If you’re itching for some county high school sports rivalries, then this is your week.
In a three-night span, from Tuesday through Thursday, five big county rivalry matchups are scheduled in Kenosha County.
It starts Tuesday night, when Wilmot hosts Southern Lakes Conference and county rival Westosha Central in boys basketball and continues Wednesday night on the wrestling mat, as Bradford hosts Indian Trail in a Southeast Conference dual match.
Then, on Thursday night, Tremper hosts Indian Trail in a girls-boys SEC basketball doubleheader between crosstown rivals, while Westosha Central hosts Wilmot in girls basketball for the second part of that rivalry matchup this week.
And that’s just part of a busy high school sports schedule this week that’s filled with rivalries and important games, matches and invites as the weeks dwindle in each winter sport before Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association postseason play begins next month.
Here are Kenosha.com Associate Editor Mike Johnson’s “Top 5 Events to Watch” in the county this week, along with a weekly calendar of high school varsity sports involving county teams.
TOP 5 EVENTS TO WATCH
WESTOSHA CENTRAL AT WILMOT (boys basketball)
Tuesday (Jan. 24), 7 p.m., Wilmot High School (1112 308th Ave., Wilmot)
The Panthers will try to play a spoiler role when they host their county rivals on Tuesday, as the Falcons are tied atop the SLC with Burlington in pursuit of at least a share of the conference title for the fifth straight season. Wilmot enters the game at 6-10 overall and 1-6 in the SLC and will be trying to avenge a 77-51 loss at Central when the teams met for the first time this season on Dec. 9. Seniors Cooper Zimmerman (15.4 points per game) and Jake Christiansen (14.9 points per game) are scoring in double figures to lead the Panthers. Central, meanwhile, has won seven straight to move to 12-2 overall and with a thrilling 57-54 double-overtime home win over Union Grove last week Friday stayed tied atop the SLC with Burlington at 6-1. The Falcons and Demons meet for the second time this season next week Thursday (Feb. 2) at Central. Sophomore point guard Elijah Griffin leads Central with 14.4 points, 6.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game and senior guard John Kinzler is averaging 10.2 points per game.
INDIAN TRAIL AT BRADFORD (wrestling)
Wednesday (Jan. 25), 7 p.m., Bradford High School (3700 Washington Rd., Kenosha)
The city rivals will square off Wednesday night in the Bradford Fieldhouse in the final SEC dual of the season before the SEC Meet, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4, at Racine Case. For Bradford, senior Corbin Ramos enters the week with a 26-1 record and ranked No. 3 in Division at 145 pounds by Wisconsin Grappler, while senior Thomas Reilly (17-4) received honorable mention at 195. For Indian Trail, senior London Kiser (24-8) is ranked No. 9 at 182, sophomore Sullivan Ramos (30-5) is ranked No. 10 at 138 and senior Edwin Estrada (23-9) received honorable mention at 126.
PHOTO: TWITTER PHOTO
INDIAN TRAIL AT TREMPER (girls basketball)
Thursday (Jan. 26), 4:30 p.m., Tremper High School (8560 26th Ave., Kenosha)
Some of the top players in the SEC, including the conference’s leading scorer, will battle Thursday evening in the first half of a hoops doubleheader at Tremper. Indian Trail junior guard Adrianna Gonzalez leads the SEC with 25.3 points per game, and that number could even increase by the time the Hawks face the Trojans, since Indian Trail first hosts Racine Park on Tuesday night. The Hawks enter Tuesday’s game at 7-8 overall and 2-5 in the SEC. Tremper, meanwhile, enters the week at 11-6 overall and 4-3 in the SEC and hosts Racine Horlick on Tuesday night. Senior guard Aliana Brown, Gonzalez’s cousin, leads the Trojans with 16.3 points per game, while sophomore forward Emily Giese is averaging 14.7 points and an SEC-leading 15.2 rebounds per contest. In the teams’ first matchup, on Dec. 9 at Indian Trail, Giese put up a Giannis-like performance, totaling 26 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks and six steals in Tremper’s 55-31 victory. According to stats on WisSports.net, Giese is second in the entire state with 68 blocks.
INDIAN TRAIL AT TREMPER (boys basketball)
Thursday (Jan. 26), 6 p.m., Tremper High School (8560 26th Ave., Kenosha)
In the second half of Thursday’s SEC hoops doubleheader at Tremper, the Hawks will go for a season sweep of the Trojans as they try to remain in a crowded SEC title race. Indian Trail first plays Tuesday night at Racine Park, as the Hawks enter the week at 11-4 overall and 5-2 in the SEC, in a three-way tie for second place with Racine Case and Oak Creek, one game back of first-place Franklin. Junior forward Manasseh Stackhouse continues to have a stellar season for Indian Trail, as he leads the SEC in scoring at 22.5 points per game and ranks second in rebounding at 8.6 per game. Senior guard Jackson Wilhelmson is averaging 15.7 points per game. For Tremper, which is 3-10 overall and 1-6 in the SEC and hosts Racine Horlick on Tuesday night, junior guard DeJuan Graise is averaging 15.8 points per game and senior forward Will Starks is averaging 14.7 points per contest. In the teams’ first meeting, on Dec. 9 at Indian Trail, Wilhelmson scored 24 points and Stackhouse scored 22, as the Hawks held off a 25-point performance from Starks and a furious second-half rally by the Trojans for a 66-60 win.
WILMOT AT WESTOSHA CENTRAL (girls basketball)
Thursday (Jan. 26), 7 p.m., Westosha Central High School (24617 75th St., Salem)
The Falcons host the Panthers on Thursday night in the county rivals’ girls matchup, with Central looking for a season sweep following a 61-53 victory at Wilmot on Dec. 6. Central enters the game at 5-12 overall and 3-5 in the SLC and is led by senior forward Reese Rynberg, who averages 17.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Wilmot is 4-14 overall and 1-7 in the SLC and features SLC scoring leader McKenna Johnson, a junior guard who’s averaging 24.5 points per game.
PHOTO: TWITTER PHOTO
BONUS GAME
Oak Creek at Bradford (girls basketball), Tuesday (Jan. 24), 7 p.m., Bradford High School (3700 Washington Rd., Kenosha): These aren’t county rivals, but Tuesday night’s SEC girls showdown between the Red Devils and Knights at the Bradford Fieldhouse could be the most significant game in the county this week. Bradford, led by senior forwards Nevaeh Thomas and Syderah Farmer (who just surpassed 1,000 career points), is 5-2 in SEC play, two games behind 7-0 Franklin for first place and one behind 6-1 Oak Creek for second. It’s the second go-around in conference play for Bradford against each of those teams, and the Red Devils are seeking some revenge against both after a nine-point loss at Oak Creek and a one-point home loss to Franklin earlier this season. The Sabers host the Red Devils on Feb. 16 to conclude the regular season.
HIGH SCHOOL CALENDAR
TUESDAY
Boys basketball–Milwaukee Messmer at Reuther, 6 p.m.; Bradford at Oak Creek, 7 p.m.; Racine Horlick at Tremper, 7 p.m.; Indian Trail at Racine Park, 7 p.m.; Westosha Central at Wilmot, 7 p.m.; Whitefish Bay Dominican at Shoreland Lutheran, 7 p.m. Girls basketball–Milwaukee Carmen Northwest at St. Joseph, 6 p.m.; Oak Creek at Bradford, 7 p.m.; Tremper at Racine Horlick, 7 p.m.; Racine Park at Indian Trail, 7 p.m.; Shoreland Lutheran at Whitefish Bay Dominican, 7 p.m. Gymnastics–Jefferson/Cambridge and Badger Burlington at Union Grove/Wilmot/Williams Bay (Wilmot High School), 6 p.m. Hockey–Kenosha at Beaver Dam (Beaver Dam Family Center Ice Arena), 7 p.m. Boys swimming–Bradford at Franklin, 4:30 p.m.; Tremper at Oak Creek, 4:30 p.m.; Indian Trail at Racine Unified (Racine Unified Aquatic Center), 4:30 p.m.; Badger/Westosha Central/Wilmot at Elkhorn, 5:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Boys basketball–Christian Life at University School of Milwaukee, 6 p.m. Girls basketball–Christian Life at Living Word Lutheran, 6:30 p.m. Gymnastics–Kenosha Co-op at Mukwonago Invite, 6:30 p.m. Wrestling–Kingdom Prep Lutheran and Lake Country Lutheran at Shoreland Lutheran, 6 p.m.; Indian Trail at Bradford, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
Boys basketball–Indian Trail at Tremper, 6 p.m.; Racine Case at Bradford, 7 p.m.; Milwaukee Messmer at Shoreland Lutheran, 7 p.m.; Burlington Catholic Central at St. Joseph, 7 p.m. Girls basketball–Indian Trail at Tremper, 4:30 p.m.; St. Joseph at University School of Milwaukee, 6 p.m.; Milwaukee Messmer at Christian Life, 6 p.m.; Bradford at Racine Case, 7 p.m.; Wilmot at Westosha Central, 7 p.m. Wrestling–Westosha Central at Delavan-Darien, 6 p.m.; Lake Geneva Badger at Wilmot, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY
Boys basketball–Westosha Central at Elkhorn, 7 p.m.; Wilmot at Burlington, 7 p.m. Girls basketball–Shoreland Lutheran at Indian Trail, 7 p.m.; Burlington Catholic Central at St. Joseph, 7 p.m. Hockey–TBD at Kenosha (Pleasant Prairie IcePlex), TBD. Boys swimming–Tremper at Middleton Invite (diving only), 6 p.m. Wrestling–Wilmot at Muskego, 5 p.m.
SATURDAY
Boys basketball–Shoreland Lutheran at Whitewater, noon; Grafton at Westosha Central, 3 p.m.; Tremper at Chicago Hope Academy, 6 p.m. Gymnastics–Union Grove/Wilmot/Williams Bay at Madison Memorial Invite, 10 a.m. Hockey–Beloit Memorial at Kenosha (Pleasant Prairie IcePlex), 5 p.m. Boys swimming–Bradford, Tremper and Indian Trail at Racine Invite (Racine Unified Aquatic Center), 9 a.m. Wrestling–Tremper at Grafton Invite, 9 a.m.; Indian Trail at Lodi Invite, 9 a.m.; Westosha Central at Oak Park-River Forest (girls), 9 a.m.; Christian Life at Deerfield Invite, 9:30 a.m.
