Pierce Arenz, Grant Manz reflect on all-time records for undefeated Kiel boys basketball
KIEL — It’s been an exciting week for Grant Manz and Pierce Arenz of the undefeated Kiel Raiders boys basketball team.
Arenz became the program’s all-time leading scorer while Manz, on separate nights, scored both his 1,000th career point and grabbed his 1,000th career rebound.
The play of the talented tandem is a large reason Kiel is 21-0 and ranked No. 2 in Division 3 according to the latest Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association poll.
Either player would be the focal point of nearly any high school team in the state, yet it’s not a Batman and Robin situation.
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“It’s pretty crazy what they’ve done,” Kiel coach Marcus Rumpff said. “For them to do it together and have them on the same team, in the same class, is pretty special.”
Rumpff acknowledged there was plenty of hype for the pair dating back even to early middle school.
Manz says Arenz’s father, former Raiders coach and current assistant Jamie Arenz, told a then-sixth grade Manz he would one day become the school’s all-time leading rebounder.
The senior did just last last season, while the younger Arenz also holds the program records for assists and steals.
“Their legacy, we’ll see yet, we don’t really know,” Rumpff said knowing the ultimate goal, a state title, is still in question. “Basketball isn’t just November to March, its those nights in the gym when nobody is here in June, July and August. That’s the mark they’re going to leave.”
It also helps, according to Rumpff, how well the guard and forward compliment each other.
“It works perfectly with Pierce being our point guard and Grant being our big,” Rumpff said. “Their one-two punch is fantastic, their two-man game is really good. They feed off each other.”
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Neither player says what they’ve accomplished already, and hope to accomplish in the next month or so, is possible without help.
The depth of Kiel was on full display Thursday night in a 76-55 win over Roncalli.
Manz scored 22 points and hauled in 18 rebounds while Arenz added 14 but neither was the Raiders’ leading scorer, that honor belonged to fellow senior Jack Heckmann who set a career high with seven 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 23 points.
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“We’re two lucky guys to have these achievements but our team helps us get there,” Arenz said. “Without our teammates passing us the ball we can’t score these points.”
Manz adds having that level of support from his teammates and coaches such as Pierce’s father gave him all the motivation he needed.
“Knowing I have that much support coming from my team and coaches, I know I can do it all, that’s a special feeling” Manz said.
Having both grown up in the program, Arenz hopes the aspiring future Raiders in the stands see what they’re doing and want to emulate them like he looked up to players such as Kiel legend Brandon Gries, who set the previous all-time scoring mark of 1,669 in 2010.
“Growing up and seeing all these great players come through Kiel and have success made me want to have success all that more,” Arenz said.
“I looked up to so many people in high school now we get to be the ones little kids look up to. We hope the kids coming to our games see our success and want to have that success for themselves.”
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Kiel boys basketball led by program legends Grant Manz, Pierce Arenz
