BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW

Count Brett Flipse among those who cannot wait for 2020 to end.

“Yeah, we got hit pretty hard,” the Sheboygan Christian boys basketball coach said. “We went from four returning starters to one.”

After winning six games last season, the Eagles thought they were opening the season Friday with four of their top-five scorers back.

But in the summer, junior Michael Modahl tore his anterior cruciate ligament while water skiing and is out for the season. The two-year starter has led the squad in scoring the last two seasons (21.1 points per game last year) and was one of only two sophomores to make first-team all-conference.

Modahl did not know he had a serious injury because there were not summer basketball leagues because of COVID-19. He noticed his knee hurt while preparing for the soccer season and already had surgery.

Junior Josiah Stecker is also out after he separated his shoulder in his last game of the soccer season. His return this season is still up in the air.

And Levi Ahles, a senior, is not on the roster because he has a medical issue and cannot wear a mask while playing (if he can’t breathe, according to Flipse, his heartrate skyrockets).

“He is distraught,” the coach said. “And our conference won’t allow medical reasons for not wearing a mask. So his parents said it’s not in his best interest to play basketball this year.”

That leaves senior Sam Hendrikse as the last of the four standing. He was second on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg) and led it with 31 three-pointers last season.

But with mostly juniors that played junior varsity last year, Flipse says the season will be a struggle.

“I thought we could be a very formidable team,” he said. “I didn’t think we’re in the same class as Sheboygan Lutheran or Oostburg. But our conference was loaded with seniors last year. And they all graduated, and I brought back four returning starters. So I felt we could really compete in the conference.”

CHRISTIAN AT A GLANCE

Last year: 6-18, 3-16 in BEC

• Four starters were set to return but only one is playing. Sam Hendrikse is back and was the second-leading scorer (9.6 ppg) a year ago.

• Leading scorer and junior Michael Modahl (21.1), however, is out for the season because of an injury. Junior Josiah Stecker is hurt, too, and senior Levi Ahles cannot wear a mask.

ROSTER

Player   Yr

Sam Hendrikse   Sr

Jack Dumez   Sr

Josiah Stecker   Jr

Will Grasse   Jr

Brandon LeMahieu   Jr

Justin Hendrikse   Jr

Eli Johnson   Jr

Noah Heinen   So

Caleb Hendrikse   So

Nate Alsum   So

Andrew Grasse   So

SCHEDULE

Dec. 4 at CG-Belgium 7:15

Dec. 8 Oostburg 7:15

Dec. 11 at Kohler 7:15

Dec. 14 at Elkhart Lake 7:15

Dec. 17 Random Lake 7:15

Dec. 19 Sheb. Lutheran 2:30

Dec. 22 at CW Christian 7:15

Jan. 11 at Man. Lutheran 7:15

Jan. 14 at Ozaukee 7:15

Jan. 16 Reedsville 7:15

Jan. 18 at Howards Grove7:15

Jan. 19 St. Mary Catholic 7:15

Jan. 22 at Oostburg 7:15

Jan. 26 at Sheb. Lutheran 7:15

Jan. 28 Kohler 7:15

Jan. 30 at GBNL 4:00

Feb. 2 at Random Lake 7:15

Feb. 4 at Mishicot 7:15

Feb. 6 CG-Belgium 7:15

Feb. 11 Ozaukee 7:15