Full Show - 1/25/2025

Full show from the Donovan & Jorgenson Heating & Cooling Studio: Saturday, January 25th, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome into the Varsity Blitz high school sports show presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores
on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeartRadio app coming
live from the Donovan and Jorgensen Heating and Cooling Studios.
Any issues you have, trust me, I had them out
at my house two weeks ago from tomorrow and my

(00:24):
heat is working great right now. Donovan Jorgenson dot Com
the largest employee owned HVAC company in the state of Wisconsin.
Today's show at ten o'clock will introduce you to our
current electric superhero of the week. She's a young gal
from Thomas Moore High School and looking forward to highlighting, promoting,
celebrating some of the things she's doing in the school

(00:45):
and in our community. At ten twenty, we're going to
talk to j. T. Gritzmeyer. He's the men's basketball coach
at UW Lacrosse having a great year and been friends
with him for a long time. He's a really good coach,
doing great things up at Lacrosse US. But for the
first hour we're talking Whitefish Bay Girls basketball head coach
John Schneider. He's got three players in studio with him

(01:08):
that will get to you in the second second segment. Coach,
how you been great?

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Thanks for having us today.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, been a tough ten days for anybody who spent
any time in basketball with coach Kapper passion Away and
I coached at Dominican for a long time, and I
had known Greg a long time and really sad to
hear of his passing big man. He'd been around Whitefish

(01:36):
Bake girls basketball for a bit.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, he was.

Speaker 3 (01:39):
He's been great even from when I first took the job.
Coach Mark's and my current assistant was his assistant during
all those years. And he's very supportive. He's helped out
with our youth program, always a kind word to say,
even when you know he was coaching at Pious and
then coaching at Grafton. He's always been around basketball and
he's a Whitefish fixture.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah, and anybody who's been around high school basketball for
any amount of time has had met him, and, like
you said, very positive and a big loss for people
that are involved in high school basketball. Hey, how long
you've been the head coach at Whitefish Bay. It's my
tenth year, is it really?

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah? Yeah, it was crazy.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
I was telling my parents the other day I might
have been teaching her for ten years and that's that.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
It doesn't seem that long because I coached at Greendale
Martin Lucap and coach Wallash. I'm just alot. By the way,
he's a big fan, big fan of yours. Ten years
at Whitefish Bay this year thirteen and two so far,
we're tired of the Orioles. We don't want to you'd
like another shot at them, I'm sure. But that's a

(02:50):
really good basketball team.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yeah, they're I mean they're undefeated in our conference for
a reason. They're really good. They're good at every position.
They have multiple scores. You can't just do one thing
to stop them. I mean, they have the best player
in the conference. He's the two time reigning player of
the Year for our conference. Going to Minnesota, like, they're loaded,
and they played really well and we you know, we

(03:12):
did as much as we could, but they were just
better last night.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Hey, you brought up the name Dave Markson, and before
we get into this team, is there is there a
better guy than that. He's just I've known Dave forever
and it played softball together. I coached Charlie and Au basketball,
and I've known Kathy and Dave for a really long
time and just some of the you talk about Dave

(03:38):
Marks is just one of the really good guys in
this world.

Speaker 3 (03:41):
Yeah, he's been nothing short of amazing for me, not
just from a coaching standpoint, but he's been a mentor
for me. He's he's the calm to my crazy sometimes.
And he he's mister whitefish Bay. You will literally see
him everywhere. He walks around everywhere, talks to everybody. He's amazing.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
Hey, if I set up a one on one match
between him and his wife Kathy, who do you think wins?

Speaker 2 (04:05):
Kathy Dominic?

Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, I do. I guess we bet on the same thing. Yeah,
and maybe in horse he might be able to get her.
He can he can hit a jumper every one.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
It depends how his shoulders doing.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
Kathy well, And if they're about to play horse, Kathy
would hit him on that shoulder and say hey, good luck,
you know, just to Yeah, I would. I would probably
take her on that one on one thing too as well. Hey,
did you know coming into this year? And I'm going
to ask the girls this too when they get to
the mics, did you know coming in and she had
a chance to be pretty good?

Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yes, we knew that we were returning a lot we
graduated to quality seniors last year, but we were turning
a lot of our scoring, a lot of our depth
and there's no question where probably the deepest team in
the state in terms of one through fourteen, which makes
our practices really really competitive. And the bar was set

(04:58):
high and so far we're we're there. We've got some
room to grow, but we're playing really well.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
It's interesting that you talked about being deep and practices
being competitive. We did on nine to twenty. On Tuesday night,
we did the Catemorian Lutheran at Brookfie last game and
talking to coach Wallas, I asked him, you know about
his team, and he said, look, we're deep, and we're
really competitive. These are competitive girls. Our practices ninety five

(05:26):
percent of the time are more difficult than our games
because of how competitive one through twelve is. You know,
they're all they're all fighting for playing time and they're
really good friends outside of the court, but they're they're
fighting to get playing time. Yeah, and so our practices
and we do a lot of competitive drills in practice
to keep that going. And that has a lot to

(05:46):
do with with I think why we're as good as
we are right now. You would agree with that, oh.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
One hundred percent. Especially the three girls sitting in here.
They get after each other. They're friends off the court,
like you said, but they get they get chippy on
the thing.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
They look like yeah, they're all s right, they look
like such sweet.

Speaker 3 (06:03):
I'll send you some practice film. But they we talk
about it every day almost. I tell them how important
it is to just compete and make each other better.
And we don't have to ask them to do it.
They just do it and they bring it every day
and that's what's making us better.

Speaker 1 (06:21):
He is John Schneider, the head girls basketball coach of
the the Lady Blue Dukes Blue Dukes, the Blue Dukees,
the Blue Dudukes. Yeah, the girls basketball program. And when
you talked about, look, we've had success, and that's this
legacy that these girls now want to continue. I think
is really important. And I've told it a million times

(06:42):
on the show. But at the thirty six years that
I coached basketball. Two we're in girls' basketball at Calvary
Baptist Menominee Falls. We had sixty seven kids in the
whole school. I was coaching the boys and the second
year I was there, the girls coach took a second
shift and he couldn't do it. So I tried to
find somebody to take this, and they had won two

(07:04):
games in three years, and I got there and nobody
would do it. So I ended up coaching the boys
and the girls. And I realized the first practice when
he told me, look, I only did this because nobody
else would do it, and I don't know anything about basketball.
I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't. He was
very truthful. Second practice, we just taught, I mean third

(07:25):
and fourth grade triple threat, how to set a screen,
how to shade his screen, just really basic stuff. And
at the end of the practice, does anybody have any questions?
And Emily Berground raised her hand and said, does the
shirt I wear under my jersey have to be one
hundred percent cotton? And I went, oh, I'm not in
Kansas anymore. So you know, we got to the Christian
State finals two years in a row because these girls,

(07:47):
what I learned about girls basketball is very social until
they step over the line. They came to practice hard
every single day, and boys don't. We got a practice
on Monday, We got our next game is on Friday,
I'm not going hard today. I'll go hard Wednesday. Try
to catch the coach's eye on Wednesday. Girls go hard
every day. And I was surprised by that. Dave Marson

(08:10):
helped me, by the way, he didn't remember this phone call.
But I ran kind of a flex swing kind of offense,
and these couldn't get them to do it, couldn't. They
couldn't station the station. And Dave said, no, no, you're
not coaching boys anymore. Put in, put in a wheel,
get movement. They love. And that that advice that Dave

(08:30):
Markson gave me turned that that first year I coached
girls basketball season around because if a team came out
and played man, their head went down. They went, yeah,
we're gonna get beat right, And he said, just put
a simple wheel in and see what happens. And that's
what it what it did. Hey, this whitefish Bait girls program.
You this program is really strong. Do you do you

(08:51):
realize looking above it? You know, as a helicopter guy,
look at all this is it the youth program that
that that gets these girls ready to play at your level.

Speaker 3 (09:02):
There's a lot of factors, but the youth program is
definitely one of them. When I started here, we had
maybe thirty girls in the whole program. We had three teams,
six seventh eighth grade. And now because of the leadership
and the parents involved that helped organize and grow it
over the years, I think we're pushing over one hundred
girls with teams all the way down into third grade.

(09:22):
So it's a lot of different factors that come together.
It's girls getting excited about basketball. It's parents, you know,
volunteering their time to organize these events. In the past
few years, I think it was three four years ago,
it might have even been longer. We rented out and
a warehouse in Glendale that we now have as a
basketball facility, So that's helped where we have an extra

(09:45):
space for kids to go and play.

Speaker 1 (09:47):
Is that for boys and girls?

Speaker 3 (09:48):
Yes, yeah, so we share it for boys and girls.
So that's helped our program tremendously. And then just you know,
support from within the community. But realistically, it comes down
to the girls. The girls are excited, they work hard.

Speaker 1 (10:01):
Hey, coach, we talked about Dave Marks and your staff
a little bit, and I'm gonna talk with Megan and
Stage and Roan coming up next. But this team is
much more than these three girls, and you and Dave.
Can we talk a little bit about some of the
other girls that we don't have in studio, but they're
doing great work for this team.

Speaker 3 (10:20):
Yeah, I mean, we have three of our starters here today,
the other two that started all the games this year.

Speaker 2 (10:27):
It'sy Smith.

Speaker 3 (10:29):
She is kind of that blue collar get after it,
you know, gets all the offensive rebounds, works hard, it's physical.
She just she does a little bit of everything. We
have Madelin Bolpi, who is a pure scorer, easily one
of the best shooters I've ever coached competitive fits in
right with all these edge that these girls have. But

(10:51):
then honestly, I could go down to the next nine
girls and every single one of them does something.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
You know. We have a couple other seniors, Jane Wallace,
Lauren O'Regan, Sophie Castro.

Speaker 3 (11:03):
It's just it's a it's truly a team effort, like
every single person does something in practice or in games
that helps us win.

Speaker 1 (11:12):
Yeah, I love I wish you would have brought It'sy
Smith because I've never met anybody with that first name before.
And yeah, okay, thank you, Yeah, yeah, I thought it's
he Smith, But I looked at her numbers, and you're right,
you know, I I she doesn't score a ton. But
I'll tell you what, when you look at rebounds and miscellaneous,
she's all over that stuff. And look, you and I

(11:35):
would agree. I love kids like that. I love Look
at my house, in my office, I've got posters or
jerseys or pictures signed to autograph pictures of people that
I would pay c play one more time. So Paul
Mollitor and Brett Farres, and you know, Reggie White and
Josh Gosser. Yeah, And people go, Josh Gosser, yeah, I

(11:58):
don't think he everaged six a game, And I go, yeah,
I know, but he did every He always guarded the
best player. If you when they're playing Ohio State or
Michigan or Iowa, if you want to know who the
best player is on the other team, watch who he's
garden every loose ball he got. So it's he Smith,
one of I don't know her, one of my favorite players.
I got to come see her play because if she's
setting picks and rebounding and defending and getting on the

(12:20):
floor for loose balls, we as coaches, we need kids
like that.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, Meghan's one of those two.

Speaker 3 (12:26):
Meghan Is she'll be the legacy around with it'sy of
the in future years of like we need a Megan,
we need that.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
Is she shash cast Yes, that's awesome.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
Both of them. They like doing the dirty work.

Speaker 1 (12:38):
She's been on my show before, by the way, thanks
to Dave Markson. She's a veteran. When I have those
girls come up, she'll be the first one. I'm talking
to you because she's used to this. Yeah this, yeah,
no problem with this for for sure. And in fact
one of our other other kids coming in. I saw
her dad at the Kettilmarine Lutheran camp and when Craig

(12:59):
Council walks into you know right, and I thought, what
is And I talked to the guy from Ketta Maray
Lutheran and I think Rowand played a or plays aau
with one of the guards from Keta Moraine Lutheran. Is
that true? And from Brooklye Least And so he was
there twenty below and Greig Cousens are watching. I thought
he was scouting for you and they go, now, maybe,

(13:20):
but we don't think. So we know that that that
Roan plays with these girls and he's out to support them.
And I thought, man, that's yeah, yeah, you gotta love
that for sure. I don't want to bring up any
sore subjects or anything like that, but I have to
because I'm not sure that I'll have you on the
mic for the third segment. As coaches, we never look ahead,

(13:42):
but we work ahead. Is there a tougher regional sectional
in the state of Wisconsin than the one that you're
placed in? No, there's not. I look and I'm sorry, but.

Speaker 2 (13:54):
It's not even really biased.

Speaker 3 (13:55):
It's just if you look at the rankings, like you know,
if I had to guess, Tosa East is going to
be the one seed, they're the number one ranked team
in Division two right now, and then it's US and
Pious are going to be the two or three, depending
how the rest of the year turns out. And then
even Wisconsin Lutheran like, that's you, that's your regional. Then
you go down the sectional and you're looking at some

(14:18):
pretty quality teams. And I don't even have to ask
you what keeps you up at night, because if if
you don't know what keeps you up in that slide,
that that sheet of paper yesterday, we don't need the
girls to know about this because again we work ahead.

Speaker 1 (14:35):
We don't look ahead, but that's staring at you coming
into future, and there's some there's there's going to be
whoever gets out of that sectional, it has got to
be have a chance to to to win state. I
believe that.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
I think I think in the top regional two Union
Grove is easily one of the top teams out of
there too. And you know, yeah, it's going to be
a bloodbath to get out of that regional, but whoever
gets out of there is going to be ready to
do some damage in Green Bay.

Speaker 1 (15:03):
Hey what hey, getting back real quick and then we're
going to get to a break to the game last
night and the two losses are hard Ford. And when
we were talking before, you said, look there, physically, they're
a bigger, stronger at every position team that than we are.
And they wore us down a little bit last night,
and you said to me, I'd like to get another

(15:24):
shot at them because I think we can compete with them,
for they have the best player in the state in
our conference. For sure. Are there teams in that you
have the rest of the way or teams in that
sectional that have similar stature and play the way Hardford does.

Speaker 3 (15:41):
Do you think honestly, I think probably the next closest
team in terms of physicality would probably be Pious. You know,
just thinking back to last year a little bit. That
was one of their strengths against us in our last
playoff game is they were a little bit bigger and
stronger and kind of wore us down.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
Very similar.

Speaker 3 (15:59):
But besides them, I know, you know, Tosa East is
really good, but I think.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
We're very similar, very hard oriented.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
But I'm trying to get Merrienberg to come in later
in the in the year, in this season. Sure, and
I'll get all kinds of inside information from her. Sure
for you. No, I won't. I'm not doing that because
I'm not getting any from you to give to her either.

Speaker 3 (16:20):
Because now, yeah, we'll see her eventually. Yeah, we'll meet
one hundred percent. One hundred percent. We're going to get
to a break. Sure, we're going to talk about you
behind your back with you right here in studio. I'm
looking forward.

Speaker 1 (16:33):
Megan and Sage and Rohan are going to join us
as we continue to talk girls basketball from Whitefish Bay
the Blue Dukes, and we'll talk to these girls on
the other side of the break. This is the Varsity Blitz.
High school sports show presented by your local Pick and
Save and Metro Market stores on Fox Sports nine twenty
and your iHeart Radio app. Well, welcome back to the
Varsity Blitz high school sports show presented by your local

(16:55):
Pick and Save and Metro Market stores on Fox Sports
nine twenty in your I Heard Radio app coming live
from the Donovan and Jorgans and Heati and Cooling Studios.
Got three players from the Whitefish Bay girls basketball team.
They're thirteen and two. This is a really good team.
If you haven't seen them play, get out and watch
these girls play. They get after it. And if you

(17:16):
really want to see him compete, get to a practice
called John Schneider and say Dave Markson, say can I
just come and watch him practice? Because not only has
Dave told me that, but the head coach, John Schneider said, Look,
we compete hard at practice, and I love that. We're
gonna start with the one senior and I've talked with her.
She's been on the show. Megan Gruber, how are you.

Speaker 4 (17:36):
I'm good, How are you good?

Speaker 1 (17:37):
Happy with so other than Hartford, Happy with how far
the year has gone.

Speaker 4 (17:42):
Yeah, it's it's been a really great year. This far
and it's just a great group of girls.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
How are you playing pretty well?

Speaker 4 (17:48):
I think over the years Schneider has helped me to
kind of find my role and that's not always scoring,
but I found that, you know, you can have a
really big role on a team without that.

Speaker 1 (17:58):
Amen to that, like we he can't win games without
people that under that, that think team and not me. Right,
and looking at your stats, you and Ncy Smith do
a lot of the dirty work loose ball. It's yours right.
Oh yeah, you get after pretty hard. That's that's awesome.

(18:19):
Next segment, we're going to talk about you being our
pick and save student after the week and congratulations for
that obviously, And and Coach Snyder, I said, look, I'm
going to have a pick and save student after the
week and he goes, do you pick any of them?
You can pick anybody on our team? And I go,
what are you talking about? He goes, I think everybody's
over three and I think most people are over three
point five on a basketball team. That's very impressive to me.

(18:42):
And well, we'll ask you about, you know, your motivation
for being such a good student athlete and the next
segment and I look forward to meeting you at the
Metro Market in Sherwood and your family and your friends,
and we'll make sure that that we get you in
and out. You get so sick and tired of me
taking pictures of you, but that's what Pick and Save
and Metro Mark want me to do, So that's what
we will do. Did you know coming in, similar question

(19:04):
that I had with coach Schnyder coming in before the year,
that this team had a chance to be really good?

Speaker 4 (19:11):
I think we knew that there was just tons of
potential with this team. But what can be really hard
is when you have fourteen girls who could really all
be starting. It can be hard playing time and it's
a lot of sacrifice. But I think everybody has taken
it really well and comes together really well, and it's
just been really special.

Speaker 1 (19:30):
Is it a team that do you guys hang out?
Do you know what I'm saying? So sometimes as a coach,
you get a team that wins a lot, but the
team doesn't like each other and it's not that great
of a season. It's not so much fun. And then
you have a team that doesn't win much, but the
kids get along really well and it's not so painful.
But every once in a while that magic where kids

(19:51):
really get along, truly get a one they care about
each other, and you get a lot of wins, and
it doesn't happen very often.

Speaker 4 (19:58):
Yeah, I think we really have that. There's a lot
of great memories and singing dancing in our locker room,
a lot of really fun personalities on the team.

Speaker 1 (20:06):
And which one of you three that are here has
the most rhythm, Like who can sing and dance the best?
Not any of us here. Let's go, let's go to
stage by the way man, big game last night. It
a lost, But scoring the ball it's something you're you've

(20:26):
gotten really good at. Huh, Yeah, you can shoot a
little bit, just a little bit for you? Is that
always been a big part of your game?

Speaker 5 (20:34):
I would say when I was younger, I took a
lot of pride on the offensive end, and as I
got older, I learned that it's about both ends of
the court. And I think last year and this year especially,
I've figured out that like defense is actually something like
I really enjoy and that I can use that to
like create momentum on the offensive, momentum on the offensive end.

Speaker 1 (20:58):
And I don't know if there are kids I coached
for four years that I would preach to and I
know Coach Snyder and Coach Markson preach that to play
good defense creates good offense. Yes, and and if you
can hold teams to and I looked at some of
your scores, You guys have played really good defense in
some of these games, my goodness. But to be able
to then create offense? Do you guys like to get

(21:21):
the ball down the floor quickly? Are you more of
a half court team? What would you think?

Speaker 5 (21:25):
I would say we're definitely better in transition. We have
a lot of players who are really good at like
getting around people and running out of the defense, especially
rowing here.

Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah, and we're gonna get to her in a minute
because she's averaging almost twenty a game, and she's a sophomore,
so the game isn't too big for her. Are you?
Are you guys the starting guards? Are you tell me
that who's the point guard on this team?

Speaker 5 (21:48):
I would say I probably play point guard more than
she does, but we still switch off a good amount.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
Are you? You guys both score a lot, But you're
I looked at your assists. You don't mind giving the
ball up? You guards? You don't mind that at all.
Let's move it over if we can't. Rowan council. She
is a sophomore average, and I said just under twenty
eighteen point one. Let's be honest, that's still just under twenty.
In my book, Sage is averaging twelve a game. Megan's

(22:15):
averaging five a game. But look at the other stats
for her. Hey, Rowan, it's nice to meet you. I
saw your dad at a game, and I love that
that he you know, he's got some time this time
of year, so he was out at the game you
weren't even playing in. But I love the fact that
he was there kind of supporting some kids that he
has watched play on your AAU team. You played varsity

(22:38):
last year as a freshman. Did you start last year?

Speaker 5 (22:41):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (22:41):
Tell me the Do you remember your first game?

Speaker 6 (22:44):
Yes? I do.

Speaker 7 (22:45):
It was at Nathan Hale. I was like freaking out
before the game. I really didn't even know if I
was going to like start that game. I s remember
we're in the locker room. I was like shaking. I
was like so nervous, and like once I stepped on
the core, like I was just like ready.

Speaker 8 (22:58):
To go, and like my team's and the different you
played eighth grade basketball, yes, and now you're playing against
seventeen eighteen year old young ladies as a fourteen or
thirteen year old whatever you were.

Speaker 1 (23:11):
How long did it take for things just to slow
down so that before games you knew, Okay, hey, I
belong out here.

Speaker 7 (23:18):
Yeah, it was definitely like a big transition, especially like
the practices, Like everyone like went like really hard at practice,
and like it was like a big adjustment. But like
my team, like they like really supported me and they
like believed in me, so I knew I just had
to like go out there and like do my thing.

Speaker 1 (23:33):
Yeah, hey, Megan, When she says that because you were
a leader on this team last year, there are some
senior leaders as well, but you were one of that
leadership group. When you have a freshman coming in, one
of the things that I've seen is, well, she's not
she hasn't been with us, you know, the last three years,
and she's going to take a senior spot in the

(23:54):
starting lineup. What happens, though, is when you get to
practice and you see a kid like that that can play,
and the kid like stage that can play, it's come on,
let's put our arms around her because they're gonna make
us better. That that's part of the leadership part. And
I think that that when she said, look, they all
accepted me. That's such a big transition for an eighth

(24:15):
grader to come to a team like that. And so
I say congratulations to whoever the leaders of the last year's
team would thank you.

Speaker 6 (24:21):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (24:22):
Yeah, It's like, I mean, we have a ton of
young talent on this team, and I think it's been
really special and it's going to be a special team
for years to come, and we're just really grateful.

Speaker 6 (24:32):
To have them.

Speaker 1 (24:32):
That's a legacy you're leaving. What's going on with you
next year?

Speaker 4 (24:37):
Still kind of figuring out, waiting to hear on a
couple more like college decisions.

Speaker 1 (24:44):
When you close your eyes at night, if you could
pick whatever college in the country you'd want to go to,
where would you go.

Speaker 4 (24:52):
Right now? Probably between Madison or Notre Dame.

Speaker 1 (24:55):
Okay, yeah, two great options. Madison a little closer for
you my mom and Dan for you to get home.
But Notre Dame obviously, I've been on both campuses. Both
are incredible. For sure, Hey, stage, when if we can
come back to your way you played varsity as a
freshman as well. I did you have the same experience
that Rowan did where they were in the beginning, It's

(25:18):
kind of like, man, do I belong at this level?
And did they fully accept you as well?

Speaker 6 (25:23):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (25:24):
I remember my freshman year. The seniors and juniors on
my team that year were really amazing, and it was
really cool because also the sophomores on the team, I'd
played with them in years prior, so I kind of
knew everyone on the team and they all accepted me
with open arms. And it was just really nice, like
being on a team that had such a family dynamic

(25:45):
and I was able to just fit right in and
make friends. And it was nice being a freshman having
friends in all of their grades.

Speaker 6 (25:53):
Even though it's.

Speaker 5 (25:53):
Sad when they leave, you still get like a good
high school experience and like get to know tons of people.

Speaker 1 (25:59):
Are you a multi sport athlete? Kind of Oh, what's
the other sport?

Speaker 6 (26:04):
I played? JV to golf?

Speaker 1 (26:06):
Really? Are you?

Speaker 5 (26:08):
I just started this year. I had never golfed until
August when they started.

Speaker 1 (26:11):
The It's addicting, right.

Speaker 7 (26:15):
It is.

Speaker 1 (26:16):
I never like I was gonna quit playing golf because
I was horrible and I get asked to play in
golf audience and like, I wouldn't sleep all night because
I'd be so embarrassed. And I had the Brickfield Central
golf coach in studio and I told him this is
a year and a half ago, and he said, how
long would it take you fundamentally to teach me how
to shoot a free throw? I said five minutes? And

(26:38):
he goes meet me at a driving range and then
if you still want to quick, give your club's away.
And I'm so addicted to it, it's not even funny.
My kids were very happy because now they knew what
to get me for Christmas. A gift card to this
driving range, a gift carter. They'll be the store, the
Pj's store and Blue Mount, you know stuff like that.
Do you like it?

Speaker 5 (26:58):
I mean, I think the main thing about golf was
I got to play with a lot of my basketball teammates,
so Rowan and then Madeline and Elliott and Carrington, and
I think that's it. They all play golf as well,
so knowing that they were on the team made it
an easier choice.

Speaker 1 (27:13):
Let's go over to Roy. Are you so you're a
multi sport athlete? As well. Yes, golf, basketball, anything else?
That's all No softball, it's kind of a baseball Well
how could we not. You got two brothers playing at
a big time level, you got a father. Who's it.

Speaker 7 (27:28):
I've just like never like really been interested in it.

Speaker 6 (27:30):
It's kind of like.

Speaker 1 (27:32):
It's a that's the family business. Nobody wants to go
in the family business. Right. Does your dad golf?

Speaker 6 (27:40):
He's a big golfer, he is. Yes.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
Did you have a good year?

Speaker 7 (27:45):
I played in one varsity match, so that's a good
year accomplishment.

Speaker 6 (27:49):
I guess.

Speaker 1 (27:49):
Yeah. What's your home course for Whitefish Bay? Do you
guys practice?

Speaker 7 (27:54):
We practiced that brown deer that's probably like our main
home course.

Speaker 1 (27:58):
Pretty good course. Yeah, are you Megan? You're a multi
sport athlete?

Speaker 4 (28:02):
Yes? I am?

Speaker 1 (28:03):
What else?

Speaker 4 (28:04):
I played volleyball and soccer?

Speaker 1 (28:05):
Yeah, you're all three? I remember. Yeah, what's your what's
your favorite? You better say basketball because Snighter's working at you.

Speaker 4 (28:11):
I think I would say basketball.

Speaker 1 (28:13):
Are you a better basketball player? Are you better volleyball
or soccer? What do you think? I think I've and
I'm sorry you In a follow up question, do you
carry over that toughness because that soccer, you can carry
that over volleyball the same thing. Do you carry over
that toughness that you have on the basketball court to
the field into the volleyball court?

Speaker 4 (28:33):
I think especially definitely more in soccer with it being
more of a contact sport. With my height, I'm taller
than a lot of other girls for soccer, but have been.

Speaker 1 (28:42):
Able to What position do you play?

Speaker 4 (28:45):
Like a defensive midfielder?

Speaker 1 (28:46):
So I'd put you at sweeper and let you just
go to work. Yeah, just go ahead, just take out everybody.
Just don't get the red card. But just I don't
want to be scoring. The soccer program the girl the
Women's a girl's soccer program away for space ridiculou. Yeah,
did you guys have a good year?

Speaker 4 (29:03):
We did. Yeah. And even Madonna Helf, one of the
sophomores on our basketball team, is an incredible soccer player.

Speaker 1 (29:10):
And I'm glad that you brought her up. So I
talked to Coach Snyder and you guys were in studio,
so you heard it. But look this team and we
can't get sixteen fifteen girls in studio. You see that
we have two microphones, and Coach Snyder's like, look, I
want to bring my own team, and I said, I
know you do, but we have one hour. We have
three segments and three mics. I said, bring two or three.

(29:31):
And I love the fact that he brought a senior,
a junior, and a sophomore. But boy, there are girls
on this team that you had talked about that could
be starting on other teams, not only in this conference
but throughout the state. And they have to give up
the playing time, but boy, they practice harder and they
get the starters ready to play. Yes, yeah, talk about

(29:53):
some of these girls. But we've talked a little bit.
We haven't talked about Madelin Volpi at all too much
or half or you know, we talked about is he
but uh it'sy I'm sorry, is He? It'sy Smith. Talk
about some other kids on this team that that that
make this team go.

Speaker 4 (30:10):
Yeah, I mean, like with Maddie, I think she's got
a very fun personality. She always is bringing tons of
energy to practice, which makes things super fun and special.
And I like with the rest of the senior girls.
I think there's some of the people I'm most close
with and with.

Speaker 1 (30:31):
Lauren o'reagan, I like her McGivern and o'reagan a couple
of Irish. Yeah, I love that. That's that's awesome. But
the seniors. Have you had senior yet night yet?

Speaker 4 (30:41):
We haven't.

Speaker 1 (30:41):
No, how's that gon it be?

Speaker 4 (30:44):
I'm excited. I think it'll it'll be a fun game.
We've got five seniors, so.

Speaker 1 (30:48):
It'll you know, that's gonna be sad for them, right, Yes,
it will be. And it came quick.

Speaker 6 (30:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (30:54):
Do you know these two sitting next year? Like especially
the council kids. She's like, I got a long time
for that. It goes like that, right, yeah, Hey, what
do you want to go into it when you go
to school?

Speaker 4 (31:06):
I'm interested in something in the medical field, but still
exploring my options.

Speaker 1 (31:10):
Our Pick and Save Student Athlete the Week, We're going
to get to that. On the other side of the break,
Coach Sider, I'm sorry, I got way more questions for
these guys. We're going to ask them their favorite memory
being part of this program, and we will start the
next segment introducing you to our kernel Electric to our
Pick and Safe student Athlete of the Week, Our CLONELCT
superheroes coming in next. She's a girl from Thomas Moore

(31:32):
and looking forward to meeting her. But our Pick and
Save Metro Market Student Athlete of the Week. She is
Megan Gruber from Whitefish Bay High School. And we'll get
to that part on the other side of the break.
This is the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores
on Fox Sports nine twenty and year. iHeart Radio App.
Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show

(31:54):
presented by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market
stores on Fox Sports nine twenty year. I heard radio App.
I'm Mike mcgiver, thanks for joining us speaking of Pick
and Save and Metro Market. Our Pick and Save Metro
Market student Athlete of the Week she is senior Megan
Grewer from Whitefish Bay.

Speaker 4 (32:13):
Megan, congratulations, Thank you, Thank you so much for having us.

Speaker 1 (32:16):
Yeah, you bet. Your motivation for being such a good
student athlete, where does that come from?

Speaker 4 (32:22):
I think the student part was really instilled by my parents.
You know that student always comes will come before the athlete.
And then with the athlete part, I think a lot
of it has just been my teammates. I've always loved
team sports, playing with them, playing for them, It's been
really special.

Speaker 1 (32:39):
I love the fact that your parents stressed being a
good student. It's shocking to me when when I talked
to your head coach and he said, look, I I
can't pick one because our team GPA is through the roof.
And that makes it a little bit easier to coach
because we don't have as coaches. We don't have to
bug you to do your homework. We don't have to say, look,

(33:01):
if you don't get a BE on this test, you're
going to be off the team for five games. You
know that kind of stuff. So I love that. We
will meet at the Metro Market in Shorewood one of
the evening next week. Check with your family. We'll let
your teammates know that you're going to be there, and
if anybody wants to come and support, that'd be great.
We'll take some pictures in the Floral department because there's

(33:22):
no beer wine in the background. That's the reason I
picked the Floral department all the time. And we have
a beautiful plaque and we celebrate you as our Pick
and Save Metro Market Student Athlete of the Week. So
I'll get you my number and you just let me
know what evening works for you next week.

Speaker 4 (33:37):
Perfect.

Speaker 1 (33:38):
Hey, let's go let's go to you if we can
rowan council. Your favorite memory of being part of the
Blue Dukes basketball program so far? What would it be?

Speaker 7 (33:49):
I would say probably this year at like our Thanksgiving tournament,
we played against Wannakee, and it was just like it
was such a fun game, Like the energy was so
like high in the gym, and it was kind of
I have a back and forth game. Then towards the
end of the game, I think we were down by
like fifteen, and we went on a fifteen oh run
to win the game, and Madam Wilby actually ends up
hitting like the two like game winning threes and we

(34:11):
won by how many were I?

Speaker 1 (34:13):
One? By one?

Speaker 6 (34:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (34:15):
It was a really what a great game. Man, that's
a really good memory. Sage. Let's bring the microphone over
to you. Sage. You're a junior on this team that
been part of the varsity for a since for your
freshman year. Your favorite memory so far? You both you
two guys got a lot, all three of you got
a lot of basketball we played yet, but so far,

(34:36):
your favorite memory being part of this program.

Speaker 5 (34:38):
I would say it's pretty hard to choose a favorite
memory because it's we just have such an awesome team,
so being able to play with them is always a
good memory. But my personal favorite memory was when I
was a freshman, we were tied at the end of
one of the games and I hit a half court shot.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
So did you know what was going when you let
it go? It had a chance.

Speaker 5 (35:00):
I mean, So, we do this drill every day at practice,
and to end practice, we end it with it's called
the bear drill, and the last shot to win the
drill is a half court shot. And I think it
really prepped me because that season we'd been practicing and
I don't think my team had like won the bear
drill until like it was definitely not very often. And

(35:23):
then but we got to practice the half court shots
every day.

Speaker 1 (35:26):
So did the one that you hit? Was it nothing
but netther to hit the backboard and go in, or
did it roll around or.

Speaker 5 (35:32):
I think it might have hit the like the basket
like part of the rim, but it basically.

Speaker 1 (35:38):
Was just it went it went in. Yeah, the the
entire bench went nuts. Everybody I bet was at that
home or on the road.

Speaker 6 (35:46):
It was on the road.

Speaker 1 (35:47):
Yeah, good for you. Wow, that's a good memory. Megan Kruber,
she is not only senior leader on this team. She
is our pick and Save Metro Market Student Athlete of
the Week. As a senior, you've been you've been through
the program for a bit. Your favorite memory.

Speaker 4 (36:06):
I would say this year something that was really special
was we got to play a game at Fiserv and
so one got to skip the day of school and
spend it with the team. We got some breakfast beforehand
and then went to fire Serve got to play, and
I think it was just a really cool environment. Yeah,

(36:27):
definitely caught up to you by the end of the game.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
But who did you guys play there?

Speaker 4 (36:31):
We played walk a shot?

Speaker 1 (36:33):
Okay, yeah, you guys got obviously got to win. Since
the only two losses are to that team that we
don't want to talk about it anymore. Hey as a senior,
and I don't want any bulletin material for any other team,
But is there a who's the rivalry for you? Personally?

Speaker 4 (36:50):
I would say since I was younger, Homestead has always
been a big team for us.

Speaker 1 (36:56):
They're good.

Speaker 4 (36:57):
Yeah. Yeah, they have a lot of great girls, especially
in who are seniors this year, and so it was
really special to get a win against them this year.
And we'll hopefully be coming back for more.

Speaker 1 (37:10):
Hey, Megan Kruber with coach Schneider in studio. We're going
to talk about him behind his back. What aren't you
going to mess like? What drill does he have you
do every day? Or what give me a saying or
something that you're gonna be like, Man, I'm not sure
I'm miss that part of this.

Speaker 4 (37:29):
I would say maybe just like the sixteens, like we
haven't ran too many of them.

Speaker 1 (37:34):
It's just like, do you know smiling, I'm going right
to you, missage. No, no, no, because you had an
answer like that, bring the microphone to you. Tell me.

Speaker 2 (37:43):
Well.

Speaker 5 (37:43):
I was just thinking of something funny because this year,
on one of our practices, I don't think we were
executing like the way we should have been, which is
completely on us.

Speaker 6 (37:53):
But Schreider goes.

Speaker 5 (37:55):
We can we can run in straight lines for a
very long time if you guys don't figure this out.
He was trying to be nice about it because I
think we had some of the eighth graders there, but
I have to say that was a little serious, a
little fearful after that.

Speaker 1 (38:10):
And he meant it, yeah, yeah, he would. He would
make you run if you can move the microphone over
rollan how about for you give me give me something
that that that that either the coach markson or coach
Snyder yells, says. And the reason for the question, so
this girl's team that I coached years ago at Calvary Baptist,

(38:30):
I still get messages from these girls going, you're not
going to believe this. I'm now coaching and I'm saying
the same stuff when you said this over and over
and over. I'm using and I used to hate when
you'd say that to us, but now I'm using, and
I'm using this drill. And I had a deal for
as long as I coached how important it was to

(38:52):
be on time. If we practice at one o'clock, you
get there a quarter one, you get yourself ready to
gets yourself stressed out, and and and now at one
o'clock we're gonna start. And what I would do And
this happened the second practice. Three girls came ten minutes late,
and they just kind of wandered in and I said,
remember we had that conversation the first practice about how yeah, yeah,

(39:13):
sorry about that, And I go, no, that's okay, And
I took three chairs and I put him in half
court and I get, like the newspaper, I go, come
sit down, read the paper. Just relax. Everybody else on
the line you owe me ten line drolls and if
you don't like, to take care of it in the
locker room. And kids are never late anymore. And it's
a little different on the boy side. Now. Remember I
was coaching at a Christian school and I got a

(39:34):
call from a parent asking me if that was biblical,
and I said it is, and they said where I go,
I don't know, I'll find it. I haven't found it yet.
But so that's the things that these girls are doing.
Rown something that coach Snyder does that if you ever coach,
you think you're never going to make these girls do.

Speaker 7 (39:51):
But I don't know anything that he says, but like
I mean like kind of going on with like the
time thing. He always says, like if like you're on time,
like you're late, like kind of like holds us really
accountable to like like be there like be early.

Speaker 1 (40:04):
And yeah, hey, what part of a team sport like this,
because golf is an individual, what part of a team
sport for you? Do you get the most out of you?
Do you like the camaraderie. Did you like the wins?
Did the lessons you learn in team sports? I think
we'll carry on and you're just a sophomore, so you're

(40:25):
fifteen years old or whatever you are. The lessons you've
learned on team sports is what.

Speaker 7 (40:32):
Yeah, I feel like I've learned like a lot of lessons.
But I feel like I've just like met so many
like great girls and like learned like so much more
than like just about like like the game of like basketball,
which has like been really good.

Speaker 1 (40:42):
Who do you play for in the summer? What AU program?

Speaker 6 (40:45):
Oh Wisconsin Impact?

Speaker 1 (40:48):
Did you do you like playing for your school? It's
too It's it's completely different. And what's interesting is I
always think it's most important to play with the school
on the front of the jersey and the kids that
you went to grade school with and the kids that
you've you're in class with and you walk down the
hall with. But other people are like, look, I like

(41:09):
A I like AU because I get to travel a
little bit and I get to play, you know, different competition.
How about for you?

Speaker 7 (41:15):
Yeah, I feel like it's kind of like two different
games almost, But I've met a lot of like great
girls through AU.

Speaker 6 (41:20):
And they're some of like my best friends.

Speaker 7 (41:22):
But I kind of would say like high school because
I really play some like my closest friends, and I
feel like it's just like it's like a really long season.
So and there's so many competitive games to play.

Speaker 1 (41:32):
Guys. You're in the dog days right now, and then
in a couple of weeks then all of a sudden,
that cheat that I took away from you, guys, that's
coming into play and things starting to lighten up stage.
You Do you play AU as well?

Speaker 5 (41:44):
Yes, I've played AAU since I was in fourth grade
and four When I was younger, I played for Wisconsin
Impact as well, and then right now I played for
Midwest Elite main Streets.

Speaker 1 (41:54):
Yeah. What made you make a change?

Speaker 6 (41:57):
Just try new things?

Speaker 1 (41:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (41:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (42:00):
Want to play at the next level?

Speaker 5 (42:01):
I do?

Speaker 4 (42:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (42:02):
Are people talking to you yet?

Speaker 6 (42:04):
I've talked to some coaches? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (42:06):
Good. At what level? Do you think.

Speaker 6 (42:10):
Whatever fits?

Speaker 5 (42:11):
I mean, do one is always pretty cool? But whatever
just fits for me? I think, yeahould be my decision.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
I'm rolling same question for you as it and you're
a sophomore, so I don't mean to You can change
your mind eight times before you leave the studio. But
is basketball something you think you want to play at
the next.

Speaker 6 (42:28):
Level, Yes, definitely.

Speaker 1 (42:30):
If you could pick any school in the country, or
what would you pick, because lately when I asked that
question the girls, it's like, well, LSU or Connecticut, right,
some of the bigger ones.

Speaker 6 (42:42):
I mean, I don't know if I want to stay close.

Speaker 1 (42:44):
To home or not, but Notre Dame might be a
place for you. Right, there's a little family history there.
We'll see you guys can if yeah, there you go.
Are you going to play sports at the next level, Megan.

Speaker 4 (42:58):
Not collegiately, but I hope to continue playing through club
or Oh.

Speaker 1 (43:02):
You'd be my first pick on the club team. Yeah,
literally my first pick, because even on the club team,
you're gonna do all the stuff that you do on
the floor is going to come back. You know, box out,
you're gonna defend, You're gonna rebound, you're gonna get loose walls,
knock shots down when when you need to. For sure, hey,
the rest of the year, I see Homestead, you get
Homestead coming up again, and you guys have some tough

(43:24):
games coming up. For sure. The idea of winning the
conference is always our first, our first thought like, let's
win our conference and then we'll worry about how far
are we, how deep we can get the state. You
got your two behind Hartford right now, that might not happen.
Do you then kind of start to think about, like,
let's just have our team being ready to play at

(43:45):
the highest level come the end of the year.

Speaker 8 (43:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (43:48):
I mean we've always taken it as one game at
a time, no matter who we're playing, and just one
one point one play at a time, just breaking it up.
We always talk about a lot and just wanting to
always reach for the next wrong, never only focusing on
the top. And yeah, it'll just be continuing to work

(44:10):
to improve each and every practice, each and every game. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (44:14):
Yeah, there's a couple of games on your schedule and
we won't I won't say them out loud, but that
that you guys would be okay at right there's some
teams that are struggling, but boy, I'll tell you when
you look. You got Homestead coming up, Grafton's a good team.
Port Washington's a good team. You've got some quality opponents
coming up leading into playoff time, and you know, this

(44:36):
would be a really good time for you guys to
be hitting on all cylinders. You do me a favor.
And I ask seniors all the time, don't let don't
let anybody on this team mess with what's going on. Right. Look,
you can go to parties after the season's over. You
can do all that stuff. As as seniors, it's important
for the leadership side to keep this team. There are

(44:58):
teams in the past that come play off time all
of a sudden there's three starters out because they did
something stupid. Don't don't let any of this. Don't let
that happen.

Speaker 4 (45:07):
Yeah, for sure, And I think we all the girls
on the team are very you know, we've talked about
you've really got to buy into this team and that's
led to the success we have.

Speaker 1 (45:17):
Which one of the two in here are you most
worried about it? And that No, you're not worried at all.
I think that one of them. No, I'm only kidding.
You're not You're not a sage. You're not a troublemaker.

Speaker 6 (45:27):
I'm not a trouble maker.

Speaker 7 (45:28):
No.

Speaker 1 (45:29):
What's your GPA?

Speaker 5 (45:30):
My GPA is a four point zero this.

Speaker 1 (45:32):
Semester, Roland, how about you? I have like a three six,
so three five and above? Man i'd buy your car.
You know that. Yeah, because I went to Mesmer and
you add them all up all four years. I don't
think I got that high. So I love that. Guys,
Thank you so much. Keep up the good work. I
can tell you this that Coach Markson and Coach Sna
are really proud of this team. And when they talk

(45:54):
about the team, they don't tell you. They don't talk
about wins and losses. They don't say, hey look at us, man,
look a good way with thirteen to They talk about
how hard you guys practice, how much you care about
each other, and how much you guys play for each other,
which as a former coach, as a retired coach, that
means more to me than what thirteen and two is.
And they're really really happy and proud of the way

(46:15):
you guys are playing. Right now, keep out the good work, Megan.
Let me know then what Thursday or Thursday works if
not one of the evenings, and we'll get hopefully some
of your teammates will come and join us. Perfect gratulations again,
our Pike and Save Metro Market student app of the
Week Coach Cider, well done. You're right. These girls are
really impressive and I got to get out and see

(46:35):
you guys play. I would love to do that. We're
going to get to a break. Other side of the break.
Our current electric Superhero of the week, she's in the building,
Kaylea Kurtz from Thomas Moore will join us. This is
the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show, presented by your
local Picket, Save and Metro Market stores on Fox Sports
ninet twenty and your iHeart Radio app. Oh, welcome back

(46:56):
to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show, as always
presented by your LOFE local Pick and Save and Metro
Market stores. We're on Fox Sports ninety twenty in your
iHeartRadio app. Coming live from the Donovan and Jorgensen Heating
and Cooling Studios. Any problems that you have with your
HVAC system go to Donovanjorganson dot com. Huge fan of

(47:17):
the work they do, Huge fan of the people at
Donovan Jorgensen, and I thank them for the work they've
done at my house, at my son Matthew's house, my
daughter Katie's house. They're keeping all my grandkids nice and warm,
and I thank you for that. Donovan Jorgensen. At ten twenty,
we're going to talk with J. T. Gritzmeyer. He's the
head men's basketball coach at UW le Cross. They're having

(47:40):
a really good year and I want to just catch
up with him and see how things are doing. Things
are going for him and again having a really good year.
But before we get to him, our current electric Superhero
of the Week from Thomas Moore High School. She is
Kayla Kurtz. Kayla, how you doing. I'm doing good that
It's nice to me eat you. The people at Thomas

(48:01):
More are huge fans of yours and understand that that
when I ask them give me a student does great
work in the classroom, is very active in the school,
has that servant leadership Hart And who are you going
to miss the most when they graduate? And boom, it's you.
The legacy you're leaving at Thomas More is really really strong,
and I say congratulations to.

Speaker 2 (48:22):
You for that.

Speaker 6 (48:23):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (48:24):
You're you're a multi sport athlete. And I don't know
if I've ever had a softball weightlifter in studio. That's
a cool combination. By the way, I want to talk
about the weightlifting part. When did that? How did that start?

Speaker 7 (48:40):
It was the summer going into my freshman year, and
one of the coaches came up to me and asked
me about it while I was working out, and it
just kind of took off from there.

Speaker 1 (48:46):
And so you compete in powerlifting? Correct?

Speaker 6 (48:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (48:50):
And what I don't know much about these meets? Do
you do? You? Are you bench press and curl? And what?
What are you? What are you? What are your specialties?

Speaker 7 (49:00):
So in a meet, you do squat, bench and i'd
lift and you do three lifts for each one?

Speaker 1 (49:05):
Which one of those three are you best? Had?

Speaker 6 (49:07):
My best one is probably my squat?

Speaker 1 (49:09):
Yeah? How much do you have to be in the
weight room now prior to meets and stuff? Are you?

Speaker 7 (49:14):
You? Do?

Speaker 1 (49:15):
You have that that template all set for Okay? If
I have a meet two weeks or Saturday, I know
what I have to do each day leading up to it.

Speaker 6 (49:23):
Yeah, I have.

Speaker 7 (49:24):
My coach makes all of my programs for me, so
I know what I'm doing to coach.

Speaker 6 (49:27):
His name, his name is coach Takowski.

Speaker 1 (49:30):
Man, Well done, You're fully invested in this? Huh?

Speaker 6 (49:33):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (49:33):
Are you?

Speaker 1 (49:33):
You're pretty good at it?

Speaker 6 (49:35):
I think?

Speaker 7 (49:35):
So?

Speaker 6 (49:35):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (49:36):
Is there is there a did you compete here locally
with other high schools in our area?

Speaker 6 (49:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (49:42):
So in my region, I compete against schools like Elkhorn,
cut A, hay Germantown, all in this like southeast part Wisconsin.

Speaker 1 (49:51):
I'm sure that you've become friends with some of these.

Speaker 7 (49:53):
Girls, A few of them, not not many. I'm pretty
quiet and meets. I wear my headphones a lot.

Speaker 1 (49:57):
Oh do you really? You get yourself ready to go? Hey,
and you play softball, not only playing softball all four
years of high school, but captain in the last two years,
which is really impressive. What position did you're playing softball
last year?

Speaker 7 (50:11):
I was a catcher. The year before I was center fielder.
So it kind of just depends on what we need
that year.

Speaker 1 (50:17):
What do you like better? I love catching, you see,
catchers are a little different. You know that, right, Yeah,
you're just a little I have an older brother that's
still catching baseball, hardball. Yeah, he's catching. He'll catch two
games in a day and he's seventy And I go,
can you throw guys out? And he goes, yeah, I
can one hop and get these jokers they're seventy. So

(50:39):
I said that is awesome. So what is your GPA?

Speaker 6 (50:43):
My cumulative GPA is a four point four to.

Speaker 1 (50:45):
Seven, oh Man, at a school that doesn't give away grades.
You got to earn those grades. Yeah, you have two
jobs pharmacy technician, youth apprentice and a member of the
Army National Guard. Thank you for your service. By the way,
why did you get in the Army National Guard.

Speaker 7 (51:02):
I actually had a friend that enlisted first before me,
and he's away at training now, but he talked about
it a lot around me, and then one summer I
gave my information to some recruiters and they reached out
to me, and from there, I probably from the first
time I talked to them, about two or three weeks
later I had enlisted.

Speaker 1 (51:20):
What's going on with you next year? Do you know yet?

Speaker 6 (51:23):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (51:23):
So after graduation, I'll leave for my basic training and
job training, and then after that I will hopefully be
attending Madison. So those decisions come out next week.

Speaker 1 (51:32):
Will you continue to be part of the the National Guard.

Speaker 7 (51:35):
Yeah? So my contract was for six years, so I'll
be in for six years.

Speaker 1 (51:39):
Did they they help with tuition?

Speaker 4 (51:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (51:42):
They covered They'll pay for my Madison tuition.

Speaker 1 (51:44):
Yeah, good for you. Are you do you so you've
gotten into Madison?

Speaker 6 (51:48):
No, so we're they actually haven't released the decisions yet.

Speaker 7 (51:51):
We're hoping next week. It should be next week, but
don't know when.

Speaker 1 (51:54):
You and you brought your mom in Amanda, how are you?

Speaker 6 (51:57):
Well?

Speaker 1 (51:58):
Yeah, it's nice to meet you. You got be so proud.

Speaker 9 (52:00):
I am.

Speaker 1 (52:01):
You got to be so proud. When I read and
and Colonel Electric will get this up on their Facebook page.
They haven't gotten it there yet, and they're normally really good,
so I don't know if there's an issue with that
I sent them. But we haven't even gotten involved with
the servant leadership part of Kayla. That that's the most
impressive part to me. That, Look, she's really busy. She's

(52:24):
really busy, and I don't know how she gets good grades.
Does she get that from your side or.

Speaker 9 (52:29):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (52:30):
No, could you and are twins? Then yeah, she I
love that. But the fact that she has not only
is taking care of all of this stuff. Let me
go through a little bit on some of the excuse me,
some of the volunteering that she does. She's the co
president of the National Honciety, a member of Music Ministry.

(52:50):
Do you sing?

Speaker 6 (52:51):
Yeah, so we sing out our all school masses.

Speaker 1 (52:53):
You sing?

Speaker 6 (52:54):
I sing?

Speaker 1 (52:55):
I was told never to sing in public by a
then in fourth grade because I'm so tone deaf. She
told me that Baby Jesus didn't want to hear me sing.
That was me. You imagine what a scar that left
in me. I envy anybody that can sing. So. Good
for you the part of giving back into the school itself.

(53:16):
You're the president of the Students Against Destructive Decisions. I've
not heard of that before. Tell me what that is.

Speaker 7 (53:22):
So, Students Against Destructive Decisions is a club that promotes
healthy decision making and kind of educating students on like
the different options that they have. It was started in
the school when a senior and I think it was
nineteen ninety nine, a girl died in a car crash
and she was hit by drunk drivers, like the day
before Christmas. Oh boy, So the family started a fund

(53:43):
at the school, started the club and it's been going
since nineteen ninety nine.

Speaker 1 (53:46):
Man, good for them. Good and the fact that it's
still going going strong.

Speaker 6 (53:50):
Yes, we have one hundred and fifty members this year.

Speaker 1 (53:53):
Are you kidding?

Speaker 6 (53:54):
Yeah, it's double what we had last year.

Speaker 1 (53:57):
And you're the president. Yeah, how did you did you
just go up to kids and say come to this meeting?
Because we need help.

Speaker 7 (54:04):
We had a table at lunch and a lot of
a lot more kids came up than I expected that
we're interested. So I didn't expect one hundred and fifty
this year, but yeah, a lot more kids were interested
than I thought they would.

Speaker 1 (54:13):
Be Student Council Leadership Council, Family Tree Leader. What is
a family tree leader?

Speaker 6 (54:20):
Family time?

Speaker 1 (54:21):
Family time? I'm sorry, no, it's right in front of me.
I have my glasses that see did the whole messmer
reading thing didn't go so well for me? The family
time leader? What is that?

Speaker 6 (54:31):
Family time is something we do.

Speaker 7 (54:33):
So we have a block schedule, but on Fridays we
have our straight eight, so we'll have all eight classes
a day and there's about thirty minutes on that day
where we are in a classroom with a group of
our peers and we just kind of like learn how
to be leaders, how to be servant leaders, and all
that kind of stuff, and I run the lessons for
it that the teachers give to us.

Speaker 1 (54:54):
How do you have a four point five GPA with
all the stuff that you do? Where do you find
the time? Can I ask?

Speaker 6 (54:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (54:59):
I mean I took a study hall this year. I
hadn't in the past, so that certainly is helping now.

Speaker 1 (55:03):
But those study halls are Yeah, most people are fooling
around in those study halls. I can't imagine you do that.

Speaker 6 (55:09):
No, I definitely take advantage of them.

Speaker 7 (55:11):
But in the past is just I get home from
lifting and I try to get my stuff done right away.

Speaker 1 (55:17):
The past two years, you volunteered to the school's craft
fair as well as the dinner auction, helping raise money
for academics and sports. When she isn't competing, she helps
coach freshman lifting and powerlifting. Your motivation for this ser
servant leadership heart that you have. This isn't something we're
born with. It's totally a learned behavior, and I'm wondering

(55:40):
where you learned that from.

Speaker 7 (55:42):
I think I learned it when I started high school
and I started becoming more involved.

Speaker 6 (55:48):
I wasn't super involved in middle school.

Speaker 7 (55:50):
There was just weren't a lot of opportunities to And
then I started in high school and all these opportunities
had appeared for me to help out others, and I
started taking them and I kind of saw I saw
other people's improvement. I saw how it benefited the community
and everyone around me and I just wanted to keep
that going.

Speaker 1 (56:05):
Can I ask you this question, because this is the
part of doing this Kerrentel Electric Superhero the Week, A
couple of things have happened. One, I feel like I'm
such a loser, right, I mean, you're how old are you?

Speaker 6 (56:17):
I'm going to be eighteen next week, so you're.

Speaker 1 (56:19):
Not yet eight Happy birthday by the way, you're not
yet eighteen years old. And these things that you do
was just not on my radar when I was your age,
and I commend you for that. And what I found
from doing this segment is do you get more out
of some of the volunteering stuff that you do than

(56:41):
the people you're helping? Because the people that do what
you do, like a lot of the past superheroes have said, Look,
until I was on National Iron Siety and they made
me volunteer, I didn't know. And then I started doing
it and I found that I'm getting more out of it.
So now I volunteered to help these and to do

(57:01):
this and to jump in here, and the feeling that
they get when they leave or they help and volunteer is, Man,
I'm getting a lot out of this by by helping
other people.

Speaker 7 (57:13):
Yeah, I would probably say I get a lot out
of it, But I also think that what I do
is just like coaching. I try to make sure that
they're getting a lot out of it as much as
I am, and they're leaving with a better sense of
what they're doing.

Speaker 1 (57:23):
Hey, do you think powerlifting is in your future? Will
you do that at the college level?

Speaker 7 (57:28):
Yeah, Madison actually has a powerlifting club that I'm hoping
to join and then maybe at some point go to
collegiate nationals, which would be very very fun experience. So
I'm going to definitely keep lifting. I don't know about competing,
but I know for sure that I'm going to keep
working out and lifting in my future.

Speaker 1 (57:45):
So, Amanda, when I when I talk to your daughter
about all this stuff and all the stuff that she does,
and even you kind of like shake your head like wow,
I don't When I asked her when she sleeps and
how does she get all this work done? She juggles
all of this and she doesn't seem to drop any
of it.

Speaker 7 (58:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (58:06):
No, but come a little closer if you can.

Speaker 9 (58:08):
When she gets home, she does rest a lot.

Speaker 1 (58:12):
Did she at home?

Speaker 9 (58:13):
She's resting?

Speaker 1 (58:13):
Is her is her room messy?

Speaker 9 (58:15):
A little good. She does her own laundry.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
Good. We want her room to be messy because that
means she's normal.

Speaker 9 (58:22):
Used to be clean, but now that she's taken so much.

Speaker 1 (58:24):
Good, let it be messy. I get most nervous when
I have a superhero here that has a four point five?
Does all this stuff? Room is spotless? My fear is
when they get to college and they get a B
plus in a class, they're going to lose their mind.
And that's what That's that scares me. Don't that won't happen.

Speaker 6 (58:45):
To be plus her last year?

Speaker 1 (58:49):
What class? What's the teachers? You know? Don't don't do that.
Let's throw that. Let's throw that teacher under the bus.
How did you was that? How did you react to that?

Speaker 7 (59:00):
I was honestly okay with it, if he Physics was
probably one of the hardest classes I've ever taken, So
I was very very happy to be finishing with a
B plus.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
Do you know what you want to do next year? Well,
whenever you go to wherever you go to college, do
you know what you want to go into?

Speaker 6 (59:14):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (59:14):
So I'm eventually going to become a genetic counselor. But
I want to get a bachelor's in molecular and cell
biology first to have a really like stable foundation and
knowledge in it. And then Madison has a genetic Counseling
studies program for the masters.

Speaker 1 (59:29):
That I want a man and I are rolling our
eyes because we like, I don't even and Spencer he
our producers like you, I can't spell that? Are you
kidding me? He's a cooler boy? They didn't. They don't
spell well there, So give me an idea again. And
I'm reading and this will go up on the current
elect or Facebook page very soon. And you plan to

(59:49):
attend hopefully w Madison major in molecular and sell biology.
What is that?

Speaker 7 (59:56):
So it's kind of looking instead of like looking at
biology as a whole, it's specifically looking at the cellular
level and like DNA and RNA and all that kind of.

Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
Stuff that's really interesting to you. Yeah, Thomas Moore High
School and and and and I'm a big fan of
the president there. John Hoak's a really good guy. And
we coached against each other. He's a really good basketball coach,
and he's a good man, and he cares deeply. We've
had conversations. He cares deeply about this school. And these

(01:00:25):
kids and the future right, and he talks about making
sure our kids are ready for the next chapter in
their life. And and not only the faith side of
Thomas Moore, but certainly the academic and and and the
athletics side. You give them a lot of credit for
getting you prepared for this next chapter.

Speaker 6 (01:00:43):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:00:44):
Teachers have been great, Yes, absolutely, except that that ap
she was.

Speaker 7 (01:00:48):
Honestly, she's a very sweet and kind teacher. We just
all of us very much struggled in that class.

Speaker 1 (01:00:52):
I bet got to be so hard when when you
get to that next chapter and in your life, you know,
you can change your mind a few times before we
leave the studio. But what a great idea and goal
of what interests you and then pursuing that goal is
is really cool to me. How's the softball team going
to be?

Speaker 6 (01:01:12):
We're hoping for a better season than last year.

Speaker 1 (01:01:14):
Last season was rough.

Speaker 6 (01:01:15):
It was rough.

Speaker 7 (01:01:16):
We can definitely run into a lot better this year.
There's there's so much room for improvement that we can
make that. There's no way we go down, there's only
up from me.

Speaker 1 (01:01:24):
Do you think you'll catch again this year?

Speaker 6 (01:01:25):
I think so?

Speaker 1 (01:01:26):
Yeah, Yeah, yeah, you got a good a couple of
good pictures.

Speaker 6 (01:01:30):
And we have two this year. This is rather than
just one and just we don't have one this year,
we have two. So that's very exciting, Amanda.

Speaker 1 (01:01:39):
How hard will it be when she leaves for school,
when she leaves.

Speaker 9 (01:01:42):
For college, her younger sister is going to struggle?

Speaker 1 (01:01:49):
Oh, okay, what year she sophomore? Okay, so it won't
be totally quiet in the home.

Speaker 9 (01:01:54):
No, it won't be totally quiet. But she's like a
huge part of piece of the puzzle that makes us
all work. So I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:02:01):
What this is a year of last for you, And
I'm sorry, I don't want. I don't mean to make
it emotional for you, but it seemed, you know, three
years ago, when you were she's playing softball and it's
senior night, you're thinking, oh, I got so much time,
and it's coming up. It'll be a year of last.
The last time they go over and play at Green
del Martin Luther and they play at Saint Catherine's and

(01:02:22):
and so good luck with that. I've been through it.
My tears are now dry. Right. My My my daughter
played some sports in grade school. My son played all
the way through college. And when it ended, there's there's
a void, and when they moved out, there's a void.
It's like a to My daughter is like a tornado
when she came home. And I don't know haylos like that.

(01:02:42):
But does does her younger sister play sports as well?

Speaker 9 (01:02:46):
She powerlesss She did track last year, but she's not
going to this year.

Speaker 1 (01:02:50):
So who puts up who puts up bigger numbers? You're
your sisters.

Speaker 6 (01:02:55):
I put up bigger numbers.

Speaker 7 (01:02:56):
But yeah, there was there was a point in time
where she was maybe putting up more.

Speaker 9 (01:03:01):
Numbers than I stayed last year, Peyton lifted more than.

Speaker 6 (01:03:04):
Yeah, my sister did lift more than we had state
last year. It wasn't a lot.

Speaker 1 (01:03:07):
Did she talk a little smack about it?

Speaker 6 (01:03:09):
No, not honestly, not really.

Speaker 1 (01:03:11):
She knew, oh, I'd still be talking back to you.

Speaker 9 (01:03:14):
No, it was a rough meat for Kayla's so she didn't.

Speaker 6 (01:03:16):
Yeah, I did not do great that time.

Speaker 1 (01:03:19):
Why do you think that is?

Speaker 6 (01:03:21):
I didn't.

Speaker 7 (01:03:22):
I was worried about making my weight class, so I
didn't eat as much that morning as I should have.

Speaker 6 (01:03:27):
Yeah, so I kind of your.

Speaker 1 (01:03:29):
Mind a little bit too, Yeah, KYLEA, congratulations our colonel
Electric Superhero of the Week from Thomas Moore High School.
She is Kayla Kurtz and I've set an email over
to my friends who over at Colonel Electric and I
hope it's not something that I messed up, but we
will get this up on the Colonel Electric Facebook page
very soon. And understand that you will be put in

(01:03:52):
at the end of the Cerne Electric Foundation picks one winner,
and I put everybody's bio and pick Trump and they
pick one winner for a five thousand dollars scholarship to
the school live their choice, and you will be in
the running for that. I thank the staff, and I
think John Holk and the people at Thomas Moore they
nominated you for this. And John, if you're listening, I

(01:04:15):
get it now what you told me, I got it.
I understand you could not have have have told me
more great things about a student in your school. And
if we had another fifteen minutes, I can't go through
all the things that Kayla Kurtz is involved in, and
that all the things that she gives back to you.
And I'm so so happy that we've had a chance

(01:04:37):
to meet and that you are a current Electric Superhero
of the Week. Keep up the good work. If I
hear from your mom that you know second semester, that
your your staff doing your homework and now you're a
three four student, I'm telling I'm coming and getting the
T shirt back, the superhero T shirt. And trust me,
I know where you live. I'm gonna come and get
that shirt. Don't let that happen.

Speaker 6 (01:04:56):
No, absolutely not.

Speaker 1 (01:04:56):
I know that you. You wouldn't even done. It wouldn't
even done, and you just start skipping claims. Now, well done,
Thomas Moore. Guys, you did great. She is going to
be fully prepared for this next chapter in her life. Man,
it's good to meet you. Amanda told me four times
walking in the studio. Do not talk to me, do
not make me talk. You did great, and it's just

(01:05:17):
you're so proud of this girl.

Speaker 7 (01:05:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:05:19):
Hey, it's nice to meet you.

Speaker 9 (01:05:21):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:05:21):
You did good. You did really good. So well done.
We're going to get to a break. Other side of
the break, we're going to reach out to J. T. Gritzmeyer,
head basketball coach, had men's basketball coach at uw Lacrosse.
This is the Varsity Blitz high school sports show presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market Stores
on Fox Sports nide twenty in your iHeart Radio app.

(01:05:43):
Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz high school sports show,
presented as always by your local Pick and Save and
Metro Market stores on Fox Sports nine twenty in your
iHeart Radio App. I want to thank Kayla Kurtz from
Thomas Moore is our Colonel Electric Superhero of the week.
Want to thank the three girls and the head coach
from Whitefish Bait Girls program, John Schneider, Megan Gruber, Sage

(01:06:05):
Miscal and Rowan Counsel we're in studio, did a great
job and I want to thank them and for the
time that they gave us, and certainly Kayla Kurtz from
Thomas Moore for all the work she does not only
in the classroom in the school, but in our community.
Just she's really really impressive, and I thank her and
her mom, Amanda, for coming into studio. We are now

(01:06:27):
joined by the men's coach Men's basketball uw Lacrosse. And
known this young guy for a long time and known
his mom even longer. And I'm a big fan of J. T. Gritzmeyer.
Hey coach, so far, so good man. You guys are
playing well.

Speaker 10 (01:06:44):
Hey, my god. Yeah, how's it going. Prettreciate you having
me on. You know, we've been playing, We've been playing
pretty well lately. It's been a fun season.

Speaker 1 (01:06:53):
Well, you know, uw Platteville number one in the country.
I think you guys are number ten, Is that correct?

Speaker 10 (01:07:00):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, Worth, they're number one.

Speaker 1 (01:07:03):
When's the last time uw LA Cross Beens basketball was
ranked in the top ten? Do you know this?

Speaker 7 (01:07:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (01:07:10):
I want to say I think they a couple of
years before I got here. They had a really good season,
and I think they're the top ten for you know,
at least one of the polls. I'm not sure how long,
but I don't have the exact answers for it. I
know they coached Durnba because at his point he did
he did a really good job kind of getting the
program program back going, and uh, it's been good. Now,

(01:07:31):
it's been it's been a lot of fun.

Speaker 1 (01:07:33):
Man. Well, I look you and I I've known your mom,
Linda a long time and and I knew about you,
and then you took the job at Brighton Stratton. We
got connected and uh, I came to a couple of games.
We talked a lot, and then Brighton. Stratton very proud
of you, by the way, and you took the job
at UW Lacrosse, and I said to you, hey, just

(01:07:56):
make sure that that that you continue to recruit kids
from the state of Wisconsin, because it's big to me
to have kids from the state of Wisconsin have a
chance to play at the next level. And coach, you
took my advice, man, because if looking at your way
at your roster, there's I think two kids from outside

(01:08:18):
of the state and the rest, you know, for one
from Reedsburg, one from tost to West, one from New Richmond,
from Toma, from Nina, from Randolph, from Catholic Memorial, a
couple from Catholic Memorial, Ash Wabinon. Your whole roster is
filled with Wisconsin kids, and I love that. And the
fact that your tenth in the country with mostly Wisconsin

(01:08:39):
kids does not surprise me.

Speaker 10 (01:08:42):
Yeah, I mean, I think that's kind of uh. That's
that's one of our main recruiting things we do here,
is we really just recruit inside the state of Wisconsin.
If we got to go to Minnesota, Illinois, we might,
but really it's just Wisconsin. I think that there's a
lot of sale in Wisconsin, and I think growing up
in w scys and as a kid, most most kids
know about the you know WIIC and know about the

(01:09:04):
UW school, so it helps in recruiting. And then when
you can get somebody from anywhere in Wisconsin to lacrosse
and let them see the city in the campus, it's
hard for them to say no to coming.

Speaker 1 (01:09:14):
Hey, coach, looking at the stats, you know, as a
former a retired basketball coach, if I was getting ready
to play a team that had one guy average in
twenty seven and the next guy averaging nine, I feel
very confident, Right, we can do some things to get
that kid that's averaging twenty seven to only score twenty two,

(01:09:35):
and we got a good chance to win. Looking at
your stats, you've got four and almost five players averaging
double figures. And those are always the teams for me
as a former coach that I worried about. Right, It's
not that we take away Sam and and don't worry
about Dustin and JJ and Carter and Will and the

(01:09:56):
rest of them. It's it's five guys averaging double figures,
which makes it's a very difficult team I think to defend.

Speaker 10 (01:10:05):
Yeah, I think to be honest with you, I don't
like it's kind of the only way I know how
to run our stuff, since even back when I was
an assistant coach, a lot of the pro teams I
was with, our offense was just kind of based around
everybody getting the ball, running different actions for everybody. And
then now if you go back to when I was
at Bryan and Stranton, I don't think we ever had
a year we had an All American point guard and he

(01:10:28):
might have averaged sixteen points a game, but everybody was thirteen, fourteen, twelve,
And then that's the same way we're going to be
here and we still and we averaged I think about
eighty points a game. So like, we can score a
lot of points, and we have different guys who can
do it, and it's it's one. It's fun that way
because you got to get the guys to buy in.
That's hard sometimes when at the beginning, because you got
high school guys who are coming from maybe averaging twenty

(01:10:48):
points at their high school and now you're telling them, hey,
we need you to score, but you may not get
twenty every night. You may get ten, you might get twelve,
and they buy into it and they see the success
that it has. But I think that the best one
of the best advice basketball. Why someone's ever told me
before I was ever head coach, was you want to
be really hard to scout. And he was like, that

(01:11:09):
doesn't mean like running sets or or you know, running
different actions, but you don't want somebody to turn on
the field and be like, Okay, this is how we
can stop them. And I think that's kind of translated
to the way we try to play our offenses. You
can take somebody out, but we're going to always make
sure we have somebody else and can kind of step
in and feel those shoes.

Speaker 1 (01:11:24):
Hey a coach, and we're talking with JT. Gritzpeier, the
head men's basketball coach uw lacrosse. When you and your
staff go and recruit and kids come to watch your
team play, it's it's really obvious that this is a
this is a team that shares the ball, that figures
out a way to get a lot of wins. But

(01:11:44):
it's not going to be a one man show. And
when you're recruiting kids, you're you're look, you're a really
honest young guy. And for you to tell them that, look,
you would fit with what we have. But understand what
you're coming into where we're not going to run you know,
fourteen low and you know sets that you're gonna get
twenty five shots a game. You're gonna run our system,

(01:12:06):
and you're gonna get good looks if you're gonna knock
them down. But you got to be part of what
we do as a full program rather than the individual.

Speaker 10 (01:12:16):
Yeah, I mean I think that. Uh, that's one of
the first things we tell them, right when we talked
about basketball stuff, is we we when we're recruiting, we're
trying to put a puzzle together, obviously, and we show
how they can fit in the puzzle and where we
want them, where we see them. But uh, just when
we can go back and show them box scores or
show them, you know, season stats and show them, hey,
here's how we play. We score a lot of points,

(01:12:36):
we play fast, but we don't have anybody who we
need to get twenty seven every night. And the crazy
thing is when you like kind of look at those
guys who in our top four or five stats, we've
had two of them who've had thirty point or thirty
point game at twenty nine point game and twenty seven
point games, so like they can get that if needed,
but they also are so bought into what we're doing

(01:12:56):
as a team that they can get seven assists or
six assists. And the thing I like about our guys
and when recruits come and they watch or when they
see us play, they see that like if we know
somebody's got to go, and the guys are gonna do
run actions to get him the ball, and then if
somebody else has turned, somebody else's turned, nobody's trying to
get their shots up. Everybody's all right with that because

(01:13:17):
we want to win and we know whatever's going to
take to win, and sometimes that means you got to sacrifice.
Maybe some postseason awards you might not get because your
numbers don't match up to what someone else gets. But
we talk about a bigger award at the postseason that
we want to get and if we do the right things,
we can put ourselves in a position to get that.

Speaker 1 (01:13:35):
Hey, coaching today's game, you guys got a five o'clock
tip at Whitewater at University Wisconsin Whitewater, And anytime you
go on the road in your conference, it's hard to
get wins on the road in that conference.

Speaker 10 (01:13:51):
Oh yeah. I mean Whitewater, they've been up and down,
but I mean they just came off. They went to the
Platfell on Wednesday and beat Platteville, So like that's the
who win for them. They're coming in with a lot
of confidence. I mean they I think their coach does
a great job because they went from they took they
took a pretty tough loss though Claire at home on Saturday,
and they bounce back and go beat the number one
team in the country on Wednesday. So he's got them,

(01:14:15):
he's got them playing right, he's got them doing what
he's asking them to do. And we know, like the
students are back, I think now, So it's gonna be
They get a good crowd and it's gonna be fun.
I graduated from white Water, so it's always fun to
go back there and play against them. So I'm excited
for it. I think the guys are excited for it.
It's gonna be a fun game.

Speaker 1 (01:14:33):
Coach, so you knew coming in when when you got
offered the job at uw Lacrosse, you knew what you
were getting into maybe the best Division III basketball conference
in the state, in the country, and you knew going
in that first year, you're you're kind of building your template. Right,
when do we leave if we've got a five o'clock

(01:14:53):
tip at Whitewater, When are we getting together in the morning,
What time are we getting shots up? When are we
getting a meal in? When we getting on the bush.
You're too a little bit easier for you in this conference,
knowing what you're going into each each and every game.

Speaker 10 (01:15:08):
Oh yeah, one hundred percent. I think I think for me,
you don't realize it when you're in it. Like last year,
I don't realize when I'm in it because things are
just going. But then when you take a step back
this year and you look back at last year, it's
just everything's just I'm way more comfortable and everything. And
I think the biggest thing is the guys, right, So,
like we have a lot of the same guys. We've

(01:15:29):
added them guys, but they know what to expect. Last year,
day one, they have no idea what to even expect
that practice, they don't know. They don't know what to expect, like, hey,
how's he react after wins? How's he react after losses?
If we lose a game? What happens next? And I
think they've learned who I am, and they understand now
who I am and it and they're very comfortable with that.
So like it's just everything is just much better vibes

(01:15:51):
than we like to say kind of around the program
and we're in a spot and I think the only
thing that the biggest thing that I try to teach
them is we really truly like just focus on what's
in front of us, Like that's really all we talk about,
that's all we care about. And we got sometimes in
trouble last year where we were looking ahead the things
and worried about where we were at. And I think

(01:16:12):
this year they've realized that's what we do is literally
what's in front of us, and then when we look up,
we're like, oh, shoot or tenth And some guys they
don't even look. They don't even know that till they
get told, because like we've kind of got them so
focused on just doing what's right in front of us,
and we know that if we do that, good things
happened for us. And I think they've been doing a
heck of a job, like just with everything we do.

Speaker 1 (01:16:31):
Hey, JT. One of the things is doesn't surprise me
because I've known you for a while and I'm a
big fan. I'm very impressed with you as a young man.
Is his basketball coach. But what really impresses me is
Kenny's been at at ty One of your assistants been
at Lacrosse for a while. He was there before you,
and he stayed. And Peter is back for year two.

(01:16:53):
And what that tells me about the guy in charge
the head coach If his assistant coaches are sticking around
for year two and year three and you're four and
year five, that tells me a lot about you as
the guy that's ahead of the program. That these guys
are sticking around, because, as you know, in college basketball,
it's hard to keep guys on staff with you. Everybody's

(01:17:15):
looking for that next what's the next big move for me?
If I want to be a head coach? Where do
I go? If I want to be part of a
different program. I don't think the head coach has got
my best interest. I'm going to move. But these guys
have stuck with you, and that tells me a lot
about the guy who's in charge of the program.

Speaker 10 (01:17:33):
Yeah, I mean, like both of them are was with
me for three years at Brian Stratton and he actually
came up to lacrosse, So that was huge for me,
just having somebody comfortable with how we do things. And
then Kenny k back and stayed again, and he's been
like unreal. And just the thing with those two guys
is they make every coach says it, but they truly

(01:17:54):
make everything so much easier for me. But they've taken
huge leaps and just I think their growth and something
I try to make sure that I let them do
as much stuff as I can and try not to
be his hands on or try not to be as
like micro managing with stuff so that when it is
time for them to go get a job, they're ready
to get a job. And I think that they've grown
in in that role. And like they handle all our

(01:18:17):
gun reports, they do a lot of our practice planning
with me, would put a lot of stuff togethers like
they're still behind the scenes, but I mean, we wouldn't
be able to be where we're at if it wasn't
for those two no.

Speaker 1 (01:18:26):
And last year and I remember talking about Kenny and
you said, look, I'm so blessed that he stayed because
you know, he's been he he knows, he knows what
the program is, what where now we want to go.
And when he walks into a gym in some of
the areas throughout the state of Wisconsin, everybody knows him
as he was an assistant coach at West Salem High School,

(01:18:49):
understands the high school game. He was a coach at
for Turbo, so he understands that he coached AAU basketball
in the state of Wisconsin. So he still has all
of these contacts. And when he walks into a gym
at a high school game of lacrosse, everybody knows the guy.
And that that's just that's that's really good in the
fact that he's such a good ambassador for you and

(01:19:09):
your staff. It's got to make walking in to recruit
and ask players to come play at lacrosse. It's just
got to help a lot that he's been part of
that that program for a bet.

Speaker 10 (01:19:21):
Yeah, und percent. I think for me, like I spent
most of my Wisconsin basketball ties on like the southeastern
side of the state, you know, up to Madison, these areas,
and when I came to the west side of the state,
I'm meeting people I've never really met before and never
talked to may have heard of them or knew him
but he kind of he knew everybody. Everybody came up,
they knew Kenny. So then he introduced me to people

(01:19:43):
and it just helped me on this side now with recruiting,
getting relationships, having different high school teams come to our practices,
things like that. But every time we go on the road,
if we're going to an event, I make sure Kenny's with.

Speaker 2 (01:19:56):
Me one hundred percent of people.

Speaker 10 (01:19:58):
And and he, I mean he's off like, yeah, I'm
sure there's a lot of high school coaches who who
probably know exactly who he is. He's a great guy.

Speaker 1 (01:20:04):
Yeah, I can't pronounce his last name, so why don't
you do that?

Speaker 10 (01:20:11):
Yeah, Kenny Derozier. So he uh you if you're at
this summer I mean shooting the spring, I'm sure if
you're at any type of AAU event you will see
him there.

Speaker 1 (01:20:22):
Yeah, I would you know, next time, not that I
don't love having you on this show. Next time, I'm
gonna ask you to set me up with him, because
i'd love to get his You know, assistant coaches, your
eyes are different, you see things a little bit different,
and I would love to have him join us. Hey,
before we cut you loose, when you get a chance
to to talk to a kid from from a high

(01:20:44):
school and he asks you about what it's going to
take at the next level, not only basketball wise, but academics,
because uw Lacrosse is a school that you've you got
to be buttoned up with your academics. And I know
that you and I have had this conversation. Uw Lacrosse
is not a hey, I'll apply and get in. Not
everybody can get in. And I'm wondering what you tell

(01:21:07):
kids what it's going to be like as a freshman
on the uw Lacrosse basketball team and how they've got
to be able to manage their time really well.

Speaker 10 (01:21:17):
Oh yeah, unders, I mean, like, as you said, academic wise,
we just got came out again and we were the
number two ranked public university in Wisconsin behind Madison. So
like our academics are our high standard. And then for
us we talk about when we go recruiting, we talk
about being part of like this distinguished program where you're
going to school that you have to have high academics

(01:21:38):
to get into. And then we want to take it
with the basketball. You have to be a really good
basketball player to play there too. But for us, like
We try to build our freshmen with really just their
daily habits and try to create routines. So when they
come in, they might have h we'll put together. They
get about a week. They get about the first week
week and a half to kind of just get settled in.
We'll talk to them, they do different things, and after that,

(01:22:00):
you know, they're in a lift every day, that study hall,
every day, they got class, they got an individual workout
if we're in season. For out of season, we get
two days a week or about eight eight days before
the season starts, so we'll put together different workouts there.
But it's just really making sure they're routine, because what
can happen sometimes is, you know, you get out of
high school, which is very structured, you go to class,

(01:22:22):
or you go to school, bell rings, you're done with school,
you get to college. Your free is high. And what
we try to tell guys is like, hey, you got
four years. So if I got to live to one hundred,
I got four percent of my life that I get
to play college basketball and go to school. And what
am I going to do with those four years? Like,
I'm not gonna make it where I regret it at

(01:22:43):
the end, and wish I did a couple more things,
or am I going to do the absolute most I
can in those four years and we'll see what happens
after it. Whether that means I want championships, whether that
means I get to play basketball somewhere else, whatever it
might mean. But we don't but don't waste it. And
that's kind of something we really talk about. And that's
like the standard we have here is just while you're here,
like you got to empty the tank with everything you do,

(01:23:05):
and then we'll see where the chips kind of fall
at the end. And I think that's the reason we're
playing well that we are, because we got sixteen guys
in our locker room who all buy into that and
believe that, and they pass it on to each other
and hold each other calable to it.

Speaker 1 (01:23:19):
So I sent a text to your mom, Linda, and
I said, Hey, got your boy on. He's doing really well.
And in typical Linda Gritzmeier fashion, she sent me a
text back and said, oh, man, I gotta listen. I'm
cooking spaghetti for a fundraiser for my adults with special needs. Man,
your mom, you want to talk about somebody with that

(01:23:41):
servant leadership Hart. My goodness, I know her because of
all the fundraising stuff that she does and how many
people she helps in our community. And the apple has
not fallen far from the tree. He is the head
men's basketball coach at UW Lacrosse. Him you just listened
to what he talked about how he tries to get
the fresh incoming freshman prepared for what's coming for them.

(01:24:05):
And this is an honest guy.

Speaker 2 (01:24:07):
Man.

Speaker 1 (01:24:07):
If he tells you it's going to be hard, trust me,
it's gonna be hard, but he's gonna be right there.
His staff will be right there. The entire everybody in
part of that that basketball program you w Lacrosse will
be there to help you through it. Coach, thank you
so much. I so appreciate all the time you've always
given me, and you've always given such good insight into

(01:24:29):
the things that that how you see it as a
head basketball coach at the college level. And again, I
thank you for recruiting the kids from our state because
you're giving these kids who work really hard a chance
to play at the next level. Good luck today against
white Water.

Speaker 7 (01:24:43):
No.

Speaker 10 (01:24:44):
I appreciate you having me on. And if she used
to let her know if he has it's the best
spaghetti I've ever had. So she's got some extra you
get text her to bring it to the games. Come
to the game we're bringing down.

Speaker 1 (01:24:55):
I've got a feeling she's turned this turned the show on.
If she doesn't, I'll send that text. But you know,
you got a staff in about sixteen players. She didn't
make that much, but she might make enough for her boy.
I can tell you that.

Speaker 10 (01:25:09):
No, yeah, yep, yep, noy Mike.

Speaker 1 (01:25:11):
You know anytime, Hey, you got it, JT, thank you.
He is. J T Gritzmeyer got a big game five
o'clock tip at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. Today they're
ranked number ten in the country, number ten in the country,
and JT's hoping that maybe they can move up just
a little bit more. Man, if he's calling you, or
he's coming to watch your son, or he's coming to

(01:25:33):
watch you play, give this man fifteen minutes and let
him tell you about what it's like to be a
basketball player on the campus of UW Lacrosse. And trust me,
if he's watching your boy play and he's recruiting your son,
he knows he's a good fit for what they're doing
up at Lacrosse. We're going to get to a break.
Other side of the break be a short segment. My

(01:25:54):
producer Spencer Nag going to talk about next week's show
because he helped me set this thing up, and we'll
discs us that on the other side of the break.
This is the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show presented
by your local Pick and Save in Metro market stores
on Fox Sports ninety twenty and your iHeart Radio app. Well,
welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show

(01:26:14):
presented by your local Pick and Save in Metro market
stores on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeart Radio app.
Coming live from the Donovan and Jorgensen Heating and Cooling Studios.
Want to thank John Schneider, he is the head girls
basketball coach at Whitefish Bay. I want to thank Megan
and Stage and Rowan the players from that team that

(01:26:34):
came in studio. I want to thank Kayla Kurtz from
Thomas Moores, our Colonel Electric Superhero the Week and JT. Gritzmeyer,
the head men's basketball coach at UW Lacrosse. It's been
a really fun show, been really good conversation and I
appreciate everybody's time that they give us on this show.
I really do next week, and I want to thank

(01:26:58):
my producer. He does some stuff. He's a cooler kid
and the coler guy, and he does some stuff for
their basketball program, and uh, he introduced me to their
head coach, Ken is it Roder? Ken Raider? Ken Raider.
He came on my show early in the basketball season
and it was a really fun conversation. And I said, Spencer,

(01:27:20):
I'd love I don't know if he'd come in studio
from Cohler, and he goes, absolutely he would, And Spencer,
thank you for setting that up. Next week, Ken is
coming in I think with five seniors right.

Speaker 11 (01:27:31):
As far as I know, he's going to bring them all.

Speaker 1 (01:27:32):
Yeah, them all? Why not? You know what his coaches.
You don't want to mess up the locker room by saying, well,
I'm going to bring these three and the other two
are going to take bring them all and somehow, some way,
well we'll fit them in this small studio and I
will get everybody some Mike time. They're having a really
good year. They're in the Big East South South Conference.
Ousburg seven to one, Cohler seven to one, and uh

(01:27:57):
is it? Sheboy and Luther and the one. Yeah, that's
a good team. Huh yeah, they're Osburg. I don't want
to talk about Osburg, but I got asked. They're there.
You've seen them play, and they're they're one of the
two losses that Cohler has. That's an awfully good basketball team.
Oh yeah, they're always very well coached.

Speaker 11 (01:28:14):
And yes, you could retire soon, you know, you always
think that, but you never know.

Speaker 1 (01:28:20):
Did last Yeah, I I uh, I should probably get
him on the on the show one day because I
talk memory lane, right, not so much, not so much.
I don't you're not supposed to cry in the high
school sports shows. I would probably, you know, go in
the fetal position and start crying that game against the
Flying Dutchman. They they beat us in overtime in a

(01:28:43):
regional game or a sectional game, and and they're they're
they're still good. Yeah, still good.

Speaker 11 (01:28:48):
Still, I mean Osburg just you know, pump out really
tall kids, you know, so they do farmer and farmer kids.

Speaker 1 (01:28:56):
You know, Hey, these this Cohler team, did you think
that they were going to be as good as they
are this year because they lost some really talented players.

Speaker 11 (01:29:03):
Yeah, they had a couple of singiers a graduating but
coming back from back to back sectional finals. Really good
senior class. Yeah, I thought they would have another really
solid year.

Speaker 1 (01:29:13):
Well, I got to thank you for helping helping set
that show next week and looking forward, we're gonna do
some Joe Wolf talk because I have to if I
have a coach in from Coler and you and I
do a little Joe Wolf talk when we go to
breaks in the conversation for the best high school basketball
player ever to come out of the state Wisconsin. There's
fifty guys that we could have that conversation about, but

(01:29:35):
he's in that conversation. And you can take the Coler
boy out of Colder, but you can't take Colder out
of the boy and his passing. You guys did a
great job of celebrating his life up in Coler and
we'll certainly talk to Ken about that a little bit
next week. But I appreciate you setting that up for me.

Speaker 11 (01:29:55):
Yeah, it'll be a fun show.

Speaker 1 (01:29:56):
I can't wait. It'll be a great show. Have a
good weekend, Spencer here as well. You got it. This
is the Varsity Blitz high school sports show presented by
your local Pick and Save and metro market stores on
Fox Sports Side twenty and your iHeartRadio app.