Wausau area High School sports preview for this week: Marathon Cup hockey plus start of WVC boys’ basketball conference action highlight

Plenty of top hockey and basketball action pepper the high school sports schedule in the Wausau area this week. In hockey it’s one of the biggest weeks of the season for Wausau West. The Warriors host one of the top teams in the state on Tuesday as SPASH visits the Marathon Park Ice Arena for a Wisconsin Valley Conference showdown. The Warriors are 3-2 on the season and 1-0 in the WVC while SPASH enters 4-0 overall and also 1-0 in the WVC. SPASH beat two-time defending state champion Notre Dame Academy on the road 5-2 on Saturday night. The Warriors will look to snap a six game losing streak in the series and make an early season statement in the WVC. Catch the action Tuesday from Marathon Park live on 98.9 WXCO, online at wxco.fm, mobile devices by searching WXCO and on the Civic Media app starting with the pregame at 6:50 pm.

That would be a big week in itself for Wausau West but that is just the start as on Thursday and Saturday night it will be the Marathon Cup Tournament at Greenheck Fieldhouse. The Warriors have won the Cup an incredible 17 straight seasons but will be challenged by Mosinee, D.C. Everest and East-Merrill United for the title. The semifinals Thursday will feature Wausau West vs. Mosinee at 5:30 pm (5:20 pm airtime live on 98.9 WXCO and online) followed by D.C. Everest vs. East-Merrill United. Saturday will be the consolation game at 5:30 pm followed by the championship game.

Saturday will be a huge day and night of hockey at Greenheck. In addition to the two Marathon Cup games, the Central Wisconsin Storm will be on the ice Saturday afternoon vs. St. Croix Valley. The Storm is 4-1 overall after falling to Hayward 3-2 in overtime on Saturday in the championship game of the USM Tourney in Milwaukee. It will be a battle of two of the top girls’ hockey programs in the state. The Storm have the most state titles with 5 while the Fusion has won the title 3 times. Both teams were in the state tournament in March with the Storm winning the title while the Fusion fell in a semifinal. Saturday’s game will be broadcast on 98.9 WXCO, wxco.fm, mobile devices by searching WXCO and on the Civic Media app starting with the pregame at 1:50 pm

In boys’ basketball this is expected to be one of the most competitive seasons in the Wisconsin Valley Conference in a number of years. The conference campaign starts on Friday night with three games. Two of the teams expected to battle atop the league will meet in Weston as DC Everest hosts three-time defending conference champion Marshfield. The Evergreens will need to slow down 1st Team all-WVC performer Brooks Hinson among others. Everest has four double digit scorers so far this season as Casey Studemann, Cade Felch, Vander Truax and Xavier Edwards has all done a good job in replacing the production of the injured Cohen Priebe. Another preseason favorite in the WVC is SPASH and they will host Wausau West Friday night (7 pm airtime live on 98.9 WXCO and online). Grant Chandonais continues to fill the scoresheet for SPASH with 22 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season. West is 2-1 this season and have been led by seniors Griffin Lange and Bennett Matteson. Another team that is looking to make noise at the top of the WVC is Wausau East and they will open conference play on Friday vs. Merrill. East is off to a 4-0 start with Jesse Napgezek putting up more than 25 points per game and Jaydan Garrett averaging more than 14 points per outing.

On the girls’ side in WVC basketball the league season starts on Tuesday. SPASH, Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids are expected to battle atop the league standings while Wausau West, DC Everest, Merrill and Wausau East look to work their way into the mix. Night one action includes Wausau East at DC Everest in a crosstown battle, Wausau West travels to Merrill and Marshfield hosting Wisconsin Rapids. Another full night of league action happens on Friday with SPASH opening their league schedule at Wausau West, Merrill hosting Wausau East and DC Everest at Marshfield.

In the Marawood-South in boys’ basketball this week the conference action involves crossover games with the Marawood-North plus a big non-conference test for Marathon. Marathon will host WVC power Wausau East on Tuesday night. The crossover games include Stratford hosting Athens on Tuesday, Newman home against Abbotsford on Thursday and Marathon vs. Rib Lake on Friday.

In Marawood-South girls’ basketball, a local rivalry is renewed on Tuesday at Marathon makes the short trip to Newman Catholic (5:45 pm airtime live on the Sports 2 Stream of wxco.fm and on the Civic Media app and on delay after West hockey on 98.9 WXCO). Both teams come off wins late last week with Marathon knocking off Edgar and Newman winning at Athens. A massive early season conference game on Tuesday has Assumption taking on Auburndale in a battle of the preseason favorites. Friday night will have six Marawood crossover games Marawood-South teams all hosting.