The Blair-Taylor boys basketball team will square off against defending WIAA Division 3 state champion, Racine St. Catherine's on Friday morning. SportScene 13's Matt Cullen attended Wildcats practice Tuesday afternoon and has more.
Plenty has changed for the Blair-Taylor boys basketball team, even as they prepare for a similar finish. The Wildcats are heading back to the WIAA state tournament for the second straight year, this time in a more competitive Division 3 field.
Randy Storlie/Blair-Taylor Boys Basketball Coach: "We feel we went through two state tournaments to get here, playing tough games against La Crosse Aquinas and Poynette."
Shay Benedict/Blair-Taylor Senior Guard: "We're just a bunch of farm boys but we've been playing together for a while now. We're excited to get the chance to play."
After getting the experience of state last year, Blair-Taylor's new mission is to avoid another early exit.
Shay Benedict says, "Our goal this year is to bring something back."
Matt Cullen/Reporting: "A year after making state in the Division 4 field, Blair-Taylor remains the underdog as they move up to Division 3 this season. The Wildcats have had plenty of tough games to get back to Madison, but the hardest is still ahead in Racine St. Catherine's, who has won four of the last five state titles."
Hank Kujak/Blair-Taylor Junior Guard: "A lot of people even came up to me in church and said it's David vs. Goliath. When I stop and think about it, it really is."
Randy Storlie says, "You take a look at Racine, a town of 80,000 people, and you take a look at our two towns, and we've got 1,800 people combined. It's like the 'Hoosiers' story all over again."
Han Kujak says, "We believe we can go down and win and be the first ones to bring a gold ball back to put in the trophy case."
In Blair, Matt Cullen reporting for SportScene 13.