Heights girls trending upward

Surprise, surprise. That’s what Wisconsin Heights girls basketball coach Tyler Fuchs hopes to be saying when March rolls around. The Vanguards went 4-18 last season and tied for fifth place in the six-team Capitol South Conference. With four starters back, though, Heights believes it can take a major leap forward. The Vanguards proved that was certainly possible when they rolled past Parkview, 63-25, in their season-opener on Nov. 19. Heights then edged Clinton, 48-46, on Nov. 21. “My guess is our conference teams think we’re either a fifth or sixth place team,” Fuchs said. “But I think we can surprise a few teams if we can work hard and improve some areas of our game.” Heights lost honorable-mention all-conference guard Mikayla Teela to graduation. The Vanguards do return four starters, though, giving them hope for bigger and better things this winter. Senior wing Jocelyn Brabender is the Vanguards’ top returnee after she finished second on the team in scoring (8.1) and tied for first in rebounding (5.5) last season. Brabender was also second in steals (1.9), second in blocks (nine) and third in assists (0.9).  Sophomore guard Sonja Severson was third on the team in scoring (6.4) and tied for first in rebounding (5.5). Severson was also third in assists (0.9) and third in steals (1.1). Junior post R.J. Kalscheur was fourth on the team in scoring (5.4) and tied for third in rebounding (5.0). And senior wing Lydia Crowe was also starting before she suffered a season-ending injury last year. “As a group, we return a large amount of experience,” Fuchs said. “Lydia, Jocelyn, and R.J. are all three-year varsity athletes, so I’m expecting them to give us confidence and a high work rate needed to be successful this winter.  “Lydia does a good job of seeing the court and finding the open pass. Jocelyn finds the gaps to attack and is determined when driving to the lane. R.J. is a lot more composed under the rim this year and is our anchor in our defense. Sonja is a player who can score at all three levels with a big motor.” Juniors Abrie Schoenemann, Avery Graham and Haley Wipperfurth will all see expanded roles.  “Abrie Schoenemann is a returner who does the little things that are needed to be successful,” Fuchs said. “She works hard and is scrappy on defense.  “Avery Graham and Haley Wipperfurth were both swing players last year (JV and Varsity). They are both quick athletic guards who raise the energy and intensity in practices and games. They are going to be playing a much larger role for us this season.” Senior Mya Boebel and sophomore Brenly Schoenemann are also newcomers that Fuchs believes will provide immediate help. “I am expecting them to bring the energy off the bench and contribute to our success,” Fuchs said. Fuchs is excited by the Vanguards’ athleticism, which should help make them an extremely pesky defensive team. “Our athleticism and defense are our strong aspects,” he said. “We are going to try to force turnovers on the defensive end leading to easy transition buckets.” Heights hopes to make major gains on the offensive end, after averaging just 36.7 points per game a year ago. “We need to greatly improve on our shooting and finishing this season,” Fuchs said. “Right now those are not strengths of ours, but we are making that a priority to improve.” Belleville, which tied for second in the conference last year, brings back its entire roster and is the conference favorite. New Glarus, which has won three straight conference titles, lost three-time league Player of the Year Lindsey Schadewalt, but has a strong program. Cambridge advanced to a sectional semifinal last year, while Waterloo finished above .500 last season. Fuchs believes his team can make a jump, though, and he can’t wait to see what the 2024-’25 Vanguards can do. “In order to approach the .500 mark, we need to become smarter basketball players and a smarter team,” he said. “We are going to incorporate more film sessions during the season and really break down what we can do to play to our strengths. If we continue our intensity and effort from our first week of practice, we have the ability to approach the .500 mark.” • Wisconsin Heights 63, Parkview 25 — Severson had 19 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, while Brabender added 18 points, five rebounds and four steals and the Vanguards rolled in their season-opener. Heights built a 35-14 halftime lead and was never challenged after intermission. • Wiscconsin Heights 48, Clinton 46 — The Vanguards built a 25-16 halftime lead, then held on down the stretch. • On deck: Heights hosted Richland Center Tuesday, then is off until Dec. 3 when it hosts River Valley at 7 p.m.       Wisconsin Heights     Girls Basketball Roster No. Name Yr. Ht.  2 Sonja Severson 10 5’8”  4 Brenly Schoenemann 10 5’7”  5 Mia Blicharz 9 5’5” 11 Avery Graham 11 5’4” 12 Lydia Crowe 12 5’7” 13 Gracie Johnson 9 5’1” 15 Ella Wick 10 5”11 20 Laura Rettenmund 11 5’5” 21 Mya Boebel 12 5’4” 22 Haley Wipperfurth 11 5’4” 23 Abrie Schoenemann 12 5’2” 24 Jocelyn Brabender 12 5’8” 25 Anya Caminiti 10 5’6” 30 Jaede Moyer 9 5’7” 33 R.J. Kalscheuer 11 5’10” Coach: Tyler Fuchs Managers: Elise Bruins, Adi Kartman and Clara Landauer