Posted: March 8, 2010 |(0) Comments

Menomonee Falls boys basketball coach Ben Siebert knows that there is history on the line.

He and the Indians know that this 20-3 team taking part in WIAA sectional play at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee has the best chance in many years at being the first Falls squad, either boys or girls, at making the state tournament.

And he knows a lot of his players would love nothing more than a rematch with Classic 8 Conference runner-up Arrowhead (20-3) in the Saturday night sectional final with both a state berth and a chance at revenge for the December overtime loss the Warhawks inflicted on the Indians.

But the first order of business is resurgent Germantown (18-6) at 8 p.m. Friday, a team the Indians handled 88-67 back in December, when the youthful Warhawks (three sophomore starters) were still getting their sea legs after dealing with massive graduation losses from the year before.

No, Siebert is not allowing the Indians to get ahead of themselves, especially after the harrowing 76-75 decision Falls had to pull out against a testy Mukwonago team in a regional final on Saturday.

"The only thing we're thinking or talking about is Germantown," Siebert said. "I know a lot of people out there are thinking about it (state), but right now, we're not doing anything else except preparing for Germantown."

Role reversal for teams

The game is a unique reversal of situation from last year when the heavily-favored Warhawks outlasted the upstart Indians, 57-52, in the sectional final for their second straight trip to state.

Falls is the veteran team (six seniors) with the singular talent (sophomore forward J. P. Tokoto) and depth to burn. The Indians are fresh off their first conference title in 17 years and are working on a 14-game winning streak.

Meanwhile Germantown, with no returning starters from last year, has been an incredible Cinderella story, earning a last-minute tie for the North Shore crown with Port Washington, with a coach's son (Zak Showalter) as the leading scorer and a new face popping up every night to help get the job done.

The Warhawks have won 14 of their last 16 games.

"They've grown a lot since December," said Siebert. "Back then, they were a young team with not a lot of experience, but their strong run through the conference has just made them better and better and more and more confident."

But when veteran Warhawks coach Steve Showalter looks at Falls, all he sees is confidence, especially in the face of adversity.

"On Saturday, they were down and had both JPs (Tokoto and Jonathan Phillips) in foul trouble in the second quarter," he said. "All they did was put five seniors on the floor and simply outwork the other team (Mukwonago).

"Let's face it, they're a tough team with or without him (Tokoto) in the lineup, and they will be a very tough out for us," Schowalter said.

Warhawks need ball control

Both coaches see simple but sometimes hard to achieve goals as their keys.

"I don't think we have the firepower to keep up with them (in a run and shoot game)," said Showalter, "but I have been going through our stats and when we don't turn it over and then we work to get good shots, we're in pretty good shape.

"It's when we get a little out of control (like the Falls game in December) that we get in trouble. Falls is banking on that. The more out of control it is, the better they like it."

Yes, that's the kind of game the Indians want.

"I think if we play up to our potential, we can be special," Siebert said. "If we can avoid getting caught up in the meaning of the game (border bragging rights and state possibilities on the line) and just keep to our business, we should be able to get the job done."

Everyone involved is looking forward to going back to the Al (McGuire Center). For Germantown, this is the fourth straight trip and for Falls, this is the second.

"We better be ready to bring it," said Showalter, "but give me a week to prepare and I think we can compete with just about anyone. If I have to lay awake all night and figure out a way to get it done, I'll do it."

"Both teams deserve this kind of venue, this kind of setting," Siebert said. "I hope it's packed to the rafters."

WIAA Boys Sectional

WHERE: The Al McGuire Center, 1530 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee

WHEN: 6 and 8 p.m. Friday; 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

FRIDAY MATCH-UPS: Arrowhead (20-3) vs. Waukesha West (18-6) at 6 p.m.; Menomonee Falls (20-3) vs. Germantown (18-6) at 8 p.m.

SATURDAY: Championship game with a berth to the state tournament on the line, will be at 7:30 p.m.

TEAM BREAKDOWNS

ARROWHEAD - The Warhawks have beaten the Waukesha West Wolverines twice this year, including a 68-48 decision on Jan. 29. Arrowhead is led by 7-0 center Ben Mills (16.8 ppg.), a Boise State recruit. The Warhawks were pasted recently by Classic 8 champ Catholic Memorial and struggled to get by Cedarburg, 50-48, in the regional final. Guard Russ Finco (9.1 ppg.) is the wild card. He can either carry the team or shoot it out of the game with too many 3-point attempts. Arrowhead needs to find Mills early and often to succeed. He had only six points against Cedarburg.

WAUKESHA WEST - The Wolverines are a deliberate team that is hard to figure. They played well in a February loss to Catholic Memorial (63-57) but then lost badly (46-38) to a mediocre Waukesha North team two weeks later. They won a pair of grinders against Kettle Moraine (46-31) and Milwaukee Vincent (45-40) to advance. 6-4 senior Ryan Solberg averages 15 ppg. and 6-3 junior Dan Cerroni 9.9. "They have a solid fundamental team," said Germantown coach Steve Showalter. "They're not a great team, but you have to play well to beat them."

MENOMONEE FALLS - Are the Indians a team of destiny? They have the fabulous sophomore J.P. Tokoto (18.6 ppg. and 10 rpg.) and a seeming cast of thousands willing to press, run and shoot. They have been tested in recent weeks with tight wins over Homestead and Mukwonago. A Falls team has made sectional finals several times over the last 50 years, including chances in 2002 and 2009, but has yet to breakthrough to state. The play of guards John Cording (8.8 ppg.) and Adam Rubatt (9.3 ppg.) will be key. "Look at what our football team did," Falls coach Ben Siebert said. "They had that close one with Manitowoc right away and look what it did for them (a trip all the way to the state finals)."

GERMANTOWN - A decade ago, if you'd have told the average Warhawks basketball fan, that by 2010, the team would have six WIAA regional titles, three North Shore Conference crowns and two state tournament berths, he or she would have thought you were crazy, but that's exactly what has happened. Sophomore guards Zak Showalter (17.3 ppg.) and Josh Mongan (11 ppg.) lead the way. Mongan has been a steady-beyond-his-years rock at the point position while Showalter has proven to be every bit the scorer and team player his coach-father (Steve) was. "I asked our coaches the other night 'Are we done?' " said coach Showalter, "because getting to sectional was our goal. And they said maybe we should set a new goal."