By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
It is not as if Thursday’s game between Spencer and Marshfield Columbus Catholic will decide the Cloverbelt Conference East Division championship, but it will definitely give the winner a leg up in its chase for the title.
The Rockets (10-2 overall) and the Dons (12-1) head into the game at Columbus Catholic High School with identical 9-1 records in the Cloverbelt, leaving the victor with sole possession of first place.
Columbus won the first matchup this season 56-43 at Spencer on Dec. 10 in a game that was tight throughout the first half.
Spencer coach Randy Reckner said two 3-pointers by the Dons late in the first half turned a three-point Columbus lead into a nine-point bulge and changed the course of the game.
“It was a tight game most of first half,” Reckner said. “We had a turnover when they had a three-point lead and then they made two 3s right before half. We thought we played OK against a really quick team and a good team. It’s just a matter of a momentum swing that changed it.”
Since the loss, Spencer has won eight out of nine overall and seven straight in the Cloverbelt. Columbus won its first 11 games before losing to Colby on Jan. 19. The Dons rebounded with a 20-point win at Neillsville last Friday.
Columbus coach Joe Konieczny said the Rockets’ size advantage was negated in the last meeting because of the Dons’ determination on the defensive end.
“We rebounded really well,” he said. “They have a size advantage and that was really important that we play good defense and get them to turn the ball over or hold them to one shot.”
The Dons like to keep the game at a quick tempo, pushing the ball upcourt following a rebound or made shot by the opposition. In the first meeting, the Rockets tried to slow it down as much as possible.
Reckner said he’s expecting Columbus to try to force the tempo again, using its pressure defense to force the Rockets into turnovers.
“We’re expecting them to press us and use a 2-1-2 zone defense,” Reckner said. “We have a size advantage over them and they have a quickness advantage over us, so it’s a matter of us taking care of the ball and having good possessions.”
Spencer is led offensive by Bryan Brodziski and Tyler Kolstad, who both average double digits in points scored, but the balance shown by the Rockets has impressed Reckner.
“The best thing is how well we are playing as a team,” Reckner said. “Different guys are stepping up, with different leading scorers. The bench has been super lately.”
Dodge Langreck and Tyler Mancl are both averaging close to 13 points a game for the Dons, with Travis Pischel, Jared Boyle and David Green averaging between 8 and 10 points per contest.
The group gives Columbus a balanced attack as well, with all of them able to drive to the hoop or shoot 3-pointers, something the Dons have excelled at during the course of the season.
Following the 25-point loss to Colby, the Dons found themselves in another fight, trailing at Neillsville midway through the third quarter. Then something clicked, and Columbus outscored the Warriors by 22 points over the final 11 minutes of the game to win going away.
“We kind of let down last Tuesday against Colby,” Konieczny said. “Against Neillsville it showed we can play really well if we continue to play hard every possession.”
