By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – One opponent stands in the way of the Marshfield girls basketball team making it to the Division 1 sectionals for the eighth straight year.
The Tigers (20-2) host Superior (13-10) at 3 p.m. Saturday in a WIAA Division 1 regional final with a chance to add to their recent success.
Marshfield, eyeing its third straight trip to the state tournament, has reached the sectional finals six times in the past seven years and takes a 10-game winning streak into Saturday’s clash with the Spartans.
Sophomore Taylor Varsho leads the way for the Tigers. Varsho has scored 413 points this season (18.8 average) and stands just 53 points away from breaking the school’s single season scoring mark set by Jamie Braun in 2005-06.
Marshfield coach Heidi Michaelis said the Tigers had no problem deferring to a sophomore, who is a first-year starter, to be the team’s go-to person on offense.
“Taylor was a kid that definitely had the capability to do what she has,” said Michaelis, who is 168-42 in nine seasons at Marshfield. “She has no conscience and that makes her a good scorer. She’s so tough and outworks people to get that shot.
“There are not a lot of teams that would let a sophomore lead them in scoring, but the girls have totally looked to her to do that. They know they need her to do this for us to win.”
The Tigers will have to contend with Superior junior Betty Jo Nelson and try to find a way to slow her down on Saturday.
Nelson is averaging 21.8 points a game for the Spartans, who had stumbled into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak before knocking off Antigo in a regional semifinal Tuesday.
“She is a good, long guard,” Michaelis said. “We need to always be aware of where she is and we’ve prepared for her like we would for someone like (Wausau West’s Jessica) Waldvogel.”
The bonus of having a good regular season gave the Tigers a first-round bye in the playoffs, but also has the team chomping at the bit to get back on the court after seven days off. Michaelis said they have had to deal with the same thing in the past and is using it to her advantage.
“There’s a method we use, a method to our madness,” Michaelis said. “Usually by the end of week the girls are really sick of hearing me talk about what we want to do and just want to get out and play. The anticipation gets them to be ready to play. We prepare for our opponent, clean up some things, put in a few new things, and try to use it totally to our advantage.”
The winner moves on to play the winner of the Wausau West-D.C. Everest matchup next Friday at West. The sectional final is next Saturday at West.
Wausau West Sectional
Saturday’s regional finals
River Falls (11-11) at Menomonie (21-1)
Chippewa Falls (15-8) at Eau Claire North (16-7)
D.C. Everest (13-9) at Wausau West (19-4)
Superior (13-10) at Marshfield (20-2)
Paul Lecker can be reached by e-mail at paul@marshfieldareasports.com.
