By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Any inkling that the Marshfield Columbus Catholic boys basketball team peaked too early in the season have been erased by three impressive performances in the WIAA Division 4 playoffs.
The Dons ran through the regional whipping Abbotsford 79-48 and Owen-Withee 84-43 at home before running into a scrappy Athens team that kept it closer, but never truly threatened Columbus in the fourth quarter before losing 54-45 last Saturday at Neillsville.
The Dons (20-5) are back in sectionals for the fourth time in the last five years and begin their quest for their first WIAA state tournament appearance since 2003 against Marawood Conference North Division champion Prentice (21-4) in a sectional semifinal at Spooner at 8 p.m. Friday. Clayton (23-1) plays Drummond (15-8) in the first semifinal Friday, with the winners playing at 7 p.m. Saturday with a trip to Madison on the line.
Columbus, which started the season 15-1 but lost four of six to end the regular season, has returned to its winning ways thanks in part to the return of junior guard Jared Boyle, who missed two weeks with a wrist injury. Boyle’s return to the starting lineup has helped reset the Dons’ depth and the one-and-done nature of the postseason has seemed to resurrect Columbus’ focus.
Boyle made 14 of 16 free throws and finished with 19 points in Saturday’s win over Athens. He showed his poise in the fourth quarter, making 10 of 12 from the line as Athens fouled to try to get back in the game.
“Jared Boyle really saved us tonight at the free-throw line. Tonight was a classic example of why we need him,” Columbus coach Joe Konieczny said after the win.
The Dons are undersized and the style of play Konieczny wants them to play is a result of that. Most of the time on the court, Columbus has five players that can handle the ball, play pressure full-court defense and have the ability to shoot from long range.
When the Dons are on their game, such as in the regional semifinal when they made 11 3-pointers, they seem unbeatable. When they aren’t shooting the ball well, like in losses to Nekoosa, Rib Lake and Augusta late in the season, it’s a constant struggle.
At this point in the season, there are no more easy games on the schedule, no margin for error. Prentice, and whichever team the Dons potentially would face in a sectional final are formidable opponents.
“We know that we’re good enough to play with anybody but not that good that anybody can’t play with us,” Konieczny said before the playoffs began.
The way the Dons have recovered from a rough stretch at the end of the season and have played in the regional, it looks like they could just be good enough to be playing at the Kohl Center next week.
Paul Lecker can be reached by e-mail at paul@marshfieldareasports.com.
