Christian beats 3 teams it hasn’t fared well against 

NATE ALSUM focuses on defense. – Photo by Becky Zylstra

Entering this season, Sheboygan Christian’s boys basketball team lost a combined 23 games in a row to Howards Grove, Oostburg and Kohler.

In a span of seven days last week, the Eagles defeated all three schools.

And at 3-1, Christian has already equaled the number of wins it had all of last season.

“We’re kind of riding a high off of a really good football season and a state championship in soccer,” coach Brett Flipse said. “The kids that I have, everyone on the team played one of those sports.

“I do think that the kids are working hard and I’m a pretty senior-laden team. For the last three years, these guys have started, even when maybe they weren’t ready to play varsity. So they’ve taken their lumps and I think they’re playing better basketball right now. And it doesn’t hurt getting Michael Modahl back from his injury.”

MICHAEL MODAHL takes a shot and gets fouled in the process. – Photo by Becky Zylstra

The senior, who missed the entire season last year, ranks 10th in the state with an average of 31 points per game.

He finished with 38 in a 62-53 victory over Kohler on Thursday to help snap a seven-game skid against the Blue Bombers. Eleven months ago, Kohler beat Christian by 41 points.

The Eagles also lost seven consecutive times to Oostburg until a 76-72 win on Dec. 3, as Modahl and Noah Heinen combined for 54 points. 

And they also halted a nine-game streak to Howards Grove, 66-57, last Tuesday. Christian hadn’t beaten the Tigers since 2014.

Lutheran doing well, too

Sheboygan Lutheran’s boys basketball team must be in a slump. The Crusaders only scored 72 points in beating Ozaukee on Thursday after putting up at least 89 points in their first four games.

However, Lutheran’s average margin of victory is still impressive (37 per game) in getting off to a 5-0 start and earning the No. 2 ranking in the Division 4 state coaches poll.

Six players score at least nine points per game for the Crusaders.