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Freedom's Megan Alexander is able to get a hand on the ball as Waupaca's Emma O'Keefe puts up a shot Nov. 28 in a North Eastern Conference game in Freedom. All seven of Waupaca's players scored in the game, but the Comets fell to the Irish 101-43. Greg Seubert Photo

Waupaca girls drop season opener

By Greg Seubert

A pair of Division 1 recruits turned out to be too much for the Waupaca girls’ basketball team to handle in its season opener.

Callie Genke and Gabby Johnson each scored 23 points for Freedom Nov. 28 and the Irish went on to hand the Comets a 101-43 North Eastern Conference defeat.

Genke, who is headed to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and Johnson, who will play college basketball at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, combined for 27 of Freedom’s first-half points as the Irish led 63-27 at the break.

The Comets had the lead twice in the opening minute – 2-0 and 4-3 – before Genke connected on a pair of three-pointers and added a three-point play during a 13-0 run that gave the Irish a 16-4 lead.

Waupaca never got any closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

The Irish added to their lead with an 18-0 run later in the half and opened up the second half with a 16-2 run to go up 79-29.

Finley Charapata led three Comets in double figures, while Olivia Levine and Savannah Wehmeyer added 12 and 10, respectively.

Sadie Jarmolowicz finished with 19 for Freedom.

Waupaca is scheduled to travel to Clintonville Thursday, Dec. 3, for a North Eastern game. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

The Comets’ home opener against Luxemburg-Casco is set for Tuesday, Dec. 8.