skip navigation

All-Time Best: Sullivan, Jergenson top list of greats from Manitowoc

08/27/2020, 4:15pm CDT
By Mark Miller

(Editor's Note: WisSports.net basketball writer Mark Miller is using the extra time available due to COVID-19 to research the high school basketball history of some of Wisconsin's larger cities. His All-Time Best series will run on WisSports.net during the next few months).

There is plenty of high school basketball tradition within the city of Manitowoc, but much of the big success, particularly at Manitowoc Lincoln, took place several decades ago.

Manitowoc won WIAA state championships in 1963 and 1968, but hasn't won a game at the state level since beating Beloit Memorial 63-51 in the 1968 state-title game. That was 52 years ago. 

Roncalli certainly has picked up some of the slack, qualifying for eight WIAA State Tournaments since 2005 under two different coaches -- Joe Rux and Joe Garceau. The Jets won the Division 4 state crown in 2018 under Garceau and were set to play in a sectional final last March before COVID-19 ended the season. 

Individually, Bob Sullivan and Brad Jergensen certainly rank among the top to ever play in Manitowoc. Sullivan, a 1965 Manitowoc graduate, went on to start for three seasons at Michigan while Jergensen, a 1980 Manitowoc graduate, played four years at South Carolina. 

Following is an in-depth look at Manitowoc's best:

Criteria For All-Time Manitowoc Teams
1) In order to be chosen to the first, second, third or fourth all-time team, a player must have earned first, second, third or fourth team all-state honors from either the Associated Press or United Press International. Exceptions will be made, but will be rare.

2) In addition to the accomplishments a player achieved in high school, their college honors in the sport also weigh heavily when selecting the teams.  

All-Time Manitowoc Team

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL All-State Team
FIRST TEAM
Bob Sullivan 6'4" 1965 Manitowoc 1st (AP)
Brad Jergenson 6'8" 1980 Manitowoc 1st (AP)
Pete Hansen 6'7" 1968 Manitowoc 1st (AP)
Paul Meany 6'5" 1961 Manitowoc 1st (UPI)
Ben Stelzer 6'1" 2011 Roncalli None

Bob Sullivan, 6-4, F, 1965, Manitowoc
First-Team All-State 1964 & 1965 (AP & UPI)

The best player to ever come out of Manitowoc and one of the top to ever come out of Wisconsin, Sullivan earned first-team all-state recognition from both AP and UPI as a junior and senior. He scored 1,216 career points and played on Manitowoc's 1963 WIAA state-championship team as a sophomore, scoring six points off the bench in the Ships' 74-52 win over Dodgeville in the championship game. After scoring 544 points as a junior, Sullivan averaged 24.1 points, 15.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists as a senior in 1964-65 while helping Manitowoc to an 18-5 record under coach Jim Dietrich. In his final prep game, Sullivan scored 29 points and grabbed 28 rebounds in a 69-57 triumph over Southern Door in a sectional consolation contest. After an intense recruiting battle that came down to Michigan and UCLA, Sullivan opted to play for the Wolverines and became a three-year starter. Sullivan scored 806 points and grabbed 380 rebounds during his time at Michigan. Sullivan's father, Bob Sr., played at Hayward High School, at the University of Wisconsin and with the Oshkosh All-Stars of the old National Basketball League. 

Brad Jergenson, 6-8, F, 1980, Manitowoc
First-Team All-State 1980 AP 

A cerebral player who led the Ships of coach Brian Shaw to appearances in the WIAA State Tournament as a junior and senior, Jergenson scored 862 points in three years of varsity competition. Chosen as the Player of the Year in the Fox River Valley Conference as a senior in 1980, Jergenson helped the Ships to a 22-0 record and the state's No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press poll heading into the state tournament. He scored 13 points in a 71-49 loss to Janesville Craig in the state quarterfinals. As a junior, Jergenson had 23 points in a sectional win over Beaver Dam and contributed eight points in a 47-46 overtime loss to Eau Claire Memorial in the state quarterfinals. Manitowoc teams went a combined 53-15 during his prep career and won a pair of league titles. Jergenson went on to play college basketball at South Carolina, scoring 945 points and grabbing 580 rebounds during his four-year career. He was chosen in the eighth round of the 1984 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.  

Pete Hansen, 6-7, F, 1968, Manitowoc
First-Team All-State 1968 (AP & UPI)

Hansen played on the last team from Manitowoc Lincoln to win a game at the WIAA State Tournament. During his senior season in 1967-68, Hansen sparked the Ships to three straight wins at the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse. He scored 19 points in a state-quarterfinal win over D.C. Everest; 23 in a semifinal triumph over Wisconsin Dells, and 15 points in the Ships' 63-51 victory over Beloit Memorial in the state-title game as Manitowoc finished 26-0 under coach Ed Fleener. Hansen netted 534 points during his senior season, averaging 20.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists en route to earning first-team All-State honors from both the AP and UPI. Hansen helped Manitowoc to a 15-4 record as a junior, scoring 31 points in a 74-73 overtime triumph over Sheboygan South in the last regular-season game of the season that gave the Ships a share of the Fox River Valley Conference championship with Green Bay West. Hansen went on to earn a degree from Northwestern University near Chicago, playing one year of basketball and several years of golf for the Wildcats. 

Paul Meany, 6-5, F, 1961, Manitowoc
First-Team All-State 1961 (UPI)

Meany played three varsity seasons for coach John Jung and the Ships from 1958-61. He led the Fox River Valley Conference in scoring as a junior (310 points) and senior (320 points), and completed his prep career with 1,305 points in 72 contests. As a senior in 1960-61, Meany netted 545 points in 24 games, averaging 22.7 ppg as the Ships won the consolation-bracket title of the WIAA State Tournament and finished the campaign with a 22-2 record. He set a then single-game school record with 43 points in victory at Sheboygan South as Manitowoc went 14-0 in league play. The two-time first-team all-FRVC selection went on to play three years of college basketball at Arizona State, scoring 59 points and grabbing 45 rebounds during his time with the Sun Devils. 

Ben Stelzer, 6-1, G, 2011, Roncalli
N/A All State

In one of the great mysteries of recent Associated Press All-State selections, Stelzer somehow didn't get as much as an honorable mention bone throw his way after scoring 621 points and averaging 22.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals for a Roncalli squad that went 22-3 and won the Olympian Conference title during his senior year in 2010-11. He scored 40 or more points twice and 30 or more four times. Stelzer had a career-best 41 points in a 64-54 victory over Rocori, Minnesota, in January, and then scored 27 points in the fourth period alone and finished with 40 in a 73-67 sectional semifinal loss to Wrightstown in his final prep game. Stezler earned first-team all-Olympian Conference honors three times and was the league's Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011. One of the top perimeter shooters to come out of Wisconsin over the past 20 years, Stelzer finished his brilliant prep career with 1,966 points, most in city history. Stelzer went on to excel during his four years of playing college basketball at NCAA Division II Michigan Tech. He scored 1,755 points for the Huskies to rank eighth on the school's all-time scoring chart. He also earned All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors as a junior and senior.

All-Time Manitowoc Team

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL All-State Team
SECOND TEAM
Nathan Zastrow 6'0" 2009 Manitowoc HM (AP)
John Lallensack 6'3" 1963 Manitowoc 1st (UPI)
Jim Behnke 6'1" 1977 Manitowoc 1st (AP)
Dick Hall 6'4" 1959 Manitowoc 1st (AP)
Rick Fischer 5'10" 1972 Manitowoc 1st (UPI)

Nathan Zastrow, 6-0, G, 2007, Manitowoc
Honorable Mention All-State 2007 (AP)

A four-year varsity performer and the all-time leading scorer in Manitowoc Lincoln history, Zastrow earned first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference laurels as a junior and senior while playing for coach Mark Christenson and the Ships. Zastrow averaged 20.2 ppg as a senior as the Ships went 11-12, and 21.8 ppg as a junior when Manitowoc finished 10-12. As a freshman and sophomore, Zastrow also averaged in double figures as the Ships won back-to-back league titles. Zastrow, a terrific perimeter shooter who could also handle the ball and pass, scored 1,586 points during his prep career. Zastrow went on to play four years of college basketball at NCAA Division I North Dakota State, scoring 369 points during his career.

John Lallensack, 6-3, F, 1963, Manitowoc
First-Team All-State 1963 UPI

Coming off a junior season in which he did not earn a varsity letter, Lallensack stepped it up big time as a senior. He helped the Ships to a 22-3 record and the WIAA state championship, scoring 10 points in a 74-52 title-game victory over Dodgeville. Lallensack also had 31 points in a 75-71 sectional-final triumph over Oshkosh, and 23 in a 64-58 state-quarterfinal win over Superior Central. Lallensack averaged 15.0 ppg for coach John Jung, who announced two days after the Ships won the state crown that he was stepping down from his coaching position after 16 seasons. Lallensack spent one year on the freshmen team at the University of WIsconsin before transferring to NAIA power UW-Oshkosh. Lallensack helped the Titans to a third-place finish in the national NAIA Tournament as a senior in 1967-68, and he scored 1,179 career points for the Titans. He currently ranks second on the school's all-time rebounding list, grabbing 897 caroms during his three years of competition. 

Jim Behnke, 6-1, G, 1977, Manitowoc
First-Team All-State 1977 AP

One of the more prolific scorers in Manitowoc history, Behnke started for three seasons and scored 1,173 career points for the Ships. The 6-foot-1 floor general averaged 21.3 points and helped coach Brian Shaw's club to a 13-7 record in 1976-77. Behnke earned Player of the Year honors in the Fox River Valley Conference his senior season, and was a first-team pick as well during his junior campaign. Behnke helped Manitowoc to an 11-8 record in 1975-76 and scored 32 points in a WIAA regional loss to Sheboygan South. Behnke went on to play four years of college basketball for coach Ken Anderson at UW-Eau Claire and received honorable mention all-Wisconsin State University Conference recognition as a senior in 1980-81. 

Dick Hall, 6-4, F, 1959, Manitowoc
First-Team All-State 1959 AP

Hall played on back-to-back Fox River Valley Conference title teams under coach John Jung as the Ships won the 1957-58 crown with a 10-2 league mark and the 1958-59 title with an identical 10-2 record. As a junior, the talented left-hander helped the Ships to a 23-3 overall record and the consolation title of the WIAA State Tournament, scoring 16 points in Manitowoc's 82-70 triumph over Eau Claire in the consolation final. As a senior, Hall averaged 23.7 points and earned first-team All-State honors from the AP. In his final prep game, Hall scored 26 points in the Ships' 72-64 sectional-final loss to Kimberly. In 49 career games, Hall scored 885 points for an average of 18.1 ppg. He went on to play one season of college basketball at Michigan State and led the Spartans in scoring in 1960-61 at 16.2 ppg. Hall, who also played tennis at Michigan State, dropped out of school in 1962.

Rick Fischer, 5-10, G, 1972, Manitowoc
First-Team All-State 1972 UPI

Fischer was a two-year starter at point guard for the Ships, playing for coach Ed Fleener in 1970-71 and for coach Brian Shaw in 1971-72. He earned first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference recognition as a junior and senior, and scored 778 career points in two-plus seasons. He helped the Ships to an 18-5 record and runner-up finish in the league standings as a senior. Fischer went on to earn four letters in men's basketball at the University of North Dakota, and served as the captain of the team his senior season while also setting a school and conference record for most games played in a four-year career. 

All-Time Manitowoc Team

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL All-State Team
THIRD TEAM
Neal Krajnik 6'0" 2000 Roncalli 4th (AP)
Al Zipperer 6'0" 1961 Manitowoc 2nd (UPI)
Andy Jahnke 6'3" 2002 Roncalli/Manitowoc 4th (AP)
John Hopf 6'7" 2000 Manitowoc 3rd (AP)
Justin Lettenberger 6'6" 1999 Manitowoc HM (AP)

Neal Krajnik, 6-0, G, 2000, Roncalli
Fourth-Team All-State 2000 AP

A three-time first-team all-Eastern Wisconsin Conference performer who helped Roncalli to two straight league titles, Krajnik did whatever it took to help his team win. Although a capable scorer, Krajnik was more known for his gritty defense and ability to set up his teammates. As a junior, Krajnik helped Roncalli to a 20-3 record, a league title and a spot in the WISAA Division 2 State Tournament under coach Pat Juckem. He scored 25 points in a 60-57 loss to Wausau Newman in the state semifinals. As a senior, Krajnik scored 27 points in the Jets' come-from-behind 49-47 regular-season finale victory over Two Rivers that clinched another EWC title. Krajnik was named Player of the Year in the league and finished his prep career with 1,266 points. Following high school, Krajnik started for three seasons under coach Jack Bennett at UW-Stevens Point. He led the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in assists as a sophomore and in steals as a junior. During his senior season, Krajnik played a big role in helping Stevens Point to a 29-5 and the NCAA Division III national championship, scoring seven points and playing 23 minutes in the contest.

Al Zipperer, 6-0, G, 1961, Manitowoc
Second-Team All-State 1961 UPI

Playing alongside talented teammates like Paul Meany, Zipperer was a key performer for the Ships' 1960-61 squad that won the WIAA State Tournament consolation championship and finished with a 23-2 record. Zipperer scored 25 points for Manitowoc in its 72-45 victory over Neenah in a sectional final and had 18 points in the 74-72 triumph over Shawano in the consolation title game at the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse. Zipperer earned unanimous first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference honors for the league champions and averaged 11.5 points per game for coach John Jung and the Ships.

Andy Jahnke, 6-2, G, 2002, Manitowoc
Third-Team All-State 2000 AP

Jahnke had size and skill, and he used both to his advantage while scoring 1,716 career points during three years at Roncalli and one year at Manitowoc Lincoln. He helped Roncalli to two straight Eastern Wisconsin Conference titles while earning first-team all-league honors twice. He played for coach Pat Juckem as a freshman, co-coaches Dave Mueller and his father, Greg Jahnke, as a sophomore, and for Joe Rux as a junior. Jahnke scored 41 points games against both Kiel and Two Rivers in 2000-01 and finished his Roncalli career with 1,158 points. He opted to transfer to Manitowoc for his senior season and scored 558 points in 23 games for the Ships, an average of 24.3 ppg. Jahnke went on to play two years of college basketball at NCAA Division I Youngstown State, and two years at NCAA Division III UW-Oshkosh. 

John Hopf, 6-7, F, 2000, Manitowoc
Third-Team All-State 2000 AP

Hopf was instrumental to the success of Manitowoc's clubs that went a combined 44-4 and won two Fox River Valley Conference titles between 1998-2000. The versatile wing player averaged 8.2 points and 6.3 rebounds as a junior when the Ships went 23-2 and advanced to the WIAA State Tournament, losing to Milwaukee Bay View in the quarterfinal round. A year later, Hopf earned Player of the Year honors in the FRVC while leading coach Mark Christenson's club to a 19-2 record by averaging 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. After sitting a year while attending UW-Oshkosh, Hopf transferred to NCAA Division II Winona State and played three years of college basketball for the Warriors. 

Justin Lettenberger, 6-6, F, 1999, Manitowoc
Honorable Mention All-State 1999 AP

A solid player in most aspects of the game, Lettenberger did a bit of everything for coach Mark Christenson and the Ships, helping the program to Fox River Valley Conference titles as a sophomore in 1996-97 and as a senior in 1998-99. Lettenberger, who missed his junior year with a knee injury, was voted first-team all-league as a sophomore and senior. Playing alongside a talented and very tall frontline that also included Jon Hansen (6-7) and John Hopf (6-7), Lettenberger helping the Ships to a 13-1 league record and 23-2 overall record and a berth in the WIAA Division 1 State Tournament in 1998-99. Lettenberger averaged 16.8 points and 9.1 rebounds that season and had 10 points and five rebounds in Manitowoc's 62-47 state-quarterfinal loss to Milwaukee Bay View. His efficiency from the field was extremely impressive as Lettenberger made 61 percent of his field-goal attempts and averaged just 11 shots per game. Lettenberger went on to play college basketball at UW-Milwaukee. He averaged 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds as a senior in 2002-03, helping the Panthers to a 24-8 record and NCAA Tournament berth.

All-Time Manitowoc Team

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL All-State Team
FOURTH TEAM
Rock Jiroch 6'1" 1969 Manitowoc 2nd (UPI)
Greg Schrimpf 6'1" 2007 Roncalli HM (AP)
Trey Zastrow 6'0" 2020 Lutheran None
Chombi Lambert 5'9" 2019 Roncalli 4th (AP)
Mark Stelter 6'5" 1978 Lutheran None

Rocky Jiroch, 6-1, G, 1969, Manitowoc
Second-Team All-State 1969 UPI

Jiroch was one of the top backcourt players in the Fox River Valley Conference during his prep career playing for coach Ed Fleener and the Ships. A good perimeter shooter, Jiroch earned unanimous first-team all-league recognition as a senior when he averaged 20.6 points and helped Manitowoc to a 17-6 record and a runner-up finish in the league standings. Jiroch scored 25 points in his final prep game, an 86-74 loss to Neenah in the WIAA sectional finals. As a junior, Jiroch was a key player for the Ships' undefeated state-championship team, scoring 23 points in three state-tournament victories. Jiroch went on to play four years of college basketball at UW-Oshkosh, earning honorable mention all-league honors as a junior. 

Greg Schrimpf, 6-1, G, 2007, Roncalli
Honorable Mention All-State 2007 AP

A two-time Player of the Year in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, Schrimpf was a big-time winner during his three years playing varsity basketball for coach Joe Rux at Roncalli. Schrimpf earned first-team all-league honors as a sophomore, junior and senior while helping Roncalli to three straight league titles. Roncalli went 72-5 from 2004-07 with Schrimpf the major point-getter for the Jets. He finished his brilliant prep career with 1,418 points and played in three consecutive WIAA State Tournaments. As a senior, Schrimpf averaged 18.7 points and 4.1 assists as Roncalli went 25-1, losing 51-41 to La Crosse Aquinas in the Division 3 state semifinals. One of the state's top three-point shooting threats during his high school career, Schrimpf went on to play four years of college basketball at UW-Oshkosh and ranks among the school's all-time leaders in three-point field goals made.

Trey Zastrow, 6-0, G, 2020, Lutheran
No All-State 2000 AP

Didn't be fooled by Zastrow being overlooked on the Associated Press All-State team following his senior season in 2019-20. He most definitely ranks among the best shooters in Manitowoc history and his first name is appropriate for his ability to consistently sink three-point shots. During his four years of playing for his father and coach, Gordy Zastrow, at Lutheran, Trey Zastrow made 295 of 672 attempts from three-point range for 44 percent. He averaged 17.1 ppg as a freshman, 20.1 ppg as a sophomore, 24.0 ppg as a junior and 23.3 ppg as a senior when he helped the Lancers to a 15-8 record and a share of the Big East North Conference title. Zastrow finished his stellar prep career with 1,953 career points and earned unanimous first-team all-league honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. Zastrow plans to continue his basketball career and education this fall at UW-Stevens Point. 

Chombi Lambert, 5-9, G, 2019, Roncalli
Fourth-Team All-State 2019 AP

A scorer with the ability to torch opponents from outside the three-point line or zig-zag his way to the basket and finish with a soft floater, Lambert was named Player of the Year in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference as a senior when he led the Jets of coach Joe Garceau to a 26-1 and the league title. Roncalli dropped a 44-41 decision to New Glarus in a WIAA Division 4 State Tournament semifinal game, ending an extremely memorable season that included Lambert scoring 30 points in a sectional-final victory over Milwaukee Academy of Science. Lambert's junior season was also impressive as he helped Roncalli to the school's first state championship and a 23-5 record. Lambert had 32 points for Roncalli in an 82-48 victory over Pardeeville in the WIAA D4 state semifinals and then tossed in 21 points in a 57-37 triumph over Marathon in the state-title game. During the regular season, Lambert scored a school-record 45 points in an 83-62 triumph over Fond du Lac St. Mary's Springs. He scored 1,769 career points and is now attending UW-Whitewater.

Mark Stelter, 6-5, F, 1978, Lutheran
No All-State Meniton 1978 AP

Stelter helped the Lancers of coach Rich Winter to a spot in the WISAA Class B State Tournament in 1978, the first of an eventual four appearances the school made during its history in the private-schools organization. The 6-foot-5 forward earned first-team all-Bay Lakes Conference honors in each of his four years as a varsity performer. As a senior, Stelter helped the Lancers to a 19-5 record, scoring 15 points in a 61-58 double overtime state-semifinal win over Madison Queen of Apostles and dropping in 16 in a 67-54 loss to Milwaukee Notre Dame in the Class B title game. Stelter scored 559 points as a senior and 643 points as a junior. He completed his prep career with 1,896 points and a still school-record 1,050 rebounds. Stelter went on to play college basketball at UW-Manitowoc.

Manitowoc's Additional All-Staters

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL All-State Team
Bill Nelson 5'11" 1958 Manitowoc 3rd (AP)

Bill Nelson, 5-11, G, 1958, Manitowoc
Third-Team All-State 1958 UPI

How about this for a WIAA sectional-final performance? Score 41 points and lead your team to a resounding 81-64 victory over Hortonville to secure your school's first state-tournament berth 32 years? That's what Bill Nelson did for the Manitowoc Ships and coach John Jung in 1957-58. His performance set a then-school record and propelled the Ships to the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse, where they dropped a 67-66 decision to Madison West in the state quarterfinals. Nelson and his teammates came back to beat Superior Central 75-70 in the consolation semifinals behind a 37-point outing from Nelson before beating Eau Claire Memorial 82-70 in the consolation finals behind Nelson's 17 points. A unanimous first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference performer, Nelson went on to play a year and half of college basketball at the University of Wisconsin followed by two and a half years of collegiate hoops at UW-Stevens Point.

Stars Prior To All-State Teams (Pre-1957)

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL
Tom Herzog 6'0" 1955 Manitowoc
Danny Peppard 5'10" 1926 Manitowoc

Notes (1950s): Tom Herzog (6-0) earned all-league honors in the Fox River Valley Conference as a junior and senior, and helped the Ships to their first league title in the sport in 19 seasons as a senior in 1954-55 by scoring 25 points in a 68-63 victory at Appleton in the last regular-season game of the season. Also a stellar baseball player, Herzog signed a contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1958.

Notes (1920s): Danny Peppard (5-10) was an outstanding ball handler and one of Manitowoc's better scorers on WIAA State Tournament teams in 1925 and 1926. He scored a team-high 14 points for the Ships when they upset Portage in the opening round of the 1926 state tournament in Madison. The Ships went 3-2 in that state meet, beating Portage, Monticello and Appleton while losing to River Falls and to Eau Claire in the third-place contest. 

Manitowoc's All-Time Top Scorers

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL POINTS
Ben Stelzer 6'0" 2011 Roncalli 1,966
Trey Zastrow 6'0" 2020 Lutheran 1,953
Mark Stelter 6'5" 1978 Lutheran 1,896
Chombi Lambert 5'9" 2019 Roncalli 1,769
Andy Jahnke 6'2" 2002 Roncalli/Manitowoc 1,716
Nathan Zastrow 6'0" 2009 Manitowoc 1,586
Austin Mecca 6'8" 2013 Manitowoc 1,470
Greg Schrimpf 6'1" 2007 Roncalli 1,418
Mason Dopirak 6'1" 2021 Manitowoc 1,317
Jeff Leifer 6'3" 1972 Lutheran 1,314
Paul Meany 6'5" 1961 Manitowoc 1,305
Neal Krajnik 6'0" 2000 Roncalli 1,266
Bob Sullivan 6'4" 1965 Manitowoc 1,222
Jim Behnke 6'1" 1977 Manitowoc 1,173
Mitch Schneider 6'0" 2018 Roncalli 1,140
Tanner Krueger 6'4" 2016 Lutheran 1,104
Jim Lorenz 6'5" 1984 Lutheran 1,078
Mike Lorenz 6'6" 2000 Lutheran 1,058
Tom Lorenz 6'4" 1993 Lutheran 1,052
Paul Bruss 6'2" 1967 Luthearn 1,051

Notes (2000s): Mason Dopirak (6-2) enters his senior season playing for coach Thadd Cornell at Manitowoc needing 270 points to become the all-time leading scorer in Lincoln history. A scoring wing guard with a nose for the hoop, Dopirak earned Player of the Year honors in the Fox River Valley Conference as a junior when he averaged 24 points and 7.1 rebounds while helping the Ships to a 14-9 record. In order to surpass Ben Stelzer of Roncalli as the all-time leading scorer in Manitowoc history, Dopirak would need to score 650 points in the 2020-21 season ... Austin Mecca (6-8) scored more than 1,450 points during his four-year varsity career at Manitowoc Lincoln. He earned first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference honors as a senior in 2012-13 when he averaged 16.0 ppg and 10.2 rpg. Mecca played one season at NCAA Division II Upper Iowa before transferring to UW-Oshkosh.

Notes (1970s): Jeff Leifer (6-3) scored a whopping 626 points in 21 games (29.8 ppg) as a senior at Manitowoc Lutheran in 1971-72. Playing for coach Rich Winter, Leifer led the Bay Lakes Conference in both scoring (32.5 ppg) and rebounding (19.3 rpg) while helping the Lancers to an 8-4 league record and 13-8 mark in all games. Leifer went on to play college basketball at UW-Manitowoc.

Notes (1960s): Paul Bruss (6-2) scored a then-school record 424 points as a senior for coach Rich Winter and the Lutheran Lancers in 1966-67. A four-year varsity performer, Bruss became the first 1,000-point scorer in the history of the school, finishing his prep career with 1,051 points. He went on to play college basketball at Bethany Lutheran in Mankato, Minnesota.

Additional Notes (2000s): Josh Erickson (6-3) of Roncalli was voted Player of the Year in the Olympian Conference as a senior in 2013-14 after helping the Jets of coach Joe Rux to the league title and a 25-2 record. Erickson scored a career-best 30 points in a 65-55 victory over Plymouth. He went on to score 711 career points during his four-year collegiate career at Concordia University in Mequon ... Andy Kretsch (6-4) helped Manitowoc to two straight Fox River Valley Conference titles under coach Mark Christenson in 2005-06 and 2006-07. A three-year starter who scored more than 850 career points, Kretsch earned Player of the Year recognition in the FRVC as a senior when he averaged 20.7 points and 6.4 rebounds while helping the Ships to a 17-6 record. Kretsch went on to play two years of college basketball at UW-Oshkosh ... Gordy Zastrow Jr. (6-4) helped Manitowoc Lincoln to a 17-6 record as a senior in 2001-02 and earned first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference honors. Zastrow went on to play college basketball at Paris Junior College and also attended UW-Milwaukee ... Mike Lorenz (6-6) helped Manitowoc Lutheran to three straight conference titles during his varsity career playing for coach Tim Lindloff and the Lancers. As a sophomore, the muscular Lorenz averaged 11 points and eight rebounds as the Lancers won the final Fox Valley Christian Conference title and went 20-5 overall. A year later, he averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds as Manitowoc Lutheran won the Valley Independent League crown and went 19-3. And as a senior in 1999-00, Lorenz averaged 21.8 points and 12.8 rebounds en route to earning Player of the Year honors and leading the Lancers to the title in the Olympian Conference and an 18-5 overall record. He went on to play college football at the University of Wisconsin ... Jon Hansen (6-7), whose father, Pete, was the top player on Manitowoc's 1968 state-title team, was named Player of the Year in the Fox River Valley Conference in 1999-2000 after averaging 17.2 points and 8.5 rebounds and leading the Ships to the league title and a 19-2 record. 

Additional Notes (1990s): Nick Scherer (6-2) played on back-to-back Fox River Valley Conference championship teams under coach Mark Christenson in 1996-97 and 1997-98. He averaged 16 points and earned co-FRVC Player of the Year honors along with Sheboygan North's Brian Bastil as a senior as the Ships went 16-8. Scherer went on to play college basketball at Oshkosh, averaging 12 points for the Titans in 2010-11 when they finished 24-6 and won the league title ... Jeff Loberger (6-4) very well could have wound up as one of the top scorers in city history had not football injuries and a car accident cut down the number of games he played for coaches Dennis Steinbrenner and Tim Lindloff at Lutheran. Nonetheless, the gifted forward averaged 24 points and 8.4 rebounds as a senior in 1996-97, earning first-team all-Fox Valley Christian Conference honors while helping his team to a 12-10 record. Loberger went on to score 1,116 career points in college at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota.

Additional Notes (1980s): Scott Pritzl (6-1) earned second-team all-Fox River Valley Conference honors as a senior playing for coach Brian Shaw at Manitowoc Lincoln in 1988-89. The sharpshooting wing guard went on to excel at UW-Oshkosh, where he scored 1,059 career points and earned first-team all-league recognition as a senior ... Bob Broeckert (6-1) played three years of varsity basketball for coach Jim Kersten at Roncalli and earned first-team all-Fox Valley Christian Conference honors as a junior and senior. During his senior season in 1982-83, Roncalli won the school's first undisputed league title and finished 19-3 as Broeckert averaged 18.9 points per game. As a junior, Broeckert averaged 16.0 ppg as the Jets went 14-8. The honorable mention All-State selection went on to play college basketball at UW-Stevens Point, but a knee injury cut short his playing days ... Broeckert's high school teammate, Tony Thiesen (6-5), played at UW-Manitowoc after earning first-team all-FVCC honors in 1928-83. His game kept developing and eventually he wound up playing NCAA Division I basketball at Cal Poly - Ponoma. Thiesen earned all-league honors and averaged 15.2 ppg and 7.9 rpg as a senior at Cal Poly - Ponoma. 

Additional Notes (1970s): Jim Oswald (6-1) earned first-team all-Fox Valley Christian Conference recognition in 1975-76 after helping Roncalli to a 16-5 record under coach Jim Kersten. He later attended Air Force and played one year of college basketball for the NCAA Division I school, scoring 35 points in 17 games. 

For the latest and most up to date boys' basketball news and recruiting information, follow Mark on Twitter @wisbbyearbook. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Mark by clicking here.

Tag(s): News Archive  BBB News  Mark Miller  City All-Time Teams