cardinal baseball ends season with 'surreal' feat of state title
---
Before the Eleva-Strum High School baseball team stepped onto Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute for the WIAA Division Four state championship game last Thursday, they were prepared for a tight-scoring, emotional final game.
Coach CJ Christianson told his players their job was simple. It didn't matter how they got there, what the score was or who was going to step up.
They just had to find a way.
“It doesn't have to be pretty, you just gotta win. It doesn't matter if we’ve got six errors as long as you win. Just need that one extra run, so find a way, believe in yourself, stay together,” Christianson said of his message to the team.
Finding their way didn’t take long–the Cardinals hit through their entire batting order in the bottom of the first inning, exploding for seven runs on four hits to take control in what ended as an 11-1 win over Solon Springs/Northwood and the first state title in program history.
A Jake Bjerke double scored Brady Nichols to open the scoring on Thursday, and senior Tyler Webb doubled Eleva-Strum’s lead in the next at-bat on an RBI single from Calvin Barneson. Alex Anderson hit a single moments later to make it 4-0, and the Cardinals scored three more times before the inning ended to seize a 7-0 advantage through one inning.
“It did not feel real,” Webb said of the team’s start. “The dugout was so loud, the stands were so loud, the community was backing us the whole time. So yeah, to bat through the order in the first was crazy. That’s something I didn't see coming.”
Eleva-Strum drew walks in their first two at-bats of the second inning before wild throws and more offense pushed the top-seeded Cardinals’ advantage to 11-0. The Cardinals finished with six hits from six different players.
“We haven't been in this position for probably close to a month,” Christianson said of being ahead by that many runs. “Keep adding, that was a big thing. We gotta keep adding and can’t lay down. Definitely kept the pressure off, which I needed. Just happy with these guys. They did everything they needed to do.”
Webb, who was pulled from the mound midway through Tuesday’s dramatic state semifinal victory, returned as the starting pitcher for Eleva-Strum on Thursday. The UW-Eau Claire commit responded to an off performance on Tuesday with one of his best of the season in the championship.
Webb threw all five innings for the Cardinals, restricting Solon Springs/Northwood to three hits while collecting six strikeouts and three walks.
“I think it was a little bit both physical and mental. Today I was able to just have everything working again,” Webb said. “Tuesday, the curve ball wasn't working as well and the fastball didn't have quite as much velocity on it. And today I got in the bullpen, I felt a lot better and everything seemed to work.”
Dylan Taggart scored Solon Springs/Northwood’s lone run in the top of the second inning after an RBI single from Blaise Kidder.
Both Christianson and senior Carter Gunderson described winning the program’s first state title as “surreal”.
Gunderson said the team talked about the need to be cleaner on offense and having more fight at the plate after Tuesday’s close win. Though he said the team had faith in each other, even the players admitted they did not expect such a lopsided start against a Solon Springs/Northwood team (19-2 record) that had one loss this season entering the championship game.
“We trust each other in that dugout. There’s no more brotherhood of a team than us and no more connected team than us,” Gunderson said.
Multiple players, including Webb and Gunderson, let tears fall after earning the final out of the fifth inning to win the state title. Both said the program’s first title is as much about the community as it is about them.
Eleva-Strum ends the year with a 23-8 record and a state title after falling one game short of the state tournament in 2023.
“It’s everything. … It’s been a long time coming, and to make it so close last year, they (community) came back, they cheered a little louder this year maybe,” Gunderson said. “We got over the hump, we made it here after a rough start to the game Tuesday, but we battled back and stayed together. And that all starts with the community here. They have our backs on everything and they believe in us. … That’s surreal.”
Emotional county playoff tilt gives G-E-T second-straight regional title
---
Russ Lund Gymnasium at G-E-T High School roared with thunderous cheers, chants and fandom for nearly every moment of last Saturday’s Division Three regional final between two Trempealeau County boys basketball rivals.
With G-E-T leading 69-68 and 16 seconds left in the game, Arcadia senior Prestin Scow powered to the rim and hit what appeared to be a lead-changing shot. An official blew their whistle, and what had been an ear-piercing atmosphere went silent awaiting the call.
A travel was called to negate the basket, and an excited Arcadia crowd fell quiet as the host fans erupted. Two free throws by G-E-T sophomore Mason Brone and a close miss on a last-chance shot by Arcadia culminated in a 71-68 win for G-E-T and a second consecutive regional championship.
“It was silent and we were just waiting for the call,” G-E-T coach Jared McCutchen said. “Then once he called the travel I feel really confident, especially in Mason and Cody (Schmitz) down the stretch to hit free throws.”
Saturday’s win for the Red Hawks was no easy task—Arcadia played possibly its best game of the season, leading by as many as 10 points in the first half and taking a 38-32 lead into halftime.
Arcadia senior Maverick Drazkowski scored 28 points to lead all players on Saturday, hitting 1,000 career points in the process. A 3-pointer from Drazkowski with less than seven minutes to play gave Arcadia a 62-58 advantage.
Brone nailed his own shot from beyond the arc to cut Arcadia’s advantage to a single point moments later, and the hosts narrowly edged past the Raiders from there. A tying 3-point attempt from Arcadia senior Cole Lockington clanked off the rim and out with one second left to seal the final score.
“You’re looking for a word to describe it,” Arcadia coach Ryan Sonnentag said of the way his team played. “It’s heart. It’s love. Even going back a couple weeks ago you could see this building. The focus, the love for each other and the want to not let each other down was incredible.”
Arcadia senior Devon Baier fouled out of Saturday’s contest with 13 minutes remaining, which challenged the Raiders.
Baier had eight assists and was creating offense for the visitors.
“Mav’s (Drazkowski) a stud, and he played like one tonight, but some would argue Devon’s our most important player. He calms us down and he’s just got this presence about him. .. what it really came down to is we got really tired because our rotation got short and when Devon came out it just had a domino effect,” Sonnentag said. “But I’m so proud of the way the guys responded to adversity.”
Schmitz was G-E-T’s top scorer with 20 points and passed former Wisconsin Badger Sam Dekker (2,593 points) for fourth in all-time Wisconsin career prep scoring. Brone added 19 points, including eight free throws.
Schmitz said his team kept their emotions in check, even when they were down on the scoreboard.
“We just wanted to take it one possession at a time. We knew they weren’t going to pull ahead by a lot and we weren’t going to go ahead by a lot,” he said. “We just had to keep grinding it out, and fortunately we got a couple stops in the second half and got a couple of big buckets. My teammates picked us up and they were really big tonight and fortunately we come out with the win.”
The Red Hawks advance to a sectional semifinal this Thursday and will have revenge on their minds—Elk Mound, which defeated the Red Hawks 65-60 in an overtime holiday tournament game in December, will be G-E-T’s opponent at Adams-Friendship High School.
The Red Hawks (19-7 this season) are ready for another fight to the final whistle against the Mounders (22-4).
“We’re excited about the opportunity to see those guys again. We know what they’re going to do and I’m assuming they know what we’ll do. So that’s going to be another good one,” McCutchen said. “This is the most fun time of the year to be playing basketball, and we’re one of 16 teams in Division Three still playing, so I’m excited about that.”
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau sophomore Mason Brone fought to the inside of the lane to score a pair of points for the Red Hawks in their home regional semifinal playoff game in Feb. 2023. Brone and the Red Hawks earned their second consecutive regional championship later in the week by beating their rival, Arcadia, in a 71-68 game.
Pehler’s third jump leads to state title in pole vault
---
Friday didn’t start the way Arcadia junior Casidi Pehler had planned in her head.
It ended, though, the way she dreamed it would — with a WIAA Division Two state title in pole vault at the track and field state championships at UW-La Crosse’s Roger Harring Stadium.
Pehler scratched her opening two leaps at 11 feet despite clearing the bar on her first attempts throughout most of the season. She was in danger of being eliminated with one more miss.
Instead the junior cleared the bar on her third attempt and let out a relieved sigh and a double fist pump.
The last-chance clearance catapulted her into a three person race for the state title, which she won as the only vaulter to clear the bar at 11 feet, six inches.
“It’s unbelievable,” Pehler said of hearing her name announced as state champion. “It’s the one thing I’ve had on my mind all year and my biggest goal, so to be here now and know that I did that, it’s just crazy.”
Pehler finished fourth at the state meet last spring with a jump of 10 feet, nine inches. Starting this year’s meet at a height that was greater than she finished last year was a sign that her work on pole vault made a difference, she said.
Pehler spent most of her offseason training and traveling to camps. The junior focused on her speed for the runway approach and getting stronger physically and mentally, she said.
Saturday’s start was not ideal, but Pehler admitted that she knew she would likely face adversity at some point.
With her season on the line, Pehler and pole vault coach Taryn McKeeth went back to a saying they’ve shared hundreds of times.
“Our saying is we love third attempts because she always gets records on her third attempt,” McKeeth said. “I just yell to her, ‘We love third attempts’, and she’s like, ‘Yeah, I got it.’”
The ensuing leap was the clearing jump at 11 feet. Pehler said the moment allowed her to reset and focus on her approach.
“By being able to get over that, I feel like it really made me stronger and definitely is going to put me off better for my future now because I had that experience,” she said. “Just being able to get past that, struggling with my opening height, and then still being able to come out on top.”
Pehler edged Lodi’s Lilly Callahan, who took second at 11 feet, three inches. Amery sophomore Kelly Fern (11-0) was the only other athlete to clear the 11-foot mark.
Winning a state title has been Pehler’s goal since her freshman year when McKeeth begged Pehler to give pole vaulting a chance.
She cleared seven feet on her first-ever attempt, and Pehler’s passion for the event grew shortly after. Pehler later broke McKeeth’s school record in the pole vault and holds the current mark.
Pehler is the third Raider to win a state title in pole vault and the second girl (Margo Sendelbach, 2004).
Now that winning a state title is accomplished, Pehler has hopes for one more championship run next year as a senior and also hopes to compete for a college track and field team.
With her personal record at 12 feet, three inches, there’s one primary goal for next year—beating the state record of 13 feet, three inches, set by Bonnie Draxler of Wrightstown in 2014.
“I have this (state title) now, and next year the state record is honestly the next thing up there,” Pehler said. “So I’m going to continue to put more time in the offseason with that goal in mind so I can come back and hopefully have a good attempt at that.”
Arcadia Girls Golf Pillar Sobotta to step away from program
---
On most days of any Wisconsin fall, spring or summer for the last 20-plus years, a betting person could likely earn themselves some spending cash with a simple wager on Arcadia’s Mike Sobotta.
Put your money on a two-part parlay for a near guaranteed win — Sobotta being on a golf course somewhere was a promising start to the bet.
The easiest play, though, would be betting that the Arcadia High School girls’ golf coach was laughing or had a smile on his face as he helped shape the future of golf in Trempealeau County.
"I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever really seen him get upset on the golf course. When a kid gets a big number on a hole he’s always joking and laughing and that’s his strategy, too,” said Sobotta’s son, Mitch, who played under his father and also coaches the Arcadia High School boys team with him now.
“Kids at 14, 15, they’re not fully mentally developed, so if you can just try to get them to take a positive outlook on anything, even a small joke, that goes a long way,” he said.
Sobotta is stepping away from the girls’ golf program this year, a big change after more than two decades—Sobotta has been the program’s only coach since helping start the Arcadia girls golf team in 1998.
Sobotta also coached the boys program from 1989-2010, a run that included 10 straight state tournament appearances in the 1990s and a state title in 2010.
He was inducted into the Wisconsin Golf Coaches Hall of Fame in 2021.
“I just thought this might be the time to break away, I guess,” Sobotta said. “Usually, every year you look and go, ‘Oh I got this kid coming back, I got this kid coming back.’ I thought it was the right time because I don’t have a connection with the kids.”
Meghan (Sobotta) Murphy was one of the many girls golfers that played under her father. Meghan went on to become an All-American collegiate golfer at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire before taking over as head coach of the college program.
She said she owes a lot to her father, as do many other Arcadia golf alumni.
“For me, seeing him as my coach and even seeing him after I was done playing with him, he’s there as a coach on and off the golf course. He wants the best for you outside of golf and was always giving a lot of life lessons related to golf, too,” Meghan said of her father.
Meghan said her father’s impact on the community can be seen when past Arcadia golfers still stop by the family house to visit with Sobotta or ask if he wants to go golfing.
Part of the reason for that, Meghan thinks, is because her father always enjoys being around the golf course.
“He is always joking around, he is always playing some sort of prank. He’s always happy,” she said. “That’s his happy place. If he’s not in his garage fixing little toys or whatever, he’s on the golf course and that’s where he’s happiest.”
Mike said he always tried to focus on two aspects of coaching—prioritizing the short game and keeping practice fun.
“I still think to be successful you need to work on the basics, and that was our thought right away. You’ve got to work on your basics, your short game, your putting, your chipping. Everybody wants that long drive and everything, but 80 percent of all your shots are within 60 yards so you work on the basics, you work on the rules and work on having fun, too,” Sobotta said.
“Sure the kids are going to remember the state tournaments and the championships, but you know what they’re going to remember most is how you treat them. That’s really the big thing, and I guess for the number of kids who came out I treated them okay. I treated them with respect and they treated me with respect and along the way we had a lot of fun.”
Sobotta helped the girls program to 12 conference championships and seven state appearances as a team.
The coach said former Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau coach Don Skwierawski helped him learn how to approach coaching the game and made him better, saying he often worked backwards from the green to the tee-box when teaching the sport.
“We’ve had a great run with the whole community and great support from them and the administration, the kids, the families and parents,” he said.
When he qualified for the state tournament with Meghan, the walk down the hole one fairway was special, he said.
A playoff at Trempealeau Mountain about 15 years ago with Kayla and Brooke Finner also stands out, he said. Kayla advanced to the state tournament by beating her sister by a single stroke.
“I didn’t know who to cheer for. They were sisters, and I almost thought of going to the WIAA and asking them to let them both go if it was between sisters. .. I will never forget that.”
Both of his kids that have now coached themselves say Arcadia is lucky to have had Mike Sobotta.
“I don’t know if words could do it, maybe a tear,” Mitch said. “I don’t think people truly understand in any head coaching job the time that they put in during the season, the offseason and the knowledge you have to have. … thank you would be the best. I don’t know if people will ever understand or truly appreciate what he has done for the game of golf and the community of Arcadia for the last 34 years.”
His sister agreed.
“It shows a lot of who he is as a person and the impact he’s had as a coach in the amount of kids that come back after graduation and swing by the house to say ‘Hi’ and want to play golf and go and hangout with him for the alumni tournament and things like that,” Meghan said.
“He’s just that overall good guy and a great mentor to have.”
As most people who know Mike Sobotta would guess, though, he was quick to give the credit to those around him. In an adventure he originally thought would last a few years, he now has more than 20 years of memories and connections.
“It’s not just me, it’s us. Great kids, great families, great administration and great community that allowed me to travel all over the state to compete with the best in the state. I just had a great time,” Sobotta said.
“I never thought my boys and girls would be that enjoyable, but the way the community rallied around us and the Arcadia Country Club supported us, it was really a great community effort. I sit back and go, ‘Wow’.
McCune leads Whitehall to first state appearance in 37 years
---
Devon McCune wasn’t thinking about the moment, what it meant or what was at stake if he missed.
He wasn’t listening to the hundreds of screaming fans from Cameron trying to distract the Whitehall senior as he took two free throws in the dying seconds of Saturday’s WIAA Division Four boys basketball sectional final at Neillsville High School.
“I just don’t pay attention to anything but the hoop and the ball,” McCune said. “I just think it’s going in and execute that.”
The Whitehall senior made both of his free throws with four seconds remaining, points that secured a 66-62 win and a trip to the state tournament this week. It’s the program’s first state appearance in 37 years.
The third-seeded Norse will battle second-seeded Onalaska Luther (26-2) in a state semifinal game on Thursday at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Whitehall (22-6) is the only public school to qualify for the Division Four state tournament field.
“It’s going to be great for the community, it’s going to be a heck of of a fun week at school,” Whitehall coach Tyler Peterson said of qualifying for state. “I don’t know how much we’ll get accomplished this week,” he joked, “but we’re going to really enjoy it.”
Cameron (22-6) and Whitehall traded scores early on in Saturday’s battle of No. 3 seeds, with the former jumping out to a 7-0 lead.
McCune and senior teammate Luke Beighley hit consecutive 3-pointers midway through the half to take the lead back for Whitehall.
With Cameron leading late in the first half, the Norse again hit a pair of 3s, this time from McCune and junior Brayden Lisowski. The scores gave Whitehall a 33-29 advantage at halftime.
The Norse knew that Cameron was going to try to limit them near the basket and prevent them from penetrating the lane. Being able to hit some of those shots from beyond the arc was important, Peterson said.
Whitehall opened the second half on a 15-6 run and pushed its lead to 13, but Cameron came storming back in the closing minutes. Whitehall was forced out of bounds in the final minute, and Cameron got the ball back down by three, 58-55.
After missing four free throws in a row, Whitehall forced a turnover and got the ball into McCune’s hands. The senior didn’t miss, closing the game with 10 straight made free throws.
“If Devon’s taking the shot, there’s no question,” Peterson said. “He’s been a great role model, a great teammate, just a great kid overall for four years, and I have the utmost respect and confidence in Devon taking any shot.”
Standing on the court at Neillsville High School on Saturday surrounded by handshakes, hugs and scream-filled celebrations, the coach said his team earned the state berth.
Those on the Whitehall bench on Saturday knew they weren’t even born yet the last time their school was at the state tournament. They made it known just how much it meant to earn a trip back nearly four decades later.
One Whitehall resident walked up and down the sideline with a Whitehall flag that was part of the 1986 celebration. A woman on the court showed others pages from the school’s yearbook that year.
“They really worked hard all year and we hit our stride at the perfect time of the year,” Peterson said. “I couldn’t be more proud of these kids. It’s going to be a really fun ride home and a great week.”
McCune finished with a team-high 19 points and said he was proud of the way his team stuck together to pull out the win despite the late push from Cameron.
"Early on we were predicted to be like top 10 or whatever, and we dropped off after a few games. Now we came back on a redemption tour and just had to come back and fight,” McCune said.
“We did it. We’re going. It’s been, what, 37 years? Something I’ve always wanted to do, and now we’re going back.”
Former Janesville Jets goalie ready to chase NHL dream
---
Cole Brady’s calm demeanor plays a big part in his continued rise as a goalie prospect in the hockey universe.
When the Pickering, Ontario, Canada, native was between the pipes for the North American Hockey League’s Janesville Jets last season, there were rarely signs of stress. If he was scored on, there was no indication that it got into his head or affected his game negatively.
When Brady found out he was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft on June 22, however, there was no controlling the excitement.
“All of your emotions just kind of come right out of you. It’s pretty crazy to see your name on the screen,” Brady said.
Brady was in another room when his agent called to tell him he was about to be picked. He ran to the living room and watched his lifelong dream become a reality.
“When you first put the skates on it’s for fun, but as you grow up you realize this dream, and I remember I always wanted to play in the NHL and be like the guys you see on TV,” Brady said.
Brady was the Jets’ MVP Award recipient in his rookie year with the club last season and amassed a 21-17-1 record. His five shutouts were tied for third-most in the league.
Jets coach Corey Leivermann knew Brady was a solid goalie from day one.
After helping select Brady in the first round of the 2018 NAHL Draft, Leivermann had a feeling his net-minder would be an NHL draft pick.
“I think when it hit me the most was Top Prospects (showcase tournament) and how unbelievable he was there,” Leivermann said. “It was kind of like, ‘Holy (cow), this kid’s going to play in the NHL someday.’”
The Jets coach said Brady was a big reason the Jets were in the playoff race throughout the season.
“Cole Brady in a nutshell is that he won us games we probably shouldn’t have won, and he kept us in games that could’ve been big losses,” Leivermann said.
Brady talked to multiple teams prior to the draft, including the Devils and the Calgary Flames. He said part of the reason being drafted was possible was his time in Janesville.
“It was a big year for me,” Brady said. “Janesville was a really good developing step for me, and it opened many doors for me in the future.”
Other former Jets have been working toward the NHL, as well.
Brady is the third Jets player to be drafted after the Carolina Hurricanes selected goalie Jack LaFontaine in 2016, and forward Jakov Novak went to the Ottawa Senators in 2018. Nine former players will skate in development camps across the NHL this summer.
For Brady, the possibilities ahead are plentiful as he prepares to attend the Devils’ development camp starting July 8.
Brady will play the 2019-20 season with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League (USHL) before eventually advancing to play NCAA Division I hockey at Arizona State.
“I just want to continue to develop and grow and get stronger,” he said. “I did what I needed to do to get drafted, and now each year I have to work to hopefully someday get to the NHL.”