SPORTS

Columbus Catholic wins Division 5 boys sectional title

Tim Johnson

WESTON - Joe Konieczny climbed the steps of the ladder placed underneath the basket at one end of the D.C. Everest Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon and cut the last few strands of thread loose from the basketball rim.

The Columbus Catholic boys basketball coach then held the freed net aloft in celebration for a few seconds to the cheers of the crowd of players and supporters that gathered by the ladder.

The net was a trophy for the Dons’ 68-62 win over Gresham in a WIAA Division 5 sectional final and the program’s first trip to the state tournament since 2003.

“I’m just so happy for our players,” Konieczny said. “I’m just fortunate to have a lot of really good players and kids that put a lot of time into the season. To see them get to play at the Kohl Center ... I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Hunter Schultz and Tyler Fuerlinger had 26 and 20 points, respectively, for the Dons, who play in a state semifinal Friday morning in Madison.

The state appearance is only the second in the program’s history with the other coming more than a decade ago. The Dons led Gresham by 23 points at the break but held off a second-half charge by the Wildcats.

Neal Cerveny had 19 points to lead Gresham, who rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final minute of regulation in a sectional semifinal win over Lena in overtime on Thursday.

Derek Bowman and Todd Otradovec both added 18 points for Gresham, which closed the Dons’ lead to single digits in the final minute of regulation.

Fuerlinger went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 33 seconds to help the Dons hold on.

“It’s a game of runs and the way you deal with it decides the outcome,” Schultz said “We handled it well.”

Schultz had 20 points in the first half and scored eight straight in the midst of a 21-2 run as the Dons built a 36-18 lead with just under three minutes left in the half.

“Our movement of the ball was great and got me some open looks,” said Schultz, who returned to the lineup at the start of the postseason after missing the final five games of the regular season with a foot injury. “I started hitting (the shots) and other guys starting hit them.”

The Wildcats took a 16-15 lead with 11:34 left in the half and then went roughly nine minutes with a field goal. Gresham’s points in that stretch came on a pair of free throws.

“The first half we didn’t play our game at all,” Cerveny said. “Not much needed to be said (at the half), just ‘Pick it up and let’s battle back.’”

The Dons defense kept Gresham off-balance in the first half as Columbus Catholic played triangle-and two, man-to-man and also a 2-3 zone with and without a half-court trap at different times.

“We just mixed it up (on defense) and did that after we scored usually,” Konieczny said of his team, which led 45-22 at the break. “I thought we kept them off-balance especially 21 (Cerveny) and 00 (Drew Haffner). Those kids on film really scared us.”

Gresham opened the second half in a 1-3-1 zone which slowed the Dons offensive attack. The Wildcats went on a 16-4 run to close to within 49-38 with 12:45 left in regulation and kept the pressure on the Dons from there.

“Luckily for us the game was 36 minutes and not 40,” Konieczny said. “We were fortunate to get a win against a really good team.”

Gresham

22

40

62

Col. Cath.

45

23

68

Gresham (62): Ray Creapeau 7, Neal Cerveny 19, Derek Bowman 18, Todd Otradovec. 18. Totals: 23 10-13 62.

Columbus Catholci (68): Jarred Mandel 6, Charles Payant 2, Nick Malovrh 12, Hunter Schultz 26, Ethan Meece 2, Tyler Fuerlinger 20. Totals: 25 9-12 68

3-pointers: G 5 (Otradovec 4, Crepeau); CC 9 (Malovrh 4, Schultz 4, Fuerlinger)

Records: Columbus Catholic 25-3, Gresham 23-4