Kewaunee’s record-breaking season came to an end last Thursday in a WIAA Div. 4 sectional final, a tough-to-swallow 73-62 loss to Bonduel at Kaukauna High School.

A hot-shooting Bears team got 27 points and 12 rebounds from 6-foot-6-inch, 250-pound senior power forward Ryan Westrich and 19 points — including a perfect 5-for-5 from deep — from junior guard Carter Moesch in handing the Storm its first loss after 26 straight wins.

“I thought we were well-prepared coming in,” said Storm Coach Matt Bosdeck. “We had a good game plan, and we had good looks all night long. We just didn’t make enough shots.”

Kewaunee did hold Bonduel’s top scorer, junior guard Quinn Wesenberg, to just eight points. That’s about dozen below his average. The Storm, meanwhile, got 15 points from Diesel Bosdeck, a dozen from Connor Kilgore, 11 from Mason Kovacs, 10 from Dane Harrell, six each from Evan Maccoux and Avery Jerabek and two from Baylor Elliot.

“Kewaunee’s an amazing team,” said Westrich, an All-State basketball player, All-State tight end and defensive end and three-time state shot put qualifier. “There’s a reason why they were undefeated in the regular season and the first part of the playoffs. They’re a great program. Well-coached. Tough. We just hit more shots today.”

In an 81-77 win over the Bears at Kewaunee Feb. 2, Kewaunee shot 51.8% from the floor — including 35% on threes — and had 24 free-throw attempts, making 16.

Things were different at Kaukauna. While the overall shooting (47.4% on 27-of-57) was just 1.1% off its average, the Storm’s three-point percentage (28.6, on 8-of-28) took a hit. In addition, the physical battle came with fewer whistles (15 fouls on Kewaunee, 10 on Bonduel), and the Storm got to the line only once, missing both attempts.

Meanwhile, the Bears were 12 percentage points better than their season average overall (60 percent vs. 48), and 17 percentage points better from deep (54 percent vs. 37 for the season). Bonduel made 29 of its 48 shots in the game, including going 6-of-11 on three-pointers.

Bonduel also won the rebound battle (31-17) and had 22 assists to 13 for the Storm. The Bears also had fewer fouls (10 vs. 15) and more free-throw attempts (9-of-13 vs. 0-2). Turnovers were similar, 10-9, Bonduel.

Westrich has committed to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he’s expected to play on the offensive line.

“He’s a big boy,” Coach Bosdeck said. “He was able to push us around, and they weren’t calling that tonight.”

Senior guard Avery Jerabek said the team’s first loss obviously hurts.
“We had our hearts in it all night, right to the final buzzer,” Jerabek said. “As much as we wanted it, tonight wasn’t our night, and we just have to live with that.”

Senior guard Connor Kilgore scored all 12 of his points in the second half.
“It was a little too late,” Kilgore said. “I wish we could have made it further, but it was a great season. Twenty-six wins, it’s a great feeling, an honor.”

While they’ll graduate three starters (Jerabek, Kilgore and Maccoux), Kewaunee will have four key players from the class of 2028 back next season in Bosdeck, Harrell, Elliot and Kovacs. The Storm will then reload from the junior varsity teams that combined to win 45 games, while losing just three. JV 1, coached by Teresa Bortolini, had a 22-2 record while JV 2, coached by Will Walerius, went 23-1.

A closer look

Kewaunee led early, starting with a three-pointer by Bosdeck, a Kilgore feed to Harrell and a Maccoux triple, and it was 8-2 two minutes in. A Storm steal and Jerabek layup made it 12-7 at the 11:50 mark. There were six ties after that, the last at the buzzer on a Griffin Uelmen three after Kilgore was called for a charge with 15 seconds left in the half.

Bonduel scored the first seven of the second half, and Kewaunee found itself down 43-32 with 14:38 remaining. But back-to-back buckets by Kovacs, a two and a three — the latter after a Harrell offensive rebound — cut it to six with 12:35 left.

Down 10 with 6:55, Kilgore scored inside and Harrell secured another offensive board. Jerabek dropped in a bucket, and it was 55-49 with 5:56 left. Again the Bears went up 10, only to have Bosdeck hit a 3. Down 9, Kilgore drained one from deep to make it 65-59 with 1:25 left. He did it again with 36 seconds left to again cut the deficit to six. The Storm then got a steal, but were called for an over-and-back violation and had to foul the rest of the way.

The Bears stayed hot two days later, punching its second straight trip to the WIAA State Tournament at the Kohl Center with a 78-68 win over Marathon.

Wesenberg got back in the groove and scored 22, but it was senior guard Griffin Uelmen leading the way, tripling his season average with 26 points. He missed just one of eight shots (went 4-for-5 from deep) and was 8-of-9 at the line. Westrich added 14 and Moesch 10.

Bonduel (25-3) made 26 of 41 shots (63.4 percent), including going 10-of-17 from deep (58.8 percent). They earned the top seed and played Cambridge (19-9) Thursday night. Milwaukee Juneau (26-1) takes on Regis (22-5) in the other semifinal, with the winners to play Saturday afternoon.