Central continues historic run

Westosha Central basketball coach James Hyllberg takes down the final threads of the net after the Falcons claimed a Southern Lakes Conference title Friday.
Westosha Central basketball coach James Hyllberg takes down the final threads of the net after the Falcons claimed a Southern Lakes Conference title Friday.

Falcons claim first title since 1998

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

The last time Westosha Central High School won a boys basketball conference title, nearly the entire student body was not born yet.

But, a Falcons team coming off a seventh place finish last year and a new coach, the team defeated Lake Geneva Badger 67-56 Friday to claim a Southern Lakes Conference title for the first time since 1998.

Falcons’ coach James Hyllberg, who steered the team to an 11-2 SLC record, said it was a special night for a group of seniors that stayed committed and bought in to his new philosophy.

“It feels amazing, the seniors dealt with a rough couple years, but all of the guys worked hard all season and I am really proud of them,” Hyllberg said.

Westosha Central trailed three times in the first half, with 23-21 as the largest deficit, but compiled a 12-2 run to enter halftime ahead 33-25.

However, the Falcons had to contend with Badger senior Jake Berhorst, who notched a game-high 23 points.

Berhorst kept the Badgers within striking distance, which included a 3-pointer to trim its deficit to 21-20 with 4:00 in the first half.

Junior 5-foot-11 guard Tre Williams, who scored 15 first half points, finished with a team-leading 20 that included six from 3-point range.

Ron Hall, a 6-5 wing, added eight points and finished with 17 points.

Hall said the win was sweet, considering not many believed the Falcons could make the tremendous leap to a conference title.

“We weren’t supposed to be here, we are Central, but it was about playing hard,” said Hall, a senior. “It feels good to get it.”

Lucas Graveley, a junior, scored eight of his 12 points in the second half to help the Falcons pull ahead 46-39.

The 6-3 Graveley said it was time to step up, considering the Falcons are still without Jordan Easthon, and now senior Nik Buchman.

“When we went out, we just knew we had to step up as a team and come together,” Graveley said.

Graveley, who scored a career-high 17 points at Kenosha Tremper Tuesday, is starting to come into his own.

“It was about confidence and working in practice (for Graveley),” Hyllberg said.

Hall agreed, noting the junior’s frame, and ability to get into the rhythm.

“He is really long, lanky, smart and tall,” “He is an underrated talent but he is getting confident.”

After Graveley, came recent junior varsity call-up Cooper Brinkman, who scored six of his 10 points in the second half.

With the conference title, the Falcons improved to 15-6 overall, and Hall said it does not come as a surprise.

“We had so much talent, Tre Williams, Jordan Easthon and people didn’t understand how deep our bench is,” he said. “It was about putting the pieces together.”

Along with Hall, Easthon and Buchman, other seniors honored were Vinny Reiter, Jake Werth, Zac Millhouse, James Manring and Andrew Jozaitis.

Badger dropped to 10-10 (8-5 SLC) after Friday’s game.


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