The Gibraltar Vikings look to extend their 2022/2023 campaign when they travel around the bay to meet the Florence Bobcats in the WIAA Division 5 Regional Semifinals Friday night.

 

The Vikings used their length and their speed to defeat the Wausaukee Rangers in the WIAA Division 5 Regional Quarterfinals on Tuesday night 73-34. Twelve different Vikings scored at least one point in the matchup as head coach Travis Ward was able to dive into his bench early and often to get his team valuable playoff experience heading into the semifinal matchup against the region's top seed. Will Friedenfels hit his shots underneath to lead the Vikings with 16 points while Jake Schar did a little bit of everything to contribute 14 points. Nathan Merkel added 11 and Carl Burgess added nine points.

 

The Bobcats finished the season 22-1 overall and a perfect 10-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference. A big reason why they are ranked eighth in the WisSports.com's Division 5 ranking is because of its three-point shooting. Six players shoot at least 34 percent from behind the arc. William Kelley, who leads the Bobcats in scoring with 15 points per game, drilled 51 of his 113 three-point attempts, which is good for fifth best in the state at Division 5. The Bobcats have not lost a game since a 66-47 loss to Reedsville on December 27th.

 

With a victory, the Bobcats would host either host Oneida Nation or Goodman-Pembine for a regional final game on Saturday. A Vikings win would result in a trip to the Oneida Nation Reservation in the Green Bay area to face the Thunderhawks or a home game against the Patriots.

 

Tim Kowols and Bryan Mazur have the call on 105.1 The GOAT and NEWRadioSportsNetwork.com from Florence beginning at 6:45 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 7:00 p.m.  

 

Click here to listen to our interview with head coach Travis Ward