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All-Time Best: Dieners lead way in Fond du Lac

09/09/2020, 2:00pm 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).

The first family of Fond du Lac high school basketball -- the Dieners -- claimed no less than five spots, including three on the first team, on the All-Time Fond du Lac team released today on WisSports.net.

Fond du Lac High School graduates Travis Diener (2001), Drew Diener (1998) and Drake Diener (2001) headline the Diener group with spots on the first team. All three played at the highest level of college basketball with Travis at Marquette, Drew at St. Louis and Drake at DePaul. 

Dick Diener, the father of both Drew and Drake, earned a spot on the second-team for his stellar play at Fond du Lac in the mid 1960s. Dick was the first player in school history to score 1,000 points and later became a hugely successful head coach at his alma mater.

The fifth Diener to earn a spot on one of the first four teams is Tom Diener, a second-team selection who scored 984 career points at Fond du Lac and later led Milwaukee Vincent to five WIAA state championships as the Vikings' head coach.

While the Dieners certainly dominate the All-Time Fond du Lac team, others also excelled on the hardwood. 

Joe Harmsen (6-10) and Craig Hawley (6-1), the other members of the first team, enjoyed tremendous prep careers in their own right. Harmsen helped Fond du Lac to the WIAA State Tournament in 1994 while Hawley was the top player for a St. Mary's Springs squad that finished second in the 1982 WISAA Class A State Tournament. 

Here's a closer look at the All-Time Fond du Lac teams:  

Criteria For All-Time Fond du Lac 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 Fond du Lac Team

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL All-State Team
FIRST TEAM
Travis Diener 6'1" 2001 Fond du Lac 1st (AP)
Drake Diener 6'4" 2001 Fond du Lac 2nd (AP)
Drew Diener 6'5" 1998 Fond du Lac 2nd (AP)
Joe Harmsen 6'10" 1995 Fond du Lac 1st (AP)
Craig Hawley 6'1" 1982 St. Mary's Springs 1st (AP)

Travis Diener, 6-1, G, 2001, Fond du Lac
First-Team All-State 2001 (AP)

Named a fourth-team Parade Magazine All-American following his senior season in 2000-01, Diener earned Player of the Year laurels in the Fox Valley Association as a junior and senior. Diener averaged 21.2 points and 7.5 assists in helping Fond du Lac to a 22-2 record and a share of the FVA title while playing for his uncle and coach, Dick Diener, as a senior. The Cardinals finished with a 70-9 overall record during Diener's final three seasons of competition at the school. He averaged 19.0 points and 5.0 assists as a junior as Fond du Lac went 21-2 and won the league title. Diener went on to star at Marquette University, where he helped coach Tom Crean's club to an appearance in the Final Four in 2002-03 and finished his brilliant four-year career with 1,691 points to rank seventh on the school's all-time scoring list. Diener spent parts of five seasons playing in the NBA with the Magic, Pacers and Trail Blazers, averaging 4.8 points over 179 career games. He has also played for several seasons overseas in the Italian League and with the Marquette squad in the annual TBT event. 

Drake Diener, 6-4, G, 2001, Fond du Lac
Second-Team All-State 2001 (AP)

Playing alongside cousin, Travis Diener, Drake Diener enjoyed a fantastic four-year high school career competing for his father and coach, Dick Diener. Drake earned first-team all-Fox Valley Association honors as a sophomore, junior and senior, helped the Cardinals to three FVA titles and played in the WIAA State Tournament as a freshman. His ability to play at the guard positions or use his height and length to score around the basket helped Fond du Lac register a 70-9 record over his final three years of high school. Diener scored 1,170 points at Fond du Lac and went on to be a double-figure scorer during his junior and senior seasons at DePaul University in Chicago. Following college, Diener spent 12 seasons playing overseas in Italy and currently is the head men's basketball coach at Marian University in Fond du Lac.  

Drew Diener, 6-5, F, 1998, Fond du Lac
Second-Team All-State 1998 (AP)

Diener helped Fond du Lac to a 78-14 record, four Fox Valley Association championships and one trip to the WIAA State Tournament during his four years of playing for the Cardinals and his father and coach, Dick Diener. A good perimeter shooter who could also make mid-range jump shots, Diener also set then-school records for most points in a career (1,505), season (500) and game (45). He earned fourth-team all-state honors as a sophomore, first-team laurels as a junior and second-team recognition as a senior. During his senior season, Diener scored 20 points in a 53-49 loss to Waukesha West in the state quarterfinal round, a game that ended a memorable 21-4 season for the Cardinals. Diener went on to play college basketball at the University of St. Louis, scoring 537 points in four seasons. He then followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a coach, leading Cardinal Stritch to a NAIA national title before moving on to NCAA Division II Rockhurst University in Kansas City.

Joe Harmsen, 6-10, F, 1995, Fond du Lac
First-Team All-State 1995 (AP)

Outside of winning a WIAA state championship, there is very little Harmsen did not accomplish during his incredible four-year run as a starter for the varsity team at Fond du Lac. Playing for coach Dick Diener from 1991-95, Harmsen scored 1,395 career points, started all 92 games he played, led Fond du Lac to an 82-10 record and three straight Fox Valley Association titles, and played in the WIAA State Tournament as a junior. He also was voted Player of the Year in the FVA as a junior and senior. For his career, the dominating post player averaged 15.2 points and 10.2 rebounds. Harmsen showcased his impressive ability in a big-time way as a junior when he had 24 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots in Fond du Lac's 68-51 triumph over Tomah in a WIAA Division 1 state quarterfinal contest. In a match-up of undefeated squads in the state semifinals, Harmsen had nine points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in an emotionally draining 53-50 overtime loss to Stevens Point. The loss to Stevens Point ended an extremely memorable 24-1 season for Harmsen and the Cardinals. Harmsen went on to play at Northwestern University and scored 396 points and grabbed 275 rebounds while playing four seasons for the Big Ten school. 

Craig Hawley, 6-1, G, 1982, St. Mary's Springs
First-Team All-State 1982 (AP)

Hawley led St. Mary's Springs to a 20-5 record and the runner-up finish in the WISAA Class A State Tournament as a senior in 1981-82. He averaged 22.3 points that season and scored a tournament-best 77 points in the Ledgers' three state-tournament games. Hawley, who started as a sophomore at Plymouth before transferring to Springs for his final two years, had 28 points and a state-title game record 15 assists for Springs in its 77-76 loss to Green Bay Premontre in the title contest. He scored 779 points during his two seasons at Springs and finished with just under 1,000 for his three-year varsity career. Hawley helped Springs finish 39-9 under coach Steve Larson from 1980-82. He went on score more than 1,000 points and earn all-league honors during his four-year career at UW-Stevens Point. After college, Hawley has coached at several spots, including the boys at Hortonville and the girls at Kaukauna. 

All-Time Fond du Lac Team

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL All-State Team
SECOND TEAM
Dick Diener 6'1" 1967 Fond du Lac 2nd (AP)
Bill Smith 6'2" 1973 Fond du Lac 1st (UPI)
Tony Meade 6'0" 1962 Fond du Lac 2nd (AP)
Tom Diener 5'9" 1976 Fond du Lac 4th (AP)
Dave Shaw 6'2" 1973 St. Mary's Springs None

Dick Diener, 6-1, G, 1967, Fond du Lac
Second-Team All-State 1967 (AP)

Diener didn't have the luxury of playing on exceptionally talented teams, but he nonetheless was able to established all kinds of school and Fox River Valley Conference records during his three years of playing varsity basketball for coach Fritz Lautenschlager and the Cardinals. He finished his career with a then-school record 1,038 points. He scored 856 points in league play, which was a then-record for most points in FRVC competition. He also scored a then-school record 40 points in games against both Green Bay Preble and Sheboygan North as a senior in 1966-67 when Fond du Lac went 10-10. Diener scored a then-school record 473 points in 19 games as a senior, averaging 24.9 ppg for the Cardinals. He played some college basketball at Lakeland University and some college football at UW-Oshkosh before embarking on a very successful high-school coaching career. His 1977-78 squad at Colfax went 22-3 and won the WIAA Class C state championship. Diener then returned home and coached at Fond du Lac for 22 seasons, leading the Cardinals to a 374-136 record during his tenure. His sons -- Derek, Drew and Drake -- and nephew -- Travis -- were among the stellar players who competed for Dick Diener during his remarkable tenure coaching at the school, which included WIAA Division 1 runner-up finishes in 1987 and 2002. Today, Diener serves as an assistant coach for his son, Drew, at NCAA Division II Rockhurst University in Kansas City.  

Bill Smith, 6-2, G, 1973, Fond du Lac
First-Team All-State 1973 (UPI)

Here's an oddity -- Smith earned first-team All-State laurels from United Press International, but was just a second-team all-league pick in the Fox River Valley Conference as a senior in 1972-73. What wasn't odd, though, was the way Smith played in the 1973 WIAA State Tournament. He scored 37 points for coach Dave Bartolutti and the Cardinals in a 71-55 victory over Madison West in a quarterfinal contest that ended a 47-year drought in terms of Fond du Lac competing at the WIAA State Tournament. The skilled and bouncy 6-foot-2 wing then had 15 points in a 69-59 triumph over Kimberly in the state semifinals, and finished with 14 points and nine rebounds in the Cardinals' 60-59 loss to Beloit Memorial in the state-title game. Smith's 66 points led the state tournament field as Fond du Lac finished the campaign with a 21-5 record. Smith went on to play college basketball at the University of Wisconsin, scoring 54 points in 32 career games for the Badgers.

Tony Meade, 6-0, G, 1962, Fond du Lac
Second-Team All-State 1962 (AP)

After a rather ordinary junior season, Meade turned in a brilliant senior campaign as he led the Fox River Valley Conference in scoring by a wide margin and helped coach Fritz Lautenschlager's Cardinals to a 7-7 league record and a spot in the WIAA regional finals. Meade scored 292 points in 14 league games to average 20.9 ppg on the way to earning unanimous first-team all-league recognition. He had 20 points in regional triumphs over both Chilton and New Holstein before Sheboygan South held him to just 11 in the regional-title game. Meade went on to play college basketball at Carroll University in Waukesha and later earned a doctorate degree in sociology from the University of Tennessee. 

Tom Diener, 5-0, G, 1976, Fond du Lac
Fourth-Team All-State 1976 (AP)

A three-year starter who helped Fond du Lac to two Fox River Valley Conference titles, Diener scored 984 career points for the Cardinals. As a senior in 1975-76, Diener scored 415 points and averaged 20.8 ppg as coach Dave Bartolutti's Cardinals went 17-3 and earned a share of the league title. A two-time first-team all-league performer and the Player of the Year in the FRVC as a senior, Diener went on to play college basketball at UW-Stout and later UW-Green Bay. After his playing career ended, Diener became one of the most successful high school coaches in state history, winning five WIAA Division 1 state championships during his tenure at Milwaukee Vincent. 

Dave Shaw, 6-2, G, 1973, St. Mary's Springs
No All-State Recognition

Shaw was a very good player in high school -- one of the best to ever play at St. Mary's Springs. But he was even better in college. Playing for coach Mike Carlin as a junior and senior at Springs, Shaw earned second-team all-Fox Valley Christian Conference honors as a junior and first-team laurels as a senior when he scored 470 points and averaged 21.4 ppg while helping the Ledgers to an 11-11 record. A very good shooter with deep range, Shaw scored a career-high 38 points in a WISAA playoff victory over Central Wisconsin Christian. The second player in Springs history to score 1,000 career points went on to play college basketball at Carroll University in Waukesha. He scored a school-record 2,563 points in four seasons with the Pioneers and averaged 29.1 ppg as a senior in 1976-77. The three-time all-league performer in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin received honorable mention All-American honors from the NAIA as a senior.

All-Time Fond du Lac Team

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL All-State Team
THIRD TEAM
Pete Johnson 6'5" 1974 Fond du Lac 5th (UPI)
Derek Scheidt 6'3" 1999 Winnebago Lutheran None
Bill Nehls 6'6" 1975 Fond du Lac 3rd (AP)
Robby Springborn 5'10" 2004 Fond du Lac 4th (AP)
Matt Moses 6'2" 2006 St. Mary's Springs HM (AP)

Pete Johnson, 6-5, F, 1974, Fond du Lac
Fifth-Team All-State 1974 (UPI)

Few players in city history have rebounded the basketball better than Johnson, who averaged 14.4 points and 12.3 rebounds during his senior season while helping Fond du Lac to an 18-5 record and a share of the Fox River Valley Conference title under coach Dave Bartolutti. A rugged 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward, Johnson led the WIAA State Tournament in rebounding as a junior, snaring 51 rebounds in three games for a remarkable 17.0 rpg. In the 1974 title game, Johnson finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds as the Cardinals lost to Beloit Memorial 51-47. Johnson earned first-team all-league honors as a senior and was a three-year starter for the Cardinals. Also an All-State football player at Fond du Lac, Johnson went on to play college football as a linebacker at Notre Dame. 

Derek Scheidt, 6-3, G, 1999, Winnebago Lutheran
No All-State Recognition

Generally considered the best all-around player to come out of Winnebago Lutheran, Scheidt did it all for the Vikings as a senior in 1998-99. He averaged 20.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals in helping a very young team to a 13-12 record under coach Greg Hoffmann. Scheidt was named the Player of the Year in the Central Division of the Midwest Classic Conference as a senior. As a junior, Scheidt averaged 16 points and 8.2 rebounds as WLA finished 20-3 overall. The three-time first-team all-league performer concluded his career with the Vikings with a school-record 1,312 points. Scheidt went on to play college basketball at NCAA Division I Green Bay, where he scored 148 points in four years at the school. 

Bill Nehls, 6-6, F, 1975, Fond du Lac
Third-Team All-State 1975 (AP)

Nehls led the Fox River Valley Conference in scoring as a senior in 1974-75 and was named Player of the Year in the league after helping Fond du Lac to a runner-up finish in the league standings to Green Bay Preble. Fond du Lac did beat Preble twice during the season, but still finished a game behind the Hornets. Nehls had 25 points and a then-school record 25 rebounds in one of the Cardinals' victories over Preble. A three-year varsity performer for coach Dave Bartolutti, Nehls was the sixth man as a sophomore when Fond du Lac lost to Beloit Memorial 60-59 in the WIAA Class A state-title game. Nehls had seven rebounds and three points in that contest. At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Nehls was an inside terror for Fond du Lac, often reaching double figures in both points and rebounds in a single game. Following his stellar career with the Cardinals, Nehls went on to play two years of college basketball at UW-Fond du Lac. 

Robby Springborn, 5-10, G, 2004, Fond du Lac
Fourth-Team All-State 2004 (AP)

Springborn earned fourth-team All-State laurels from the Associated Press as a junior and senior, and was a first-team all-Fox Valley Association performer in both of those years as well for coach Dick Diener at Fond du Lac. He played in the WIAA State Tournament for three consecutive seasons, helping Fond du Lac to a runner-up finish in the Division 1 field as a sophmore in 2001-02. An outstanding ball handler, passer and defender, Springborn averaged 14 points and five assists as a junior as Fond du Lac finished 20-5, and then he averaged 14 points and six assists as a senior when the Cardinals went 17-8. After spending one year as a walkon at NCAA Division I Green Bay, Springborn transferred to NCAA Division II Michigan Tech, where he scored 1,063 career points and was a two-time second-team all-league performer. 

Matt Moses, 6-2, G, 2006, St. Mary's Springs
Honorable Mention All-State 2006 (AP)

Moses got better and better and better. Via hard work and a love for the game, Moses went from a good high school player to a two-time first-team all-league performer for coach Kyle Krueger at St. Mary's Springs. An athletic, aggressive wing player, Moses earned Player of the Year honors in the East Central Flyway Conference - Rivers Division in 2004-05 and then averaged 23.0 ppg as a senior and surpassed 1,000 points for his prep career. He helped the Ledgers to WIAA regional titles as a junior and senior, and netted a career-best 40 points in a 75-71 loss to New Holstein. Moses' constant improvement carried over to college as he earned first-team all-league honors as a junior and senior at UW-Stevens Point while finishing his four-year career with the Pointers with 1,124 career points. 

All-Time Fond du Lac Team

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL All-State Team
FOURTH TEAM
James Walz 6'2" 1987 Fond du Lac 4th (AP)
Adam Zakos 6'0" 1994 Fond du Lac 4th (AP)
Brad Bestor 6'2" 1995 Fond du Lac None
Casey Jackl 6'5" 1998 Fond du Lac HM (AP)
Don Horn 6'1" 1993 St. Mary's Springs HM (AP)

Jamie Walz, 6-2, G, 1987, Fond du Lac
Fourth-Team All-State 1987 (AP)

Walz became an excellent basketball player for coach Dick Diener and the Fond du Lac Cardinals through hard work and an intense love for being in the gym. A unanimous first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference pick as a senior in 1986-87, Walz and his teammates had a 14-6 record when they entered post-season play and few considered the Cardinals' a state-title threat. However, Fond du Lac rattled off regional wins over defending state-champion Sheboygan North and Sheboygan South before downing West Bend East and Neenah at the sectional level. Walz had 14 points in the Cardinals' 62-60 sectional-final triumph over Neenah at Kolf Sports Center. Fond du Lac then beat Racine Case and Sussex Hamilton at the WIAA State Tournament before falling to Milwaukee Washington 44-41 in double overtime in the title game. Walz had 11 points for Fond du Lac in the loss to Washington and scored a then-school record 1,170 career points. He went on to star at NCAA Division III Carroll University in Waukesha, where he scored 1,371 points in four years.  

Adam Zakos, 6-0, G, 1994, Fond du Lac
Fourth-Team All-State 1994 (AP)

Zakos helped Fond du Lac to the Fox Valley Association title as both a junior and senior. A very good shooter with a high basketball IQ, Zakos averaged 17 points as a junior in 1992-93 when the Cardinals went 19-3 under coach Dick Diener. A year later, the first-team all-league performer averaged 17.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists as Fond du Lac went 24-1, losing in overtime to Stevens Point in the semifinal round of the WIAA Division 1 State Tournament. Zakos led Fond du Lac in scoring in the setback to Stevens Point with 17 points. He went on to star at nearby Ripon College, scoring 1,234 points in four season. Zakos later served as the head coach at his alma mater for eight seasons.

Brad Bestor, 6-2, G, 1995, Fond du Lac
No All-State Recognition

Bestor was overlooked for the Associated Press All-State squad, but the coaches in the Fox Valley Association most certainly recognized his talent as he earned first-team all-league laurels as a senior in 1994-95 when he helped Fond du Lac to a 21-2 record and league title under coach Dick Diener. A very good shooter with excellent jumping ability, Bestor averaged 14.6 points and 4.6 rebounds during his final year of prep basketball. A starter as a junior on a Fond du Lac team that went 24-1 and lost in the state-tournament semifinals to Stevens Point, Bestor went on to play college basketball at two NCAA Division I schools -- Northeastern Illinois and New Mexico State. After college, Bestor entered the education and coaching field and recently stepped down as the head coach at Kettle Moraine after 13 seasons. 

Casey Jackl, 6-5, F, 1998, Fond du Lac
Honorable Mention All-State 1988 (AP)

Jackl played alongside all-state wing Drew Diener and helped Fond du Lac to a 57-12 record from 1995-98. A good inside player with size, strength and skill, Jackl scored in double figures in all five of the Cardinals' post-season games as a senior in 1997-98. He had 22 points in sectional victories over Plymouth and Neenah, and then netted 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Cardinals' 53-49 loss to Waukesha West in the quarterfinal round of the 1998 WIAA State Tournament. A second-team all-Fox Valley Association selection as a senior, Jackl went on to play college basketball at Cardinal Stritch University.

Don Horn, 6-1, G, 1993, St. Mary's Springs
Honorable Mention All-State 1993 (AP)

Horn was the best player on a team of firsts at St. Mary's Springs in 1992-93. The athletic, rugged and hard-working 6-foot-1 win player helped Springs capture its first conference title ever in boys basketball by scoring the key basket in overtime to help the Ledgers clinch the Fox Valley Christian Conference crown with a 52-49 win at Appleton Xavier. A couple of weeks later, Horn again played an instrumental role for the Ledgers, who beat Racine Lutheran 51-49 in overtime to win the WISAA Division 2 state title, also a first in school history. Horn averaged 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists as Springs went 23-3 under coach Tom Neises. Horn finished his prep career with 844 points and went on to play college basketball at St. Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota. 

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

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL
Bobby Sheridan 6'0" 1955 St. Mary's Springs
Dick Pawsat 5'10" 1953 St. Mary's Springs
Darrell Toshner 5'9" 1942 Fond du Lac
Ken WIlderman 5'10" 1940 Fond du Lac
Abe Monis 6'1" 1927 Fond du Lac
Jake Gerhard 5'10" 1919 Fond du Lac
Eddie Karst 5'8" 1916 Fond du Lac

Notes (1950s): Bobby Sheridan (6-0) earned first-team all-Fox Valley Catholic Conference honors as a junior and senior while playing for St. Mary's Springs and coach Lou Yugovich. Sheridan scored 998 career points from 1952-55 and helped Springs to appearances in the Wisconsin Catholic State Tournament at St. Norbert College all three seasons. He went on to play on the freshmen basketball team at Marquette University ... Dick Pawsat (5-10) was a scoring machine for coach Bob McCain at St. Mary's Springs in the early 1950s. He set a then-Fox Valley Catholic Conference record with 38 points in a 65-58 loss to Menasha St. Mary on January 15, 1953, and also scored 52 points in the 1952-53 campaign in a victory over Immaculate Conception High School of Elmhurst, Illinois. Pawsat, a two-time first-team all-league selection, scored 1,252 career points at Springs. 

Notes (1940s): Darrell Toshner (5-9) earned first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference honors as a senior in 1941-42 after helping Fond du Lac to an 8-6 league record. Toshner's son, Brian, would later score more than 1,000 during his prep career, which ended in 1976 at St. Mary's Springs ... Ken Wilderman (5-10) was a first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference selection for Fond du Lac in 1939-40 when he helped the Cardinals to an 8-6 league record.

Notes (1920s): Abe Manis (6-1) won the Fox River Valley Conference scoring title in 1925-26 and was named first-team all-league as both a junior and senior, becoming the first Fond du Lac player to ever earn that distinction. He helped Fond du Lac to the league title in both 1926 and 1927.

Notes (1910s): Fond du Lac won the first WIAA recognized state championship in 1916 behind some strong play from Eddie Karst (5-9), who scored 40 points in three tournament contests for coach Elwin Krause and the Cardinals ... Jake Gerhard (5-8) was a dynamo for coach Ed Fruth and Fond du Lac in 1919, scoring 44 points in four WIAA tournament contests while helping Fond du Lac to the state title. Fond du Lac won WIAA state crowns under Fruth in 1919, 1922 and 1924. 

Fond du Lac's All-Time Leading Scorers

NAME HEIGHT GRADUATION YEAR HIGH SCHOOL POINTS
Travis Diener 6'1" 2001 Fond du Lac 1,516
Drew Diener 6'5" 1998 Fond du Lac 1,505
Joe Harmsen 6'10" 1995 Fond du Lac 1,395
Derek Scheidt 6'3" 1999 Winnebago Lutheran 1,312
Mike Tack 6'0" 2001 St. Mary's Springs 1,263
Dick Pawsat 5'10" 1953 St. Mary's Springs 1,252
Eddie Gilgenbach 6'2" 2008 Fond du Lac 1,216
Mitch McFarlane 6'4" 2016 Winnebago Lutheran 1,195
Cade Christensen 6'4" 2019 St. Mary's Springs 1,177
Drake Diener 6'4" 2001 Fond du Lac 1,170
Jamie Walz 6'2" 1987 Fond du Lac 1,170
Klay Knueppel 6'1" 1987 Winnebago Lutheran 1,165
Mitch Schneider 6'2" 2008 St. Mary's Springs 1,133
Matt Moses 6'2" 2006 St. Mary's Springs 1,105
Brian Toshner 6'3" 1976 St. Mary's Springs 1,056
Dick Diener 6'1" 1967 Fond du Lac 1,038
Dave Shaw 6'1" 1973 St. Mary's Springs 1,014
Scott Fortune 6'4" 1988 St. Mary's Springs 1,012
Donovan Schwartz 5'11" 2020 Winnebago Lutheran 1,006
Bob Sheridan 6'0" 1955 St. Mary's Springs 998
Tom Diener 5'9" 1976 Fond du Lac 984

Notes (2000s): Donovan Schwartz (5-11) helped Winnebago Lutheran to Wisconsin Flyway Conference crowns as a sophomore, junior and senior. A two-time unanimous first-team all-league selection for coach Marty Nell and the Vikings, the sharpshooting Schwartz averaged 18.6 points and 4.0 rebounds as a senior in 2019-20 when the Vikings went 20-5. Schwartz plans to play football at Wisconsin Lutheran College ... Cade Christensen (6-4) scored 1,117 career points in three seasons for coach Kyle Krueger at St. Mary's Springs. Christensen earned first-team all-Wisconsin Flyway Conference honors as a junior and senior. He averaged 20.4 points and 7.7 rebounds during his final year of prep basketball in 2018-19 and now is attending the University of Minnesota ... Mitch McFarlane (6-4) played four years of varsity basketball at Winnebago Lutheran and scored 1,195 career points for coach Jeremiah Hoffmann and the Vikings. As a senior, McFarlane averaged 19.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists as the Vikings went 16-9 and won a share of the Wisconsin Flyway Conference title with Omro. McFarlane went on to play college football at Drake ... Eddie Gilgenbach (6-2) was a four-year starter for Fond du Lac and earned unanimous first-team all-Fox Valley Association honors while playing for coach Adam Zakos as a senior in 2007-08. He ranks fourth in school history for most points scored with 1,216. Gilgenbach went on to play four years of college basketball at St. Xavier University near Chicago where he scored 827 career points ... Mitchell Schneider (6-2) scored 1,133 career points for coach Kyle Krueger at St. Mary's Springs. A fine athlete and good perimeter shooter, Schneider earned first-team all-Wisconsin Flyway Conference laurels as a junior and senior. He went on to earn second-team all-Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference honors as a junior and senior at Concordia University in Mequon, where he scored 1,187 points in four seasons ... Mike Tack (6-0) played in every varsity game St. Mary's Springs played from 1997-2001 and scored a school-record 1,263 career points in 90 games for coaches Ray Mlada and Kyle Krueger. A two-time first-team all-Wisconsin Flyway Conference selection, Tack scored a career-high 27 points in a WISAA playoff-game victory over Lakeside Lutheran as a junior. He graduated from Marquette University, but did not play basketball at the school ... 

Notes (1980s): Scott Fortune (6-4) played for coach Tom Diener at St. Mary's Springs and earned second-team all-Fox Valley Christian Conference honors as a junior and first-team recognition as a senior in 1987-88. He scored a career-best 29 points in a 69-56 victory over Bay Port and concluded his prep career with 1,012 points. Fortune went on to play college basketball at Ripon College ... Klay Knueppel (6-1) averaged 20.2 points and led Winnebago Lutheran to a 19-4 record as a senior in 1986-87. The son of former WLA coach Paul Knueppel, Klay earned first-team all-league honors in the Northern Division of the Midwest Classic Conference as a junior and senior, and scored a then-school record 1,165 career points. Knueppel went on to play at Wisconsin Lutheran College, where he scored 1,189 points in three seasons ... Dick Knar Jr. (6-4) played both guard and forward positions during his two years as a starter for coach Marty Paulsen at Fond du Lac. As a senior in 1981-82, Knar averaged just over 14 ppg while helping the Cardinals to a 15-5 record and a runner-up finish in the Fox River Valley Conference. Knar earned first-team all-league honors as a senior and went on to play college basketball at both Navy and Illinois-Chicago. 

Notes (1970s): Brain Toshner (6-3) earned first-team all-Fox Valley Christian Conference honors as a sophomore, junior and senior while playing for coaches Mike Carlin and Ken Loest. As a junior, Toshner scored a career-high 34 points in a 67-66 victory over Appleton Xavier. He completed his prep career with 1,056 points.

Additional Notes (2000s): Luke Loewe (6-2) received first-team all-Fox Valley Association laurels for Fond du Lac and coach Mark Ziebell following his senior season in 2016-17. Loewe played his first three seasons at Ripon High School before transferring to Fond du Lac for his senior season. He now is playing college basketball at NCAA Division I William & Mary ... Nick Ford (5-9) was a standout shooter for Fond du Lac and coach Adam Zakos at Fond du Lac. He played three seasons of varsity basketball and earned first-team all-Fox Valley Association honors as a senior in 2008-09 when he averaged 16 points per game while helping the Cardinals to a 11-11 record. He went on to play college basketball at Cardinal Stritch University and now is the head coach at Fond du Lac. 

Additional Notes (1990s): Greg Fyvie (6-7) had a very strong senior season for Fond du Lac in 1995-96, averaging 16.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while helping the Cardinals to their fourth consecutive Fox Valley Association title under coach Dick Diener. Fyvie earned first-team all-FVA honors and went on to play one year of college bsketball at St. Norbert College ... Derek Diener (6-1) also had a very productive senior campaign for the Cardinals as a senior in 1995-96. The oldest son of coach Dick Diener, Derek averaged 6.3 points and 7.7 assists as the Cardinals' starting point guard. He went on to play some college basketball at Army ... Joe Ford (6-6) was a member of some of the most successful teams in St. Mary's Springs history, playing key roles on Ledger squads that went 59-18 under coach Tom Neises from 1992-95. A very good defender with length, Ford was a reserve on the Springs' 1992-93 squad that won the school's first conference title and then went on to win the WISAA Division 2 state title with a 51-49 overtime win over Racine Lutheran. As a junior, Ford earned second-team all-Fox Valley Christian Conference honors while helping the Ledgers to a 20-6 mark. He had seven points for Springs in its' 45-39 win over Milwaukee Messmer in the WISAA Division 2 title game. As a senior, Ford again earned second-team all-league laurels as Springs went 16-9. Ford went on to play four years of college basketball at NCAA Division III Edgewood College. He ranks among the school's all-time rebounding leaders and received first-team all-Lake Michigan Conference honors in 1998-99. 

Additional Notes (1980s): Steve Holz (6-4) was a unanimous first-team all-Fox River Valley Conference performer at Fond du Lac in 1987-88 when the Cardinals went 10-11 under coach Dick Diener. As a junior, Holz helped Fond du Lac to a runner-up finish in the WIAA State Tournament and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team. He went on to score 1,118 career points during his stellar collegiate career at Ripon College ... Mark Weninger (6-4) averaged 18.0 points and earned first-team all-Fox Valley Christian Conference honors for St. Mary's Springs in 1981-82 when the Ledgers went 20-5 and finished second to Green Bay Premontre in the WISAA Class A State Tournament. Weninger, who scored 725 points in two varsity seasons at Springs, went on to star at NCAA Division III St. Norbert College, scoring 1,002 points during his four-year collegiate career ... Dick Knar Jr. (6-4) played both in the backcourt and frontcourt during his two years as a starter at Fond du Lac for coach Marty Paulsen. A versatile player with a soft shooting touch, Knar Jr. earned second-team all-Fox River Valley Conference honors as a junior and first-team honors as a senior. He averaged just over 14 points a game in 1981-82 while helping Fond du Lac to a 15-5 record. Knar Jr. went on to play college basketball at both Navy and Illinois-Chicago. 

Additional Notes (1970s): Greg Thiesfeldt (6-3) helped Winnebago Lutheran to consecutive Bay Lakes Conference titles in 1970-71 and 1971-72. As a senior, Thiesfeldt averaged 20.7 points and earned unanimous first-team all-league honors while playing for coach Dave Toepel and the Vikings. In a late-season match-up that had title implications during his senior season, Thiesfeldt scored 37 points and made 16-of-18 shots from the floor at Winnebago Lutheran turned back Manitowoc Lutheran.

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