A Horizon League Regular Season title is on the line Saturday afternoon at the Kress Events Center as the Green Bay Phoenix women's basketball team plays Purdue Fort Wayne.

The Phoenix women have been off since knocking off their in-state rivals Milwaukee last Saturday 68-45. A 17-0 run by the Phoenix made the game academic before the teams entered the locker room. Part of that run included Maddy Schreiber registering her 1000th point as a Phoenix, the 41st player in program history to accomplish the feat. Schreiber would end her day with a game-high 18 points, Jasmine Kondrakiewicz added 12 points, Jenna Guyer chipped in nine points, and Cassie Schiltz contributed eight.

The Mastodons were boasting a long winning streak themselves until they fell to Cleveland State earlier in February. The Mastodons beat the Phoenix in Fort Wayne 67-66. The Phoenix trailed by five at the break and could never recover in that game as the Mastodon's Lauren Ross led all scorers with 25 points. Jasmine Kondrakiewicz did her best to counter Ross' success with 20 points.

Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

A halftime deficit did not stop the Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team from securing their fourth win of the season on Thursday night. They beat Detroit Mercy 75-71.

The Titans made Phoenix fans think their team was heading to a third straight loss before Green Bay rallied with a 10-3 run to make it a 33-30 deficit at halftime. Clutch shooting from Ryan Wade and Mac Wrecke and a strong defensive effort from C.J. O'Hara helped the Phoenix overtake their visitors and lead by as much as six points before settling on the final margin.  Jeremiah Johnson paced the Phoenix with 20 points while four other Phoenix players reached double figures, including Marcus Hall (14), Ben Tweedy (13), Mac Wrecke (12), and C.J. O'Hara (11). 

The Phoenix men will hopefully dress more than eight players on their senior day this Saturday when they host Oakland in their regular-season finale at 6 p.m.

The Green Bay Gamblers look to bounce back Friday night after losing an early morning tilt in Youngstown on Thursday.

The Gamblers fell behind 2-0 after the first period following a 9:05 a.m. puck drop to coincide with the Phantoms' School Day festivities. Will Zellers' 35th goal of the season would cut the lead in half halfway through the second period, but Jakub Heš would extend the lead back for the Phantoms to lead them to the win. Leo Henriquez stopped 22 of the 25 shots he faced in goal in the Gamblers' loss.

The two teams have two more games this weekend, with a 6:05 p.m. puck drop set for Friday night and a 5:05 p.m. start slated for Saturday. 

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Athletics announced today at a media conference that they agreed to an eight-year contract extension that grants the WIAA the availability of facilities to host high school State championships in boys' basketball, football, boys’ and girls’ golf, individual and team wrestling, and softball through the spring of 2033.

The UW campus and the City of Madison are premier destinations and locations for WIAA?State Tournaments. In 2023-24, the State Tournaments at UW facilities drew a paid attendance of more than 196,000 with thousands of additional participants, coaches, and school administrators.

A recent study, conducted using data shared by Destination Madison, indicated that the economic impact of WIAA State Tournaments held in the Madison area is estimated at $22.2 million.

“It is a thrill for UW Athletics, our campus, and our city to play host to the state’s top high school student-athletes, coaches, and staff members each year,” UW Director of Athletics Chris McIntosh said. “I am very pleased that we will be welcoming teams and their fans to Madison for years to come, and I appreciate the partnership we have with Stephanie Hauser and the WIAA.”

The agreement recognizes the mutual commitment to provide memorable experiences for participating student-athletes and spectators attending WIAA State Tournament events. In addition to identifying the best high school student-athletes and teams in the state, the tournaments showcase several of the state’s finest facilities, the UW campus, and the City of Madison.

“Chris McIntosh and his entire staff have conveyed the importance of showcasing the WIAA Championships on their campus, and we look forward to continuing this partnership in serving the member schools and their student-athletes,” WIAA Executive Director Stephanie Hauser said. 

Many thrilling and unforgettable memories for WIAA State Tournament participants and spectators have been experienced at UW’s iconic venues. The Kohl Center has been the site of the State Boys Basketball Tournament and the State Individual Wrestling Tournament since 1998, when the facility was opened. Except for 1936 and then 2020-2021, during the pandemic, the boy's basketball tournament has been played in Madison since 1920, and the wrestling championships have been conducted there since 1949. The UW Field House has been the State Team Wrestling Championship Tournament site since 2005, with the 2020-2021 exceptions.

In addition, Camp Randall Stadium has been home to the WIAA?State Football Finals since 1982 except 2021, and University Ridge has hosted the girls' and boys' State Golf Championships a combined 54 times since 1994. Goodman Diamond has been the site of the State Softball Championship Tournament since it moved to Madison in 2002, except 2020-2021.

The WIAA State Girls and Boys Team and Individual Tennis Tournaments are also held on the UW campus but are not associated with this agreement. Those event and venue agreements are with UW Recreation Sports.

As defined by the membership’s Constitution, the WIAA is a private, voluntary, unincorporated, and nonprofit organization. The association was formed in 1896 – becoming the nation's first state high school association – after the first State Track &?Field Championships were held on the UW campus in 1895.

The WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 513 senior high schools and 36 junior high/middle-level schools in its membership. It sponsors 30 State Tournaments in 2024-25.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association announces the hiring of Jacob Beschta to serve as assistant director on the executive staff today. He will assume his role at the organization’s headquarters on June 5, 2025.

“I am extremely grateful and honored to have the opportunity to serve our membership as Assistant Director,” Beschta said. “I look forward to working alongside our dedicated WIAA team to support our member schools in providing the absolute best in academic and co-curricular opportunities for our student-athletes.”

Beschta’s responsibilities will include the administration and tournament planning for the sports assigned, as well as other administrative duties to be determined.

“Our staff enthusiastically welcomes Jake to our team,” Executive Director Stephanie Hauser said. “His wide range of experiences as athletic director, coach, licensed official and as a high school principal bring a unique perspective to our staff in serving the membership.”

Beschta joins the executive staff after serving as high school principal in the Denmark School District since 2020. Among his many responsibilities, he supervised and evaluated professional and support staff, and he led the hiring process for all high school staff. He has guided the planning and implementing of course and curriculum development, effectuated school safety planning and professional development for district and building staff; and managed building and activity budgets.

He also collaborated to create several strategies and initiatives designed to enhance opportunities, engagement and improvement for students and staff. Beschta developed the Vikings Link Crew, a student-led, ninth-grade mentorship program, and led the implementation of a Building Advisory Committee to improve the school’s master schedule, create opportunities for shared leadership, and implement a building continuous improvement plan. He also worked with the athletic director to hire coaches and revise the district’s coaches handbook.

Prior to his most current role, Beschta served as principal at Oconto Falls High School from 2018-2020. In addition to similar responsibilities and achievements at Denmark, he collaborated on educator effectiveness planning and implemented a leadership committee to build teacher course loads and student-led tutor and mentoring programs. He also created a Student Leadership Committee and led the school’s Wall of Fame nomination and inductee process, as well as working with the athletic director to implement coach evaluations and professional learning. 

He served three years as the athletic director and associate principal at Sheboygan Falls High School from 2015-18. Beschta was responsible for 17 athletic programs, the district’s recreation programs and co-curricular clubs. In addition to managing the athletic program budget, he supervised policy updates to the student handbook and athletic code, evaluated coaches, facilitated staff professional development opportunities and led coach and conference meetings.  

Other educational experiences include teaching middle school mathematics and language arts in the Coleman School District from 2007-15.  Along with his teaching duties, he served as football junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant coach, girls basketball junior varsity head and varsity assistant coach and as a high school track &?field coach.

Beschta is currently the co-chair of the WIAA Calendar and Contact Ad-Hoc Committee and he is a WIAA-licensed basketball official at the master level along with being a member of the Green Bay Officials Association. Other education-related service includes a position as secretary and vice president of the Northeast Wisconsin Conference Principals Committee.

The WIAA, as defined by its Constitution, is a voluntary, unincorporated, and nonprofit organization. The membership oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 513 senior high schools and 36 junior high/middle level schools in its membership.

Picture courtesy of WIAA

The Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team will play its final home games of the season this week when they welcome the Horizon League's Detroit-area teams to the Resch Center.

After winning their first game since November on February 16th against Wright State, they dropped two competitive games against Robert Morris and Youngstown State last weekend. In their game against the Penguins on Sunday, Marcus Hall led the way with his 16 points, making it the second consecutive contest where he paced the Phoenix in scoring. Mac Wrecke and Ben Tweedy also reached double figures with 15 and 13 points.

Detroit-Mercy is the first of the Michigan teams to draw the ire of the Phoenix on Thursday. They come into the matchup with an overall record of 8-21, including a 4-14 mark in the Horizon League. On Saturday, Oakland comes to town boasting a mark of 10-8 in the Horizon League and 13-16 overall. Both teams are near the bottom in scoring in the Horizon League.

Tip-off for both games is set for 6 p.m.

Wisconsin is the “Frozen Pizza Capital of the World”.  Now, the state has a baseball team to call its own.  The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have unveiled the Wisconsin Frozen Pizzas as a new identity for the team’s alternate arsenal.

People in the state of Wisconsin consume more frozen pizza than any other state in the Union (and probably the world) on a per capita basis.  Other fun facts behind selecting Frozen Pizzas as an alternate identity and Wisconsin’s claim on “Frozen Pizza Capital of the World”:

Five of America’s largest frozen pizza brands started in Wisconsin and are still headquartered here

Many popular grocery stores in the state carry up to 50 different brands of frozen pizza from all over the country

Wisconsin’s large cheese production, manufacturing know-how, and big appetites all contribute to its frozen pizza dominance. 
 

The Frozen Pizzas will take the field for the first time on Saturday, July 12 in a game against the South Bend Cubs at Neuroscience Group Field.  

The genesis of the Frozen Pizzas dates to 2021 when the Timber Rattlers hosted a Frozen Pizza Throwdown at Neuroscience Group Field to showcase over a dozen Wisconsin brands for fans of frozen pizzas.  The logo created for the event was popular enough to begin conversations about “Could this be an alternate identity?”  The answer was an emphatic and delicious “YES!”

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are one of the leaders in alternate identities for Minor League Baseball.  The Timber Rattlers have taken the field as the Wisconsin Brats, Los Cascabeles de Wisconsin, Lake Winnebago Shantymen, and Wisconsin Udder Tuggers over the years.

Make sure to keep your eyes on our social media channels, website, and team store for one more new alternate identity to be unveiled before the start of the 2025 season.
 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers open the 2025 season at home against the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Friday, April 4.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CDT.

The Green Bay Packers are in Indianapolis this week trying to discover diamonds in the rough at the NFL Combine being held at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Many of the activities for the over 300 prospects begin later this week on Thursday, but meetings are already taking place. One of those meetings had the Packers making headlines as they reportedly proposed that the "tush push" be banned during gameplay. The play call made popular by the Philadelphia Eagles has been the target of criticism in recent years, though the Packers levied the harshest critique with the request. 

Below is the schedule for the NFL Combine

Thursday, Feb. 27 (3 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET): Defensive linemen, linebackers

Friday, Feb. 28 (3 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET): Defensive backs, tight ends

Saturday, March 1 (1 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET): Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs

Sunday, March 2 (1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET): Offensive linemen

An old UWGB rivalry could be reignited as soon as the 2026-2027 season.

First reported by Action Network's Brett McMurphy and collaborated by other sources, Northern Illinois will begin play in the Horizon League in most sports beginning with the 2026-2027 season. The Huskies previously announced they would move from the Mid-American Conference to the Mountain West Conference for football. They still need a home for their gymnastics and wrestling programs because they are not offered in the Horizon League.

Green Bay and Northern Illinois were longtime rivals in the Midwest Conference before the Huskies bolted for the MAC. The men have a record of 24-6 against the Huskies while the women have a tighter record at 13-13.

A back-and-forth game swung in favor of the home team at the end as the Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team fell to Youngstown State Penguins 81-77.

The Phoenix men had leads of seven points in the first half and six points in the second half, only to see the Penguins whittle it down and take small leads throughout the game. The Penguins' final margin of victory marked their largest lead against the Phoenix. While the two teams traded large runs in the first half, an 11-2 rally by the Penguins ended up being the fatal one for the Phoenix, which lost its second straight game. Marcus Hall led the Phoenix with 16 points, Mac Wrecke came off the bench to pour in 15 points, and Ben Tweedy contributed 13. Nico Galette and Gabe Dynes combined to score 40 points to lead the Penguins past the Phoenix. 

The Resch Center will be the site of two Phoenix games this week, with the men hosting Detroit Mercy on Thursday and Oakland on Saturday. Both games tip off at 6 p.m.

The Green Bay Gamblers scored two goals in every period of its 6-3 road win over the Chicago Steel on Sunday afternoon.

Down 1-0, Will Zellers and Elliot Gulley scored the next two goals to give the Gamblers a short-lived lead. Trailing 3-2 early in the second period, the Gamblers scored the following four goals to earn the victory thanks to tallies by Kolin Sisson, Zach Wooten, 

Geno Carcone, Egor Shilov, and Zellers. Wooten and David Green each had two assists in the win. Leo Henriquez was stellar in the net, stopping 29 of the 32 shots he faced. 

The Gamblers wrap up the month with games in Youngstown on Thursday and Friday.

The Green Bay Gamblers look to rebound from a tough weekend when they head south of the Cheddar Curtain for a matchup against the Chicago Steel on Sunday afternoon.

The Gamblers lost their games to the Madison Capitols by scores of 8-5 and 8-1 last weekend. The team has lost four of their last five games, including a 2-1 defeat to the Steel earlier in the month at the Resch Center. The Gamblers sit in fifth place with 48 points, 15 points higher than the Steel.

Speaking of the Steel, they are reeling after their own weekend sweep by Youngstown after winning their first three games of the month.

The puck drop is set for 3:05 p.m.

The Green Bay Phoenix women's basketball team used a 29-6 run in the second quarter to topple their in-state rival Milwaukee 68-45 on Saturday.

The game was close at the end of the first quarter, thanks to some timely threes from the Panthers. A 17-0 run by the Phoenix made the game academic before the teams entered the locker room. Part of that run included Maddy Schreiber registering her 1000th point as a Phoenix, the 41st player in program history to accomplish the feat. Schreiber would end her day with a game-high 18 points, Jasmine Kondrakiewicz added 12 points, Jenna Guyer chipped in nine points, and Cassie Schiltz contributed eight. Schiltz's two three-pointers placed her in third place all-time on the three-pointer list, tying her with Natalie Berglin. The win sets the stage for a winner-take-all showdown against Purdue Fort Wayne next Saturday.

On Sunday, the Phoenix men will try to bounce back from their loss to Robert Morris with a matinee showdown against Youngstown State. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. In Friday's action, the Phoenix men could not come up with enough stops in a 94-85 loss to Robert Morris. The defeat spoiled a career-high for Marcus Hall, who registered 29 points to complement Jeremiah Johnson's 17 points and C.J. O'Hara's 12 points. 

The Green Bay Phoenix women's basketball team looks for its 18th win in a row when they play in-state rival Milwaukee at the Kress Events Center on Saturday.

The Phoenix showed how the Cleveland State Vikings how to finish a half in women's basketball as they secured a 59-50 win on the road Wednesday night. The Phoenix outscored the Vikings 21-11 in the second quarter and 20-10 in the fourth quarter to secure their 17th straight victory. Maddy Schreiber led the way with 16 points, two points away from hitting the 1,000-point milestone. Bailey Butler added 15 points, and Natalie McNeal contributed another 12 points.

The Panthers sit in 10th place in the Horizon League, but they are playing some of their best basketball of the season as the winners of three of their past five games, including consecutive victories over Oakland and IU-Indianpolis.

Tip-off is 1 p.m.

In Friday's action, the Phoenix men could not come up with enough stops in a 94-85 loss to Robert Morris. The defeat spoiled a career-high for Marcus Hall, who registered 29 points to complement Jeremiah Johnson's 17 points and C.J. O'Hara's 12 points. 

The Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team looks to win two games in a row all season long on Friday when they play at Robert Morris.

The Phoenix broke a program-record 22-game losing streak on Sunday when they beat Wright State 79-68. Holding onto a six-point lead, Ben Tweedy tightened the Phoenix's grip on the game in the second half en route to a 27-point game.  Marcus Hall pitched in with 15 points, while Preston Ruedinger added 14 points, and Ryan Wade contributed 11.

The Colonials have been one of the biggest surprises in the Horizon League this season, boasting a 20-8 record that puts them in second place in the conference. They have won their last four games and 10 of their last 11. That includes an 89-67 win at the Resch Center on January 17th, which saw the Phoenix blow a 17-point lead.

Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. The team's road trip continues on Sunday when they play at Youingstown State.

The Green Bay Phoenix showed how the Cleveland State Vikings how to finish a half in women's basketball as they secured a 59-50 win on the road Wednesday night.

The Phoenix outscored the Vikings 21-11 in the second quarter and 20-10 in the fourth quarter to secure their 17th straight victory. The strong finishes were necessary, particularly in the second quarter after the Vikings entered the frame with a 13-9 lead thanks to six Phoenix turnovers. A Maddy Schreiber three-ball at the end of the first quarter sparked the comeback, allowing the Phoenix to hold on to the advantage for much of the game from that point on.

Schreiber led the way with 16 points, two points away from hitting the 1,000-point milestone. Bailey Butler added 15 points, and Natalie McNeal contributed another 12 points in the Phoenix's 17th consecutive win.

The Phoenix looks to hold onto first place in the Horizon League and extend that streak Saturday when they welcome UW-Milwaukee for a 1 p.m. game.

He was not alive to see it, but the life of Pound, Wis. resident John Brosig will be immortalized forever at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame after he was inducted into the Fan Hall of Fame on Monday.

According to Packers.com, the season ticket holder never missed a game in the 60+ years he owned his seats at Lambeau Field with Brosig's pancreatic cancer diagnosis the only thing that slowed him down. He even delayed a chemotherapy treatment this past fall so his streak of home openers would continue. He passed away on December after his battle with cancer and after he was named a finalist to the Fan Hall of Fame. 

This year's other finalists included: Regan Bucholz from Bonduel, Wis, Lori Coonen from Combined Locks, Wis., Paul Gasper from Onalaska, Wis., Ken Groholski from Manawa, Wis., Tammy Hedges from Weston, Fla., Michael Rossi from Hackettstown, N.J., Scott Schwartz from Pulaski, Wis., Valerie Smick from Yorkville, Ill., and Bill Port from New Berlin., Wis.

Wide receiver Sterling Sharpe is not the only former member of the Green Bay Packers to get honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

According to Packers.com, former athletic trainer Pepper Burruss will be one of 14 athletic trainers receiving recognition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame as an Award of Excellence recipient for 2025. He spent 26 years in Green Bay, most as head athletic trainer and then his final four seasons as director of sports medicine following a nearly-equal long career with the New York Jets. Burruss retired from the Packers in 2019. 

For the first time since November 19th, the Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team could celebrate postgame after beating Wright State 79-68 Sunday afternoon.

Things looked dire early as they struggled to get the offense going, falling behind by 11 points early after going the first several minutes without a shot made from the field. That's about when freshman guard Ben Tweedy took over, scoring nine points during a 12-0 run that helped give the Phoenix a 37-31 lead at the break.

Tweedy would tighten the Phoenix's grip on the game in the second half en route to a 27 point game.  Marcus Hall pitched in with 15 points while Preston Ruedinger added 14 points and Ryan Wade contributed 11. Solomon Callaghan paced the Raiders with 21 points.

The win not only snapped a 22-game losing streak on the season but gave the Phoenix its first win as a part-time tenant of the Kress Events Center. They return to the road this week for a trip that includes visits to Robert Morris and Youngstown State.

Another day, another win for the Green Bay Phoenix women's basketball team as they beat Detroit Mercy 76-60.

The Phoenix women shot lights out from the field in their 16th consecutive win, shooting 55 percent overall and 54 percent from behind the arc. The outscored the Titans 28-15 in the first half and never let go of the advantage. Natalie McNeal posted a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds while Luxemburg-Casco alum Cassie Schiltz chipped in 11 points in the victory. The Phoenix women slid into first place after conference-leading Purdue-Fort Wayne fell to Cleveland State on Saturday. The Phoenix and the Mastodons face each other in the last game of the season.

The Phoenix men will try once again to join the women in the win column with a 2 p.m. matinee against Wright State. They fell to Northern Kentucky 73-60 in their Valentine's Day affair for their 21st consecutive defeat dating back to November 19th. 

The Green Bay Gamblers had a rough weekend against their in-state rivals, losing their games to the Madison Capitols by scores of 8-5 on Friday and 8-1 on Saturday.

In Friday's game, the Gamblers had the game tied at five heading into the third period before the Capitols scored three straight goals on Leo Henriquez, who allowed all eight goals on 32 shots. Will Zelllers had a three point game with a goal and two assists while Robin Kuzma, Cooper Cleaves, Aidan Park, and Geno Carcone also lit the lamp in the loss.

In Saturday's defeat, Reece Cordray opened the scoring for the Gamblers only to see the Capitols score the next eight goals, scoring at least two goals in all three periods. Gavin Moffatt was chased from the game halfway through the second period, allowing five goals on 13 shots.  

A dry spell late in the first half proved fatal for the Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team as they lost to Northern Kentucky 73-60 at the Kress Events Center.

The Phoenix held a five-point lead before the Norse went on a 9-0 run that proved to be enough for them to hold on. They would get the game to within six points late in the second half, but the Norse would prove to be too much in the end to give the Phoenix their 21st straight loss. Marcus Hall scored 19 points to lead the Phoenix. Foster Wonders added 11 points, and Jeremiah Johnson tacked on eight in the loss.

The Phoenix women will try to add some joy for Green Bay fans when they play at Detroit Mercy at noon.

Two in-state rivals will meet at each other's home rinks this weekend as the Green Bay Gamblers play a two-game series against the Madison Capitols.

In their last game, the Gamblers returned from a heart-breaking Teddy Bear Toss night loss to beat Waterloo 5-1 on Tuesday. The Gamblers took a 3-0 lead before the Blackhawks could get on the scoreboard. Will Zellers registered three points thanks to two third-period goals. Aidan Park posted two points with a goal and an assist.

The Capitols are 2-0-1 this month, with an overtime loss to Chicago, the lone blemish in the stretch. They currently sit two points above the Gamblers in the standings at fourth place.

The Gamblers host the Capitols on Friday at the Resch Center for 7:05 p.m. puck drop before doing the same in Madison on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. 

The Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team would love to join their women's counterparts in the win column after their 75-39 win over Oakland Thursday night.

The Phoenix women allowed less than 10 points in each of the first three quarters as they cruised to victory. The team shot over 50 percent from the field including nearly 47 percent from behind the arc. Luxemburg-Casco alum Cassie Schiltz paced the Phoenix with five three pointers en route to a15 point game. Natalie Mc Neal added 12 points while Callie Genke and Jenna Guyer each chipped in 11 points in the win. Kylie Buckley's eight points led Oakland in the loss while two other registered six points. 

The Phoenix men try to snap a 20-game losing streak when Northern Kentucky comes to town for a 6 p.m. tip. In their 89-74 loss to Purdue Fort Wayne, an early lead disappeared when the Mastodons went on an 18-7 run fueled by Phoenix fouls and clutch shooting. Jeremiah Johnson led the Phoenix with 20 points and seven rebounds. Marcus Hall contributed 13 points before fouling out and Ben Tweedy tallied 11 points in the loss.

The Green Bay Phoenix women's basketball team will visit the Motor City for its first two of three games on the road, starting Thursday at Oakland.

In their 71-39 win last Saturday, the Phoenix women trailed 15-13 after the first quarter, but they allowed nine total points over the next two quarters en route to their 14th straight win. The Phoenix overcame a slow start to shoot over 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from behind the arc in the game. Thanks to four three-pointers, Maddy Schreiber paced the Phoenix with 18 points off the bench. Three other Phoenix players reached double figures, Natalie McNeal scoring 13 points, Luxemburg-Casco's Cassie Schiltz chipping in 12 points, and Bailey Butler adding another 11 points. 

The Golden Grizzlies have lost five of their last six games, which includes a 69-39 loss to the Phoenix on January 18th.

The two teams play at 6 p.m. on Thursday with the Phoenix wrapping up their Michigan residency with a noon tip against Detroit Mercy on Saturday.

If you attend the NFL Draft in Green Bay this spring, you will be waiting awhile.

The NFL announced the official draft order on Monday following the conclusion of Sunday's Super Bowl. The Packers are slated to pick 23rd overall after falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round of the NFL Playoffs. A weaker strength of schedule would have placed them ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers, which will pick 22nd. The Tennessee Titans will pick first overall after a 3-14 season and having a worse winning percentage compared to the other three-win teams, the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants. You can find the full draft order below. The first round will start on Thursday, April 24th, in Green Bay with the second and third rounds on Friday, April 25th, followed by rounds four through seven on Saturday, April 26th. 

1. Titans

2. Browns

3. Giants

4. Patriots

5. Jaguars

6. Raiders

7. Jets

8. Panthers

9. Saints

10. Bears

11. 49ers

12. Cowboys

13. Dolphins

14. Colts

15. Falcons

16. Cardinals

17. Bengals

18. Seahawks

19. Buccaneers

20. Broncos

21. Steelers

22. Chargers

23. Packers

24. Vikings

25. Texans

26. Rams

27. Ravens

28. Lions

29. Commanders

30. Bills

31. Chiefs

32. Eagles

The Green Bay Rockers and the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders will once again meet in the middle for its annual summer tradition at Fox Cities Stadium. 

The two organizations and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers announced the latest addition of the I-41 Showdown on Monday. The annual matchup in Grand Chute began shortly after the Timber Rattlers brought the Dock Spiders into existence in 2017. The Dock Spiders and the Rockers at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Thursday, June 12th at 6:35 p.m.

With the NFL football season in the rearview mirror, the Green Bay Rockers are helping people turn their attention to baseball.

The Rockers announced last week the signings of University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Baseball players Xaige Lancaster, Isaiah Magdaleno, and Aidan Kuni. While the Rockers have established a strong pipeline between Hawaii and Green Bay, all three players will play their first season with the Rockers this summer after the trio played in the West Coast League last season. You can learn more about the players here.

Two streaks continued for the Green Bay Phoenix basketball teams on Saturday with the women beating Robert Morris at home and the men falling to Purdue Fort Wayne on the road.

In their 71-39 win, the Phoenix women trailed 15-13 after the first quarter, but they allowed nine total points over the next two quarters en route to their 14th straight win. The Phoenix overcame a slow start to shoot over 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from behind the arc in the game. Thanks to four three-pointers, Maddy Schreiber paced the Phoenix with 18 points off the bench. Three other Phoenix players reached double figures, Natalie McNeal scoring 13 points, Luxemburg-Casco's Cassie Schiltz chipping in 12 points, and Bailey Butler adding another 11 points. Thanks to more than 2,000 fans in attendance, the Phoenix honored breast cancer survivors and raised thousands of dollars for a local cancer-related organization. 

The Phoenix men saw their losing skid hit 20 games with an 89-74 loss to Purdue Fort Wayne. An early lead disappeared when the Mastodons went on an 18-7 run fueled by Phoenix fouls and clutch shooting. Jeremiah Johnson led the Phoenix with 20 points and seven rebounds. Marcus Hall contributed 13 points before fouling out and Ben Tweedy tallied 11 points in the loss.

The Green Bay Gamblers' Lukas Peterson delivered the key goal, but the Chicago Steel scored enough to leave the Resch Center with the 2-1 win.

The Gamblers were trailing 1-0 in the third period when Peterson scored against Steel netminder Jack Parsons, causing thousands of stuffed animals to hit the ice on Teddy Bear Toss night. The joy would not last as the Steel's Reid Conn gave his team the eventual winning goal just over 2 minutes later. 

Gavin Moffatt took the loss for the Gamblers, stopping 23 of the 25 shots he faced.

Both Green Bay Phoenix basketball teams are back on the court Saturday as the Horizon League continues its final full month of the season.

The Phoenix women will play at the Kress Events Center for its annual Pink Zone game against Robert Morris. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

The Phoenix men will try to break their long losing streak again at 6 p.m. at Purdue Fort Wayne. The skid reached 19 games last weekend when they lost to Detroit Mercy 65-55. The loss wasted a double-double effort by Yontan Levy, who registered 15 points and 10 rebounds. Preston Ruedinger tallied 13 points and six rebounds, while Marcus Hall added 11 points and seven rebounds.

The Cedar Rapids Roughriders gave the Green Bay Gamblers a rough ending to their Friday night, beating them 3-2 in a shootout at the Resch Center.

The game was a see-saw affair the whole night with Zach Wooten (1st period), William Samuelsson (2nd period), and Geno Carcone (2nd period) always having their goals answered with a Roughriders tally. The third period was especially painful for Gamblers fans as came with the Roughriders pulling their goalie and playing for over a minute with an empty net. After a scoreless overtime, the shootout went nine rounds before Amine Hajibi ended it with a goal after securing two assists in regulation. Leo Henriquez took the loss despite stopping 32 of 35 shots.

The Gamblers are back in action for their annual teddy bear toss game against the Chicago Steel at 6:05 p.m.

More than 30 years after playing his final game for the Green and Gold, the Green Bay Packers' Sterling Sharpe will finally be enshrined in Canton.

Sharpe became the 29th member of the Packers to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he officially got the call on Thursday night, joining Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Eric Allen in the Class of 2025. Sharpe had long been looked at as a glaring omission from Canton, with his brother and HOF Tight End Shannon Sharpe pointing out his place in football lore despite being the second-best pass catcher in the family. A first round draft pick of the Packers, Sharpe made 595 receptions for 8,134 yards and 65 touchdowns in his career. Per Packers.com, he is one of only three players in NFL history with those numbers through seven seasons. 

Sharpe will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.

A 16-5 edge in the second quarter proved to be the difference for the Green Bay Phoenix women's basketball team as they toppled Youngstown State 58-47.

Similar to their first meeting, the Penguins proved to be a tough team to put away. They weathered a 14-2 first-quarter run by the Phoenix to enter the second quarter trailing 17-13. The Phoenix's defense stood tall in the second quarter, only to see the Penguins chip away at the advantage in the third quarter. The two teams played even in the fourth quarter, giving the Phoenix their 13th straight win and a home playoff game as a guaranteed top-four team in the Horizon League. 

Natalie McNeal and Jasmine Kondrakiewicz each tallied 13 points in the victory, while Maddy Schreiber chipped in another 12 points coming off the bench for the Phoenix. Jewel Watkins paced the Penguins in the loss with 14 points.

The Phoenix return to action at 1 p.m. against Robert Morris for their annual Pink Zone game.

The Green Bay Gamblers will welcome two different teams this weekend to the Resch Center, which will have games against Cedar Rapids on Friday and Chicago on Saturday.

The Gamblers enter the weekend in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points, eight points ahead of the Roughriders and 18 points ahead of the Steel. Last weekend, the Gamblers won two of three from the Muskegon Lumberjacks, securing the series win with a 3-2 overtime victory on Sunday.

The Roughriders have split their first two games, including a 3-1 loss to Dubuque in a rare Wednesday night game. The Steel started their February off on the right skate, beating Tri-City 5-2 on the road.

Friday's puck drop is 7:05 p.m. and Saturday's Teddy Bear Toss game is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

The Green Bay Phoenix women's basketball team start their homestand on Thursday night when Youngstown State comes to the Kress Events Center.

In their last outing, the Phoenix women beat IU-Indianapolis 76-54. as they  outscored the Jaguars by at least seven points in each of the first three quarters before coasting to the finish line with a 20-plus point advantage. They led for all by 68 seconds as they extended their winning streak to 12, their longest since the 2022-2023 season. Natalie McNeal and Luxemburg-Casco alum Cassie Schiltz each had 15 points, while Jenna Guyer contributed 10 points off the bench.

The Penguins have lost three of their last four games, including a 79-56 defeat to Horizon League-leading Purdue-Fort Wayne. In their previous matchup, the Phoenix women beat the Penguins 58-50 after outscoring them 19-9 in the opening quarter.

Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

Victor Estevez is back on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers bench for the 2025 Midwest League season.  The Milwaukee Brewers have announced Estevez, who led the 2024 Timber Rattlers to the Midwest League Championship Series and won the Midwest League’s Manager of the Year award, will return to Neuroscience Group field with a new set of coaches.

Estevez, a native of the Dominican Republic, is in his thirteenth season as a member of the Milwaukee organization.  He started as an infield coach for the Dominican Summer League affiliates in 2013 before becoming the manager of the DSL Brewers in 2016, a position he held through the 2021 season.  He spent two seasons in charge of the Carolina Mudcats and was the Carolina League Manager of the Year in 2023 after a 72-55 record and the team’s first playoff berth since 2008.  Last season was Wisconsin’s first playoff appearance since 2016 and first Championship Series appearance since 2012.  The Rattlers went 77-54 in the 2024 regular season.  Estevez is 379-354 in his minor league managerial career.

He will have a new staff to work with to develop this year’s group of Timber Rattlers.  Michael O’Neal will be the new Pitching Coach with Evan Berliner named as the new Hitting Coach.  Marcelo Alfonsín is a coach, and Tommy McManus is an Associate Coach on Estevez’s staff.  Strength & Conditioning Specialist Luis Rios-Reyes is also new to the support staff.  Paul Gonzales is back for his second season as Wisconsin’s Athletic Trainer.

O’Neal, a graduate of Auburn University, was a development coach for the Timber Rattlers in 2021.  He moves up from his role as the pitching coach in Carolina in 2024 to step into the same role with Wisconsin in 2025.

Berliner was a hitting coach for the Arizona Complex League Brewers in 2024.  Prior to that he was an assistant coach at Hillsdale College and at South Dakota State University.

Alfonsín, a native or Argentina, is in his second season with the Brewers system.  He spent last year as a coach with the Mudcats in the Carolina League.  Alfonsín managed in the Dominican Summer League for an Astros affiliate in 2022 and 2023 and was the pitching coach for the Argentinian National Baseball team during the 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers.

McManus is back for his second stint with the Brewers organization.  He was a development coach for the ACL Brewers in 2023.  He spent 2024 as a fundamentals coach with the Tri-City Valley Cats of the independent Frontier League.  McManus also has coaching experience at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Norfolk State University.

Gonzales, who has degrees from California State University, Los Angeles and Pacific University, was the athletic trainer for the Brooklyn Cyclones, the South Atlantic League affiliate of the New York Mets in 2023 before joining the Brewers organization for the 2024 season.  He had been in the Mets system since 2019 with stops as an athletic trainer in the Dominican Republic and in the Mets Port St. Lucie, Florida Complex.

Rios-Reyes, who played college baseball for Barry University in Florida, was Strength & Conditioning Coordinator for both of Milwaukee’s Dominican Summer League affiliates last year.
 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers open the 2025 season at home against the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Friday, April 4.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CDT.

The area's football teams could have some new opponents to worry about during the upcoming season.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Conference Realignment Task Force convened Thursday to hear appeals of the preliminary solutions for the football and lacrosse realignment requests reviewed in December.

Based on the information gathered from the appeals of the preliminary solutions, the Task Force amended the 11-player football and the lacrosse plans. Schools and conferences that are directly affected by the amended realignment considerations have the opportunity to appeal the proposed changes at the Task Force meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.  The hearing is intended to enhance engagement, communication and transparency in the conference realignment process. Requests to appeal must be submitted in writing to Melissa Gehring by 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.

No amendments were made to the 8-player football conference realignment plan, which will be advanced to the Board of Control for a final vote Tuesday, March 11.

Comprehensive Modified Conference Affiliations Plan - 11-Player Football
Comprehensive Modified Conference Affiliations Plan - 8-Player Football

Highlights affecting local teams include:

-Two Rivers brief stay in the Northeastern Conference looks to be over as they move to the Eastern Wisconsin Conference.

-A Kohler Co-op team will take Two Rivers' place in the Northeastern Conference.

-The Northeastern Conference will play a mandatory crossover game against the Bay Conference.

-Oconto Falls moves from the Northeastern Conference to the Packerland Conference, setting the stage for an annual matchup with crosstown Oconto.

-Clintonville moves from the Packerland Conference to the Northwoods Conference.

-The Across the Bay 8-Player Football Conference adds Elkhart-Glenbeulah and Valley Christian (Oshkosh)

-Oneida Nation becomes its own team while NEW Lutheran will still co-op with Providence Academy

The Across the Bay Conference will play a mandatory crossover game against the Northeast Conference, which brings in Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas and Gillett

You will find some new faces in the dugout for the Green Bay Rockers this summer.

The Rockers recently announced its coaching staff for the upcoming season, naming Josh Merrill as its new field manager. Pitching coach Kevin Cave (Desert Hills), bench coach Chris Dawson (McPherson College), and hitting and first base coach John ‘JR’ McElroy (Arkansas) will join Merrill in the dugout as his assistant coaches. Cave is the only returning coach from last year's squad. You can find their full bios here.

The Rockers open their season on May 26th in Wisconsin Rapids before returning the favor to the Rafters with their home opener on May 27th.

The Green Bay Phoenix women's basketball team continued their dominance on Sunday afternoon as they beat IU-Indianapolis 76-54.

The Phoenix outscored the Jaguars by at least seven points in each of the first three quarters before coasting to the finish line with a 20-plus point advantage. They led for all by 68 seconds as they extended their winning streak to 12, their longest since the 2022-2023 season. Natalie McNeal and Luxemburg-Casco alum Cassie Schiltz each had 15 points, while Jenna Guyer contributed 10 points off the bench. Three other players scored at least seven points in the win. The Jaguars were led by Faith Stinson's 12 points.

The Green Bay Gamblers' Will Zellers made sure the crowd of over 3,000 fans went home happy on Sunday, scoring the final two goals of the team's 3-2 overtime win over Muskegon.

The visiting Lumberjacks looked to be in control after striking first in the opening period before Jack Galanek made it a 2-0 game late in the second period. There was still plenty of time for Aidan Park to cut the lead in half with just over 30 seconds left in the period, leaving the Gamblers trailing 2-1 entering the third period. Zellers registered the game-tying goal with 90 seconds remaining in the game before giving the Gamblers the extra point with another tally in the opening minute of overtime. Gavin Moffatt earned the win for the Gamblers, stopping 27 of the 29 shots he faced.

The Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team still found themselves on the outside looking in at the win column on Saturday, losing to Detroit Mercy 65-55.

The loss wasted a double-double effort by Yontan Levy, who registered 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Phoenix tied the game at 25 apiece with four minutes left before the Titans finished the period off on an 8-3 run that left the Phoenix chasing the rest of the afternoon. Preston Ruedinger tallied 13 points and six rebounds, while Marcus Hall added 11 points and seven rebounds.

The Phoenix women return to work on Sunday at Indiana University-Indianapolis at 1 p.m. Earlier in the week, the Phoenix women outscored Cleveland State 26-16 in the fourth quarter to win 66-52 for their 11th straight win. Natalie McNeal scored a season-high 24 points for the Phoenix to lead all scorers. Callie Genke added 11 points, Bailey Butler tallied chipped in nine points, and Jasmine Kondrakiewicz registered eight points in the victory.

In front of over 7,100 fans, the Green Bay Gamblers could not complete the comeback against the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Saturday night, falling 2-1.

The Lumberjacks were up 2-0 when Zach Wooten finally lit the lamp for the Gamblers in the second period. Neither team would score in the third period, leaving Sunday the last chance to win the weekend series for the Gamblers. Leo Henriquez took the loss in net for the Gamblers, stopping 36 of 38 shots faced.

The rubber match is set for Sunday with a puck drop of 3:05 p.m.

The Green Bay Phoenix men look to avoid their 18th loss in a row on Saturday afternoon when they face Detroit Mercy on the road.

A second-half swoon once again doomed the Phoenix men in its 68-54 road loss to Oakland, its 21st of the season and its 17th straight. It was tied at 29 at the break before the Golden Grizzlies engineered a 19-1 run to start the second half to take control of the game. 

The Titans will carry some momentum into their home matchup against the Phoenix after beating Northern Kentucky 68-57 on Thursday night.

Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.