Algoma looks to contend in ‘26

Coach Eric Schneider has witnessed a dramatic rebound in Algoma boys basketball the past three years.

After winning just three conference games and seven overall his first year, the Wolves improved to 8-8 in Packerland play and won 11 games two years ago, then took a huge leap with the program’s first winning record in recent memory, 19-6 and a second-place, 13-3 finish in the Packerland.

“We have a good bunch of guys returning who gave us good minutes last year,” Schneider said. “I’m just expecting them to handle any pressure that teams throw at us, and be that calming presence on the floor help guide some of the younger guys.”

The Wolves return a unanimous first-team All-Packerland selection in Parker Lischka, a pre-season All-State guard on some Div. 4 lists. The six-foot-one senior has scored 1,167 points in his first three seasons. He also had 153 rebounds, 72 steals and 21 blocks last year. If he stays healthy, he’ll likely become Algoma’s all-time scoring leader.

“It’s not a distraction,” Schneider said. “When it happens, it’ll happen naturally. He’s a competitor. He wants to win.”

Second-team selection Braeden Leist, a six-foot senior guard, is known for his intense defense and excellent passing. He can also score whenever needed. Junior Charlie Prokash, a six-foot-one guard and forward, is another capable scorer and rebounder.

Six-foot-three senior Lane Cochart is moving into a starting role this year.

Others expected to play key roles are guards Cayden Neuzil, a junior, and Griffin Robinson, a sophomore. Senior post Aidan Zeitler brings raw athleticism under the basket, and a flurry of others like Aiden Moen, Jack Schwader, Dylan Seiler, Rex Krause and Ethan Melotte will be among others competing.

“Consistency for 40 minutes has to be the name of the game this year,” Schneider said. “I expect guys to be leaders on the floor as well as leaders on the bench when they’re there, making sure that everyone is prepared for the ups and downs that games bring, because it’s going to happen. We can’t let our lows get too low this year. We have to keep it consistent.”

Schneider said practices have been competitive when they’ve needed to be, but he wants to make sure guys are having fun.

“When it’s time to get serious, the guys really tighten down,” Schneider said. “There’s not a night that we can take off. Whoever we’re playing, we have to be ready for them.”

Schneider said hard-nosed, man-to-man defense is where it starts.
“Between our zone and our man, we need guys flying around making plays,” he said.

Schneider said he’s going to miss three graduated seniors a lot.

“What Carson (Leist), Chase (Romdenne) and Cody (Kirchman) brought to this team was a level of toughness, a level of leadership that I don’t believe this program has seen for a while,” Schneider said. “Those three guys really stepped up in big ways. How they communicated, how they played. What they brought to the practice environment was unlike anything I’ve seen the past six, seven, eight years.”

He continued, “I’m going to miss those guys a ton, but luckily I’ve got some guys who’ve seen how they’ve led and how they’ve played, so I’m excited to see what our replacements can step in and do for us.”

Assistant coaches Seth Robertson, Josh Savoie and Zach Wery all return for the Wolves, who open at home against Two Rivers Monday.