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WSN15: Boys Basketball Top Moments #8 -- Madison Memorial, Seymour rule sectional championship games

02/02/2018, 10:30am CST
By Mark Miller

The WSN15 series will celebrate the 15th Anniversary of WisSports.net by looking back at the top players, teams, and moments of the past 15 years (2003-2017). 

We begin our WSN15 boys' basketball series with the Top 15 Moments of the WSN Era.

Superior Central High School, now Superior High School, advanced to the WIAA State Tournament 10 years in a row from 1917 to 1926 and holds the record for most successive trips to high school basketball's biggest stage. 

But that was nearly 100 years ago. 

In recent times, no schools have dominated sectional championship games like Madison Memorial and Seymour.

The Spartans of Madison Memorial matched La Crosse Central, which qualified for state every year from 1920-28, for the second-longest string of state-tournament berths at nine. 

Coach Steve Collins directed Madison Memorial to the Kohl Center in Madison for the state tournament every year from 2004 to 2012. During those nine years, Memorial topped Waunakee and Middleton twice each in sectional finals while also notching triumphs over Madison La Follette, Watertown, Beaver Dam, Milwaukee Riverside and Mukwonago in sectional title contests.

Mukwonago ended the Spartans' dominance in 2013 with a 58-52 triumph in yet another sectional final contest. 

Madison Memorial won three state championships during its nine-year run of state-tournament appearances, beating Milwaukee Vincent in 2005, Racine Horlick in 2009 and De Pere in 2011. 

The Spartans' nine-year run was fueled by many players who went on to star at the collegiate level, including Keaton Nankivil, Wesley Matthews, Jeronne Maymon, Vander Blue, Michael Nelson, Jerard Ajami, Tre Creamer, Kori Vernon and Junior Lomomba, among many others. 

Seymour, meanwhile, also experienced an exceptionally impressive run of winning sectional-final contests in recent years, qualifying for the state tournament eight years in a row from 2000 to 2007.

In sectional title games from 2000 to 2007, Seymour defeated Sturgeon Bay twice, and West De Pere, Kimberly, Berlin, Winneconne, Ripon and Waupun once each. Freedom ended Seymour's stranglehold on the sectional crown by defeating the Thunder at the regional level in 2008.

Coach Jon Murphy guided the Thunder to Division 2 state title games during the run -- 2000 (lost to New Berlin West), 2001 (defeated Pewaukee), 2002 (lost to Madison Edgewood), 2003 (lost to La Crosse Aquinas), 2004 (lost to Catholic Memorial), 2005 (lost to Racine St. Catherine's) and 2006 (defeated Monona Grove).

Top players for the Thunder during their eight-year run included Kyle and Kevin Grusczynski, Bobby and Brandon Kuchta, Aaron Overlien, Steve Klass, Matt Hackl and Marc Leisgang, among others. 

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 at wbnews@yahoo.com.

Tag(s): News Archive  BBB News  Mark Miller  WSN15