This story is sponsored by: All Insurance of Marshfield
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STRATFORD – Stratford ran out to a 16-3 lead to start the game and cruised from there, knocking off Spencer 57-31 in a WIAA Division 4 boys basketball regional quarterfinal Tuesday night at Stratford High School.
Cole Hoffman scored eight of his 10 points in the opening 2 minutes to help the Tigers (15-8) build a double-digit lead.
A basket by Valdimir Rivera, who finished with seven points and five rebounds off the bench, helped Spencer (7-16) close to within 10, but 3-pointers from Trent Heckel and Okley Wrensch pushed the Tigers’ lead back to 14. Stratford led by at least 12 the rest of the way.
“We’re playing better, maturing, and moving the ball well for each other,” Stratford coach Curt Schmidt said. “Defensively, we’ve really stepped it up the last half of the season. Part of that is experience. It’s been a team concept. They know where to look and who to look for.”
Stratford led 32-16 at halftime and started the second half on a 7-3 run to push its advantage to 20.
Heckel and Vaughn Breit added 3-pointers later in the half to put Stratford up 50-25 as Spencer made only three baskets during the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Breit finished with 13 points and eight rebounds in Stratford’s balanced attack. Nine different Tigers ended up scoring in the win.
Stratford will play a regional semifinal at Edgar on Friday. The Tigers lost to Edgar 57-50 back on Jan. 3, but Schmidt said his team, which plays six underclassmen in their regular rotation, has grown a lot since then with experience.
“We’re going to be a in dog fight Friday night,” Schmidt said. “They’re better now, but we’re better too. We have to play with poise, we have to play together, and trust each other. Right now, they’re having fun together and looking for each other.”
Spencer’s top scorer, Jack Bezlyk, was held to just 3 of 9 shooting and seven points. Noah Zastrow led the Rockets with 10 points.
Tigers 57, Rockets 31
Spencer 16 15 – 31
Stratford 32 25 – 57
SPENCER (51): Noah Zastrow 4-9 1-2 10, Lukas Ellefson 0-4 0-0 0, Austin Bacon 0-5 0-0 0, Jack Bezlyk 3-9 0-0 7, Jacob Miller 2-6 2-4 6, Collin Nieman 0-1 0-0 0, Nate Karau 0-1 0-0 0, Josh Rudolph 0-1 1-2 1, Jordan Veigel 0-0 0-0 0, Vladimir Rivera 3-4 1-3 7, Brett Kasch 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 12-40. FT: 5-11. 3-pointers: 2-12 (Zastrow 1-3, Bezlyk 1-4, Bacon 0-2, Ellefson 0-3). Rebounds: 28 (Miller 6). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: none. Record: 7-16.
STRATFORD (57): Brenden Fecker 0-4 6-6 6, Cole Hoffmann 3-8 3-7 10, Okley Wrensch 1-2 0-1 3, Lucas Heidmann 0-0 0-0 0, Paul Huther 3-3 0-0 6, Trent Heckel 2-5 0-0 6, Andrew Bargender 0-0 0-0 0, Teddy Redman 0-1 0-0 0, Chandler Schmidt 0-0 0-0 0, Branden Ackley 0-0 0-0 0, Vaughn Breit 5-7 2-3 13, Lance Heidmann 2-6 0-0 4, Jacob Danen 3-5 1-1 7, Wyatt Curtice 0-0 0-0 0, Benjamin Barten 1-1 0-0 2. FG: 20-42. FT: 12-18. 3-pointers: 5-15 (Heckel 2-4, Breit 1-1, Wrensch 1-2, Hoffmann 1-3, La. Heidmann 0-1, Fecker 0-4). Rebounds: 31 (Breit 8, Danen 8). Assists: 13 (Breit 4). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 8. Fouled out: none. Record: 15-8.