fun did you miss it?

Speaker 7 (53:21):
Not really, because it kind of got to the point
where it was beyond I'm good with kids, but I
don't know every sport, so they got beyond my skill level.
They needed someone who knew more about the sport than
I did.

Speaker 1 (53:32):
Our Kernel Electric Superhero the Week. He is Brady Youngstrom
Homestead Senior and his mom Cindy in studio. Let's get
let's get to if we can, some of this other
stuff that you're involved with. National English Honor Society, National
Art Honor Society, National Honor Society. Very active at Alliance

(53:53):
Bible Church, and I told you we can talk the
whole fifteen to twenty minutes about what you do at
your church. A great time of year for us to
be able to talk about that part all of the
things that you do outside of being part of the
National on Society, National Art On Society volunteer through Link.

(54:13):
You do a lot with Homestead soccer camps, you referee.
There is this servant leadership heart that you have to
give back. And I love asking this question. It's not
a behavior that we're born with, It's a learned behavior.
And I'm wondering where you learned to have that servant
leadership heart and give back. I think I know the answer,
but I'm wondering for you personally, where do you think

(54:35):
that came from?

Speaker 6 (54:36):
Well?

Speaker 8 (54:37):
I think the ultimate servant leader is Jesus because he
died for our sins on the cross. And I think
that just going to church every day just help me
learn so much more about him and want to be
like him. And therefore the servant leadership came with that.

Speaker 1 (54:53):
Yeah, I see. And I was going with your dad
because you want to talk about somebody who is given
back a lot. What is your father's first name?

Speaker 8 (55:02):
Brandon?

Speaker 1 (55:02):
Brandon as a retired US Navy helicopter pilot. I I
I look, and and your mom, who's you know? Talking
about coaching? And and look, she wasn't be getting paid
one point two million dollars in Baran to coach the
youth sports. She did that because she wanted to be
part of your life. You're also involved again Alliance Bible Church.

(55:26):
You serve as youth ministry and mentoring high school students
in in math, so you're helping out. Is math like
your favorite subject? If you're gonna be an engineer, you
better be really good in math? Yeah?

Speaker 8 (55:38):
I really like math.

Speaker 1 (55:39):
You do you like the figuring out part of it?
Or is does it come easy to you when it
comes to numbers?

Speaker 8 (55:47):
I like the like the problem solving part, so critical thinking,
i'd say, would be my favorite.

Speaker 1 (55:53):
What position do you play in soccer?

Speaker 8 (55:55):
On midfield?

Speaker 1 (55:56):
So that that fits right in with all this, Right,
you're both defense and offense and you're getting other people
good shots correct and kind of like a point guard
on the basketball floor. Fits right in with this whole
servant leadership part that you have going on. And I
love the fact that as are you seventeen or eighteen? Seventeen,

(56:16):
seventeen year old kid, first time live on the radio. Yes,
that when I ask you about the servant leadership part,
you go right to your faith and that for me. Look,
I do a show called Faith in the Zone where
we have guys like you and older people that are
willing to share their testimony what that means to them
and how they can utilize the platform of a captain
on a soccer team at a public school to be

(56:39):
able to lead people back to either to the King
James version or whatever Bible you guys use an Alliance,
but to be able to talk to those kids about Look,
I can help you with math, but also let's go
to the Book of Revisions real quick and talk about
putting the full body of armor on. I love the
fact that you're willing to, as a seventeen year old
kid for the first time on the radio talk about

(57:02):
that part of your life. That tells me a lot
about you, and it tells me a lot about your
family and the people at the Alliance. Have you you
guys been going to.

Speaker 8 (57:09):
Alliance for a long time, Yeah, ever since we moved to.

Speaker 1 (57:11):
Really that's a good place for you getting fed huh man,
good for you. I would recommend, and I'm just an
old grandfather six so you can take this and never
think about it again. But whatever college you get, to
make sure that that you find like minded kids on
that campus, whether it's through some of the campus crusade

(57:32):
for you, right athletes and action. Any Bible studies you
can get involved in and bring that part of what
you do here for your family and your church and
your community over to Indiana or to Florida or to msoe.
Who knows what happens in the future. Hey, when what
part of Homestead High School other than the soccer program

(57:53):
are you going to miss the most when you graduate?

Speaker 8 (57:56):
I would say, just like the community in the school.
I think it builds really strong people, not just in
academics or athletics, but just people in general. So I
think the area and just the people in the school
all miss In.

Speaker 1 (58:10):
Your bio, the sentence that I highlighted back at my
home office was playing soccer while pursuing a career focused
on solving real world challenges. Look, you're seventeen. I didn't
know where my socks were when I was seventeen, And
in your bio you're thinking of the future and going, Look,

(58:33):
I want to solve some real world challenges. Where do
you think that part of your brain and your heart
came from? Like have you always been like that? Look,
as a midfielder, you have to solve some problems on
the field. But to be able to put that in
your bio and go, look, this is what I'm hoping
to accomplish. Where do you think that came from?

Speaker 6 (58:53):
Well?

Speaker 8 (58:53):
I think that comes from both my parents because they
were both in the Navy at one point, so they've
all had to think fact on the spot and solve
solve problems.

Speaker 1 (59:03):
Cindy, you were a part of the How long were
you in the Navy?

Speaker 7 (59:06):
I was in the Navy about three years, was an
aerospace physiologist. That's how my husband I met.

Speaker 1 (59:12):
Thank you for your service. Yeah, that that that's awesome.
That part when when you talk about solving real world challenges,
that's where you're right. That is where that that that
totally comes from for sure. Also, again advice from an
old guy that you never ever think about. Make sure
you find a local church wherever you go to because

(59:33):
I think that's really important to keep you grounded. A
lot of the people I have on faith in the zone,
when they share their testimony, we'll talk about Look, I
was I was really very active in in a youth
group in a local church, and we're in church on
Wednesday Nights and Sundays, and and once I got some freedom,
that's where I struggled a little bit because all of

(59:54):
a sudden, nobody was saying, Hey, come on, get in
the car, we're going to church. And and what what
they say to me, he is, Look, those couple of
first couple of years at college, I didn't do a
great job at surrounding myself with like minded kids. And
I hope that you'll take that into consideration when when
you move on one last thing, the Colonel Electric Foundation.

(01:00:15):
At the end of the school year, I take everybody's
picture and bio and put them on the table in
front of the foundation, and they select one winner, the
Colonel Electric Superhero of the Year, and we send a
five thousand dollars scholarship check to the winner. And you'll
be into that running and I'll need to know what
school you're going to choose and make sure that if

(01:00:39):
during the summer i'm talking some high school soccer and
I reach out to the Homestead coach that he brings
you in. For sure, Man, I appreciate you coming in.
Thank you so much. And when we talked, you said, look,
I think Homesteads really put me on a nice path
for success. Whatever my next step of my journey is.
And you said, Look, there's a number a teachers over

(01:01:00):
at Homestead that I really think. Who's your favorite teacher
over there?

Speaker 8 (01:01:04):
By the way, I like, there's a couple.

Speaker 1 (01:01:08):
Let's name a couple. Then that's okay.

Speaker 8 (01:01:10):
I like miss Frayley, MICHAELA. Frayley, mister wrecked wolfgang wrecked, okay,
And then mister Patterson.

Speaker 1 (01:01:19):
Have you ever gotten anything but in a by the way.

Speaker 8 (01:01:21):
Uh no, not yet, but it could easily come this year.

Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
The fact, the fact that you're the fact that your
room is mass I'm okay with that because it won't
put you in the fetal position. If I ever got
a name, my dad would have bought me a car.
So that's the difference between you and I, Cindy, this
is the year of lasts for you. Right with with
with him. You're comfortable, You're you're You're okay with with

(01:01:47):
with his his journey. It would be okay if he
if he decided to stay a little closer to home.
But you're really proud of this kid, huh.

Speaker 7 (01:01:55):
We're super super thankful for him and the blessings that
God has given us. We definitely are excited for him
to go and explore and become his own person. I
feel like that we've supported him through this journey and
that it's time for him to go and become his
own adult.

Speaker 1 (01:02:09):
Cindy, do you know I don't have many seventeen year
olds or seniors in high school that'll come in front
of the live mike and talk about their faith and
talk about the important part of that. And I give
you credit. I give you and your husband credit. I
always want to know my kids are like when they
couldn't smell my cologne. This young man, for any youngster,

(01:02:31):
he what he is doing at Homestead and the amount
of love that they have, the legacy he's leaving at
that school. It's not just about soccer. It's not about
these ap classes and Link Crew and all the stuff
he's doing. It goes right back to the Alliance and
the Church. And look right in his bio, you know

(01:02:52):
the last sentence above all, he aims to reflect the
glory of God in all he does. I don't get
that much with kids this age. And you've got to
be awfully proud of him to be a good Christmas
for this kid, and then I feel like giving him
fifty bucks for Christmas. I'm not doing it.

Speaker 7 (01:03:07):
Christmas is an awesome Christmas.

Speaker 1 (01:03:09):
How old is your brother? Is a younger or older?

Speaker 8 (01:03:12):
He's younger, but he's he's like a year and a
half younger than me.

Speaker 1 (01:03:15):
Okay, so is he a sophomore Y soccer player?

Speaker 8 (01:03:18):
No? No, he's volleyball and baseball.

Speaker 1 (01:03:21):
Really, so you got a lot more sports to watch out.
It's not over yet for sure. Hey, Brady, it's good
to meet you. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas. If there's anything
I can do for you, please let me know. I
get it now. I get to the Homestead Principal. One
of the questions is what senior you're going to miss
the most when they graduate? And he goes here, he is.

(01:03:42):
I got him, So keep up the good work. If
you stop doing your homework, I'm taking the award from you.
Don't do that. I got a feeling your mom and
dad aren't going to allow that, so I won't Marry
Christmas to you and your family. Brady. It's good to
see you. You bet. We're going to get to a break.
The other side of break, Mark Miller is going to We're
gonna continue and get back to talking about this year's

(01:04:03):
WB Y shootout. This is the varsity Blitz High School
Sports Show presented by your local Pick and Save and
Metro Market stores, only on Fox Sports nine twenty and
your iHeartRadio app. Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High
School Sports Show presented by your local Pick and Save
and Metro Market stores, coming live from the Donovan and

(01:04:23):
Jorganson Heating and Cooling Studios. I want to thank Brady
Youngstrom and his mom, Cindy, our current Electric Superhero of
the week and what a really, really nice, cool young man.
It was really good to meet them. Our next guest,
Mark Miller. We've been talking w by shootout coming up
on December twenty seventh to twenty ninth and the thirtieth.

(01:04:47):
It's Wall the Wall basketball was some of the best
high school basketball players, coaches, programs, teams from the state
of Wisconsin. And if you didn't hear our first segment
with the head coach from Wisetta, the Trojans won a
state championship last year and they're really really good. They're
coming in and we are now joined by Mark Miller.

(01:05:09):
We've had a chance talk Mark with Brian and Nick
Ford from Dominican Brian Winchester from de Peer. I can't
wait for the twenty seventh and the twenty ninth and thirtieth.
You know, this time of year, you do all the
work and guys like we get to enjoy all of it,
and I thank you for that. Mark.

Speaker 5 (01:05:27):
Yeah, well, the work actually comes from the players and
coaches throughout the twelve months that that's what we come
to watch and play and appreciate. So yeah, you know,
putting it together is some work too, obviously, but looking
forward to it as well. And you know, it's fun
to have that team from Minnesota was that to come in.
They've actually won three of the last five large school

(01:05:49):
state championships and they have the top two ranked players
in Minnesota in the senior class playing. So keep going
to Minnesota and it keep going to Iowa State. So
looking forward to seeing the match up against two of
our better teams as well.

Speaker 1 (01:06:04):
You know, talking to Brian Snettler, who is their head
coach and going on their website was really impressive to me.
He's got it going on there. I mean, they've got
five teams. There are schools in our areas struggling to
get two teams, much less three, and they have five
teams in this high school. And he said look, we've
had a lot of success and that's breeding more and

(01:06:26):
more success. And I'm really looking forward to seeing his
team play against West Allis Central and then the next
day against Nicola and I looking at their scores. They
don't mind shooting the ball and they're putting up eighty
ninety a game, and I think the West Allis Central
and nicol A matchups are going to be really fun.

Speaker 5 (01:06:47):
Well interesting about the West Allis Central game. As you
probably know, Useuf grade junior from West South central's heading
the Iowa State and Christian Wiggins from Wise That is
going to Iowa State, so future teammates will be squaring
off against each other. Wiggins is about six five, he's
he's a guard, just like Usef. And then they also

(01:07:10):
have a kidnamed Nolan Anderson who was about six seven,
six eight. He's a wing and he's headed to Minnesota.
I've been at that school. It's massive. Uh, it's bigger
than any high school in Wisconsin in terms of their
enrollment and in terms of just how big the campus is.
It's just incredibly huge. And you know, obviously they've got

(01:07:32):
good basketball players and good athletics in general. So it's
going to be a challenge for Nicole and for west
Ald Central, But you know, that's what makes Frona interesting
and we'll see how they do against, you know, a
powerhouse program like that.

Speaker 1 (01:07:45):
Hey, Mark, have you ever been on that website where
their coach put Look, this is what it takes to
be part of our program on the court, in the classroom,
in the community, in life. And I'm gonna shund this
to some coaches in our area because I just think
that that this is really good stuff and it's daring
to be great. If you want to be part of

(01:08:06):
this program, you know, here's what it takes. And I
that's the first time I talked to that coach, and
I'm going to have him back on I I just
thought that he really gets it. And the fact that
they put it up on their website. If any kids,
you know, they make the team and they're like, hey, coach,
how come I'm not playing? Well, let's go back to
the website, because here's what it takes, not only in

(01:08:26):
the classroom, in the community, but on the court and
then in life. I think what they're doing there is
really solid and I would recommend that some of the
coaches in our area take a look at at what's
on his website and why he puts that. You know,
dare to introduce yourself to a new classmate, right, dare
to help a fellow student and need that kind of
just life stuff. I think that coach is doing a

(01:08:49):
great job up there.

Speaker 5 (01:08:52):
Obviously he's doing a great job. I mean, obviously, you know,
the results speak for themselves in terms of on court,
but the other stuff, you know, when you talk about
the game of life, that's more important anyway. So yeah,
that's you're right, that's that's kind of stuff that you know,
you hope a lot of programs would adopt and and
many of ours do. In Wisconsin, I mean, it's more
than just basketball, and obviously that's the common denominator that

(01:09:15):
brings everyone together. But you know, I think of a
place like the Pier or Nina, certainly Wisconsin, Lutheran, Arrowhead,
Brook Central, you know, some of the top programs in
our state. You know, they're they're they're being the kids
are being held to a high standard off the court.
So uh, you know, it's it's not always like that

(01:09:35):
in every place. And part of that is, uh, you know,
just the culture and the society that we have, but
you know, and and and some of our smaller schools, uh,
you know are struggle, like you said, struggling to just
to fill out teams. You know, when you look across
the state, we still have almost every school uh sponsoring

(01:09:58):
boys basketball, but you know, we've had a few were
co ops in the last few years. And then uh,
you know, we had a team that unfortunately Winter High
School up north, it had a drop its farcit be
scheduled down to just four games because they only had
eight kids total, of which six of them were hunderclassmen.
So that makes it pretty rough. But yeah, you know,

(01:10:18):
was that as a school of over three thousand kids.
I mean, it's it's it's it's like a college campus
out there when you when you go and visit the place,
you know. So having those those guidelines, those expectations spelled
out right from the get go, I think is really important,
especially when you have so many kids that want to
play at a big school like that. You know, to

(01:10:42):
live up to those standards, uh isn't easy and it's
not for everyone, but you know, they they set those
guidelines right from the get go, so so parents and players, no,
and you know, the expectations that will be expected of them.

Speaker 1 (01:10:57):
Hey, Mark, we had another team from Minnesota I supposed
to come in and I don't really care what happened,
but they kind of backed out. Was it hard for
you to fill that? And if you haven't looked at
the schedule the updated schedule, go to w bby dot
com to look at the updated schedule. But I know

(01:11:17):
that a number of schools reached out to you to say, look,
if you need a team. Was it difficult to fill
that spot? And I think that to the schools that
reached out to you.

Speaker 5 (01:11:27):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So Tatino Grace was the school that
was going to come and their coaches all set and excited,
and unfortunately, their ad had booked at the tournament in
South Dakota that they were at the previous year, and
I guess there was a communication lacked there and so
they had signed a contract with with the South Dakota Tournaments.

(01:11:49):
So they had a bow out, which was unfortunate for
us because you know, we found out in early December,
but we were able to fill it. We moved some
things around, so Tatina Grace was going to play West
Allis Central and instead we've moved Appleton North to that
game and then replaced Appleton North, which was supposed to

(01:12:12):
play King with Kingdom Prep Lutheran. So Kingdom Prep Lutheran
will play Milwaukee King and then Appleton North will play
West Allis Central on the thirtieth, and then on the
twenty ninth, Grace was going to play the Pier and
Milwaukee Academy of Science took that spot, so nown Milwaukee
Academy of Science will play against the Pier. It was

(01:12:35):
not that difficult to get teams, which surprised me a
little bit. I mean, we've had some weather and you know,
cancellations and scheduling schedules getting a little loud out of
whack early in the year, and that may have helped.
But there were probably another four or five teams that
reached out after I had filled that would have liked
to have taken that spot as well, or a spot

(01:12:55):
as well. But thankfully we got it filled, and I
think we got good teams coming. And you know, the
appleson Northwest euth Central game is two top five Division
one teams, so I think that'll be a really good
game on Tuesday evening.

Speaker 1 (01:13:10):
Yeah, one hundred percent again, Wall the Wall Basketball, the
Rick Bajeris Family Foundation Wby Shootout Saturday, December twenty seventh,
and then Monday and Tuesday, the twenty ninth and thirtieth
out at Concordia University. And every year we've got to
thank the staff out at Concordia. Shaan does a great job,
and you guys have worked really well together and it

(01:13:33):
seems like you guys have the template and everything works well.
And I thank him and his staff and the work
that they do out at Concordia for the for the
w By Shootout. They they really kind of get it,
you know, they get it done. And when there when
there are any issues, they seem as a staff and
as an organization a group of people that whatever you

(01:13:53):
need to get this thing done right, let's get it done.
And I think I think those guys out there.

Speaker 5 (01:14:00):
Absolutely absolutely Sean Cassidy and Dan Miller in particular, have
been with us since they since we moved out there
fifteen years ago. This is the swinnieth annual already, which
is crazy to think about. I mean, remember the first
few ones down at the Maguire Center and some of
the out of state teams we had and just you know,
I remember Vincent beating Cousins and the team from Alabama. Yeah,

(01:14:25):
that was a great game. But yeah, it's you know,
the folks that Concourdier are fantastic, and of course the
Majeria's Family Foundation is fantastic as well. You know, Mike,
they've given away four hundred and forty five thousand dollars
since they joined with us. They give away those five

(01:14:45):
eighty nine scholarships they get they you know, the seniors
of all the participating teams can apply for the scholarship
and it's five thousand dollars towards their education for their
first year of college. And you know, that's just a
lot of money to help kids who are involved in athletics,
and many of them aren't going to go on and

(01:15:06):
play college basketball. Obviously, most of the award winners do
not play at the next level. There's a few that
maybe play at the D three level, but obviously that
that comes in very handy for the for the kids
going on for their education. And you know, basketball again
the common denominator. And I know all those families and
all those individuals who have won the award over the

(01:15:27):
years are very thankful to Jody Majeris and Lori Hulk
and all the fine folks with the Majeri's Family Foundation,
and of course, just from a practical standpoint, Mike that
they donated, well I shouldn't say donate, but they cover
a lot of the expenses of our event, and every year, say,
those expenses go up, as you can imagine, and we're very,

(01:15:52):
very appreciative of that as well. So it helps this
event to survive and to thrive. So shout out to Concordia,
shout out to the Majerira's Family, and shout out to
you too, Mike for all the work that you've done
over the years in being our radio partner. We really
appreciate it. We we don't take it for granted. And
you know you're always welcome at every game and you

(01:16:15):
make many of them.

Speaker 1 (01:16:17):
Yes, I do. Yeah, yeah. My wife is like, hey,
are you coming home or I go No, there's a
nine to fifteen tap between Waterford and Beaver Damn, I
can't come home now. Yeah, it's very funny. It's very
funny to me because I spend as much time with
the family during the Christmas time and then come w
by shootout. They know they can text me if they

(01:16:39):
need me, but I'm probably in Mechwan hanging out with you,
and it just for me. And I say this all
the time. By that third day, by about the seven
forty five tip. This year, it's Marquette and Kakana and
I'm sorry, coach, but you know, coach for Marquette case,
I'm sorry, but I'm probably going to bow out after

(01:16:59):
the West All Central Appleton North game because I'm a
little bit it's a little bit much. I can't believe,
you know, you game after game after game after game,
it's even gets a little bit tiresome. I would think
right at the end of that third day, maybe for
that last game, you got to be thinking, Man, I
just want to get home and get to bed.

Speaker 5 (01:17:20):
Yeah, the next day, the next couple of days, I'm
pretty wiped out. But you know, it's it's all good.

Speaker 6 (01:17:26):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (01:17:26):
You know, it's great to see all the people that
come back every year. We talk about this every year, Mike,
but it's it's really true. And then you know, the
other thing that I think is a really cool part
of the event is just the great coaches we have.
I mean, these are these are guys that spend a lot,
a lot of time with with high school age kids,
and you know, they they don't get paid much, as

(01:17:48):
we all know, but they love the game obviously, they
love the competitive nature of the game, and they love
to be around kids and help kids. And you know,
I think of a guy like Craig Hosey at Arrowhead
that's been doing it for so long, and laundry at
Brooks Central, and I mean you can go up and
down the line. There's every single coach that's coming this
weekend or you know, for the shootout in a couple

(01:18:09):
of weeks. Is is a role model and it helps
to shape what these kids are going to become as
they as they move on and onward after high school.
So just seeing them do what they do and you know,
getting to greet them again is always a big plus
as well.

Speaker 1 (01:18:27):
Hey guys, you can buy tickets ahead of time. If
you know you're going to go on the twenty seventh,
twenty ninth to thirtieth, if you go to wbby dot
com wbby dot com digital tickets are on sale, you
can you can order them so you don't have to
wait in line, you don't have to mess around with that.
You can buy them, or you can buy them at
the door and one price. If you want to go

(01:18:51):
to the nine o'clock tip, right, if you want to
go to early and stay all day long, you can
do that. Nine p fifteen is the first and you
can stay all all day. He doesn't like it midway through,
get everybody out of the gym and then make you
pay again. And if you want to watch one game
and then you've got to go somewhere for a while

(01:19:11):
and come back, you get to come back in and
for that day. And I love that because you know,
there's some tournaments, high school tournaments around the area that
you get. You know, it's twenty five dollars to get in,
and if you have to go out to your car,
they charge you another twenty five mark. I appreciate you
not doing that to our fans.

Speaker 5 (01:19:31):
Yeah, well, you know, I try to make it affordable.
It's twelve dollars for adults per day and six dollars
for students, and you know it's it's it's more than
the average high school game obviously, But like you said,
you can stay and watch nine games if you want.
You don't, you know, not many do, but you know
you can watch three or four maybe, and you know,

(01:19:55):
see some great players, some kids really playing hard. You know,
bas the ball and its finest yet no nil, no
holdouts for contract extensions, none of that.

Speaker 1 (01:20:05):
None of that.

Speaker 5 (01:20:06):
Yeah, none of that.

Speaker 1 (01:20:08):
Mark Miller. I can't thank you enough for again allowing
me to be a part of this. You can read
Mark stuff, and there's nobody better. And I say this
every single time, and I'm not kidding, there's nobody better
that covers high school basketball. Maybe in the Midwest, maybe
throughout the country. You could read this stuff prepscoops dot com.

(01:20:28):
And if you've not picking up this year's book, the
Wisconsin forty first Annual Wisconsin Basketball Year Book, there'll be
some on sale at the Wby Shootout and make sure
you pick those up. Mark. Thanks a lot. I'm sure
I'm going to reach out to have you back on
next week as we continue to talk to coaches coming
in to the twenty twenty five Rick majeris Wby Shootout.

(01:20:51):
Thanks a lot for a couple of minutes your day.
But brother, thank.

Speaker 5 (01:20:54):
You, you bet Mike, thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:20:56):
You got it. We're going to get to a break
other side of the break. Chris Kellett, he's the head
coach at Appleton North will join us. This is the
Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show presented by your local
Pick and Save and Metro Market stores, only on Fox
Sports ninet twenty and your iHeartRadio app. Welcome back to
the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show, presented by your
local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores. As always,

(01:21:19):
coming live from the Donovan and Jorgans and Heating and
Cooling Studios. What a fun show this has been talking
to coaches that are coming into this year's Wby Shootout.
We are now joined by Chris Kelled He's the head
boys basketball coach at Appleton North. Hey, coach, how are
you today?

Speaker 3 (01:21:37):
Not doing too bad? How you doing that?

Speaker 1 (01:21:38):
I'm doing great. Thank you so much for a couple
of minutes your time. I really appreciate it. Coach, give
us an idea of how the years started for you
and how you're feeling about this year's Appleton North team.

Speaker 3 (01:21:50):
I started pretty fast for us. We've got a lot
of guys back from last year's team. We only graduated
two players that were kind of in a rotation, and
we have for all conference guys back. So we started fast,
and you know, try to push the tempo and we're
sitting at Tree and O. We had to grind it
out game last night. We're missing one of our best players,

(01:22:12):
so we're able to grind out a win at Ashcosh West.
Who's who's playing really well? So start off, well.

Speaker 1 (01:22:18):
Man, good for you. Talk to me a little bit
about when people come to watch you play at this
year's w By shootout, and I know, look, you're not
shying away from any competition because Mark Miller thinks your
team's awfully good. And you know how Mark does it. Man,
He's like, look, if we're going to see these guys

(01:22:38):
down here, let's get him against some really good competition.
Talk to me about some of the players that that
we're going to be uh be seen from the the
the the team that you have this year with Ashkosh North.

Speaker 3 (01:22:51):
Yeah, no, So we we returned four all conference players.
We got two of them that are playing Division to
college basketball next year. Grant Hard he is going to
be going to Winona States and he's he's kind of
been our engine so far this year. He's he's averaged
twenty three ten and six line, which is, you know,

(01:23:11):
pretty impressive. Unfortunately, he got banged up this past week,
so he wasn't able to play last night, but he
you know, he sees the floor at an exceptionally high
rate and just got a you know, Division one IQ,
and he's he's kind of the catalyst for us offensively.
And then we've got Nathan Ramis, who's been a first
team All Conference player in the FBA, is going to

(01:23:32):
Northern Michigan. Played really well last night. He was much
more aggressive. He's arguably the best defender in our league
and so fortunate he's back. And we have Will Sweeney
who's a multiple year All Conference player. He's been second
team i think the past few years. He's averaging a
little over twenty right now. So all three of those

(01:23:52):
guys have been four year starters for US, which in
the FBA is pretty unheard of. So you know, they're
pretty seasoned and they don't rattled, which is huge for us.
And then our last player that's a pretty big name
and if he's not he will be soon as Matt Rasplahowski,
who's a sophomore. He played exceptional down at Concordia last year.

(01:24:12):
He was All Conference as a freshman. He's averaging around
twenty right now as well, so we got three guys
at twenty. We like to play fast, but the best
part about our team is we share the basketball with
each other and we have a high assistant turnover ratio,
which is great. And anytime the balls moving and you're
getting higher percentag shots, good things will happen.

Speaker 1 (01:24:30):
One hundred percent, Chris, this is I think your eighth
year at Apleton North, Is that correct?

Speaker 8 (01:24:37):
Yep?

Speaker 1 (01:24:38):
And the difference between like year one through five, when
you're trying to build a program and figure out how
to build a program and getting people in the community
in the school to get excited about about Lightning basketball,
you know, those days are kind of behind you though
there's still a lot of work. But I think people
in and around your program understand what you're looking for

(01:25:00):
or as far as culture and how you want kids
to to, you know, carry themselves on and off the court.
Do you find that that that that community is starting
to understand what you what exactly you were looking for
and what it takes to be part of your program.

Speaker 3 (01:25:16):
Yeah, for sure. When North was built in ninety five,
from ninety five to twenty seventeen, before you know, my
staff and I came in, they averaged under five wins
a year through that whole stretch, and it was kind
of tough to get basketball off the ground. I actually
grew up locally here in Nina and we played against
Appleton North, and you know, so I understood, you know,

(01:25:36):
the reputation and just the history of Appleton North. And
you know, one thing I knew is other sports were
extremely successful. So it just tells you that it can
be done. And you know, the biggest thing when your
turnover any program, because they were winless the year before,
we can think they won eight games and in three
or four years prior as well, so they were on
a down slide. But the biggest thing is just getting

(01:25:58):
the youth involved and them excited. And we were fortunate
to have a future Division one player come in as
a freshman in Max and Elson, who's playing at Indiana
Purdue Fort Wayne. So you know, we had a little
little guy to lean our hat on obviously, which then
the young kids got excited too. So we owe a

(01:26:19):
lot to Max as well and his group. But the
biggest thing, you know, for us, is just getting the
kids excited at the youth level, spending as much time
with them as possible and you know, making sure that
everyone's running the same same actions and the same using
that same verbiage and things like that and fluwy We've
we've gotten it developed.

Speaker 1 (01:26:39):
Yeah, coach, I I want to talk about the w
BU I shoot up, but boy, you've you've got a
number of games before you come to Mechwan and and
play some quality opponents, you know, kakanak, Kimberly, Oregon, Hortonville. I. Look,
you're gonna get challenged and you're gonna learn a lot
about your team the next couple of weeks and then

(01:27:00):
the games that you're going to be playing at Concordia
in the w BY Shootout certainly, and then Ashkosh North
before we get done with with the year. Look, you've
got some really quality opponents. I would think by by
January first, you're going to get a really good idea
on where this team is at.

Speaker 3 (01:27:19):
Oh yeah, we're we're about to go through. What I've
you know, and told our players this morning at practice
right now, is we're about to go through the gauntlet.

Speaker 1 (01:27:25):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:27:26):
We've got four games this week. We played Kakana on Tuesday,
who's playing exceptionally well. Obviously they got big gents and
some guards that can flick it. And then we play
Kimberly on Thursday, and you know, Kimberly is coming off
an ice win last night and they've played well. They
you know, they beat Oshkosh to start the year, you know, two.
And then we follow that up with an extremely well

(01:27:47):
coached team from Oregon. Coach Stevert does a fantastic job.
Known him for a very long time, respect to you know,
the heck out of him. And you know, and then
the next game after that on Saturday is to be determined.
But yeah, I know, every every game is a grind,
whether it's in the FBA or out. You know, we
purposely want to set our schedule up that way, and
you know that way we're we're seasoned by the time

(01:28:07):
we get to the end. And you know, the one
thing for us right now is just just staying healthy.
We've got some guys battle and some stuff. Hopefully we'll
get granted Hardy back sometime soon. Not sure if he'll
be able to go this week, but hopefully the sooner
the better. It's tough to lose a player that's averaging
twenty three, ten and six, but opportunities for others to
step up. So we're going through the gauntlet here quickly,

(01:28:28):
and thenof once we get through this week, and then
we got to Hornonville and and then Homestead and pusted out,
so it's doesn't get any easier.

Speaker 1 (01:28:37):
That is a gauntlet, Chris. That yeah, that's the perfect
word for what what you guys are going to go
through for the next two weeks is a gauntlet. I
look forward to to introduce myself to you over at
concord A University on the twenty ninth at four forty five,
you guys play Homestead and then on the thirtieth you
play against West Ellis Central at six fifteen. Uh, Mary, Christmas,

(01:29:00):
thank you and your family. Good luck the next couple
of weeks. Coach no, thank you and Christmas.

Speaker 3 (01:29:05):
You guys too, Thank.

Speaker 1 (01:29:06):
You very much. That's Chris Kellett from Appland, North Boy.
It's been a show. Thank Spencer for keeping us on
the tracks, and all these coaches that join us, and
certainly Brady Youngstrom, our current electric superhero the week and
his mom Cindy, who came in studio. Guys, thank you
very much. We'll continue next week. We'll have more coaches

(01:29:26):
on and talk more about this year's Wby shootout. This
is the Varsity Blitz high school sports show, presented by
your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores, only
on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeartRadio app