Jan 6, 2025, 3:22 PM CST
The first full week of 2025 and the first week in three that doesn’t have a major holiday falling right in the middle means a full week of big high school sports match-ups.
Annually it’s the start of January that gets the league title chase going in Wisconsin Valley Conference boys basketball. Wausau West is an early surprise to some with a 2-0 league mark that places them in a first place tie with Marshfield. West will be tested in conference not once but twice this week. The Warriors (7-2 overall) host D.C. Everest on Tuesday (7 pm airtime on 98.9 WXCO) and make the short trip to Wausau East on Friday. D.C. Everest is looking for their first conference win of the season as they are 0-2 after losses to Marshfield and SPASH and are 5-5 overall. It’s been a number of years since both Wausau West and Wausau East have had starts as good as this year. The Lumberjacks are 9-1 overall and 1-1 in the WVC with their only blemish coming vs. Marshfield. Before their showdown with West on Friday, East travels to Wisconsin Rapids on Tuesday. The Red Raiders have yet to win a game this season, 0-8 overall and 0-1 in the WVC. There will be another massive early-season conference showdown on Friday when 3-time defending league champion Marshfield hosts SPASH. SPASH will look to avoid falling two games back of Marshfield in the league with a road game at Merrill Tuesday before their trip to Marshfield.
In the Great Northern Conference on the boys side, Mosinee and Rhinelander have established themselves as the early pacesetters. Mosinee is 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the league with games at Northland Pines Tuesday and vs. Tomahawk on Friday before a showdown with the Hodags in just over a week. Rhinelander is 3-0 in the league and 7-2 overall with a nonconference game at Three Lakes Tuesday before returning to GNC play Friday at home vs. Lakeland.
The Marawood-South is as competitive as ever in boys basketball with a three-way tie at the top heading into the new year. Marathon, Stratford and Auburndale are all 4-1 in the conference. Early in the week features a couple of non-conference games, including Marathon at Colby on Monday night with a 7 pm airtime live on 98.9 WXCO. Late in the week are crossover conference games with the Marawood-North that do count in the championship race. Friday night Marathon travels to Prentice, Stratford visits Abbotsford and Auburndale makes the trek to Park Falls to face Chequamegon. Assumption is just one game back in the conference at 3-2 and will be at Rib Lake on Friday.
Like with the boys, the Wisconsin Valley Conference girls’ basketball race heats up with league action on both Tuesday and Friday this week. Marshfield and SPASH have established themselves as the teams to beat with undefeated conference marks but that will change this week. SPASH has a trip to Merrill on Tuesday with Marshfield receiving the league bye before the Tigers welcome the Panthers on Friday in a first place showdown. Wausau West is third in the conference at 2-1 and has a good opportunity to put some space between themselves and the teams below them with games at DC Everest Tuesday and Wausau East on Friday.
In the Marawood-South in girls basketball also a great battle at the top and the two undefeated teams set for a showdown on Tuesday. Stratford and Assumption are both undefeated in conference with the Tigers at 6-0 and the Royals 5-0 heading into their game in Stratford Tuesday night. Marathon has already exceeded their win total from last season and stands a game back in the conference heading into a challenging road game vs. Auburndale Tuesday. Marathon enters 4-1 in the league while Auburndale is 3-2. After a long break for the holidays, the Newman Catholic girls return to the court Tuesday at home vs. Edgar as both teams look to climb the league standings.
The Great Northern Conference has Lakeland and Rhinelander atop the standings at 4-0 with Mosinee and Tomahawk tied for third at 2-1. Mosinee starts the week off Monday with an intriguing non-conference game at 9-0 Wittenberg-Birnamwood before returning to conference at Tuesday at home vs. Northland Pines and Friday at Tomahawk. First place will be on the line on Friday as well when Lakeland travels to Rhinelander.
