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Sports Archives for 2020-06

Timber Rattlers, MiLB cancel season

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will have to wait until 2021 to play ball.

 

Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday that the season across all levels was canceled due to COVID-19. It marks the first year without professional baseball in the Appleton area since 1957, according to a release from the Timber Rattlers. The organization is working with Major League Baseball to see if socially distanced crowds can be spectators to check out workouts at the ballpark since Fox Cities Stadium will be an alternate training site for the Milwaukee Brewers. Members of the "taxi squad" will keep their skills sharp in Grand Chute just in case the Brewers need to call a player.

 

The Timber Rattlers are still planning on hosting some events at the stadium this summer, including fireworks this weekend.

WIAA raises ticket prices

If high schools in Door and Kewaunee Counties host state series events, expect to pay a little more.

 

During last week's WIAA meetings, the board approved a number of changes to what it charges spectators and reimburses school districts to help address its bottom line in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a release from the WIAA, all regional, sectional and State Tournament ticket prices will be increased $1. Mileage reimbursements for team and individual travel will decrease 50 cents per mile for 2020-21, and the regional and sectional host revenue sharing percentage will be decreased by 5 percent. The latter two adjustments will only be in effect for next year.

 

These changes were just part of the discussions held last week that also added a girls state wrestling series and computerized seeding for basketball.


Luxemburg-Casco Track looks forward to "summer season"

The Luxemburg-Casco Track Team will try to bring closure to its 2020 season next week.

 

The squad will host a week of practice that is optional for athletes from July 6th-10th from 4 to 6 p.m. The team will follow WIAA reopening guidelines, including only parents being allowed when competing, no sharing of equipment or relays, and alternate lanes for races. 

 

The school will also host a lifting camp for all athletes beginning July 6th with a cap set at 28 students for the six sessions.

 

 

Brewers announce summer camp roster

The Milwaukee Brewers have left some flexibility in their roster after they announced who would be attending their summer camp on Monday.

 

The Brewers put 45 players on their summer camp roster, 15 people less than the 60-man limit the team is allowed. The Brewers will invited 23 pitchers, four catchers, 12 infielders, and six outfielders to work out at Miller Park. The team will have to trim that roster down to 30 before the first games at the end of July. 

 

The Brewers also announced Monday it had officially signed five of its draft picks, confirming a MLB.com report over the weekend.

 

You can see the full roster here


Hairpin 5K prepared for virtual start

A Fish Creek tradition prepares to toe the line later this week, even if it is virtually.

 

The Hairpin 5K went virtual earlier this year due to COVID-19 concerns. Instead of canceling the event outright like many races, runners can run 3.1 miles on their own and submit their times online. You can even buy your event t-shirt online when you register, with all proceeds going to support the Friends of Gibraltar. You can click here for registration information.

 

The Washington Island Rec Run and the Run Wild Quarter Marathon/5K will follow a similar format later this year. The Belgian Days Run, Shanty Days 5K, and Door County Turkey Trot have been canceled while the postponed Door County Half Marathon is still scheduled to take place on October 31st. 

The 'Burg hosts another exciting Sunday of racing

The 'Burg Speedway gave their fans plenty of excitement to tie them over until after the July 4th holiday weekend.

 

Over 140 cars checked in for the five different divisions Sunday. Jeff Bodendorfer captured the checkered flag in the Village Kitchen IMCA Modified 20 Lap Feature, the IMCA Stock Car 20 Lap Feature was won by Eric Arneson, Jeff Vlies took the IMCA Northern Sportmod 20 Lap Feature, Mitch Meier claimed victory in the Unified Dirt Street Stock 20 Lap Feature, and Brandon Kaye outpaced the field in the Quietwoods RV Murder Hornets 20 Lap Feature. The 'Burg Speedway will take July 5th off for the holiday before returning to action on July 12th.

 

 


Brewers to announce roster Monday

The Milwaukee Brewers are expected to announce their 60-man player pool on Sunday as the season gets closer to the league's July 1st restart.

 

MLB teams had until Sunday afternoon to submit their rosters, but the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Brewers have delayed announcing specifics until Monday. The roster will consist of two camps: one competing to be on the opening day 30-man roster when the regular season starts at the end of July and a "taxi squad" that will train off-site and will be ready just in case somebody from the other camp gets hurt. The alternate site could be Fox Cities Stadium, home of the Brewers' Single A Affiliate Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Grand Chute. "Summer Camp" will start for the Brewers on Saturday.

WIAA releases summer activities sports-specific guidelines

With the summer contact period just days away, the WIAA released specific guidelines for several sports on Friday.

 

The 44-page document highlights several different factors for players, coaches, spectators, and officials to keep in mind. For each sport, it breaks down the guidelines for pre-screening, practice and game protocols, and COVID-19 coach recommendations. You can read the full document by clicking this link from the WIAA.

Three games set for baseball tournament play

Three games are set for action Sunday afternoon in the summer baseball tournament featuring Door County League teams.

 

The three games are Kolberg traveling to Washington Island, Egg Harbor hosting Maplewood, and West Jacksonport visiting Baileys Harbor. All games begin at 1:30 p.m. Sponsored by Nor Door Athletics, the summer baseball tournament is not affiliated with Door County League Baseball, which canceled its 2020 season earlier this year.

Brewers signs three picks

If social media is any indication, the Milwaukee Brewers have three new players in their system.

 

According to Brewers.com writer Adam McCalvy, the team has come to terms with three of their picks from the MLB draft held earlier this month. Those players are Freddy Zamora (second round), Zavier Warren (third round) and Joey Wiemer (fourth round). The organization has not made the signings official, but various sources including Wiemer's own Twitter feed have confirmed them. The Brewers still need to sign their first-round pick Garrett Mitchell and fifth-round pick Hayden Cantrelle to contracts before the August 1st deadline.

Luxemburg-Casco going without head coach for 2020 season

About four weeks after Dillon Maney left Luxemburg-Casco High School to take an assistant coach position at Bay Port, the Spartans announced they would be tackling 2020 with a coaching committee. Roles are still being defined as the program begins to plot out its summer schedule, including contact practices in Mid-July. Coach Neil Seering provided a video update Friday, which is linked here.

Packers Hall of Fame reopening Monday

For the first time since March, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame will be open to the public on Monday morning. There is a strict cap on the number of visitors, so online registration is required. Anyone with pre-purchased vouchers can email to register for a tour time. For those planning a trip, tickets are available here. Visitors have up to 90 minutes to complete their walkthrough. The Green and Gold are tentatively scheduled to kick off the regular season on September 13th at Minnesota.

NBA unveils restart schedule

The Milwaukee Bucks will be back on the court in a regular-season contest on Friday, July 31. They square off against the Boston Celtics a day after Utah and Orlando tip off a schedule featuring 22 teams that will determine playoff seeding. Six teams will be eliminated with a traditional 16-game playoff bracket set by August 14. The NBA postseason will not be divided by conference this season. Instead, it’s merely the 16 best teams. Milwaukee had the league’s best mark in March when play was suspended.

DKHS.com's Champion of Champions Series: Luxemburg-Casco Wrestling

You cannot say Wisconsin high school wrestling without saying Luxemburg-Casco.

 

The Spartans have participated in the team state tournament 17 times, winning 12 of them to have the second-most all-time in the state. That includes winning the first-ever in the dual meet format in 1992, one three-pear (2001-2003) and a pair of repeats (2005-2006, 2012-2013). It pairs well with the 42 individual titles the school has won since the tournament started in 1940.

 

This concludes the DoorKewauneeHighSchoolSports.com Champion of Champions series which highlighted all of the peninsula's state championship teams over the years. You can read summaries of the Spartans' state wrestling titles by clicking the links below.

 

The 1990s

The 2000s

The 2010s

Sevastopol introduces new cross country coach

The Sevastopol Pioneers will have a new high school cross country coach when the team starts cranking out the miles this fall.

 

Annie Kapolnek introduced herself as the new coach as a part of a video posted on the school district's Facebook page earlier this week. In the almost two-minute video, Kapolnek encouraged runners to put in the miles over the summer before practices in August. She also announced that Dennis Ploor will be an assistant coach for the team. You can view the video below:

 

 In other Sevastopol-related running news, the district's PTO announced it was canceling the 2020 edition of its Door County Turkey Trot due to COVID-19 concerns.

Packers traditions altered in COVID-19 world

If fans are able to watch their favorite Green Bay Packers take the field, there may be some changes they are not used to seeing due to COVID-19.

 

The NFL announced that training camps are expected to start on time for most teams, which would be July 28th for the Packers. While the Packers will continue to work out at their own facilities as mandated by the league, there has been no announcement on what that will mean for the fans. It could mean no open practices and also no bike rides for players, a tradition that dates back to the Lombardi days.

 

What is for sure is that the first eight rows of NFL stadiums will be tarped off so fans and players can keep their distances during games if they are allowed. The tarps will allow teams if they so choose to sell advertising to raise extra revenue. It might also mean the "Lambeau Leap" touchdown celebration goes to the wayside for at least one season. 

 

The NFL also announced Thursday it was canceling many of its of Hall of Fame activities including the preseason game due to the pandemic.

Fox Cities Stadium, other fields in the cards for Spring Training 2.0

The start of the 2020 MLB season for the Milwaukee Brewers will look nothing like anything fans have seen before.

 

MLB.com's Adam McCalvy hypothesized several different scenarios for the Brewers when they begin practicing again July 1st. While Miller Park was cited as the obvious and primary choice for the workouts, McCalvy also mentioned Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute and Concordia University in suburban Milwaukee. Fox Cities Stadium is the home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a Brewers minor league affiliate. McCalvy also reiterated in the piece that 60 game sprint will feature Central Division teams from the American and National Leagues.

Booyah rounds out 2020 roster

With the start of its season, the Green Bay Booyah announced the rest of its 2020 roster on Wednesday.

 

Returning from last year's squad are pitchers Jack Mahoney and Chris Jefferson and catcher Brady West. Sporting some name recognition for Packers fans is outfielder Bo Majikowski, who's dad Don played for the Green and Gold in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

 

The release from the Booyah also featured 10 additional players not previously announced by the organization. You can read their biographies below. The Booyah will take the field for the first time this year at Capital Credit Union Park in Ashwaubenon on July 1st.

 

RELEASE FROM THE GREEN BAY BOOYAH

Out of the Ivy League, Columbia freshman Andy Blake and Princeton sophomore Nadir Lewis come in with high expectations. Blake, a shortstop, reigns from Hopewell Township in New Jersey, where he produced back-to-back all-area hitter of the year honors. During his 2019 season at Hun School of Princeton, he hit .516 with 3 home runs and 23 RBIs. For Lewis, his 2019 season at with the Tigers was one to remember. He started every game, and led the team in runs, walks, and on-base percentage, while roaming the outfield. He also holds the Alpharetta High School record for most triples in a career.

 

On the pitching staff, the Booyah welcome a pair of right handers from the University of Kentucky. Harrison Cook and Ron Cole, both freshmen for the Wildcats, come in with impressive resumes from their high school careers. Cook, a 3-time first team All-State honoree in Iowa, holds his high school’s record for strikeouts in a game with 16. For Cole, he was part of the first team in Neptune High School history to make a state finals appearance during his sophomore season, and was a 2019 Perfect Game and Rawlings Preseason All-American.

 

The Booyah will also be loaded with left handed options on the pitching staff, including De Pere High School senior Ben Hampton. Hampton dominated competition in 2019, going 9-1 with a 0.99 ERA during his junior campaign and take West De Pere to the state semifinals. He will start his freshman season in 2021 at West Virginia.

 

Joining Hampton from that Mountaineers squad are first basemen Alec Burns, and shortstop Tevin Tucker. Burns broke the Souhegan High single-season home run record with 12 bombs in 2017. He was also named the New Hampshire Player of the Year by Perfect Game for the 2017 season. For Tucker, he brings stability, speed, and a great glove at shortstop. The Prince George, Virginia, native started all 60 games in 2019 for West Virigina, and was ranked as the number seven overall player in the state coming out of high school. Both Burns and Tucker make up part of the highest ranked recruiting class in Mountaineer history.

 

Benton Hart, Joe Taylor, and Eric Torres make up three more left handed arms for Green Bay in 2020.  Hart, a freshman from Lakeside, California, he tossed 13 innings with a 2.08 ERA in his debut season at Dixie State. During his final two seasons at Santana High School, he stuck out 111 batters over the course of 113 innings. Joe Taylor, a junior at Nicholls State, did not allow an earned run in 9.2 innings pitched in 2020. Taylor also picked up a save in the Colonels 4-2 upset win over #11 LSU on February 19th. Finally, Milwaukee native Eric Torres stays in state after playing his 2019 summer league season for Wareham of the Cape Cod League. In 2020 with Kansas State, he did not allow an earned run in five out of his six outings, and led the team in appearances.

 

At the dish, the Booyah bring in power with Akron catcher Cameron Tilley. During Tilley’s 2018 season at Colby CC, the Australian born right handed hitter crushed the ball, hitting .377 with 17 home runs and 67 RBIs. He was selected as a first team all-conference member, and was also named to the gold glove team.

 

Rounding out the infield for Green Bay in the 2020 season is Tennessee third baseman Ethan Payne. The left-handed hitter was a 2-time Preseason All-American, and brings more athleticism to the Booyah roster. During high school, Payne was the starting quarterback at Germantown, went 23-2 overall, and was named to the first team all-region during his junior year.

 

 

WIAA adds girls wrestling for 2021

Girls on the peninsula's three wrestling teams will have their own state championship series beginning in 2021. 

 

The WIAA Board of Control unanimously approved the adding an individual state tournament for girls beginning with the 2021-22 season despite not reaching certain benchmarks for participation. There will not be a team version of the state tournament for girls until the number of girl-only teams increases in Wisconsin. Under WIAA rules, girls will also not be able to fill weights for boys teams trying to compete for their own team sectional and state berths once the series is set up. 

 

Southern Door, Sturgeon Bay/Sevastopol, and Kewaunee each had one or more girls get a match at the high school level last year.

 

Picture courtesy of Southern Door Wrestling

Small changes made to local baseball schedule

 Some tweaks have been made to an upcoming baseball tournament. The playoff is being sponsored by the Nor-Door Athletic Association featuring several teams from the Door County League. It begins Friday with a seven-week round-robin tournament followed by a truncated playoff. Each week now features one Friday contest and a three-game Sunday slate. The amended schedule can be found below.

 

 

FBI closes NASCAR hate crime investigation

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has ended its examination of an alleged noose found in the stall of NASCAR’s only black driver at Talledega over the weekend, ruling that no hate crime occurred. The knot turned out to be a hand loop tied to a rope used for manually opening and closing the door to bay four in the drivers’ garage area. Bubba Wallace has been outspoken in recent weeks against fan culture that involved the confederate flag and raced two weeks ago with a special Black Lives Matter paint theme on his 43 car. The alleged noose was reported by a crew member and not Wallace himself. Reports indicate he never actually saw it, and yet, Wallace appeared on The View and called those skeptical of the idea that there was ever a noose in the garage stall “simple-minded.”

Commissioner orders players back to the diamond

Major League Baseball is back after Commissioner Rob Manfred used emergency authority to force an agreement between the players and owners to salvage a partial season this year. The regular season will start on July 24th and feature 60 games played over 66 days. To mitigate exposure potential due to travel, each team will play ten games against its four division rivals with the remaining 20 games against the opposing league’s geographic equivalent. For the Brewers, that means games against the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and the Pittsburgh Pirates plus American League Central squads like the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox.

Ryder Cup in Wisconsin reportedly pushed back

Golf fans in northeast Wisconsin may have to wait a little longer to see the world's best in their backyard.

 

The Guardian is reporting that the 2020 Ryder Cup, which was slated to take place at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Sheboygan in September, will be postponed since it may not be able to take place in front of spectators. The PGA of America has not confirmed the report by the British paper, but an announcement about its fate is expected next week. The PGA did announce that the tour's championship in San Francisco in August will be held without fans.

Ultrarunner finishes Ice Age trek in Sturgeon Bay

Kissing a rock takes just a second, but finding "the" rock inside Potawatomi State Park Monday night took 21 days for an Illinois man.

 

Coree Aussem-Woltering became the fastest person to ever run The Ice Age Trail, covering the distance unofficially in 21 days, 13 hours, 35 minutes according to Run the Door.  He reached the Eastern Terminus of the trail, which is marked by a rock inside Potawatomi State Park, Covering about 56 miles a day over the course of three weeks, Aussem-Woltering finished his journey as the sun set across the park. His run raised thousands of dollars for Feeding America.

 

Photo from Coree Aussem-Woltering's Facebook page

 

 

MLB two questions away from season

The long winding road for the Milwaukee Brewers to Miller Park may be ending soon.

 

The MLBPA rejected the latest offer from MLB owners 33-5, which would have paid players a fully prorated salary for 60 games and instituted an expanded playoff schedule and implemented a universal designated hitter rule. Instead, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers reported Monday night that MLB commissioner will likely still institute the 60 game season without the additional rule changes minus the DH rule . If the two sides can agree to health protocols, players could report to their home ballparks by July 1st with games beginning July 26th.

Close to 140 cars race The 'Burg

It was a busy day at The 'Burg Speedway for a Father's Day slate of races. Close to 140 cars checked in to race Sunday night for its usual slate of races. which included the stock cars, modifieds, sport mods, dirt street stock, and the new Murder Hornets division. Division winners included Eric Arneson (IMCA Stock Car 20 Lap Feature), Shawn Kilgore (IMCA Modified 20 Lap Feature), Sawyer Haese (IMCA Northern Sport Mod 20 Lap Feature), Dave DeGrave (Unified Dirt Street Stock 20 Lap Feature), and Calvin Stueck (Quietwoods RV Murder Hornets 20 Lap Feature). You can read the full recap from The 'Burg Speedway below.

 

 

 

Simulation picks Clippers over Bucks

Whenever the NBA season gets underway, the Milwaukee Bucks hopes a popular simulation site is wrong.

 

Strat-o-matic has simulated the rest of the NBA season, which is scheduled to restart next month. In that simulation, the Bucks are projected to cruise through the Eastern Conference, eliminating the Brooklyn Nets, the Indiana Pacers, and the Boston Celtics. The Bucks are then projected to lose to the Los Angeles four games to three in the hypothetical NBA Finals.

 

The Bucks and the rest of the NBA teams are scheduled to begin on July 31st to battle for the real Larry O'Brien Trophy. 

NFL details coronavirus protocols

Green Bay Packers players, front office staff, and other team employees will be separated when possible according to league protocols surrounding the coronavirus.

 

An ESPN report based a memo from the NFL and NFLPA states that team facilities will have three tiers with separate protocols for each tier. Tier 1 will consist of players, coaches, trainers, physicians while Tier 2 includes general managers, football operations employees, other assistant coaches, video personnel. Tier 3 includes many of the game operations employees that do not directly work with the players. Each tier will have their own entrances, entry times, and other protocols to follow. 

NFLPA discouraging joint player workouts

If the Green Bay Packers are going to play better together this fall, they will have to do it apart for now.

 

ESPN is reporting that NFLPA Medical Director Dr. Thom Mayer is discouraging players from working out together due to coronavirus concerns. The NFLPA and the league are currently working on protocols to be in place before training camp begins later this summer. The news comes as around 10 teams in the NFL have had members of their organizations contract the coronavirus.

 

 

Brewers to train for 2020 season at Miller Park

In the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in Florida and Arizona, the Milwaukee Brewers are heading home.

 

The USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Saturday that MLB teams will train at their home ballparks after at least 12 players contracted COVID-19 at their spring training facilities. The  only team that will not follow suit is the Toronto Blue Jays, which cannot go back to Canada due to travel restrictions. There is currently no agreement between MLB and the players' association after the league said it would no longer negotiate after the MLBPA countered its 60-game, full prorated salary offer.

Door County Baseball schedule announced

It will finally be time to play ball on the peninsula beginning on Friday.

 

Nor Door Athletics announced the schedule of its summer tournament on June 19th, which will feature Door County League teams. The season opens on  June 26th in Baileys Harbor as Institute hosts Sister Bay under the lights. The next day, Kolberg heads to Washington Island, Egg Harbor hosts Maplewood, and West Jacksonport travels to Baileys Harbor. The rest of the season's schedule is below.

 

 

First-year promoter handles COVID-19 challenge at The 'Burg

The ‘Burg Speedway in Luxemburg has a different promoter for the third time in as many years, trying to find success and navigate a pandemic at the same time. Spokesman Joe Orsini says working with Kewaunee County on a plan to open the track was painless compared to the learning curve of operating a track. Orsini doubles as the announcer and has worked with previous regimes. He says moving the events to Sunday night helped rev up the participation. The ‘Burg had 125 drivers race in five categories. Orsini says he hopes the facility can be a guiding light for other organizations in the area.

 


The 3,500 seat grandstand has been reduced to 50 percent capacity. In recent years, attendance has dwindled to around 250 spectators for an average event. Except for the Fourth of July weekend, The ‘Burg will host events every Sunday through August.

 

Picture courtesy of danlewisphoto.net.

 

Sturgeon Bay football chomping at the bit

Sturgeon Bay football coach Jim Adams doesn’t know exactly what the schedule will look, but he says the staff and players in the program are eager and rearin’ to get back on the field. This week, Adams will be meeting with school and district officials to establish guidelines on returning to play. Adams says that gives everyone time to carefully study the WIAA’s recommendations for summer activities involving contact. A player meeting is set for Thursday night. While the WIAA has not yet made a ruling on fall sports, Adams says he is most concerned with the body getting things right. He insists that participation will be strong, regardless of when the final decision is made.

 


Adams says the staff has developed schedules for a host of contingencies and is confident that no matter how discussions play out this week, the program is on a firm footing for the 2020 season. 

 

MLB closes all spring training facilities

Major League Baseball announced Friday night that all spring training facilities in Arizona and Florida would be closed immediately due to COVID-19 concerns. It adds another wrinkle into negotiations to try and have a 2020 season. The commissioner’s office has reportedly refused to provide a counterproposal to the most recent players’ association offer. That likely means baseball is preparing to force the players to return to the field for a roughly 60-game season. That would also allow Commission Rob Manfred to implement rules meant to increase the pace of play, including starting runners at 2nd base and forcing the National League to adopt the designated hitter.

Packers shareholders meeting goes virtual

For the second time in three years, Green Bay Packers shareholders will have to watch the organization's annual meeting on a screen.

 

The Packers announced Thursday its decision to make its annual shareholder's meeting virtual in response to COVID-19 concerns. The event draws over 10,000 of its 360,000 shareholders to Lambeau Field to hear updates on the team's operations. Hampering the ambitions of the team's Board of Directors is that it is unlikely the organization would be allowed to have a gathering of more than 50 people before the meeting's date on July 23rd. Shareholders will receive information on how they can tune in to the 11 a.m. meeting and vote for a new crop of board members in the coming weeks.

Marquette's Carton immediately eligible

One of Marquette's newest additions will be allowed to play this fall.

 

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Ohio State transfer D.J. Carton will be immediately eligible to play during the 2020-21 season despite switching schools at the end of the year. Carton averaged about ten points and three assists as a freshman for the Buckeyes, but stepped away later in the season so he could address his mental health. Carton announced his intention to transfer back in April and the move does get him a little closer to his home of Bettendorf, Iowa.

WIAA releases summer sports guidelines

When the WIAA canceled the spring high school sports season, it left open the possibility of having a shortened season in July, allowing full contact. On Thursday, the organization released those guidelines. They are similar to what the National Federation of State High School Associations put out for teams across the rest of the country. There are allowances for differing degrees of risk pertaining to each sport as well as where schools are located, which are used to determine the overall threat assessment for a team. The WIAA guidelines then break down procedures for those in each of the high, moderate, and low-risk thresholds.


The WIAA’s guidance can be read here.

 

NCAA lays out college football return

The first official practice for the Wisconsin Badgers and other NCAA Division 1 Football teams could be as soon as August 7th according to its oversight committee. Even though voluntary workouts have already started, students can be required to participate in weight training and film sessions beginning on July 13th. Additional meetings and walk-throughs can take place starting on July 23rd with practices beginning two weeks later. The plan puts teams ready to begin their season on September 4th, which for the Badgers is a date against Indiana in Madison. 

 

 

MLB season gets fresh breath

From 100 percent confident to in doubt, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and the MLBPA has taken fans and players of the Milwaukee Brewers for quite the ride over the last seven days.

 

There was renewed hope for a season after Manfred and MLBPA President Tony Clark met for what was called productive sessions on Wednesday. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Players would play 60 games in 70 days and receive full pro-rated pay. The owners would get their wish for an expanded playoff this season and 2021 and not have to worry about the union filing a grievance over the negotiating process that players have called out several times over the last few weeks. MLBPA tweeted out Wednesday that this does not mean there is an agreement, but Manfred and the two sides have something to work off of moving forward.

DKHS.com's Champion of Champions Series: 2009 Sturgeon Bay/Sevastopol Girls Swimming

Sturgeon Bay and Sevastopol join forces on many things, but maybe none more successful than the 2009 swim team that won state.

 

Scoring 201 points, the Clippineers out scored DeForest and Whitefish Bay to take the title. Savanna Townsend won the state title as a freshman in the 50 yard freestyle with a 23.86. She would join Sierra Townsend, Michaela Rabas, and McKenzie Trelka to set a state record in the 200 yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:36.02. The team would post seven other top 10 performances in the state meet held at the UW Natatorium in Madison.

 

Read more at DoorKewauneeHighSchoolSports.com as we honor the best high school teams on the peninsula thanks to our friends at Nicolet National Bank, Door County Medical Center, and Culver's of Sturgeon Bay.

Student-athletes back on campus in Madison

The University of Wisconsin football and volleyball teams returned to campus last week for preliminary testing related to COVID-19. On Monday, weight training began in a limited number of facilities. Every athlete was tested last week and will receive additional nasal swabs if they start to show signs of illness. Only the weight rooms inside Camp Randall and the McClain Center are open at this time. Men’s and women’s volleyball and hockey are expected to return to campus by the end of the month, so additional facilities inside the Kohl Center, among others, could begin to be accessible soon. The student body will return for classes with the start of the fall semester.

Some NBA players protest return

Hoops fans in the Door Peninsula are hoping to see the Bucks back on the court in July, but there are several high profile NBA players who are trying to derail the league’s restart plans. Bleacher Report says the most notable athlete is Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets. Irving thinks that moving players to an isolated location at Disney World in Orlando stifles their ability to be a part of a more significant social movement that is happening with the George Floyd protests. Irving has been an outspoken critic of the NBA for years and reportedly has gone so far as to pitch the idea of a new league to teammate Kevin Durant. 

Sturgeon Bay catches Major League Fishing Tour Series

Sturgeon Bay received great news Tuesday as Major League Fishing will be bringing its Tour Series to the area July 6th through July 13th.  Sturgeon Bay Sport Fishing Association President Gary Nault announced at the Sturgeon Bay Common Council meeting that the arrangement came about quickly when the organizers could not hold the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Series in Vermont.  Sturgeon Bay was one of other cities in consideration to host the event.  The bass fishing tournament will include 80 anglers who will be on the water for over 12 hours a day over the eight days. 

 

Green Bay to face new conference opponent

Green Bay athletics will head farther east for competition beginning this year.

 

The Horizon League announced on Monday the addition of Robert Morris University to its league in time for the 2020-2021 school year. The Colonials will compete against the Phoenix in men's and women's soccer, volleyball, women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's golf and softball. 

MLB season left in doubt

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred did nothing to calm the fears of Milwaukee Brewers fans Monday that a major league professional baseball season may not come this year.

 

Manfred told ESPN on Monday that he is no longer 100 percent confident that a MLB season will occur this year after the MLB Players Association threatened to file a $1 billion grievance if it mandates a shortened season. The MLBPA nixed a plan calling for over 70 games to be played with players making 70-83% of their prorated salaries. After saying no, MLBPA President Tony Clark told the league it would no longer negotiate and that the players wanted to know where and when they needed to be ready for the upcoming season. The two sides would still need to agree on health protocols once the financials are nailed down, but ESPN's Jeff Passan says MLB and the MLBPA are very close to a deal on that.

Booyah open season at home

While the Major League Baseball season remains in flux, the Green Bay Booyah is ready welcome fans back July 1st.

 

The Booyah announced the schedule for the first two weeks of the season Monday, giving the Northwoods League more time to add more teams to the Wisconsin-Illinois pod if possible. The team will host the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters on July 1st in its first game back with a maximum of only 1,000 people allowed. After a quick trip to Wisconsin Rapids, the Booyah will host the Rockford Rivets for games on July 3rd and 4th before beginning a home and home series at Fond du Lac Sunday.

Familiar faces win in 'Burg Opener

The more things change, the more they stayed the same on the dirt track at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds.

 

Sunday marked a new night, a new promotion group, and a new name for the Luxemburg track now known as The 'Burg Speedway. What was not new was who won with Benji LaCrosse winning the IMCA Modified A Feature, Devin Snellenberger topping the field in the IMCA Stock Car A Feature, Cody Rass capturing the IMCA Sport Mod A Feature, Ed Anschutz driving away with the Unified Dirt Street Stock A Feature and Calvin Stueck topping the field in the Sport Compact A Feature.

 

You can read the full results below.

 

Door County League to play shortened season

There will be baseball on the peninsula this summer.

 

The Door County League Baseball Facebook confirmed a local media report from early last week about a shortened season featuring its eight teams. Each squad will play each other once before a two-game playoff takes place. After the DCL announced its season cancellation May 17th, the truncated season will begin on June 28th.

Brewers to take a look at season restart, undrafted free agents

The leadership brass at the Milwaukee Brewers will have a lot to mull over on Monday.

 

On the Major League level, Monday marks the deadline the MLB Players' Association gave to owners to tell them where and when they would like them to report for a second spring training before the regular season can restart. The two sides have volleyed proposals over the last several weeks with no movement taking place. The MLB season could be as few as 50 regular season games.

 

Monday also marks the first day organizations can sign undrafted free agents after last week's MLB Draft took place. Unlike past years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams can sign as many players as they want, but cannot offer a signing bonus of more than $20,000.

DKHS.com's Champion of Champions Series: Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door Swimming

Dynasties do not come along often, but one called the peninsula home for four years in the 2000s.

 

The Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door boys swim team won four straight titles between 2003 and 2006, falling just short in 2002. No year was as dominant as 2005 when the team scored 393 total points, winning the title with an almost 150 point cushion. That year the team set three state records while taking home top honors in eight different events.

 

Revisit those championship years by clicking the links below or visiting DoorKewauneeHighSchoolSports.com. The DKHS.com Champion of Champions series is sponsored by Culver's, Nicolet National Bank, and Door County Medical Center.

 

2006

2005

2004

2003

Jefferson heading back to Green Bay

After following many of his former teammates to the transfer portal, guard Josh Jefferson is heading back to Green Bay.

 

Jefferson entered the portal shortly after the university fired head coach Linc Dorner. Recently, the Phoenix hired Will Ryan, the son of Wisconsin coaching legend Bo Ryan. Jefferson sat out last season due to transfer rules after departing Illinois State the year before. Before Ryan was hired, two other Phoenix players that entered the transfer portal found new homes. No recruits from high school programs uncommitted from the Phoenix during the transition phase.

MLB season in owners' hand after players rejection

An MLB season could be imminent after the players' association rejected the owner's latest proposal without a counteroffer.

 

A statement from Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark said further discussion with the owners was "futile" and now just asking for details of where and when they need to be ready. They asked for those details to be submitted by June 15th. MLB owners and players reached a deal back in March that would allow the league to set the schedule, which could be as short as 50 games.

The 'Burg Speedway opens season Sunday

There will be a lot of firsts at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds raceway this weekend. It’s the start of the inaugural season for The ‘Burg Speedway under a new promoter. On top of that, the track is the area’s first to host an event since the onset of COVID-19. Another new wrinkle for race fans this weekend is the start time, Sunday afternoon. The time shift had already been planned to try and help stop a multi-year attendance slide. The ‘Burg Speedway had to submit an operational plan to Kewaunee County’s Promotion and Recreation Department last month, which was signed off on by Chairman Dave Myers.  

Hockey announces return timeline

The NHL is one step closer to being back on the ice. The league announced Friday that Phase 3 of its reopening plan, the restarting of training camp for the 24 teams participating in this year’s adjusted playoff format, will be greenlit on July 10th. The league has already allowed players back into team facilities, but in small groups, not as an organized practice squad. Traditionally, training camp begins around Labor Day with an early October start for the regular season. There are usually between five and ten exhibition contests. If you strip those out, games could conceivable begin again by late July. That’s known as Phase 4 and has not been given a timetable yet.

"The weirdest sporting event I've ever attended": Golf without fans

Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote about his experience covering the Charles Schwab Challenge happening this weekend at the Colonial Golf Course. It’s a historic site, having hosted tournaments since the Great Depression, including the US Open and now a yearly PGA Tour event. Even with 16 of the world’s top 20 players participating, golf without crowds is strange, according to Engel. NASCAR returned last month, but it at least has the roar of the engines to mask the fact that the grandstands are still empty. Golf does not, nor does hockey, baseball, or basketball. Golf plans to allow spectators on the course again by mid-July. Other leagues will wrap up their seasons in empty arenas. The question now is which sport can find a way to make a bizarre set of circumstances captivating consistently.

L-C gives one more good-bye to spring sports seniors

Luxemburg-Casco School District gave its spring sports senior one more night under the spotlight.

 

From 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., banners of each of the senior spring athletes were displayed in the Athletic Complex to honor those who lost out on their senior spring season.  One final sign of support was shown at 9 p.m. when the fields were lit up for 20 minutes. Below are posts from the Senior Send off event.

 

Picture from L-C Track Facebook page

 

 

Booyah to start play July 1st

Those looking to quench their thirst for team sports in the Green Bay area only have to wait until July 1st.

 

The Green Bay Booyah announced on Thursday it would begin pod play on July 1st with teams primairly from Wisconsin and Illinois. Those teams include the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders, La Crosse Loggers, Rockford Rivets, Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, and Wisconsin Woodcucks. Games would run until August 20th before a two-day series to determine a champion. All the teams included the pod have formed plans to keep players, staff, and fans safe during the season, which includes contactless concessions and limited capacity seating. 

Brewers stick with college players in MLB Draft

The Milwaukee Brewers stuck with a common theme with its final four picks of the truncated MLB Draft Thursday.

 

The Brewers added four college players to their system after selecting outfielder Garrett Mitchell with the 20th overall pick out of the UCLA on Wednesday. The team would go on to draft shortstop Freddy Zamora out of the University of Miami in the second round (53rd overall), catcher Zavier Warren out of Central Michigan University with the 92nd overall pick in the third round, outfielder Joey Wiemer out of the University of Cincinnati with the 121st overall pick in the fourth round, and shortstop Hayden Cantrelle was selected 151st overall in the fifth round out of the University of Louisiana. The Brewers will still have an opportunity to add more players if they so choose as all MLB teams can sign as many undrafted free agents they would like. With minor league season in flux, some of these players may not play for the system until the Arizona Fall League. You can read more about the selections below from brewers.com.

 

In the first round on Wednesday, outfielder Garrett Mitchell was selected 20th overall out of the University of California, Los Angeles. The 21-year-old outfielder started all 15 games in center field for the Bruins in his junior season this spring, batting .355 (22-for-62) with 18 runs, six doubles and nine RBI.
 
Mitchell enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign the year prior, batting .349 (90-for-258) with 57 runs, 14 doubles, 12 triples, six home runs, 41 RBI and a .984 OPS to go along with a perfect fielding percentage. He led the NCAA and established a new single-season program record in triples and was a finalist for an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Gold Glove Award.
 
The Brewers began Thursday’s portion of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft with the selection of shortstop Freddy Zamora out of the University of Miami in the second round (53rd overall). He missed this spring with a right knee injury, but in his sophomore season a year ago he batted .296 (59-for-199) with 43 runs, 12 doubles, six home runs, 46 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 50 games.
 
Zamora earned Freshman All-American honors by Collegiate Baseball and was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) All-Freshman team in 2018. He was the only Hurricane to start in each of the team’s 54 games that year, batting .303 (64-for-211) with 32 runs, 12 doubles, four triples, a home run, 28 RBI and 20 steals.
 
With the 92nd overall pick in the third round, catcher Zavier Warren was selected out of Central Michigan University. The 21-year-old switch-hitter started all 17 games in his junior season this spring, batting .328 (21-for-64) with 17 runs, 15 walks, 9 RBI and a .469 on-base percentage.
 
In 2019, Warren earned First-Team All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) honors after leading the conference in on-base percentage (.502), runs (73), hits (90), doubles (23) and walks (59) and ranking second in RBI (70) across 60 games played. Over the last two springs, he has combined to bat .355 (108-for-304) with 90 runs, 25 doubles, nine home runs, 77 RBI, 74 walks, a .492 on-base percentage and a 1.028 OPS in 77 games.
 
In the fourth round, the Brewers selected outfielder Joey Wiemer out of the University of Cincinnati with the 121st overall pick. In his junior season this spring, the 21-year-old batted .264 (14-for-53) with 16 runs, 14 walks, four doubles, one home run, 12 RBI and a .435 on-base percentage in 15 games.
 
Wiemer set a new school record by starting each of the team’s 62 games in 2019, batting .263 (63-for-240) with 42 runs, 13 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBI and 21 steals in his sophomore campaign.


With the organization’s final pick in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, shortstop Hayden Cantrelle was selected 151st overall in the fifth round out of the University of Louisiana. The 21-year-old was previously selected by the New York Yankees in the 40th round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Teurlings Catholic High School (Lafayette, LA), but did not sign.
 
This spring, Cantrelle was the only player to start each of the team’s 17 games, scoring 10 runs and drawing 12 walks. In 2019, he batted .309 (73-for-236) with 56 runs, 15 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 31 RBI, a Sun Belt Conference-leading 28 stolen bases and a .930 OPS in 59 games.
 
Cantrelle’s sophomore campaign included a three-homer game on March 16 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a cycle in a perfect 4-for-4 effort on March 19 vs. Northwestern State University. He has combined to score 112 runs, draw 90 walks and steal 50 bases in 135 games throughout his collegiate career.

Time changed for Packers/Giants game

The Green Bay Packers will have four preseason games at four different times this season after its matchup against the New York Giants got moved up two hours.

 

The Packers announced Wednesday its road contest at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was moved from a 7 p.m. CT start to 5 p.m.  No reason for the change was given in the release. Likely to be played in front of an empty stadium, the Packers play their first two preseason games at home on Saturday afternoons (Sat., Aug. 15, ARIZONA CARDINALS, 12 p.m. and Sat., Aug. 22, CLEVELAND BROWNS (Gold Pkg.), 3 p.m.) before heading out onto the road for its final two bouts before the regular season begins. The final preseason matchup will be against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs Thursday September 3rd at 7 p.m.

L-C wrestler named honorable mention All-American

Months after walking off the mat at the Kohl Center as a two-time state champion, Luxemburg-Casco wrestler Reece Worachek earned more recognition for his career.

 

A three-time place winner, Worachek was named a Wrestling USA Magazine Honorable Mention All-American. Worachek was also part of two team state-qualifying squads, including a state championship in 2017. He went a combined 165-37 on the mat during his time wrestling for the Spartans.

 

 

Brewers select outfielder with first MLB Draft pick

The Milwaukee Brewers made outfielder Garrett Mitchell a two-time pick Wednesday night when they selected the UCLA product in the first round of the MLB Draft.

 

Mitchell was previously selected by the Oakland Athletics out of his high school in 2017, but opted to go to college instead. According to a release from the Brewers, He started all 15 games in center field for the Bruins in his junior season this spring, batting .355 (22-for-62) with 18 runs, six doubles and nine RBI. Mitchell enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign the year prior, batting .349 (90-for-258) with 57 runs, 14 doubles, 12 triples, six home runs, 41 RBI and a .984 OPS to go along with a perfect fielding percentage. He led the NCAA and established a new single-season program record in triples and was a finalist for an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Gold Glove Award.

 

The Brewers will finish the draft Thursday afternoon with four picks of this year's COVID-19 condensed MLB draft. Below are the expected draft times for the Brewers.

 

Second Round (53rd overall): 4:51 p.m. CT

Third Round (92nd overall): 6:43 p.m. CT

Fourth Round (121st overall): 8:06 p.m. CT

Fifth Round (151st overall): 9:33 p.m. CT

Wisconsin football fans stick with team

The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced Tuesday that the ticket renewal rate for this season is 85 percent. That is almost ten points below last year’s record and below the average from the past decade, but higher than expected. It is unclear yet if fans will be allowed inside Camp Randall or other Big Ten stadiums for games. Most states still have curbs on attendance, with Texas being the most liberal at a 50% cap for professional events. Football revenue is used to support other teams by most athletic departments. 

Nonprofits feel the impact of golf without fans

Individual PGA Tour golf tournaments are structured as nonprofits. The 501(c)3 organizations usually have a hefty amount of cash on hand after the final swing is taken, and that is earmarked for a dedicated charity. For the next month, all events will be conducted without fans on the course. Organizers can save some money as there is no need for food vendors and other employees normally on-hand to help handle tens of thousands of spectators. However, they lose corporate hospitality tents, which can sell for $50,000 depending on the tournament and their location. Revenues are expected to be down anywhere from 50-70 percent for tournaments happening over the next four weeks.

Expanded playoff part of Major League Baseball negotiations

In yet another counterproposal in the long and public talks between Major League Baseball players and owners, a 16-team playoff is now on the table. The Players’ Association submitted a plan late Tuesday that would include an 89-game season with a 100 percent prorated salary. That compares to the owners’ idea of paying 75 percent of regular wages. To sweeten the pot, the MLBPA is dangling an extended postseason that would include two additional teams in each league, expected to produce new revenue. The format would be used this season and next. 

Bellin Health alters Titletown Wellness Series for 2020

Runners in Door and Kewaunee Counties will not have to travel to Green Bay for races if they still want to compete in Bellin Health's Titletown Wellness Series.

 

Bellin Health announced the changes to its eighth rendition of the running series after a number of its signature events like the Bellin Run 10K and the Algoma Shanty Days 5K either went virtual or were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Instead of awarding age group and overall age group awards, the emphasis will be on mileage, awarding those that cover the distance from Kewaunee to Hudson, Wisconsin two, three or four times. You'll still have to sign-up for at least one of the runs and submit your times online if applicable. The series started last Saturday and you have until November 26th to sign up and submit your miles.

 

You can learn more about the series and sign-up online by clicking this link

UW welcoming back athletes

The University of Wisconsin is opening itself again for preseason workouts for some of their athletes.

 

A Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel report says the school's football and volleyball teams will allow its athletes to return for voluntary workouts beginning on June 15th. A number of precautions will be taking place such as limiting the number of athletes per room, requiring masks, and taking daily temperature checks. If a student-athlete shows symptoms, they will have to go into self-quarantine for at least 72 hours after receiving a negative test result. If all goes well, basketball and hockey players will be the next athletes to return to campus with an expected date near the end of June. As of right now, the first volleyball match for the Badgers is still unknown according to the athletic department's website while the football team is set to host Indiana on September 4th.

MLB releases new proposal to players

The Milwaukee Brewers could be playing 76 games this season if the players approve the latest proposal from Major League Baseball.

 

ESPN's Jeff Passan is reporting the latest proposal is up 26 games from their last offer, but offers 25 percent less money of their previously agreed to prorated salaries. There would also be no draft-pick compensation for free agents signed away this winter, a plan that hopes to loosen up the market this winter. The two sides have been volleying proposals to get back to action for the last several weeks. MLB has the power to play the final hand however, which would give the players their full-prorated salaries for around 50 games before the playoffs.

Rule changes coming to wrestling

The influx of girls in wrestling spurred several rule changes to the sport for the 2020-2021 season.

 

According to a release from the WIAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations, female wrestlers will be allowed to wear a form-fitted compression shirt in addition to a one-piece singlet and a suitable undergarment, Rule 4-5-7 was rewritten to require that a legal uniform be worn during weigh-in and that no additional weight allowance be granted. This will allow wrestlers of both genders to weigh in at the same time. The rules committee also will be more lax with its rules concerning hair and stricter with wrestlers' shoes. 

 

You can read all the rule changes here.

Brewers prepare for MLB draft

Without knowing when or if this year's Milwaukee Brewers squad will take the field, the team of tomorrow will be picked later this week.

 

A truncated MLB draft will begin on June 10th and conclude the following day with just five rounds instead of the usual 40. Teams could still sign more players two days after the draft finishes according to new rules put in place due to COVID-19 concerns. The team will have some money limitations when it comes to signing players with each team having a maximum of $20,000 it can use to entice non-drafted players to sign.

 

Where they will go is another issue as the future of some minor league baseball franchises, including Brewers affiliate Rocky Mountain Vibes on the chopping block because of MLB's contraction efforts. 

Booyah lays out reopening plan

The Green Bay Booyah has laid out its plans to safely reopen its stadium within the next few weeks.

 

The 15-page document includes plans coordinated for Capital Credit Union Park thanks to help from the guidelines set by the CDC, WEDC & the Brown County Health Department. It covers ways the team hopes to protect its employees, fans, and the team from possible COVID-19 exposure. No word yet on when the season will officially open for the Booyah, but the team said late last month that would be sometime in July and Capital Credit Union Park was the site of 13U baseball tournament over the weekend. You can find the document with this link online.

 

 

DKHS.com's Champion of Champions Series: Luxemburg-Casco Girls' Basketball

Luxemburg-Casco has made the most out of its six all-time appearances at the WIAA Girls' Basketball State Tournament.

 

The Spartans won a title once a decade, winning state championships in 1988, 1994, and 2004. Ann Seidel, Rachel Porath, Trisha Legois, Rachel Nimmer, and Mary Destiche are just some of the players that graced the Spartans jersey over the years that put up all-time performances in the state tournament. 

 

You can click on the links below for features about those teams on the Luxemburg-Casco DoorKewauneeHighSchoolSports.com page, sponsored by Village Kitchen and Van's Lumber.

 

1988 Luxemburg-Casco

1994 Luxemburg-Casco

2004 Luxemburg-Casco

WIAA hopeful for fall sports

Fall sports athletes in Wisconsin got a dose of optimism this week.

 

In an interview on WGBA-26, WIAA Deputy Director Wade Labecki said the organization is moving ahead with plans to begin fall sports on time.  That would put football players getting back onto the field on August 4th. Cross country, volleyball and soccer would start on August 17th and tennis, swimming and golf on August 11th,  The WIAA is working with public health officials and with the everchanging situation surrounding COVID-19, Labecki admits the fall sports season is still up in the air. 

Green Bay ready to hire new coach

A new coach with a familiar name could be roaming the sidelines for the Green Bay men's basketball this upcoming season.

 

Scott Venci of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported Saturday afternoon that Will Ryan is set to replace Linc Darner, who was fired by the university last month. Ryan comes to the Phoenix from Wheeling University in West Virginia after one season at the helm. Wisconsin basketball fans might remember his days as the assistant coach for the Badgers, serving with his dad Bo. The report says the Green Bay Athletics Department and Ryan are still negotiating the final terms of the contract.

Sevastopol football moves Wednesday night practices

It will be Christmas in July at Sevastopol High School. It has become customary for Head Coach Ron Franks’ squad to be on the field for three 5 PM practices in June. WIAA restrictions related to COVID-19 permit summer practices but not until July 1st, so the workouts are pushed back by a month in 2020. Sevastopol won the eight-man state championship in 2018 and will be looking to return to that level for the upcoming season. A video of the announcement is below.

 

 

PGA Tour sets date for fans to return

The PGA Tour tees off Thursday for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tiger Woods will not be at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but just about everybody else will. The tournament is being held at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The world’s top five players have all agreed to participate, something that hasn’t happened at the course since 1986. In total, 16 of the game’s 20 best players will be on the course.


The PGA announced Friday that fans can return for the first time during The Memorial, which will be played July 16-19 in Ohio.

 

NFL anthem controversy reignites

Recent social unrest has brought an old National Football League controversy to the forefront again. Future Hall of Famer Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, was asked in an interview about his feelings on players kneeling during the national anthem. Brees responded that he found it disrespectful to the country and our flag. Brees said he is proud to stand during the Star-Spangled Banner because it brings to mind both of his grandfathers who fought during World War II for a better world. By Wednesday, Brees’ comments had been attacked on social media by LeBron James and several prominent athletes in other sports as well as his teammates. Protesters in New Orleans denounced Brees publicly during George Floyd demonstrations. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers called out his counterpart in New Orleans. Brees was forced to apologize not once, but twice on Thursday. By Friday, the President of the United States was weighing in on Twitter.  


The last time anthem protests were in focus, television ratings stumbled badly, falling close to 20 percent over a multi-year stretch. The Super Bowl was not immune, with total viewership dropping from 115 million in 2015 to 98 million by 2019 before a small rebound this year. With the NHL and NBA having playoff games this fall, as well as the US Open and other golf majors, there will be a lot of options for sports viewers in September and October compared to normal. A polarizing subject such as the anthem protests risks driving away audiences during a time of unprecedented competition.

 

DKHS.com's Champion of Champions Series: Algoma Girls' Basketball

Algoma Girls' Basketball is a household name for the WIAA State Tournament.

 

The Wolves are among the state's leaders in all-time appearance with eight thanks to the leadership of coaches like Mark Zastrow and players Jenny Stangel, Beth Grell, Taylor Schmidt, and Anna Dier. Three times the Wolves were able to reach the mountain top and capture state titles in 1981, 1986, and 2013. You can click the links below for DoorKewauneeHighSchoolSports.com's features on those teams.

 

1981 Algoma Wolves

1986 Algoma Wolves

2013 Algoma Wolves

 

 

Bucks one step closer to season reboot

The quest for a second NBA championship in franchise history just got a little closer for the Milwaukee Bucks.

 

The season reboot is now up to the players after the NBA Board of Governors voted 29-1 yesterday to finish the 2019-2020 campaign on the Walt Disney World campus. The Bucks would be one of nine Eastern Conference teams to make the 22-team field which will be whittled down to 16 before the playoffs begin. Teams will report to Walt Disney World to begin practices in July before play begins July 31st. If the Bucks make it there, the NBA Finals would conclude in the middle of October. Part of the season reboot plan will push back the 2020-2021 season to December.

Timber Rattlers bring back "Udder Tuggers" moniker

Despite not playing any games this month, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are still going through with their temporary name change.

 

Partnering last year with local cheesemaker Agropur, the Timber Rattlers changed their name to the Wisconsin Udder Tuggers, a nod to the state's love affair with all things dairy. The franchise earned national acclaim for the promotion and was scheduled to don the jerseys next weekend for their games. The MiLB season has been put on hold due to COVID-19 concerns and a MLB impasse with its players, but the Timber Rattlers are still selling Udder Tuggers merchandise with 20 percent being donated to Dairy Farmers of America. 

DKHS.com's Champion of Champions Series: Kewaunee Girls' Basketball

Whether the games were in Madison or Green Bay, the Kewaunee Storm was on top of the girls' basketball world in Wisconsin, winning a pair of state championships in 2012 and 2013.

 

The change of scenery did not mean the games were any less stressful for Storm fans, though its 50-41 win over Oostburg in 2012 certainly looks a lot easier than 2013. In that year, Alex Richard win a game-winning lay-up as time expires to beat East Troy 60-58.

 

Relive those championships by clicking the links below to Kewaunee's DoorKewauneeHighSchoolSports.com page, fed by Konop Meats.

 

2012 Kewaunee Girls Basketball

2013 Kewaunee Girls Basketball

 

 

Five local athletes earn outstanding scholar achievement awards

Four student-athletes from Kewaunee highlighted a list of kids from Door and Kewaunee Counties showing that success on the field and in the classroom can happen.

 

The Packerland Conference announced the 2019-20 scholar-athlete awards on Wednesday after league principals nominated a pair of boys and girls student athletes, cheerleaders, pom/dance squad members, student trainers and managers from their schools for the honor. All the student-athletes recognized must be a second-semester senior, earn at least four varsity letters during their career. and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0. Five local athletes earned outstanding achievement awards, which go to students that were three-sport athletes while earning at least seven varsity letters and a 4.0 grade point average. Sturgeon Bay's Sarah Bridenhagen and Kewaunee's Tanor Bortolini, Max Hanrahan, Owen Kudick, and Hailey Gaedtke earned the distinction. Below is a list of the other students given scholar-athlete awards.

 

Sturgeon Bay
Adison Benziner, Jake Schneider, Katie Frank, Marina Jeanquart

 

Southern Door
Brock Aune, Sam Dean, Jacqlyn Atkins, Kendra Dantoin

 

Sevastopol
Caden Kacmarynski, Evan Lardinois, Kailee Moe, Mya Ploor

 

Gibraltar
Brady Ash, Ben Fitzgerald, Bella Bunda, Kayla Scharrig

 

Algoma
Benjamin Fahrenkrug, Chase Peronto, Jenny Farley, Melissa Srnka

 

Kewaunee
Tanor Bortolini, Ryan Carmichael, Katherine Metzler, Mackenzie Tlachac

Maney leaving Luxemburg-Casco football for Bay Port

After 7 years, Dillon Maney has stepped down as the head coach of the Luxemburg-Casco football program to take a physical education teaching position at Howard-Suamico School District.  Maney led the Spartans to a winning record of 47-26 during his tenor at L-C.  The Spartans finished 3-5 in 2019 which was the only losing season in Maney's career as the Spartan head coach.  The Spartans reached the level 3 playoffs twice in Division back in 2014 and 2016.  Maney will be part of Bay Port Pirates' coaching staff as an assistant this year.  Luxemburg-Casco will now accept applications for the head coaching position and look to fill the job while the uncertainty of fall sports remains.

The 'Burg Speedway begins preparation for upcoming season

The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay has canceled its 2020 season, but that is not the case for The ‘Burg Speedway in Luxemburg. With a new promoter, the track has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic with its operating plan getting signed off on by Kewaunee County’s Promotion and Recreation Committee last week. A test race is scheduled for Sunday with the first event the following week, June 14th. The speedway shared a video on Facebook Monday evening showing off an immaculately groomed track. 

House leader hosts summit with sports commissioners

United States Representative Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana who is a member of the party’s senior leadership, is hosting a conference call with several sports leagues about resuming play Wednesday. Confirmed participants are NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. The National Football League doesn’t begin its regular season until September and is still trying to have games with full attendance from fans when play kicks off. The National Hockey League and National Basketball Association are trying to restart their seasons with postseason tournaments. Major League Baseball remains at an impasse between the players and owners over contractual obligations.

Man vandalizes field at Miller Park

Tuesday morning, a man was able to gain access to Miller Park without authorization. According to a press release from the Milwaukee Brewers organization, he acted alone but was able to cause minor damage to the field itself. The Brewers said that more information would be made available after the ongoing criminal investigation is complete. No word yet if the vandalism was tied to nationwide unrest that is now into its second week.

Locals make Wisconsin Wrestling Academic All-State Honors list

Seven wrestlers from Door and Kewaunee Counties were named to the Wisconsin Wrestling Academic All-State Honors list.

 

All wrestlers who participated in a 2019-2020 WIAA Individual Sectional and a GPA of 3.5 or above were eligible for the honor. Honored wrestlers include Easton Woracheck, Lucas Joniaux, and Hunter Joniaux from Luxemburg-Casco, Jack Severin and Mitchell Thompson from Kewaunee, and Griffin Slezewski and Grant Englebert from Southern Door. 

 

The Hill Raceway cancels season

John Miles County Park will not be hosting races this summer after the promoters of The Hill Raceway decided to close for the 2020 season on Monday.

 

PKS3 Promotion is following the Door County Public Health Department's recommendation to not have events with more than 50 people. Sue Powers of Door County Public Health said in a release that "if the county allows the raceway to be used for large events, it would go against the May 19 “Let’s Safely Re-Open Door County” publication, and it would be unrealistic to expect the community to adhere to them if the county does not." PKS3 Promotion promised race fans on Facebook that it would "continue to work on the facility making improvements to the track and we look forward to having you back with us once the world is in a safer place." They also urged fans to respect the decision made by the Door County Public Health Department and told drivers that bought pit stalls, nightly passes and any other merchandise will be honored in the 2021 season.

 

 

Packers sign two draft picks

The Green Bay Packers made it official with two of their 2020 draft picks by signing them to contracts.

 

The team announced Monday it has signed Safety Vernon Scott from Texas Christian University and Indiana guard Simon Stepaniak. Terms of the deals were not released. The Packers have still yet to officially sign six of its other draftees including first-round pick Jordan Love.

Four Clippers win Athletic Achievement Award

Four Sturgeon Bay seniors earned some extra hardware before they graduated over the weekend.

 

In a virtual award ceremony, athletic director Todd Meikle presented the Senior Athletic Awards to Adison Benzinger (soccer, basketball, track), Jake Schneider (baseball), Katie Frank (volleyball, soccer), and Marina Jeanquart (athletic training). Sarah Bridenhagen earned special recognition for her own efforts, becoming the first Clipper to graduate as a three-sport letter winner in golf, basketball, and softball and graduate with a 4.0 GPA.

 

 

 

 

MLBPA offers counterproposal

Milwaukee Brewers players could play more games and keep more of their money if MLB owners approve a counterproposal by the players' association. 

 

Reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, the MLBPA proposal includes a 114 game season that would conclude on Halloween before kicking off the playoffs in November. By playing more games, the players hope to stave off more cuts to their salaries, which have already been cut in half thanks to previous negotiations. Players that are high-risk themselves or have immediate family members could opt out of the season with no penalties and expanded playoffs are just some of the other suggestions in the proposal. The owners have proposed additional pay cuts and an 82-game season as both sides hope to get the season restarted in July.

Fighting Irish, Badgers still on for now

A marquee matchup slated for Lambeau Field this fall could still happen, though it may not be in Green Bay.

 

A Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel report says the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish is still scheduled for October 3rd, part of a two-game series between the two programs at the NFL stadiums located closest to the institutions: Lambeau Field in 2020 and Soldier Field in 2021. The pandemic has put some doubt on where the game could take place with an pro-Notre Dame podcaster suggesting the game could be moved to South Bend. That is because the game at Lambeau Field is technically a home game for the Fighting Irish with the Badgers serving as the home team at Soldier Field. According to the Journal-Sentinel report, the UW Athletic Department deny the game is going anywhere.

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