Pilz, Nikolay honored as players of the year

Sports Reporter

Spencer’s Bobby Pilz named Cloverbelt East Player of the Year

Spencer junior Bobby Pilz was named the Cloverbelt Conference East Division Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Junior guard Bobby Pilz was named Cloverbelt Conference East Division boys basketball player of the year after leading Spencer to a conference championship during the 2014-15 season.

Pilz was joined on the first team Cloverbelt East all-conference team by teammate Mitchell Susa, a senior guard; Columbus Catholic sophomore Hunter Schultz; Loyal sophomore Cameron Brussow; Neillsville senior Sam Neville; and Owen-Withee senior Austin Milliren.

Columbus Catholic junior Evan Nikolai and Spencer senior Nate Mercier were among the second-team selections, and Spencer junior Calvin Lenz and Columbus sophomore Tyler Fuerlinger were honorable mention choices on the all-conference team.

Pilz led the conference in scoring at 17 points per game and provided the Rockets with a consistent scoring threat. Susa was named to the first team for the second-straight season.

“Bobby had an outstanding year,” Spencer coach Randy Reckner said. “He really matured as a player and person.

“Mitchell is one of those players a coach loves to coach. He always works hard on both ends of the floor.”

Schultz led the Dons in scoring at 13.3 points per game in his first season on the varsity squad. Columbus finished tied with Neillsville for second in the conference, one game behind Spencer. Nikolai was second on the team at 12.5 points per game.

“Hunter had a great sophomore season,” Columbus Catholic coach Joe Konieczny said. “He was our leading scorer and handled the ball for us most of the season. His work ethic and willingness to spend time in the gym is very impressive.

“Evan did a little bit of everything for us this season. He was our second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. He also spent much of the games guarding the other team’s best athlete. Because of our lack of size, he was forced to play out of position sometimes, and he did great for us in some difficult matchups.”

Auburndale’s Matt Nikolay is Marawood South’s Player of the Year

Auburndale senior guard Matt Nikolay was selected as the 2014-15 Marawood Conference South Division boys basketball player of the year, as voted on by the conference coaches.

Nikolay led the conference in steals (34) and 3-pointers made (23), was third in scoring (14.9 points per game), fourth in assists (35), and 11th in rebounding (5.2 per game) for the Apaches, who finished third in the conference behind Marathon and Wausau Newman Catholic.

Nikolay was joined on the all-conference first team by Chase Lamp of Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, Ethan Seubert of Marathon, Jake Gajewski of Wausau Newman Catholic, and Jake Reif of Stratford. All five were unanimous first-team selections.

Reif ended up fifth in scoring average (12.8), second in 3-pointers made (22), and topped the conference with 49 assists.

Auburndale senior forward Alex Marth was a second-team selection, and teammates Jake Lewis and Josh VanSchoick, both seniors, were honorable mention choices.

Stratford seniors Michael Bargender and Dawson Gebelein also earned honorable mention accolades.

Marshfield’s Fravert named honorable mention for Wisconsin Valley Conference

Marshfield junior forward Adam Fravert was the lone Tiger picked to the 2014-15 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Boys Basketball Team as an honorable mention choice.

Fravert led the Tigers in scoring (8.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.7 rpg) during the conference season.

Stevens Point juniors Trevor Anderson and Sam Hauser were named to the first team and were selected as Co-Players of the Year. Anderson won the POY award the past two seasons.

Anderson led the conference in scoring (21.8 ppg), assists (6.2 apg), and shooting percentage (59.7), and he was second in 3-point shooting (49.2) and free throw percentage (87.8). Hauser was second to Anderson in scoring (17.2 ppg), second in rebounding (7.3 rpg), and led the conference in 3-point shooting (56.7 percent), 3-pointers made (34), and free throw shooting (88.9 percent).

Joining them on the first team were Merrill senior Chaz Mootz, Wausau West senior Taylor Penn, and Wausau East junior J.P. Lacy. All but Lacy were unanimous picks to the first team.

2014-15 All-Cloverbelt Conference East Division Boys Basketball Team

First team: Hunter Schultz, so., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Cameron Brussow, so., Loyal; Sam Neville, sr., Neillsville; Austin Milliren, sr., Owen-Withee; Mitchell Susa, sr., Spencer; Bobby Pilz, jr., Spencer.

Second team: Neal Matson, sr., Neillsville; Michael Dux, jr., Neillsville; Evan Nikolai, jr., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Logan Johnson, sr., Greenwood; Riley Gieger, so., Loyal; Nate Mercier, sr., Spencer.

Honorable mention: Ty Raatz, jr., Colby; Tyler Fuerlinger, so., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; James Copenhaver, sr., Gilman; Max Opelt, sr., Granton; Booker Bredlau, sr., Greenwood; Jake Kunze, jr., Neillsville; Kolton Kaduce, sr., Owen-Withee; Calvin Lenz, jr., Spencer.

Player of the Year: Bobby Pilz, Spencer.

2014-15 All-Marawood Conference South Division Boys Basketball Team

First team: *Matt Nikolay, sr., Auburndale; *Chase Lamp, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; *Ethan Seubert, sr., Marathon; *Jake Gajewski, jr., Wausau Newman Catholic; *Jake Reif, sr., Stratford. (* denotes unanimous selection)

Second team: Preston Wirkus, jr., Marathon; Dane Fronek, jr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Alex Marth, sr., Auburndale; Zac Rihn, sr., Marathon; Jake Allind, jr., Pittsville.

Honorable mention: Colt Linzmeier, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Jared Haas, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Jake Lewis, sr., Auburndale; Josh VanSchoick, sr., Auburndale; Isaac Barber, sr., Marathon; Xavier Lechleitner, jr., Marathon; Jeff Ford, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Nick Thoreson, sr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Jacob Price, so., Northland Lutheran; Luke Thums, sr., Northland Lutheran; Aidan Masanz, so., Pittsville; Matthew Carlson, so., Pittsville; Dawson Gebelein, sr., Stratford; Michael Bargender, sr., Stratford.

Player of the Year: Matt Nikolay, Auburndale.

Coach of the Year: Adam Jacobson, Marathon.

2014-15 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Boys Basketball Team

First team: *Chaz Mootz, sr., Merrill; *Trevor Anderson, jr., Stevens Point; *Sam Hauser, jr., Stevens Point; *Taylor Penn, sr., Wausau West; J.P. Lacy, jr., Wausau East. (*denotes unanimous selection)

Second team: Jake Gebert, jr., D.C. Everest; Joey Hauser, fr., Stevens Point; Jayson Wiernik, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Riley Presley, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Jakob Tordsen, so., Wausau West.

Honorable mention: Riley Peterson, so., D.C. Everest; Adam Fravert, jr., Marshfield; Austin Reissmann, jr., Merrill; Jake Anderson, sr., Merrill; Andrew Ruzek, sr., Stevens Point; Ben Schubring, sr., Wausau East; Alex Bassuener, sr., Wisconsin Rapids

Co-player of the Year: Trevor Anderson, Stevens Point, and Sam Hauser, Stevens Point.

Co-coaches of the Year: Scott Anderson, Stevens Point, and Kurt Soderberg, Merrill.