High School Boys Basketball: Seneca at Ithaca

Transcript

High School Boys Basketball: Seneca at Ithaca

WRCO Sports · Thu Jan 15, 2026

I'm Phil Ney with a look at sports. Here is a look at the girls basketball schedule tonight.

Richland center makes up a game that was canceled a couple of weeks ago. Tonight,

they're home against LaCrosse Logan. Hornets try to make a 2-0 on the week. Also Hillsboro

will be at Royal Bangor at Cashton. One Ewok center travels to Brookwood, Black Hawk at Belmont,

Wisconsin Dells at Westfield, Austin at Adams Friendship, and Tomah at Arcadia.

In the SWAL for Boys Basketball, Riverdale will be at Southwestern,

Darlington at Voskebel, Phenomore at Iowa Grant, and Cuba City will be at Mineral Point.

Elsewhere, it will be Highland at Belmont, and Landcasters at Prairie Dushin in the Southwest

conference. River Valley travels to Plattville, and Richland center with a big conference game

tonight. They're traveling to Dodgeville to take on the Dodgers. In the Ridge and Valley top game,

maybe the top game in the state tonight, as a couple of the state's top rated teams in the

bound division five rankings. Number one rated in the state Kikapoo playing at North Crawford.

Also, it's LaFarge at Wozika Stuban in the R&V and Seneca will be at Ethica. The Bulldogs are

coming off a win over Wozika Stuban. Here's head coach Aaron Hipsch.

We have a little bit of a tale of two-half. We could have started better. I think the kids know

that, but I like how we responded. I thought we played a pretty solid second half. I was

most proud of the buy-in we had on the defensive side of the ball. It was good to see.

I ask Aaron about tonight's opponent, Seneca. Well, it's an interesting match-up. There are

a very similar team-doth. In fact, everything centered around their big man. They have a very

very talented big man that can play inside and out, and they surround him with some good shooters

and get that play hard and compete defensively. I think we're very similar in the way we

try to do things and it should make for a pretty good game. Yeah, looking at Seneca and Ethica,

you've had a pretty good history over the years, haven't you? Absolutely. There's been some good

games. Of course, they've had a great program for a lot of years and it doesn't matter what year it

is. They're going to compete no matter what. So, yeah, we're certainly looking forward to the

challenge. Seneca, Ethica, boys. Basketball featured game tonight on WRC Radio. Other boys,

games, Judah, Ed Benton, River Ridge, Hit Potosi, Cassville, Barnaville, at Argyle,

Bellville at Wisconsin Heights, Readsburg, Travels to Sock Prairie, Barrowboo at Viverdam,

and Stoughton at Portage. Coming up this weekend, the annual Ethica Weston wrestling

invitation. It will be at Weston High School on Saturday, and a big deal and a big day for

lots of very wrestlers. Here is Ethica Weston, co-head coach Troy Clary. We've got like 11 teams

against local teams like Mr. Sutter. We'll be there. And then it's also we have our Hall of Fame

induction as well that day. Not too far out the road before conference duels and everything

else going on here. So, this is kind of the stretch drive right now as you can hone your skills

before the postseason, isn't it? Yeah, in practices, we're trying to do a lot of live wrestling,

putting the guys in the situations, and then wrestling a live match here and there.

But try to keep them as fresh as we can for the weekend. The tournament to me are kind of

in whatever quads we can. It will kind of use that as our practice, our stepping stone,

and work on stuff that we need to work on during the season that we're when we make a mistake and

give up my score or something like that. We want to be able to correct them mistakes and be ready

for the final drive. That's Troy Clary. The Hall of Fame induction will take place before the

finals of the West and Ithaca tournament. And here are the names that will be going into the

program's halls of fame Richard Wall Smith who started the Ithaca wrestling program in 1963.

He coached the Bulldogs in 1963 and 64. He coached Ithaca's very first state qualifier and was

widely known for his aggressive coaching style at the time. Richard himself was a conference

champ for Richland Center High School in 1961. Jim Chappell coached at Weston from 1964 through 69

in 1964 and 1967. Weston finished second in the conference. Coach Chappell coached Weston

to conference championships in 1966, 68 and 1969. And in 1969 for the first time in Western

history, they had two state qualifiers in Bob Lewis and Donald King who finished sixth.

Also in his time at Weston, coach Chappell was a science teacher, class advisor and coached

football. Gary Anderson wrestled for Ithaca from 1970 through 1974 and UW Richland from 1974

through 75. While competing for Ithaca, he had a career record of 60, 20 and one. He was a

conference champion in 1972 and conference runner up in 1974. Gary was also a sectional qualifier

in 1973. Wayne Osborne, Wayne known as the father of Western wrestling in the 1959, 1960 school year.

He had asked the principal if they could start a wrestling program. He was told if he could get

10 guys to sign up, they could start a team. By lunch, Wayne had 12 signed up and by the end of

the school day, someone was ready to coach them. By the time the season rolled around, they had 18

boys on the team. The Western team went on to win all of their duels in 1960 and 61, even though

they were not allowed to compete in tournaments, Wayne won a conference championship in 1963.

And Mike Dre, who had a career record of 72 and 14 while wrestling for Western. He was a three time

conference and regional champion in 1988, 89 and 1990. Mike was also a two time sectional champion

in 1989 and 1990. Mike also became the first Western wrestler to make the state finals in both 1989

and 1990, losing to the same opponent both years. Mike senior year, he was 16 and all with 16

pins leading into the state tournament. Mike was coached by Larry Villiard and Rod Muller.

Those names, Richard Walt Smith, Jim Chapel, Gary Anderson, Wayne Osborne and Mike Dre will

officially be inducted into the Ithaca and Western halls of fame for wrestling coming up Saturday

before the finals of the tournament at Weston High School. Merchants bowling league action,

series high last night, belonged to AutoZone. That team had a 29, 44. Walsh's Ace Hardware was

runner up at 27, 85 and the Phoenix Center number one at 27, 82. High game honors, Phoenix Center

one, 10, 59, AutoZone, a 9, 88 and a 9, 81. Top series, Jeff Seckman, a 7, 11, Ken Nick's

Junior 703, JJ Klatt, a 690. Top game, Ken Nick's Junior, a 279, Anthony Ludwig and Jeff

Seckman with 267s and JJ Klatt rolled a 266 in the Merchants bowling league. For the first time

in six years, a Wisconsin football player has been named to an all-American freshman team. Linebacker

Mason Posa got the honor Wednesday after earning a starting spot in mid season. Posa played a

significant number of snaps in only five games, but he produced 58 tackles, four sacks, four tackles

for loss, three pass breakups and fours two fumbles. The last Badger freshman to earn all-American

honors was running back Braylon Allen in 2021. The Dallas Cowboys have requested permission to

interview a packer assistant, DeMarcus Covington. Is a defensive line coach and run game coordinator

on Matlow Flora staff? He joined the team just before the 2025 NFL season. The 36-year-old Covington

came to Green Bay after eight seasons with the New England Patriots. The Cowboys want to talk

with him about their need for a defensive coordinator. Coming off last weekend sweep of Alaska

Anchorage, the Wisconsin man's hockey team takes on a much tougher opponent. Number four ranked

Michigan State will skate against the Badgers at the Cole Center tonight and Friday. Wisconsin has

a record of 15, three and two while the Spartans are 15 and five. Coach Mike Hastings Bucky Badgers

already swept the big 10 opponent back in November. John Harball interviewed in person with a

giants for their head coaching vacancy. A person familiar with the situation tells the associated

press. The person said Harball spent most of Wednesday at the team facility in East Rutherford.

Back to basketball. Some big college games last night. Number one Arizona was a winner against

Arizona State 89 82. Number four Michigan 82 72 over Washington. Purdue number five rated was a

winner against Iowa 79 72. And number 13 Illinois over Northwestern final score 79 68. And in

state from last night in the Weak action River Falls 69 O'Clayer 47. Whitewater 63 lacrosse 60.

Stout 83 Stevens point 67 and Oshkosh over Plattville 86 76. And that is a look at sports. I am

Phil Lee.