Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

By Dick Knapinski
For WisSports.net

No doubting Thomas

If there were any skeptics about Onalaska junior Matt Thomas’ abilities following the Hilltoppers’ 38-32 grinding semifinal win over Milwaukee Pius on Friday, it was quickly erased in the Division 2 championship against Kaukauna.

Thomas scored 30 points, including 12 of his team’s first 15, in the 55-38 cruise past the Ghosts. He added 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block for good measure.

“I knew Thomas was a very good player, but tonight he was absolutely outstanding,” Kaukauna coach Mike Schalow said. “He took his game to another level, at least from what I have seen.”

Onalaska coach Craig Kowal the plan was to get the ball to his standout early and often.

“Matt really took over in that first half,” Kowal said as Thomas scored 21 of the team’s 29 points. “I had this feeling that tonight we were absolutely going to show the state how talented and how good of a basketball player he really is.”

The 6-4 Thomas found the long-distance range early, hitting a variety of 3-pointers in the first half.

“You think every shot you put up is going to go in,” he said. “My teammates did a great job of getting me open on high ball screens.”

Shutdown plan

While Thomas supplied the Hilltoppers’ offensive firepower, it was Onalaska’s zone defense that snuffed out any Kaukauna hopes of a state title. The Ghosts shot just 35 percent from the field after averaging 46 percent shooting through the season.

“Our primary concern was (Jason) Miller get touches in the high post,” Kowal said. “We tried to pinch that off the best we can to make those cuts difficult. And they have three or four good three-pointer shooters, but they like to put the ball on the floor first. We wanted to make them uneasy because we were a little bigger physically.”

That length pestered Kaukauna, which hit just two of its nine 3-point attempts in the second half.

“We thought that maybe we could expose some things along the baseline,” Schalow said. “The one thing we can’t simulate is that they are extremely long, and they’re athletic and move well. They ran their zone much higher than what we thought they would be and consequently it took away some shooting lanes and passing lanes.”

Over the top

The Hilltoppers finally reached the pinnacle this year to erase a heartbreaking three-year run of sectional final losses in Kowal’s first three seasons.

“If anybody deserves this, it’s this young man right here,” Kowal said, nodding toward 6-8 senior center Nick Arenz, who had nine points and three blocks in the title game. “This young man has been through so much in so few years and every time, came back stronger and stronger.”

Arenz, who averaged 11.5 points per game this season, knew expectations were high as Onalaska was ranked No. 1 in Division 2 for much of the year.

“We had the target on our back all year,” he said. “Every team is trying to beat you so they can say they got the number one team.”

Bookend runs

Onalaska finished the first half with an 8-2 run, then opened the third quarter with a 13-2 spurt that effectively put the game out of reach.

“That shot at the end of the second quarter (a three by Thomas for a 29-16 lead) was special and we carried that momentum into the third quarter,” Kowal said. “We told the guys at halftime that the first three minutes of the second half would dictate the game.”

Return of tradition

Onalaska claimed its third state championship, building on its 1988 Class A title and 1992 Division 2 crown under former coach John Shelton.

“When I was hired in Onalaska four years ago, I wanted to bring some of that excitement back,” Kowal said. “Coach Shelton brought that for so many years as a pioneer in coaching in the state of Wisconsin. With a lot of good players and a lot of hard work, we were able to do that.”