The Hatchet boys may have done the expected when they knocked off winless Pines in the opening round of regional play at home last Tuesday.
But not many saw Tomahawk rising to the occasion not once but twice more as they wrapped up a regional title with road victories over the top two regional seeds.
The third-seeded THS boys topped #2 Clintonville by a 29-23 score on Thursday and #1 Peshtigo by a 48-46 overtime tally on Saturday for their first regional title since the 2000-2001 season.
“We’re excited, definitely,” THS coach Tim Albert said. “The kids played really well and deserved to win. Obviously, this is a huge win. In the playoffs, our kids have maintained their composure and have played with a high amount of enthusiasm. We have worked hard, and have had great support during our playoff run from members of the program, parents and community members.”
A Fletcher Schoone three gave THS a 41-39 lead late in the Peshtigo game, but the Bulldogs sent it into overtime. Another Schoone three helped Tomahawk take a 46-41 lead in OT, and the Hatchets sandwiched two defensive stops around a Peshtigo basket on the Bulldogs final three possessions to hold on for the 48-46 win.
THS production came from: Jared Jarvensivu (8 p, 6 r, 4 st, 5 a); F. Schoone (17 p); Jordan Roessler (8 p, 6 r, 3 a); Lorne Ahrens (7 p, 6 r); and Chris Schoone (6 p, 3 r, 3 bl).
Keep on Trucking
Tomahawk closed out the Clintonville game with excellent defense. After falling behind 23-21 in the fourth quarter, the Hatchets shut the Truckers down on their final nine possessions of the game.
“We feel like we can play at a slower pace or faster pace, and tonight was a slower pace,” Albert said. “We were composed for the entire game, and never wavered from our game plan. We had a couple of costly turnovers, but we executed well down the stretch. Fletcher hit a big three and that helped pick up our defensive intensity”
Schoone’s trey broke a 23-23 tie and Chris Schoone threw down a dunk in the final 30 seconds to punctuate the win.
The Hatchets had led throughout, holding 10-5, 14-9 and 19-18 margins after the first three quarters.
Hatchet offerings came from: Jarvensivu (8 p, 3 r, 3 st, 5 a); Roessler (7 p, 3 r, 5 st); Ahrens (5 p, 5 r); C. Schoone (4 p, 4 r); and F. Schoone (3 p, 3 r).
Withering Pines
The Hatchets took immediate control of last Tuesday’s game, pushing 16-9 and 27-16 edges early, then blowing it open with an 18-5 margin in the third.
“In our two previous meetings, Pines jumped on us early, and we were the aggressors offensively in the first quarter,” Albert said. “We really played a great third quarter. We got stops on defense and those stops led to easy baskets. We also moved the ball well in the half court and found the open man. It was a great run and propelled us to victory.
“We talked about playing great defense in the playoffs. We limited their penetration, we challenged their perimeter shots and we did a great job on the boards.”
Producing for THS were: Roessler (13 p, 5 r, 5 st); Jarvensivu (13 p, 8 a); F. Schoone (12 p, 4 r, 4 a); C. Schoone (4 p, 5 r); Brad Jarvensivu (5 p, 4 r); Justin Jarvensivu (4 p, 4 r); Ahrens (5 r); and Jacob Sabielny (3 p).
Tomahawk improved to 10-12 overall. The Hatchets open sectional play against Little Chute at Antigo at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.