TOP SPORTS STORIES OF 2017 – No. 2: Falcon boys hoops one game from state

The 2016-17 Westosha Central boys basketball team produced the school’s first sectional championship appearance in history, and capped off back-to-back outright Southern Lakes Conference titles this year. From left: assistant coach Keith Skrzynecki, Lucas Graveley, Jack Schroeder, Marcus Zackery, Adam Simmons, Cooper Brinkman, Joey Gilliland, Jaeden Zackery, Dylan Anderson, Jake Werth, Bailey Menarek, manager Zack Kramer, coach James Hyllberg, assistant coach David Cutts. Front row: Tre Williams and Nic Frederick (Jason Arndt/The Report)

By Jason Arndt
Editor

Ending a regional title drought, back-to-back outright Southern Lakes Conference championships, and its first WIAA Division 2 sectional championship appearance in school history.

Those were reasons for the Westosha Central High School boys basketball team to celebrate in 2017, when the Falcons came one game short of reaching the state tournament at the Kohl Center on the University of Wisconsin campus.

Although the Falcons lost to 2016 state runner-up Waunakee, second-year coach James Hyllberg said after the game the team has plenty to be proud of.

“I told the guys that we got a lot to celebrate, we went further than any team in Central history, so we are going to celebrate this season,” he said. “We are going to look back on it and hopefully we’ll be back next season.”

The 2016-17 season was the last as a Falcon for 5-foot-11 Tre Williams, who won SLC Player of the Year and scored 1,000 career points, and four other seniors.

Along with the loss of Williams, the Falcons bid farewell to 6-5 Lucas Graveley, 6-2 Bailey Menarek, 6-0 Jack Schroeder and 6-0 Jake Werth.

While the five seniors departed, the team retained three key guards, including 6-0 Jaeden Zackery, 5-11 Nic Frederick and 6-1 Adam Simmons.

Additionally, the team entered the current season with 6-4 Cooper Brinkman, 6-3 Dylan Anderson and 6-4 Joey Gilliland.

The Falcons were 12-2 in the SLC and finished 20-6 overall a year ago.


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