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LACROSSE, Wis. (AP) — Four years ago, Rick Schneider handed over the ball — and control of his Aquinas High School boys basket ball team — to a 14-year-old fresh man named Bronson Koenig. The decision has worked out pretty well for both of them. Koenig and Schneider went on to win two state titles, the last of which came with a 53-48 victory over Lodi in the WIAA Division 3 championship game Saturday at the Kohn Center. Now, the duo has even more hardware to add to an already full trophy case. Koenig was named the Wiscon sin Associated Press boys basket ball player of the year, while Schneider was named the coach of the year, as voted by a panel of statewide media members. Koenig was selected over Whitefish Bay Dominican’s Duane Wilson and Germantown’s Luke Fischer, the LaCrosse Tribune reported. They were joined on the first team by Onalaska senior Matt Thomas and Milwaukee Hamilton junior Kevon Looney. Drummond senior Ben Best was a Youth Team selection. Auburndale senior Austin Hawkins made the Third Team. Auburndale beat Hurley in the sectional semifinal at Wausau East. Drummond advanced to the state semifinal. “For four years, he’s had the ball in his hand,” Schneider said of Koenig, who signed with the Uni versity of Wisconsin last Novem ber. “He came in as a freshman, his first game, we played against St. Paul Johnson who went 26- or 27-0 and won a state champi onship, and he had to bring the ball up the court against a pretty darn good basketball team. That was his first game, and I don't know if he turned the ball over one time. “That’s where he started. Where he’s at today, it’s remark able. It’s not a surprise, but it’s remarkable,” Koenig won his first state title as a sophomore, leading the Blu golds to a 27-1 record and a victo ry over Racine St. Catherine’s in the state championship game. He was named first-team all-state fol lowing that season, and Aquinas seemed poised for a repeat run. But he missed most of his junior year with a thumb injury, making going out on top as a senior all the more special. “I definitely wanted to win a state championship my senior year just like anyone else,” Koenig said after beating Lodi. “In the off season, I did what I always do to try to prepare for the season. I was motivated by other teams coming here, and seeing other teams win state. I just really wanted to get back here and win.” Koenig averaged 16.9 points and 4.4 assists per game during the regular season and shot 45.5 percent on 3-pointers (40-for-88). In the state championship game, Koenig had 16 points and five assists, making two key free throws in the final 30 seconds to ice the victory and help Aquinas win its fourth WIAA state title. “It’s meant a lot to me, winning two state championships,” Koenig said, “All the great players and teams, it means a lot to me.” What set apart Koenig from everyone else, Schneider said, was his versatility. “He is asked to do so much,” Schneider said. “People see his passing. People see his shooting. Then you throw in his defense. Defending the best player, most of the time. Leading the team. Set tling everybody down. He has a lot of responsibility. He does it all. “Every aspect of his game is dynamite. He doesn’t specialize in one thing. He does it all.” Schneider was selected as coach of the year over a crowded field that included Pulaski’s David Shaw, Germantown’s_ Steve Showalter, Mukwonago’s Jim Haasser, Randolph’s Bob Haffele. The Blugolds began the year with high expectations and faced both internal and external adver sity, but Schneider and Aquinas managed to persevere and find a way to return to Madison. “We thought all year long, we had a team that could win a state championship,” Schneider said. “That was the goal as soon as the season started. We did go through some adversity. We had some things internally that we had to go through, and that’s all fine. “But our senior leadership pulled things together and was the engine behind it. When the regular season was winding down, that’s when you saw it.”
Newspaper Details
Daily Globe
Ironwood, Michigan, US
Thu, Mar 14, 2013
Page 14
Full Page
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Keli S.
USA 17 Sep 2026
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