This story is sponsored by: Chili Implement
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Undefeated champion Stratford earned five spots on the 2018-19 All-Marawood Conference South Division Boys Basketball Team, including two unanimous first-team selections.
Stratford juniors Ben Barten and Vaughn Breit were among the five players named to the first-team, which was voted on by the conference coaches following the season.
Barten averaged 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who won the Marawood South title with a perfect 16-0 record. Stratford finished 24-1 overall, losing in the WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinals to Wisconsin Dells.
Barten finished tied for third in the conference in scoring and had a league-best 70.3 percent field goal percentage (142-for-202) overall this past season.
Breit averaged 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds a game for Stratford, including 10 3-pointers and a 54.6 percent shooting percentage.
Marathon senior Carter Hanke, Auburndale junior Cooper Weinfurter and Auburndale senior Colton Wright were the other first-team selections. All five honorees were unanimous selections.
Hanke led the conference in scoring at 19.3 points and rebounding at 7.8 per game, shooting 59.1 percent from the field and 75.7 percent at the free throw line, and was named Marawood South Player of the Year.
Wright topped the Apaches in scoring at 15.4 points per game and made 50 3-pointers, which was second in the conference. Auburndale finished with a 19-6 overall record and a 12-4 mark in the conference, which was good enough for third place
Weinfurter averaged 14.8 points per game, making 26 3-pointers and shooting 74.4 percent at the free throw line with a conference-best 93 made free throws.
Among the second-team selections was Stratford junior Chandler Schmidt, who averaged 7.9 points per game and made 29 3-pointers.
Auburndale senior Carter Wilcott and sophomore Hunter Wright, and Stratford junior Teddy Redman and senior Lance Heidmann were honorable mention selections.
Stratford coach Curt Schmidt was also named Marawood South Coach of the Year.
2018-19 All-Marawood Conference South Division Boys Basketball Team
First team (*unanimous selection): *Carter Hanke, sr., Marathon; *Ben Barten, jr., Stratford; *Cooper Weinfurter, jr., Auburndale; *Vaughn Breit, jr., Stratford; *Colton Wright, sr., Auburndale.
Second team: Drew Guden, so., Edgar; Chandler Schmidt, jr., Stratford; Clarke Mouw, jr., Marathon; Ben Leischer, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Nick Smits, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption.
Honorable mention: Cole Statz, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Cameron Kopacz, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Carter Wilcott, sr., Auburndale; Hunter Wright, so., Auburndale; Karson Butt, sr., Edgar; Kyle Brewster, so., Edgar; Hunter Seubert, sr., Marathon; Preston Weber, sr., Marathon; Charlie McCarty, so., Wausau Newman Catholic; Cade Kimball, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Teddy Redman, jr., Stratford; Lance Heidmann, sr., Stratford.
Player of the Year: Carter Hanke, Marathon.
Coach of the Year: Curt Schmidt, Stratford.