Post Messenger Recorder -

Friday, March 3, 2023. There just aren't many 7'2" kids wandering the hardcourts of southern Wisconsin. Come to think of it, I've never seen one. Dodgeville has one in senior Chandler Batchelor. As you would expect, the offense largely runs through him...that is until 6'5" senior Max Parman, with help from his teammates, got the "tall order" to guard this giant. And guard him he did, as he limited Mr. Batchelor to 13 points on the evening, and even outscored him with 14 of his own. Well done "Maximus"!

The game, played in New Glarus, started slowly as is not unusual in tournament play. Being a rematch of the January 31 game, which the Knights won by the narrowest of margins, 58-57, the patrons were certainly expecting another nail biter. Sometimes it's good to be disappointed.

The Dodgers' Lacardar Walker drew first blood, putting his team up 2-0 at the 14:52 mark. NG's senior duo of A.C. Strok and Max Parman hit a pair of 3s to tie things up at 6-6. The game's energy turned at the 8:34 mark when A.C. Strok took it to the hoop on a determined and spirited drive with such elevation limited only by the gym's ceiling! He collected an "and-one" in the process, putting NG up for good at 18-11. With the addition of junior Max Marty's inside game, there was no looking back as the Knights took a 29-22 lead to the locker room with a full head of steam.

You might say it was a tale of two halves: The "A.C. Strok half" and the "Ethan Friedrich half". Strok scored 15 of his game high 17 points in the first half while Friedrich set the tone early and often as he hit five 3s in the second for his 15 points. When Friedrich's fifth 3-ball tickled the twine, it was 54-32 Knights with 4:32 to play. Game over. Final score: 59-33.

Tomorrow night it's Edgewood on their court in a D3 Regional Final.

Knights Edged Out by Edgewood 63-62 in Regional Final Thriller

Saturday, March 4, 2023. You wanted a nail biter? YOU GOT ONE! The #4 seeded Glarner Knights took the #1 seeded Edgewood Crusaders to the brink of elimination in a D3 Regional Final on the Edgewood court. The sold-out gym was stuffed with as much March Madness energy as it could possibly hold. With 3.6 seconds left to play, it was all tied at 62-62. Read on.

New Glarus came out strong and jumped to a 6-0 lead to open the game. Their defense seemed to confuse the Crusaders, holding them scoreless until the 12:11 mark. And then the Crusaders, led by senior Hunter Dobrinsky, found their 3-point game, making five in a row as they roared to a 15-8 lead. That would be their biggest lead of the game as the Knights, behind a scoring surge of Breckyn Thompson, A.C. Strok, and Max Parman, regained the lead 27-26 with 2:57 to play in the half. Edgewood went on a short run before the two Maxwells (Parman and Marty) closed the gap to 32-31, Edgewood, at the buzzer.

In the second half the lead would seesaw back and forth by no more than a point or two until the 6:16 mark when Edgewood's athleticism led to some fast breaks and easy points, giving them a 56-51 lead. New Glarus would not crack as A.C. Strok and Breckyn Thompson hit a pair of 3s, added a deuce, and the Knights reclaimed the lead 59-58 with 2:15 to play. Then came the most questionable call of the entire season when Strok was mysteriously flagged with his fourth foul. The Crusader player made both free throws to go up 60-59.

Nineteen seconds later Strok was called for his fifth, this one legitimate, and forced to leave the game. Stifling defense by both teams led to two free throws made by two different Edgewood players, giving them a 62-59 lead with 43.4 seconds to play. NG had the ball and patiently, with great discipline, worked for a shot. At 16.0 seconds on the clock, Glarner Knight sophomore Breckyn Thompson delivered the biggest shot of his young life - a 3-ball to tie the score at 62 all!

Edgewood advanced the ball up court and put it in the hands of senior Lucas Shulla Cose. With 3.6 seconds on the clock, he was mildly bumped on a drive (a call that is usually not made in the final seconds of a game) and awarded two foul shots. He made one. The Knights were out of time outs and facing the full length of the court as they tried for a game winning shot, which the Crusaders defense forced near half court, coming up short. And there you have it, 63-62. Ball game. Season. Oh, the finality of it all is hard to bear.

But what a game. And what pride New Glarus can have in taking a private Madison school (that recruits the area for players) to the brink. In a post-game interview, Edgewood Head Coach Reggie Patterson had nothing but praise for the Knights, and especially their ability to come back and fight off runs by his team. He said his team's game plan was simply "to keep the ball out of Strok's hands"...and then with a chuckle added, "we didn't do that very well".

A.C. Strok, playing in his last game as a Glarner Knight, led all scorers with 25 points. Max Marty had perhaps his best game with 14 points, all on the inside and with some crafty moves in heavy traffic.

So we say a tearful goodbye with all the thanks we can muster to seniors: Jack Douma, Max Parman, Ja'Kodey Strahm, Ethan Friedrich, A.C. Strok, and Emery Johnson. Well done Coach Sysko and staff...you continue to make us proud year after year.