These 14 high school boys basketball players have quietly become key contributors for their teams
With high school boys basketball in Wisconsin at the midway point of the regular season, teams in the Appleton area are gaining attention.
Appleton North is ranked third in the state in Division 1 by the Associated Press and fourth in the wissports.net coaches poll. Kaukauna is ranked 10th in Division 1 in the AP poll.
Fox Valley Lutheran, which leads the North Eastern Conference with a 9-0 record, is ranked 10th in the state in Division 2 by the AP.
And in Division 3, Brillion is ranked fourth in Division 3 by the AP and fifth in the coaches poll and Xavier is ranked sixth in the AP poll and seventh in the coaches poll.
While those teams are being led by experienced returning players, they’ve also received key contributions from players who are new to the varsity level or have raised their games.
Here’s 14 players who may have flown under the radar before the season started but now are receiving plenty of attention on their teams:
Ethan Cyra, jr., Wrightstown
The 6-foot guard leads the Tigers in scoring at 13.1 points per game. He’s scored in double figures in 12 of 14 games, including a season-high 19 points against Brillion.
Joseph Daly, so., New London
The 6-5 post player leads the Bulldogs in scoring (13.5) and is second in rebounds (6.8). He’s scored at least 15 points five times, with a season-high 20 against Pulaski.
Lucas Downs, jr., Appleton West
The Terrors are having a rough season, but the 6-3 forward is averaging a team-best 12.1 points per game. He’s scored in double figures 10 times, with a season-high 19 points against Neenah on Jan. 5.
Isaac Feske, fr., Seymour
The 6-2 forward is second on the Thunder in scoring (11.3) and rebounding (7.0). He’s scored in double figures eight times, with a season-high 15 points against Wrightstown on Dec. 27. He’s also reached double figures in rebounds three times and had double-doubles against Xavier, New London and Shawano.
Zac Halbach, sr., Chilton
The 6-2 forward leads the Tigers in scoring (16.2) and rebounding (8.2). He’s eclipsed 20 points five times, including a season-high 35 against Green Bay West in a game in which he also pulled down 17 rebounds.
Grant Hermus, sr., Little Chute
The 6-1 guard leads the Mustangs in scoring at 12.8 points per game and is shooting 53.6% from the field. He’s reached double figures in points in 10 of 13 games, including back-to-back games of 18 points against Oconto Falls and Clintonville.
Aiden Humphreys, jr., Wrightstown
The 6-1 forward is averaging 12.8 points per game and has a team-high 34 made 3-pointers. He’s scored at least 20 points three times, including a season-best 26 points against Valders. He also leads the Tigers in rebounds with 4.6 per game.
Parker Ingles, so., Winneconne
The 5-10 guard is averaging 14.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Wolves. He’s eclipsed 20 points three times, including 28 against North Fond du Lac, 23 vs. Wautoma and 25 against Laconia.
Ryan Pierquet, sr., Chilton
The 6-2 guard is second on the Tigers in scoring (13.2) and rebounding (6.3) and leads the team in assists (4.4). He’s been a consistent scorer for Chilton, reaching double figures in 11 of 13 games with a season-high 18 points against St. Lawrence Seminary on Tuesday.
Jonah Roehrig, so., Kaukauna
The 6-foot guard is averaging 8.3 points per game for the Ghosts. He’s second on the team in made 3-pointers with 28 and is shooting 45.9% from beyond the arc. The sophomore scored a season-high 17 points against Madison Memorial on Jan. 6.
Brody Schaffer, so., Winneconne
The 6-foot guard is averaging 14.2 points per game. He’s scored in double figures in 10 of 12 games and has eclipsed 20 points in three of the last four games, including a season-high 25 against Waupaca.
Kaelin VandenWyngaard, sr., Hilbert
The 6-5 forward is leading the Wolves in scoring at 14.6 points per game. He’s reached double figures in points seven times, including four games with at least 20 points.
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Paul Vuillaume, sr., New London
The 6-2 guard is third on the Bulldogs in scoring at 10.3 points per game, with a 24-point game against Wausau East and a 20-point effort against Shawano.
Cody Young, jr., Shiocton
The 6-2 guard leads the Chiefs in scoring with 12.5 points per game and is dishing out 3.4 assists per contest. He’s scored in double figures nine times, with a season-high 23 points against Iola-Scandinavia on Jan. 2.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: High school boys basketball players making big impact this season
