The Kewaunee girls' soccer team is set to host the Providence Academy Paladins on Tuesday to open its 2026 season.

Kewaunee has not fielded a team since 2022 and has not scored a goal since May 17, 2019, according to WisSports. The Paladins are the defending Packerland Conference champions and came up short in their bid to win the school’s first regional championship in any sport.

Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.

A seven-run second inning set the stage for a high-scoring win for the Kewaunee Storm softball team as they outlasted Chilton 12-10.

The Storm were down 3-1 when they batted around in the second inning, scoring their first three runs without the benefit of a hit before London Karnopp cleared the bases with a double and scored on an error. The two teams traded runs until the seventh inning when Karnopp and Cora Schleis delivered insurance RBI singles to make it 12-7. The Tigers made a comeback in their half of the seventh with RBI extra base hits, but Breanna Riha shut the door with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.

Vivian Bootz, Ali Repitz, Karnopp,and Schleis all had two hits while Karnopp had four RBI and Repitz chipped in with two RBI. Repitz earned the W from the circle allowing 10 runs on 14 hits with three strikeouts before Riha's scoreless inning in relief.

After snow still hobbled the start of their season last week, the Kewaunee softball team is trying to beat the Tuesday rain when they play Chilton on Monday. 

The Storm finished last season 8-10 overall and 5-4 in the Packerland Conference. They saw their season come to a close in the WIAA Regional Round with a 6-5 loss to New Holstein. They will potentially bring back Packerland Conference Player of the Year Breanna Riha (1st Team Infield) and fellow All-Conference selections Vivian Bootz (1st Team Outfield),  London Karnopp (1st Team Catcher) and Summer Walechka (Second Team Infield).

The Tigers went 14-11 last year and 9-5 in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference. Their season ended with a 5-3 loss to Southern Door in the WIAA Regional round.

First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. at Chilton.

There will be plenty of purple and gold on the Titan Stadium field this July when three Kewaunee football players play for the WFCA Small School North All-Stars.

Quarterback Brett Paulsen, defensive back Connor Kilgore, and offensive lineman Mitchell Boeder were selected to be a part of the game that is scheduled for July 18th at noon in Oshkosh.

Paulsen was named the offensive player of the year by the Packerland Conference when they announced their All-Conference teams over the weekend. With more than 40 touchdowns on his ledger, Paulsen has proved to be a dual threat quarterback with 1,797 yards passing and 851 yards rushing. Paving the way for Paulsen has been Mitchell Boeder, who was named the conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Stay tuned for links to the charitable component of the game, which is required of the players to participate.

The Kewaunee track team headed south on Thursday for the Earl Herbert Boy's Invite at Manitowoc Lincoln High School, posting seven Top-10 performances along the way.

Blake Bortolini's personal best throw of 43' 2.75" gave a fifth place finish to be rank as Kewaunee's best result of the evening. Seth Chevalier personal best pole vault of 8' 6" was good for sixth place while Joseph Schlies was a part of two seventh-place performances in the triple jump and 4x400m relay.

200 Meters Varsity - Finals

18.11Julian Mitchell27.23aKewaunee

27.9Trevor VandeHey30.94aKewaunee

400 Meters Varsity - Finals

24.12Seth Chevalier1:11.30aPBKewaunee

25.9Jayden Reckelberg1:12.05aPBKewaunee

800 Meters Varsity - Finals

9.11Joseph Schlies2:23.33aKewaunee

21.11Alex Myers2:52.13aPBKewaunee

1600 Meters Varsity - Finals

12.11Gage Vlies5:34.86aPBKewaunee

21.10Jaylon Mason6:11.27aSBKewaunee

3200 Meters Varsity - Finals

9.11Robin Kunesh13:56.50aSBKewaunee

4x160 Relay Varsity - Finals

14.11

Jay Kunesh

9

Trevor VandeHey

9

Austin Romdenne

10

Brayden Myers

1:35.23a

Kewaunee - A

4x200 Relay Varsity - Finals

11.11

Jay Kunesh

12

Kjelgaard Tristan

10

Andrii Dzoma

12

Trevor Gauthier

2:21.74a

Kewaunee - A

4x400 Relay Varsity - Finals

7.11

Joseph Schlies

11

Gage Vlies

10

Andrii Dzoma

12

Trevor Gauthier

4:13.83a

Kewaunee - A

4x800 Relay Varsity - Finals

11.11

Joseph Schlies

11

Gage Vlies

11

Robin Kunesh

12

Trevor Gauthier

9:50.13a

Kewaunee - A

Shot Put - 12lb Varsity - Finals

5.11Blake Bortolini43' 2.75"PBKewaunee

12.11Garrett Lefevre38' 9"PBKewaunee

High Jump Varsity - Finals

Field Series

15.11Julian Mitchell5' 2"PBKewaunee

9Jayden ReckelbergNHKewaunee

Pole Vault Varsity - Finals

Field Series

6.12Seth Chevalier8' 6"PBKewaunee

Long Jump Varsity - Finals

Field Series

9.12Trevor Gauthier18' 0"PBKewaunee

23.10Brayden Myers13' 4"Kewaunee

Triple Jump Varsity - Finals

7.11Joseph Schlies36' 4"Kewaunee

13.10Brayden Myers31' 0"PBKewaunee

The Kewaunee softball team opens its 2026 campaign with a road contest in Seymour Thursday afternoon.

The Storm finished last season 8-10 overall and 5-4 in the Packerland Conference. They saw their season come to a close in the WIAA Regional Round with a 6-5 loss to New Holstein. They will potentially bring back Packerland Conference Player of the Year Breanna Riha (1st Team Infield) and fellow All-Conference selections Vivian Bootz (1st Team Outfield),  London Karnopp (1st Team Catcher) and Summer Walechka (Second Team Infield).

The Thunder finished 15-7  overall and one win away from winning a WIAA Regional Title, falling to Fox Valley Lutheran 1-0. They took second in the Bay Conference with an 8-4 mark, two games behind fellow WIAA Regional Finalist Menasha. 

Field conditions permitting, first pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

Connor Kilgore, a senior at Kewaunee High School, was named to the Division 4 WBCA All-State honorable mention list.

Kilgore helped lead the Storm to a perfect 24-0 regular-season record and a trip to the sectional semifinals, where they fell to Bonduel. This season, Kilgore averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.0 block per game.

Kewaunee's Jade Kroll received more post-season honors this week, earning WBCA Division 4 All-State Honors.

Kroll joined 11 other players in receiving All-State honors, including one player (Autumn Crowe, Jr., St. Mary Catholic) she faced off against during the WIAA Division 4 Tournament. 

The First Team All-Packerland Conference selection and Packerland Conference Player of the Year average 22.4 points on the year en route to setting the program's all-time scoring record. Kroll was also the team's leading rebounder (5.7 rpg) and was third on the team in assists (2.5 apg).

WBCA Division 4 All-State 

Avalyn Albrecht, Jr., Poynette 
Josie Christian, So., Lomira 
EllaMay Cooper, Jr., Regis 
Autumn Crowe, Jr., St. Mary Catholic 
Madi Davel, Jr., Neillsville 
Toria Devoe, Sr., Belleville 
Gwenn Elliott, So., Kohler 
Ava Koch, Sr., Omro
Jade Kroll, Sr., Kewaunee 
Kamryn Lecce, Sr., Kenosha St. Joseph 
Brooklyn Love, Sr., Dominican 
Molly Olson, Sr., Albany/Monticello 

Honorable Mention 
Jordyn Bowe, Sr., Colfax 
Alecia Dahl, Sr., Brodhead 
Gemma Gardow, Fr., Regis 
Maddison Gratz, Sr., Darlington 
Jasmin Heuer, Sr., Fall Creek 
Megan Hockhammer, Sr., Valders 
Bronte Hulberg, Sr., Pardeeville 
Maddy Kabat, Sr., Mineral Point 
Makiah Krause, Sr., Manitowoc Lutheran 
Sydney Loerke, So., Deerfield 
Emma Love, Sr., Marathon 
Marissa Melhorn, Sr., Manitowoc Lutheran 
Bridgette Mohns, Jr., Cameron 
Heidi Olson, So., Albany/Monticello 
Carly Pankratz, Jr., Stratford 
Kensington Rosenow, Sr., Mishicot 
Addison Stoeckigt, Sr., Howards Grove 
Delaney Winkelmann, Sr., Living Word Lutheran 

A red hot start to the second half by Bonduel was too much for Kewaunee to overcome, as the Bears took down the Storm in the WIAA Division 4 Sectional Semifinal, 73-62, ending Kewaunee's season as heard on WBDK. 

Kewaunee got off to a fast start, thanks to early 3s by Diesel Bosdeck and Evan Maccaux. Bonduel managed to claw its way back into the game, briefly grabbing the lead. The two teams seesawed, back and forth, Kewaunee leading for much of the first half.  In the closing moments of the half, the Storm held a 30-25 lead, only for the Bears to tie it up, highlighted by Griffin Uelman hitting a three as time expired to knot the game at 30-30. 

Bonduel kept the surge going, starting the half on a 13-2 run to go in front for good.  Carter Moesch caught fire, splashing a trio of deep threes during the run.  Kewaunee tried valiantly to make a comeback, as timely long range shooting and tenacious defense got the Storm as close as six points, but each run would be met with a similar response by Bonduel.  

Bonduel big, Ryan Westrich, led all scorers in the contest, tallying 27 points to lead the way.  Moesch added 19, with most of his damage coming from behind the arc. Also in double figures for the Bears was Uelman, who finished with 11. 

Diesel Bosdeck led Kewaunee with 15 points, joined in double figures by Connor Kilgore's 12 points, Mason Kovacs adding 11, and Dane Harrell contributing 10 points.  

The Storm end its season with a 26-1 record, and will graduate 4 seniors: Evan Maccaux, Connor Kilgore, Avery Jerabek, and Jackson Walecka.  

Winter weather may be threatening the area this weekend, but the Kewaunee Storm boys basketball team remains red hot heading into a rematch against Bonduel in the sectional semifinals, which will be heard on WBDK.

The Storm took home the regional title Saturday, defending home court against St. Mary Catholic 71-60. Kewaunee was powered by a pair of 20-point performances, with Avery Jerabek scoring 21 and Diesel Bosdeck totaling 20.

Standing in their way are the Bonduel Bears. Bonduel has had an impressive season, going 23-3 thus far and looking to make a return trip to the Kohl Center after falling in the championship game last season. The Bears have won nine in a row since their last loss, an 81-77 defeat at the hands of Kewaunee on Feb. 2.

That game was in Kewaunee, but tonight’s contest will be on a neutral floor at Kaukauna High School. Eric Fischer will have the call on 96.7 WBDK, with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m. and tipoff at 7 p.m.

The Packerland conference has revealed its all-conference teams for basketball and wrestling. The Storm had many selections for both sports. 

Sam Kraynik (106 lbs) finished with a 20-11 record, recording 13 pins. Anakin Reimer (144 lbs) finished with a 15-19 record, marking 8 pins. Mason VanGoethem (150 lbs) had an 18-11 record, recording 7 pins and 2 tech falls. Trevor Gauthier (157 lbs) ended the season with a 35-17 record, marking 11 pins and 5 tech falls. Mitchell Boeder (285 lbs) had a 38-8 record, with 26 pins. For the girls, Aubrey Ducat (120 lbs) had a 23-6 record, pinning 11 of her opponents.

For the girls, three Storm players were named to the 1st team: Senior Braelyn Chevalier, Senior Jade Kroll (Unanimous), and Senior Gabby Stangel (11.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg). Senior Summer Walechka (9.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg) was named to the 2nd team. Kroll was named the Player of the Year, averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.7 steals per game. Kewaunee also had the Defensive Player of the Year in Chevalier. She averaged 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.6 steals a game.

For the boys, Sophomore Diesel Bosdeck and Senior Connor Kilgore were named to the 1st team. Sophomore Dane Harrell (11.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg) and Senior Avery Jerabek (12.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg) were named to the 2nd team. Bosdeck earned the honors of being named the Defensive Player of the Year. Beyond defense, Bosdeck was a lethal shooter for the Storm, putting up 14.5 points per game on 47.4% shooting from the field and 42% beyond the arc. Kilgore has been averaging 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks a game. 
 

The Kewaunee Storm boasts four players on the All-Packerland Conference Boys Basketball Team, including its Defensive Player of the Year.

There were no unanimous selections, though Diesel Bosdeck joined Connor Kilgore on the First Team to go along with his Defensive Player of the Year honors. Four of the team's five started were placed on the squads, including second-team selections for Avery Jerabek and Dane Harrell. Kewaunee's four selections were the most of any team in the conference.

Peshtigo's Dominik Baxter was named the Player of the Year. 

2025-26 BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

1ST TEAM

NAME                                    SCHOOL                                YEAR

Braeden Leist                            Algoma                                     Senior

Parker Lischka                          Algoma                                     Senior

Diesel Bosdeck                         Kewaunee                                 Sophomore

Connor Kilgore                          Kewaunee                                 Senior

Hayden Schultz                         N.E.W. Lutheran                        Junior

Dominik Baxter                         Peshtigo                                   Senior               Unanimous

2ND TEAM

NAME                                    SCHOOL                                YEAR             

Kayin Jackson                          Gibraltar                                    Senior

Dane Harrell                              Kewaunee                                 Sophomore                  

Avery Jerabek                           Kewaunee                                 Senior

Levi Hodgins                             Peshtigo                                   Junior

Lauden Berg                             Southern Door                          Senior

Ben Ash                                    Sturgeon Bay                            Junior

HONORABLE MENTION

NAME                                    SCHOOL                                YEAR 

Aaron Brey                                Gibraltar                                    Senior

Brett Gajeski                             N.E.W. Lutheran                        Senior

Mason Colvin                            Oconto                                                 Sophomore

Logan Schuh                             Sevastopol                               Senior

Bo Tanck                                  Sevastopol                               Sophomore

Sam Fruzyna                             Sturgeon Bay                            Junior

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

NAME                                     SCHOOL                                YEAR

Diesel Bosdeck                         Kewaunee                                 Sophomore

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

NAME                                     SCHOOL                                YEAR

Dominik Baxter                         Peshtigo                                   Senior

Sectional Finalist Kewaunee had four of its five starters honored as All-Packerland Conference Girls Basketball performers, including the Player and Defensive Player of the Year.

Jade Kroll joined Oconto's Natalie Schlueter and Algoma's Jadyn Nellis as the  players named unanimously to the All-Packerland Conference, though she was also the unanimous Player of the Year for the conference. Braelyn Chevalier was named the Defenisive Player of the Year while joining Kroll and Gabby Stangel as All-Packerland First Team selections. Summer Walechka was honored as an All-Packerland Conference Second Team selection. 

Algoma and Peshtigo each had five selections to the teams to lead all schools.

1ST TEAM

NAME                                    SCHOOL                                YEAR

Jadyn Nellis                              Algoma                                     Senior               Unanimous

Braelyn Chevalier                       Kewaunee                                 Senior

Jade Kroll                                 Kewaunee                                 Senior               Unanimous

Gabby Stangel                          Kewaunee                                 Senior

Natalie Schlueter                       Oconto                                     Senior               Unanimous

Regan Kasten                           Sturgeon Bay                            Senior

2ND TEAM

NAME                                    SCHOOL                                YEAR 

Lauren Loucks                           Algoma                                     Sophomore

Sadie Rikkola                            Algoma                                     Sophomore

Summer Walechka                     Kewaunee                                 Senior

Kylee Gard                                Oconto                                     Sophomore

Skylyn Baxter                            Peshtigo                                   Sophomore

Sienna Cain                               Sevastopol                               Senior

Kyleigh Clafin                            Southern Door                          Junior

HONORABLE MENTION

NAME                                    SCHOOL                                YEAR 

Claire Gerdmann                        Algoma                                     Junior

Therese Gerdmann                    Algoma                                     Senior

Azucena Jauregui                      Gibraltar                                    Freshman

Bella Coshenet                          Oconto                                     Junior

Mya Boettcher                           Peshtigo                                   Freshman

Jadyn Jashinsky                       Peshtigo                                   Sophomore

Peyton Michalski                       Peshtigo                                   Freshman

Jaycee Mullins                          Peshtigo                                   Senior

Alanah Kaye                              Southern Door                          Senior

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

NAME                                     SCHOOL                                YEAR

Braelyn Chevalier                       Kewaunee                                 Senior

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

NAME                                     SCHOOL                                YEAR

Jade Kroll                                 Kewaunee                                 Senior               Unanimous

Fans for Kewaunee and Bonduel's boys basketball teams will have to take the road on Thursday for the WIAA Sectional Semifinal.

The WIAA announced on Sunday that Kaukauna will be the locale of the neutral site game between the Storm and the Bears. The Storm punched their ticket to the sectional semifinal with wins over Manawa (73-44) and St. Mary Catholic (71-60) while the Bears advanced with victories against Oconto (82-40) and Iola-Scandinavia (70-65). The Storm outscored the Bears 51-39 in the second half to win their game 81-77 on February 2nd. Connor Kilgore paced the Storm with 19 points and Diesel Bosdeck chipped in 16 points for the Storm while Quinn Wesenberg led the Bears with 24 points while Ryan Westrich registered 19 points.

The game will take place at 7 p.m. and will be carried live on 96.7 WBDK beginning at 6:45 p.m. with the pregame show. 

The Kewaunee Storm boys basketball team is moving on to sectionals, following a 71-60 win over St. Mary Catholic Zephyrs, as heard on 96.7 WBDK.  

The Zephyrs got on the board first, but it would be shortlived as Dane Harrell got the Storm on the board to tie the game, sparking an 8-0 run to put Kewaunee in front.  The Storm jumped in front by double digits but St. Mary Catholic would rally late in the period. A last second layup closed Kewaunee's advantage to 27-23 at halftime. 

After trading baskets early on in the second half, Kewaunee would go on a 15-0 run to extend the lead to 19 points. Diesel Bosdeck and Avery Jerabek were key catalysts in building the advantage. The Zephyrs would rally back though, as Mason Uhlenbrauck and Dylan Brenn caught fire from deep, slowly but surely trimming the Storm lead back to just four points.  Fortunately for Kewaunee, it had an answer for the rally and hit late free throws to close out the contest.  

Jerabek led all scorers with 21 points, and was aided by Bosdeck's 20 points to lead the Storm. Dane Harrell also finished in double figures with 10 points.  For the Zephyrs, Luke Fairweather led the way with 18, joined in double figures by Uhlenbrauk's 17 and Brenn's 16.  

Kewaunee will move on to face Bonduel in the sectional semifinal on Thursday, with the location of the game to be determined. We will announce the location when the information is available. 

Kewaunee and St. Mary Catholic needed 40 minutes to settle their sectional final contest in Brillion, but it is the Zephyrs who will move on to the Resch Center in Green Bay next week after edging the Storm in overtime, 58-56.

Much of the first half was a seesaw affair, with the Zephyrs and Storm taking turns with one-point leads. Neither team allowed the other to beat them from beyond the arc, with Braelyn Chevalier, Breanna Riha and Jade Kroll hitting the lone 3-pointers for the Storm, while Gabby Guerrero hit both 3s for the Zephyrs in the first half.

Chevalier led the Storm in the first half with 10 points, and Guerrero paced the Zephyrs with eight points as Kewaunee tied the game late in the half. The teams entered the locker room tied, 30-30.

The Storm came out of the locker room on fire, starting the half on a 7-0 run to take a 37-30 lead, the biggest lead either team would enjoy all afternoon. Crowe led the Zephyrs with 15 second-half points to help her squad whittle down the deficit over time. Gabby Stangel was nearly as potent, scoring 12 of her team-high 18 points in the second half to keep the Storm on track.

The Storm and Zephyrs entered the extra period tied at 52-52. Chevalier struck first for the Storm, only to have Amelia Virlee tie the game at 54-54. After an empty possession for the Storm, Brecken Britzke scored the biggest basket of the afternoon with mere seconds remaining. After Stangel's turnover, Crowe was fouled and connected on two free throws to make it a two-possession game. Stangel scored the Storm's final basket as time expired, two points shy of extending their season.

Crowe led all scorers with 24 points for the Zephyrs, while Guerrero added 12 points and Luci Nackers chipped in six. Joining Stangel in double figures for the Storm were Chevalier (17 points) and Kroll (11), while Summer Walechka added nine.

The Storm ends its season 22-6 with a 14-0 mark in the Packerland Conference. Next year's squad will look drastically different as it says goodbye to seniors Summer Walechka, Gabby Stangel, Braelyn Chevalier, Hannah Miller, Breanna Riha, Jade Kroll, Emma Barta and Cora Schleis.

The Kewaunee Storm girls basketball team is one win away from the Resch Center, but they will have to fight through the St. Mary Catholic Zephyrs Saturday afternoon in Brillion to get there.

The Storm got hot at the right time Thursday night as it got past Manitowoc Lutheran 75-69 in Denmark to advance to Saturday's sectional final. Gabby Stangel, Summer Walechka and Braelyn Chevalier all had at least five points in the first half, but the Storm found itself chasing the Lancers 31-25 at the break. The Storm came out quickly in the second half to take a couple of one-point leads, only to see the Lancers retake the lead and eventually stretch it to as much as 10 points in the opening minutes. The momentum swung right along with the Storm's ability to knock down three-pointers, with Stangel, Riha and Jade Kroll all hitting multiple shots from deep. All five starters reached double figures for the Storm, with Stangel registering 17 points, Walechka with 15, Chevalier and Riha with 14 apiece, and Kroll with 13.  Head coach Lynn Geier was complimentary of her team's performance and grit on Thursday, but knows another tough test lies ahead against St. Mary Catholic.

The Zephyrs have qualifed for sectionals every year since the end of the pandemic, including a state runner-up finish last year when they were edged by Cuba City in the championship game. This year, the Zephyrs are riding a four-game winning streak including Thursday's 52-21 win over Stratford. Autumn Crowe led the way with 22 points and eight rebounds while Lucy Norville contributed seven points, three rebounds, and two assists. They were 24-3 on the season and a perfect 12-0 in the Big East-North, which included two win over Manitowoc Lutheran. 

Tim Kowols will have the call from Brillion on 96.7 WBDK beginning at 12:45 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 1 p.m. The winner will advance to next week's WIAA State Tournament at the Resch Center in Green Bay.

The wait is over for the Kewaunee boys basketball team as they begin their road to the Madison with a regional semifinal matchup against Manawa.

The Storm have been idle since its 83-40 win over Gibraltar on February 26th. The Storm started the game off on a 9-0 run and had a 15-0 run midway through the first half that all but ensured that they would spoil the Vikings' senior night. The two teams traded buckets late to give the Storm a 45-24 lead at the break. Avery Jerabek led the Storm with 18 points while Diesel Bosdeck chipped in 15 points, and Dane Harrell added 14 points in the win. The victory gave the Storm an exclamation point to its 24-0 season and its first outright Packerland Conference championship in more than two decades.

Click here for interview with head coach Matt Bosdeck

The Wolves enter the matchup with a 9-16 mark and fresh off a come-from-behind 57-54 victory over Weyauwega-Fremont. Led by 14 points from Vincente Timm, 13 points from Reed Schlueter, and 12 points from Logan Zirbel, the Wolves outscored the Warhawks 34-26 in the second half to extend their season. 

Bryan Mazur will have the call on 96.7 WBDK beginning at 6:45 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the opening tip at 7 p.m.

The Kewaunee girls basketball team got hot at the right time Thursday night as it got past Manitowoc Lutheran 75-69 in Denmark to advance to Saturday's sectional final.

The two teams exchanged baskets early on, but it was the Lancers who held the upper hand because of the hot shooting of their two star players and their tenacious offensive rebounding that gave them extra opportunities. The Melthorn sisters combined for 16 points in the half, with Marissa and Lilly each knocking down three-pointers. The Storm was kept relatively quiet from behind the arc in the first half, with Summer Walechka knocking down the only shot from deep.

Gabby Stangel, Walechka and Braelyn Chevalier all had at least five points in the first half, but the Storm found itself chasing the Lancers 31-25 at the break.

The Storm came out quickly in the second half to take a couple of one-point leads, only to see the Lancers retake the lead and eventually stretch it to as much as 10 points in the opening minutes. The momentum swung right along with the Storm's ability to knock down three-pointers, with Stangel, Riha and Jade Kroll all hitting multiple shots from deep. Stangel, who hit four threes in the second half, said after the game that she was too locked in to realize the significance of hitting that first three-pointer in the second half that broke open the dam for the Storm's offense.

The Lancers did their part to reel in the Storm, with Makiah Krause scoring 13 of her team-high 19 points after the break, but Kewaunee's defense stiffened late, including the game-clincher that punched the team's ticket to the sectional final in Brillion.

All five starters reached double figures for the Storm, with Stangel registering 17 points, Walechka with 15, Chevalier and Riha with 14 apiece, and Kroll with 13. Marissa Melthorn complemented Krause with 17 points, while sister Lilly chipped in 12.

The Storm will play St. Mary Catholic on Saturday at 1 p.m. on 96.7 WBDK after the Zephyrs throttled Stratford 52-21 in Omro.

The Kewaunee Storm girls basketball team will try to advance to the sectional final for the first time since 2013 when it travels to Denmark to face top-seeded Manitowoc Lutheran.

The Storm punched its ticket to sectionals with a pair of wins over Valders (62-48) and Oconto (65-30). In Friday's victory, Braelyn Chevalier helped the Storm maintain a double-digit lead for much of the second half. Chevalier scored 16 of her team-high 21 points after halftime, while Gabby Stangel and Jade Kroll hit 3-pointers to stop the Vikings’ runs. Kroll added 15 points, and Stangel chipped in 12 to pace the Storm to the win.

On Saturday, Kroll fueled the early success with 20 first-half points, including four 3-pointers. Breanna Riha and Summer Walechka combined for 11 points, matching the Blue Devils’ first-half total, as the Storm entered the locker room with a 31-11 lead. Kroll finished with a game-high 38 points, while Walechka added 11 and Riha scored eight.

Click here for our interview with head coach Lynn Geier.

The Lancers earned their place in sectionals with blowout wins over Southern Door (80-29) and Algoma (68-29). In Friday’s game, the Lancers jumped out early, and the Eagles could not gain any traction against the full-court press implemented from the start. Several transition baskets by the Lancers’ top two all-time scorers, Makiah Krause and Marissa Mehlhorn, set the tone early.

On Saturday, Krause and Mehlhorn each scored 13 points in the first half, equaling Algoma’s team total, as the Lancers entered the locker room with a 43-13 lead. The duo finished with 20 and 17 points, respectively.

Earlier this year, the Lancers rallied from a six-point deficit to beat the Storm 64-57 in Kewaunee. Mehlhorn scored 30 points, while Krause and Abbie Behnke each added 12 as the Lancers outscored the Storm 31-20 in the second half. Kroll scored 24 in the matchup, with Walechka and Stangel each adding eight.

Thursday’s game is also a rematch of last year’s sectional final, when the Lancers outscored the Storm 10-5 in overtime to secure a 68-63 win. Kroll (23 points) and Krause (21 points) led their respective teams.

Tim Kowols and Eric Fischer will have the call from Denmark High School on 96.7 WBDK beginning at 6:45 p.m., with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.