Catholic and Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran faced off in a rematch of last year's sectional final with the winner of this year's contest earning a berth to the state tournament on Friday morning. Columbus Catholic got revenge for last year's loss by storming back in the second half yesterday afternoon to defeat the Blazers, 79-69. The Blazers raced out to a 40-34 halftime lead led by Sam Meerstein and his 12 points. After N.E.W. Lutheran took a 54-44 lead, the Dons flexed their muscles and went on a 16-0 run to take a 60-54 lead that they would never relinquish. This marks the second state appearance for Columbus Catholic in the last three years, as they were defeated by Barneveld in the semifinals in 2017. Bryce Fuerlinger, one of the state's top rebounders, scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Jarred Mandel and Noah Taylor, a duo that joined Fuelinger on the Cloverbelt-East Conference first-team, scored 12 points and 16 points, respectively. Columbus Catholic earned a two-seed in the D5 state tournament and will face off against defending champion Bangor on Friday morning.
This was my first appearance in the Wausau West gym, and it honestly was one of the cooler high school gyms I've been in. The court was right in the center so it felt like a college arena. On one side was a mezzanine level, and the bleachers had plenty of leg room. This court had only one volleyball court, which made the court look cleaner, and the WIAA logo in the free throw lane was a great touch. If I ever get another chance to attend a game at West I will take advantage of it!
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