The Sheboygan Lutheran Crusaders boys basketball team has been nearly unstoppable this season with an impressive record so far.
This team’s rise back to prominence not just in our area but the entire state has come down to talent, heart, and a drive to make it to Madison and win a state title.
Coming into this week, the Crusaders were 10-0 and the top-ranked team in division five; however, Head Coach Nick Verhagen knows the work is not done.
Verhagen sat down with seehafernews.com, and the first thing he explained was the team’s vibes at this point, given their early success.
“There’s a lot of emotions, a lot of competitiveness, a lot of love I’d suppose you’d say. I think it’s a group that gets along really, really well with limited selfishness.”
He continued, “And there’s an understanding in the room of what’s expected from the next guy.”
On that point, Verhagen spent additional time talking about the expectations and goals this team has from coaches and players alike.
“As a team, everybody had similar goals. Those goals included: winning conference, hosting multiple playoff games, and winning a state championship.”
He explained further, saying, “I asked them before the season, the only rule I had was, I want goals to be reasonable and attainable.”
However, coach Verhagen has his aim set at some tall aspirations, which he uses as motivation.
“Possibly punching a ticket to go to Madison and that experience? I go to bed thinking about that, and I wake up thinking about it. I really do. It’s just what drives me every single day.”
This group of guys has been quite impressive on the court this year, showing out on both sides of the ball.
Defensively, this group has impressed their coach with the effort they’ve shown against some serious competition so far.
A third of the way through the season, the Crusaders have yet to allow more than 65 points in a game that has caught coach Verhagen’s eye as a real standout this year.
On the offensive side is where this Sheboygan Lutheran squad truly shines.
As a team, they are shooting a scorching hot 36 percent from deep and averaging just over 80 points per game.
This 3-point flurry is led by senior guard Andrew Krueger, whose 28 made long balls are good enough for 11th in the state in Division five.
Joining Krueger in filling it up for the Crusaders are junior forward Brennan Hackbarth, sophomore big man Marion Boyland, and junior guard Zach Leonard, all of which are averaging over ten points a game.
However, in a massive matchup last night, the Crusaders were handed their first loss of the season.
They fell to the nearby rival Kohler Blue Bombers.
With matchups against tough competition such as Roncalli, Howards Grove, Oostburg, and Kohler on the horizon, the chase for a state title for the Sheboygan Lutheran Crusaders must go through some of the best outfits northeastern Wisconsin has to offer.
