Twelve different Vikings players scored as Gibraltar cruised to the easy 73-34 victory over Wausaukee Tuesday night in Fish Creek to open the WIAA Division 5 Boys Basketball Tournament.

The Vikings used their speed and their height to their advantage as they jumped out to an 18-5 advantage thanks to the strong post play of Will Freidenfels and the three point shot by Jake Schar. Layne Rowley was the only Rangers player who was able to get anything going offensively, but it was too late as the Vikings took a commanding 37-17 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The big lead allowed Vikings head coach Travis Ward to go deep into his bench, resting his starters for the final several minutes of the game as the contest went to a running clock. The Vikings stuck to their game plan however with Nathan Merkel taking center stage and four players making three-point shots. The Vikings' defense limited the Rangers to just 17 points each half with Rowley being the main threat.

Rowley led the Rangers with 14 points while Robby Murray pitched in five points. Dustin Lang added four points and four others registered at least three points. Friedenfels hit his shots underneath to lead the Vikings with 16 points while Schar did a little bit of everything to contribute 14 points. Merkel added 11 and Carl Burgess added nine points. Braden Sitte, Liam Lindenberg, Garett Voight, Cristino Valdivia, Yahir Valdivia, Marshall Maltby Mateo Jauregui, and Jeffrey Mize all scored at least two points.

The Vikings will head to Florence to face the top-seeded Bobcats on Friday night at 7 p.m. Tim Kowols and Bryan Mazur will have the call on 105.1 The GOAT and NEWRadioSportsNetwork.com beginning at 6:45 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 7 p.m.

Making a second straight run to the Kohl Center is the goal for the Gibraltar boys' basketball team as they begin their 2023 WIAA Tournament run in Fish Creek on Tuesday with a home game against Wausaukee.

The Vikings enter the postseason with a lot of momentum, winning four of their last five games with their lone blemish against the Packerland Conference champion Southern Door Eagles. In their last game, Jake Schar scored 14 points on Friday night, but it was his final two that were the most important as they were the ones that beat Algoma 42-40. The Vikings traded blows with the Wolves the entire game as both teams would go on mini four to six-point runs throughout the first half. The Wolves would enter the second half with a slim two-point advantage that once again wasn't safe throughout the period. Kaden Vardon tied the game with a three-pointer play with 20 seconds remaining before Schar's heroics at the horn. In addition to Schar's 14 points, Will Friedenfels scored 16 points and Carl Burgess added five points. 

The Rangers come into the game trying to break out of a month-long funk as they have lost eight of their last 10 games. That includes an 80-21 loss to Crivitz where they were outscored by 44 points in the first half. They are led by Layne Rowley who averages around 15 points and eight rebounds per game for the Rangers. Danny Suennen (7.9 ppg) and Prestin Brunette (6.8 ppg) complement Rowley on offense.

This is a rematch of a 2020 playoff matchup where the Rangers beat the Vikings 79-70. The Rangers would go on to lose in the sectional semi-final to Wabeno-Laona by single point before every team would be sidelined due to the pandemic. Gibraltar's Friedenfels and Wausaukee's Rowley were freshman did not score a single point.

Gibraltar will host Wausaukee in the opening round of the WIAA Tournament on Tuesday in Fish Creek. Tim Kowols and Bryan Mazur will have the call on 105.1 The GOAT beginning at 6:45 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 7 p.m.

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

Jake Schar scored 14 points on Friday night, but it was his final two that were the most important as they were the ones that beat Algoma 42-40.

The Vikings traded blows with the Wolves the entire game as both teams would go on mini four to six-point runs throughout the first half. The Wolves would enter the second half with a slim two-point advantage that once again wasn't safe throughout the period. Kaden Vardon tied the game with a three-pointer play with 20 seconds remaining before Schar's heroics at the horn.

In addition to Schar's 14 points, Will Friedenfels scored 16 points and Carl Burgess added five points. For the Wolves, Vardon scored a team-high 12 points and Owen Robertson nearly matched him with 11 points.

Gibraltar will host Wausaukee in the opening round of the WIAA Tournament on Tuesday in Fish Creek. Tim Kowols and Bryan Mazur will have the call on 105.1 The GOAT beginning at 6:45 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 7 p.m.

The Gibraltar boys' basketball team will close out their regular season in Fish Creek Friday night when they welcome the Algoma Wolves.

The return of Jake Schar was just part of the reason for Gibraltar's offensive outburst in their 69-54 victory over Sturgeon Bay Monday night. The Vikings outscored the Clippers 31-17 in the first half behind Will Friedenfels' productive night in the paint. He scored 10 of his team-high 22 points in the opening frame, with Braden Sitte adding eight. The offense picked up even more steam in the second half, with Schar and Friedenfels each scoring 12 points. Schar finished the night with 17 points, and Sitte contributed 13 points in the win.

The Algoma Wolves boys basketball team outscored Sevastopol 45-20 in the second half to win on their senior night 83-44. Kaden Vardon was already strong night offensively before knocking down 10 shots inside the arc in the second half en route to a 30-point evening. The Lischkas proved to be worthy sidekicks as Parker scored 17 points and Carson hit three three-pointers to add 11 points. Two others added nine points in the Wolves win.

Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.

A four-minute drought to start the second half was all it took to send the Gibraltar Vikings into the offseason after a 48-32 loss to Niagara Tuesday night.

Both teams boasted strong defense in the first half of the game as contested shots refused to fall for the Vikings and the Badgers. Midway through the first half, Mikala Gorham helped engineer the Vikings' comeback from an early deficit to a two-point advantage. The two teams would trade leads through the end of the half until Abby Wells sank a three-pointer to give the host Badgers an 18-16 advantage at the break.

The shots that did not fall in the first half began to fall for the Badgers early as they scored the first eight points of the second half and eventually stretch the lead to 15 before the Vikings began to whittle away. Colleen Carlisle and McKailey Reisen would help get the Vikings to within seven points, but not any closer as Josie Rock sank seven straight free throws to end the threat.

Rock and teammate Megan  Borchardt led the way for the Badgers with 15 points apiece and Mallory Sanicky chipped in five points. For the Vikings, Gorham scored 11 points and Chloe Alexander contributed six points. Three others scored at least four points in the loss.

The return of Jake Schar was just part of the reason for Gibraltar's offensive outburst in their 69-54 victory over Sturgeon Bay Monday night.

The Vikings outscored the Clippers 31-17 in the first half behind Will Friedenfels' productive night in the paint. He scored 10 of his team-high 22 points in the opening frame, with Braden Sitte adding eight. The offense picked up even more steam in the second half, with Schar and Friedenfels each scoring 12 points. Schar finished the night with 17 points, and Sitte contributed 13 points in the win.

Garrett Ulberg led the Clippers with 21 points while Isaak Aune was able to scored 12 of his 13 points in the second half. The Evers brothers combined to score 13 points in the loss.

The Gibraltar Vikings girls' basketball team will open up their run in the WIAA Tournament on Tuesday night when they travel up north to face the Niagara Badgers.

Playing without three of their top six players, the Vikings' ended their regular season with a 55-17 Thursday night loss to the Algoma Wolves. The Vikings made only six shots from the field. Krista Church made two of those shots from behind the arc, and led all Vikings players with six points. Mikala Gorham scored five points in the loss. Head coach Devin Thomas is confident that Andie Schar, Colleen Carlisle, and Chloe Alexander will all be available for the playoff matchup. Before the loss to Algoma, the Vikings posted victories over Sturgeon Bay and Goodman/Pembine.

The Badgers finished 19-5 overall and in second place in the Marinette & Oconto Conference. They closed their season winning 11 of their final 13 games, including a 55-44 victory against Lena in their finale. They are led in scoring about Josie Rock's 14.7 points per game. The Badgers also have two players almost earning double-doubles each game in Morgan Borchardt (12.1 ppg/8.1 rpg) and Mallory Sanicki (9.6 ppg/8.7 rpg). 

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

Listen to our full interview with head coach Devin Thomas by clicking this link

The Gibraltar boys' basketball team will try their part to hamper a coronation on Friday night as Southern Door comes to Fish Creek.

The Vikings have had to deal with life without Jake Schar after he suffered a leg injury earlier this month. Head coach Travis Ward is hopeful that he will return to the line-up before the end of the regular season next week. In his absence, Will Friedenfels has been able to step up as the team's leading scorer. Friedenfels paced the Vikings with 18 points, and Brandon Sitte added 11 more in a convincing 64-35 victory over county rival Sevastopol in Institute. The Vikings outscored the Pioneers 16-5 from the free-throw line. 

There has been no mistake on the leading scorer for the Eagles, which boasts Drew Daoust (32.3 ppg) as its top scorer and Jared Hawkey and Taylor Schaefer pitching in double-figures on a nightly basis as well. The Eagles earned a Senior Night win with a 66-51 win over the Algoma Wolves on Tuesday night. Daoust would find Matthew Malvitz multiple times for easy layups, and Daoust would end up finishing the game with 37 points, four away from his season high. 

Tim Kowols and Jacob Nate will have the call on U 102.1 beginning at 7:15 p.m. with the pregame show followed by tip-off at 7:30 p.m.

You can listen to our interviews with Gibraltar's Travis Ward and Southern Door's Josh Vandenbush by clicking the links.

The Gibraltar Vikings claimed a road win Tuesday night with a convincing 64-35 victory over county rival Sevastopol in Institute.

Exploding for 40 points in the second half, the Vikings turned a tie game at half into a blow out.

Will Friedenfels paced the Vikings with 18 points and Brandon Sitte added 11 more.

Sevastopol was led by Nick Peterson who scored 12 for the Pioneers in the defeat.  

The Vikings outscored the Pioneers 16-5 from the free throw line. 

Mikala Gorham's big game helped wipe Friday's memories away with Gibraltar's 61-30 win over Goodman/Pembine on Saturday afternoon.

Gorham scored 16 points to lead the way for the Vikings on an afternoon where head coach Devin Thomas was able to dive deep into his bench. Betsy Lecy buried four three-pointers to score 14 points. Colleen Carlisle, Emilie Glocke, Lauren McNally,  and Anna Jarosh all scored six points. 

Cate Gilbert scored nine points and two others registered eight points in the loss for the Patriots.

For the second straight game, the Gibraltar Vikings relied on Will Friedenfels for offense, but this time won their game over Goodman/Pembine 59-49 Saturday afternoon.

Down by four at the break, the Vikings outscored the Patriots 38-24 in the second half to earn the victory. In the absence of leading scorer Jake Schar due to injury, Friedenfels was the leading scorer with 16 points. Carl Burgess added 12 points with the team's two three-pointers to his credit and Braden Sitte added nine points. 

Ryan Ehlert led all scorers with 25 points for the Patriots.

The Gibraltar Vikings will play host to Goodman/Pembine in a Saturday afternoon non-conference matinee. 

The Vikings are coming off of a 60-45 defeat against the Packerland’s second-place Peshtigo Bulldogs. Coming into the Saturday matchup at 5-13 overall and 3-9 in the Packerland, they will look for continued scoring from their duo of Jake Schar and the newly Saint Norbert commit Will Friendenfels. 

The Goodman/Pembine Patriots enter the game with a similar record as the Vikings, with a 5-12 overall record and going 1-8 in the Northern Lakes Conference. Ryan Ehlert has been the leader in the clubhouse for scoring for the Patriots, averaging 22.4 points per game. With the Patriots averaging nearly 60 points per game and the Vikings averaging 53, offense will be on display. 

Tip from Gibraltar is set for 1:00 P.M. 

The Gibraltar Vikings girls' basketball team will have another opportunity to get claw back into the win column after losing to Southern Door 56-52 Friday night in Brussels.

Both teams took long runs of not scoring in the first half, but only the Eagles were able to take advantage of it early as Alianna Dufek scored 12 of her 20 points in the first half. When the Eagles were held scoreless, the Vikings could only nibble away at the deficit until the closing minutes when the second of two three-pointers by Betsy Lecy and lay-ups underneath by Colleen Carlisle made it a 27-24 at the break.

The Vikings and the Eagles would rely on their stars to essentially play an even second half with Southern Door's Callie Miller and Gibraltar's Andie Schar shouldering the load. Miller routinely would take the ball in from more than 30 feet out and draw a foul if not registering an assist or a basket of her own. She finished with 13 points, eight of which came after the break. Schar would make the most of her trips to the charity stripe with nearly half of her team-high 21 points coming from the line. At least two of those made free throws came off of fouls where she was able to make the basket after getting fouled. In the final seconds, a late charge call and a mad scramble ultimately ended the Vikings' threat of a comeback after trailing by as much as 15 points in the second half. Colleen Carlisle added 10 points and three others scored at least five points for the Vikings. Dufek and Miller were complemented by Payton Gilbertson who contributed 13 points.

The Vikings are back in action on Saturday afternoon as they play second fiddle to the boys as both squads host Goodman-Pembine. The Lady Patriots are 4-14 on the season and struggled mightily in their last game, scoring just four points in the second half of a 66-20 loss to Niagara. Tip off for that game is set for 2:30 p.m. in Fish Creek. 

Losing one of their best players to injury was just part of the reason why the Gibraltar boys' basketball team fell to Peshtigo 60-45 Thursday night.

The Vikings found themselves down 37-16 at halftime, missing leading scorer Jake Schar to a leg injury. Losing Schar also hurt the Vikings defensively as they were outgunned by the Bulldogs behind the arc 6-1. The Vikings were able to bounce back in the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs by one.

Will Friedenfels carried the load with 11 points while Braden Sitte added nine points, and Marshall Maltby chipped in six. The Bulldogs' Kaine Fort led all scorers with 17 points while teammates Landon Beyer and Grant Bauman added 12 and 10 points respectively.

North meets south as Gibraltar makes the trip to Brussels on Friday night to face Southern Door in girls' basketball action.

The Vikings are coming off a stretch where they faced the Packerland's top three teams in four straight games. That included Tuesday's 54-20 loss to the first-place Sevastopol Pioneers. Andie Schar returned serve the best she could for the Vikings as they weathered the Pioneers' offensive onslaught, scoring eight of her team-high 10 points after the break. Colleen Carlisle and Krista Church each added three points in the loss for the Vikings.

The Eagles toppled Algoma in their last matchup on Tuesday in a come-behind 47-40 victory. The Eagles were led by Allianna Dufek, who poured in 14 points, and Payton Gilbertson chipped in 13 more.

Tim Kowols and Jacob Nate will have the call on U 102.1 and NEWRadioSportsNetwork.com  beginning at 7:15 p.m., with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 7:30 p.m.

You can listen to our interviews with Gibraltar's Devin Thomas and Southern Door's Andy Bruess by clicking the links.

The Gibraltar boys basketball team looks to snap a three-game Packerland Conference losing streak on Thursday when they host Peshtigo in Fish Creek.

The Vikings lost a heartbreaker to Oconto earlier this week when they lost 67-65. The team could never close up a two-point halftime deficit in a game that saw Braden Sitte score a team-high 19 points. Jake Schar and Carl Burgess each added 11 points. Will Friedenfels just missed out on a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. The Blue Devils had four players reach double figures led by Dominik Baxter's 18 points and 14 points apiece from Kadin Baxter and Carter Koch. 

The Bulldogs had a two-game winning streak snapped with a 60-52 loss to Bonduel on Monday. Kaine Fort led the way with 17 points while Mason Doberstein added 10 points.

Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m.

Gibraltar and Sevastopol will renew their rivalry in Packerland girls' basketball action on Tuesday night.

The Vikings dug a hole for themselves in the first half, but were able to make a game of it against Peshtigo in their 46-38 loss against Peshtigo. The Vikings found themselves down 21-13 at the end of the first half, an edge the Bulldogs would keep the rest of the game. Andie Schar scored 22 points in the loss for the Vikings, including 14 after the break. Betsy Lecy drilled two three-pointers to add six for the Vikings. Brooklyn Phillips led the Bulldogs with 16 points while Akira Smalls added 12 points in the victory.

It took a while to get going in their last game, but the Sevastopol Pioneers continued their winning streak in the Packerland Conference for girls' basketball with a 44-26 victory over Algoma. The Pioneers only led by four at the break before their defense limited the Wolves to just 12 points after the break on six made field goals. Kayla Ranly scored eight of her team-high 15 points after the break with Bailey Rikkola chipping in 14 points and Naomi Rikkola chipping in seven points.

The two teams played each other just over a week ago with the Pioneers winning that game 57-12. Ash hit seven shots from behind the arc to lead the team with 21 points. Bailey Rikkola scored 12 points while Naomi Rikkola and Ranly each added 10 points. The Vikings managed just two made field goals in each half. Chloe Alexander led the way with six points while Andie Schar and Betsy Lecy added two points.

Tim Kowols and Jacob Nate will have the call on U 102.1 and NEWRadioSportsNetwork.com beginning at 7:15 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 7:30 p.m.

Click the links to hear more about the games from Gibraltar head coach Devin Thomas and Sevastopol head coach Ben Rikkola

The Gibraltar boys' basketball team looks to bounce back against a Packerland opponent when they play at Oconto on Monday.

The Vikings boys' basketball team led at halftime but could not hold on as they lost to NEW Lutheran 68-61 in Fish Creek. The Blazers' Tristian Lynch and the Vikings' Jake Schar put on a shooting clinic in the first half as they matched each other throughout the team's runs that caused several lead changes early on. The Vikings would carry the momentum into the break as Schar hit two late threes and Braden Sitte slammed home four dunks to give themselves a 43-36 lead at the break. Schar finished the evening with a game-high 26 points while Braden Sitte chipped in 12.  Mateo Jauregui and Will Friedenfels each chipped in six points in the loss.

The Blue Devils received 30 points from senior guard Kadin Baxter and another 21 points from sophomore guard/forward Carter Koch in a 62-56 win over Algoma last Friday night. They did prove to be vulnerable from the arc, allowing the Wolves to knock down 11 threes in the game.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Gibraltar girls' basketball team continues their toughest stretch of the season on Saturday with a matinee against the Peshtigo Bulldogs.

Addisyn Viestenz did a little bit of everything to hassle the Gibraltar girls' basketball team as Oconto won in Fish Creek Tuesday night 61-38. Andie Schar found her stroke in the second half, scoring 12 of her team-high in the second half. Not in the scoring column but gave the Vikings' offense several opportunities was McKailey Reisen, who controlled the offensive boards for the Vikings to extend possessions, even if they were ultimately unable to convert.

Peshtigo was led by Akira Smalls who had a game-high 24 points with five made shots from beyond the arc as they beat Algoma 50-46 in overtime in their last game.

Tip off is set for 2:30 p.m.

The Gibraltar Vikings boys' basketball team led at halftime but could not hold on as they lost to NEW Lutheran 68-61 in Fish Creek.

The Blazers' Tristian Lynch and the Vikings' Jake Schar  put on a shooting clinic in the first half as they matched each other throughout the team's runs that caused several lead changes early on. The Vikings would carry the momentum into the break as Schar hit two late threes and Braden Sitte slammed home four dunks to give themselves a 43-36 lead at the break.

The Vikings would take Lynch out of his element in the second half, limiting the first-team All-Packerland performer to just three of his 19 points after the break. Elijah Meerstein was more than willing to pick up the slack to lead the Blazers' comeback, scoring 16 of his team-high 20 points in the second half. The Blazers buried the Vikings' upset hopes late with as Gibraltar dealt with foul trouble and NEW Lutheran showed strong free throw shooting.

Schar finished the evening with a game-high 26 points while Braden Sitte chipped in 12.  Mateo Jauregui and Will Friedenfels each chipped in six points in the loss.

The schedule has flipped for the Gibraltar Vikings boys' basketball team and they hope to take advantage of past experience when they welcome NEW Lutheran to Fish Creek on Friday night.

Gibraltar's Jake Schar and Oneida Nation Ethan Danforth exchanged blows but it was the Vikings that emerged victorious from the Turtle School on Monday night, winning 60-59. Schar found his stroke from behind the arc, leading the Vikings with 31 points in a game they led by just three points at the break. Will Friedenfels chipped in nine points and Mateo Jauregui added eight points in the Vikings' victory.

The Blazers snuck past Algoma 62-59 last Saturday in their most recent game. Tristian Lynch posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Elijah Meerstein nearly joined him with 16 points and seven assists. At 13-4, the Blazers are currently ranked #9 in the state. 

In their previous matchup, the offensive power of Tristian Lynch and Elijah Meerstein was simply too much for the Gibraltar defense as NEW Lutheran took the game 79-41. The Vikings and the Blazers went back and forth in the first few minutes of the game, only to see the home team put the clamps down defensively. A 10-point lead quickly turned into a 20-point lead as Lynch poured in 17 of his game-high 25 points in the first half and Meerstein added 12 of his 23 points in the frame as well. Jake Schar, who was matched up against Lynch for most of the night, registered eight points while Braden Sitte and Nathan Merkel each pitched in six points in the loss.

Tim Kowols and Jacob Nate will have the call on U 102.1 beginning at 7:15 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 7:30 p.m. The game can also be streamed on U 102.1.

Gibraltar's Will Friedenfels will continue his basketball career after high school after committing to St. Norbert College this week.

The Vikings' big man had to wait a little bit this season to get going after suffering a hand injury during the football season. He has since picked up where he left off last season, averaging just under nine points and nine rebounds per game. Friedenfels was selected as an All-Packerland Conference Honorable Mention performer after helping lead the Vikings to the state semifinal last season.

St. Norbert College is led by UW-Green Bay legend Gary Grzesk, who has coached the Green Knights to at least 15 wins in each of the last two seasons and led them to a Division III National Tournament appearance during the 2019-2020 season.