Stockwell leads Thunderbirds
By Greg Seubert
The concept of team basketball is alive and well at Iola-Scandinavia High School.
Take the boys’ basketball team, for instance. Four players scored in double figures in the Thunderbirds’ latest win, a 63-39 Central Wisconsin Conference East Division victory Feb. 2 over Weyauwega-Fremont on the Indians’ home court.
“The kids are buying into the team concept,” coach Sam Bertsch said. “Any contribution we can get from anybody on the team is important. That’s what team basketball is all about: guys getting together and having a good time.”
Four players accounted for 58 of the T-Birds’ 69 points. Charlie Stockwell led all scorers with 17 points, while Kellan Wandtke and Connor Kurki chipped in with 14 each and Justin Sivertson came off of the bench to score 13.
Wandtke had nine rebounds to go with his 14 points.
“We’re getting more out of him realizing that he is the strongest kid on the floor,” Bertsch said. “Go get the ball and put it in the hoop.”
Sivertson had five assists to go with his 13 points.
“He’s a dynamite ballplayer and makes our team go,” Bertsch said. “It’s nice to have him out there.”
I-S led 32-21 at halftime and outscored the Indians 31-18 in the second half while using a 2-3 zone defense for most of the game.
“This is the first game where we’ve pretty much played it for the entire game,” Bertsch said. “It’s a different look that we might need in the second half of the season. We definitely need to put in something that teams have to prepare for the second time around.”
Kolden Baehman led the Indians with 15 points.
The T-Birds improved to 11-6 overall and 6-3 in division play with the win, while the Indians fell to 1-17 overall and 1-8 in the division.
