To cut down the net, or not cut down the net?

That was the question Sheboygan Lutheran boys basketball coach Nick Verhagen faced after clinching a spot in the state tournament thanks to a 67-37 victory over Almond-Bancroft in a sectional final on Saturday.

“All of a sudden, they just said at the end, ‘hey, we’re going to bring a ladder out for you guys to cut the net,” Verhagen said. “I’m like, ‘oh, really?’ It never even crossed my mind.

“And all of a sudden, the ladder’s out there. I’m like, ‘well, this is cool.’ I’ve seen it done, you know, 800 times before just watching hoops. I kind of was hesitant about it, to be honest with you. I wasn’t sure in my brain, like, do I want to do this or not? Because we checked off our third of our four goals from our preseason, but I’ve never done it before. Then I was, ‘well, I don’t know if this is the right thing to do, but it feels right. Let’s do it.’

“The people loved it, and it was a fun experience, so I’m glad we did.” 

Second-seeded Lutheran (ranked second in the final state coaches’ poll) plays Abundant Life in a Division 5 semifinal at approximately 10:45 a.m. Friday at the Kohl Center in Madison.

“They were there last year and are very well coached,” Verhagen said. “They have really good guards – they’re brothers – and they are located in Madison, so they are able to sleep in their own beds the night before the game. That’s an advantage, I’d say. They’re a strong group with a really, a really strong group of role guys, too.”

The other semifinal, which starts at 9:05 a.m. Friday, features top-seeded Cochrane-Fountain City (ranked No. 8) against Turtle Lake.

The championship game is set for 11:05 a.m. Saturday.

“We are playing our best basketball, and I think everybody that’s at this point probably is,” Verhagen said. “I think that should be the case, and that’s always our goal: when we start the season in November, we want to be December ready, we want to be a month ahead, and I think we’re at that point. 

“When you’re playing for your tomorrows, you understand that a little extra in the little things like getting to bed early and feeding your body right and coming to shootarounds and scout with a different focus. Our warm-ups and our approach to the game has been different, and I think for them, they take every opponent seriously. … Everybody has been, ‘these guys are in our way. … I think we’ve got a mature group and a selfless group that provides the confidence that we’re going to do this the right way, and it’s going to end the right way.”

Did you know? Angela Wagner is the first woman head coach of a boys basketball team participating in the state tournament.

Ticket info: Prices are $13.50 per session for all seating at the Kohl Center. Order tickets online by selecting the “Tickets” option at the top of the WIAA homepage or the Tickets page at:  https://www.expressoticketing.com/wiaa/pickevent.aspx?ECN=49.

TV Info:  The tournament will be televised live on WVTV in Milwaukee and WCWF (CW14) in Green Bay/Fox Valley. The finals will also be streamed live on Fox11online.com.

TEAM CAPSULES

Lutheran Crusaders

Record: 24-4

Streak: Won 6

Seed: No. 2

Rank: No. 2

State: 4th (1st since 2019)

Titles: 2 (‘19, ’12)

Abundant Life Challengers

Record: 23-6

Streak: Won 6

Seed: No. 3

Rank: None

State: 2nd (2024 – 1-1)

Titles: 0

Cochrane-Fountain City Pirates

Record: 26-2

Streak: Won 8

Seed: No. 1

Rank: No. 8

State: 2nd (2014 – 0-1)

Titles: 0

Turtle Lake

Record: 21-5

Streak: Won 4

Seed: No. 4

Rank: None

State: 1st

Titles: 0