Hilltoppers hungry to get back out on basketball court
ONALASKA, Wis. (BVM) — The first day that any high school basketball team is allowed to start practicing in Wisconsin is Nov. 23. With COVID-19, this will be the first time that many teams have been able to get together since last season.
“That first day of practice is always special,” Hilltoppers head coach Craig Kowal said. “This year has a different excitement.”
Onalaska is hungry to get on the court and defend its Mississippi Valley Conference title after going 12-0 last season in conference play. What made the run more impressive was the Hilltoppers had to contend with a stacked La Crosse Central team that featured three Division I college level players: Terrance Thompson, Jordan Davis and Johnny Davis, Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball last year.
“We had a special group,” Kowal said.
The Hilltoppers had depth and a lot of talent within that depth. Led by three seniors who are now off playing college basketball, Onalaska went 23-2 on its way to a matchup against Central in the sectional semifinals. Winner would go to state.
Originally, the game was going to be in front of a sold out crowd at Mitchell Hall Fieldhouse where the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse plays. However, COVID-19 forced the game to be moved to Logan High School with a limited crowd.
That change combined with the many rumors that sports would be canceled for the rest of the season got to the Hilltoppers.
“It was really bizarre circumstances and as a coach I could see it in their eyes, it just took a lot out of them,” Kowal said. “It was an emotional rollercoaster.”
Onalaska lost to La Crosse Central 55-40 and it would end up being the last game either team played last season.
As Onalaska looked to the future and this upcoming season, this game was still going to be important. The returning Hilltoppers learned from that game. With COVID-19, there will be added outside distractions and it is vital to stay focused on the task at hand.
That responsibility of keeping everyone focused is of course the coaches’ job but also falls on the seniors.
“It’s going to be up to them to keep players motivated,” Kowal said. “We’re going to rely heavily on our seniors.”
Led by Gavin McGrath, Sam Kick, Evan Gamoke and Victor Desmond, this senior class is ready to make its mark on the program after watching classes before them do the same.
“They get a chance to lead their own team and I think they’re excited about that,” Kowal said.
Finally getting a chance to step up and be ‘the guy’ on the team along with the memory of how last season ended has really motivated this group.
Another big motivator is the community of Onalaska.
“The Onalaska community lives and breathes basketball and all sports in general for that matter,” Kowal said.
The Hilltoppers are used to playing in front of crowds, especially during big conference games. This year will be different as there will be limitations on how many people are allowed to attend games. However, the team still knows it has the support of its community as many will look to stream the games if they can’t attend.
“We hope to put a good show on for them,” Kowal said.
On Nov. 23, they will get to work on putting on that show and it is one that everyone is excited to watch.
